Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me access to an egalley in exchange for an honest review!
3.5 stars
Man, I think I raised my expectations too high. I enjoyed it, but the inciting incident was just so...not unrealistic, I guess? I just had a really hard time buying it, is all. In what way does it make sense for a team captain to be so relentlessly mean to a teammate? How does that help build a successful, cohesive team? Why is she allowed to do this? Maybe I've just been out of high school for too long. Maybe the coach just sucks. Who knows.
Also, it felt like it needed to be longer than it was (maybe even going into a second volume?); some ideas didn't get enough room to breathe, and some plot points don't get to finish playing out, at least not where we can see them - although we can kind of uhhhh make an educated guess about at least one of them lol - and the ending we get felt more like an epilogue than an actual wrapping up of events.

All that said? Alix and Ezra are so sweet together, and I loved their love. I love the gender role subversion! I love that she's taller than him! I love queer rep! (Ezra doesn't put a label on himself, but he is somewhere in the bi/pan ballpark). Even with my gripes, I'd read another story with them in it for sure.

Shy, quiet, hockey player Alix asks Ezra, outgoing theater geek, for help dealing with bullies and keeping her cool. The two quickly form a friendship and eventually start dating. I really enjoyed this. Alix and Ezra are both great characters and their friendship/romance is very sweet. There are some heavy themes in this such as bullying, domestic abuse, sexual identity, and homophobia, but they are all handled with care. The art is expressive and you can really get a sense of what the characters are feeling. I can't wait to share this title with library patrons!

Such a cute story about finding your agency and handling your emotions. The characters both dealt with several challenges, and found healthy and appropriate ways to respond. The color way and art style were beautiful.

Good but not a huge stand out for me! Pretty typical YA story but the art style was nice. Nice message of not only standing up for yourself but for others as well and how we can all do better.

Sadly, I was not able to open this title for viewing on the Netgalley app or Adobe app. Both kept crashing. But I was looking forward to this graphic novel.

I read Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy by Faith Erin Hicks in two sittings and I LOVED it. Alix is a star on her school's hockey team, but constant bullying from her team captain, Lindsay, pushes her over the edge. Alix hits Lindsay, but is desperate to get a hold on her anger and not jeopardize her hockey prospects. After seeing him easily fend off a bully, Alix asks Ezra, a nerdy but well-liked drama kid for advice. As the two grow closer, Alix's confidence grows and romance begins to blossom. I really enjoyed both Alix and Ezra as flawed, realistic characters and I think Hicks handles bullying without being overly didactic. The romance was also really sweet to see. Overall, a charming, realistic story about dealing with emotions and self-discovery.

This was classic Faith Erin Hicks. A cute romance that still has some grit and substance. I loved the illustrations and feel like they conveyed all the big emotions so well. The garbage people in this book stay garbage, but our main cast of characters see some fantastic growth despite some bumps along the way. I really enjoyed this and think it will appeal to a broad audience.

That was so cute and I loved the use of blue throughout the story. The way the story played out was fun and I love how they drew closer and developed the relationship throughout. I also love how they were able to figure out what they wanted and how to stand up.

I don’t think I’ve missed a Faith Erin Hicks book yet, and I have enjoyed every single one of them. I love the characters in the books–they are all flawed and lovable, especially the main characters, Alix and Ezra. It also looks at the pressure of high school and being a star and being loved by all. It is multilayered book that is also just fun to read.

I like the art, especially the use of the one color.
But the plot is so great, I read in one day. It is labeled as teen and ya but some "adults" should read it too. I love how treats the sexuality, the homophobic, friendship and bullying. And also in minor importance family relationships. The only thing wrong is that is so short. I would like to see more of the characters. And my competivity side will love a final Match. But I also like the end at it is. A must buy for our bookstore sure!

I love this. I've been keeping my eyes out for FEH's books since she contributed a lot in Avatar Universe books and she never disappoints. Including this one.

It's about 2 person who were victims of bullying but both acted very differently. Then they're starting to hang out together and their relationship developed quickly. Their interactions were heartwarming, soft, and sweet. Everything was nice at first then at 70% mark they had to face their obstaces.

The pace was nice, I like how FEH showed a lot of dynamic scenes, which fits the story so well. But I felt like the ending could be extended... I want to see the bullies get their lessons bc they shouldn't be able to get away from those nasty behavior easily. But overall it's a nice and quick read.

Gotta love a graphic novel! They always hit. These characters were so complex and fun and breaking stereotypes left and right. I really loved the connection, humor, and romance in this story! It was great!

This is such a cute graphic novel! I loved the minimalist color and how the story progressed. I will be purchasing this book for my library!

This was a sweet, feel-good high school romance between a hockey loving girl and a queer theatre geek. Opposites attract in this heart-felt graphic novel perfect for fans of Heartstoppers. I loved that it's set in British Columbia and all the Canadian references and thought the bullying/anger management rep was really well done. Highly recommended, especially if you enjoyed the author/artist's earlier work on Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell or the series Check, please! by Ngozi Ukazu. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

CW: bullying, homophobia, parental abandonment, domestic abuse

Loved this fun graphic novel! The romance was light while still addressing lots of issues YA readers face. This story will appeal to a wide variety of readers and it great for reluctant readers.

Alix and Ezra were so sweet! I have enjoyed several of Faith Erin Hicks' books now and will continue reading anything she publishes. I like the swap of the theater geek and jock. Being a graphic novel, this will definitely be a hit with teens.

Thank you so much for letting me read this graphic novel. This story is so cute and I really like the artwork. I also like that it deals with some serious themas in a gentle way.

3.5 Stars.

Thanks NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC for Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy.

I really loved the story of this graphic novel! I love how it brushes stereotypes aside and makes the girl more burly and “manly,” while the boy is on the smaller side who doesn’t care for sports. The relationship that develops between the two is really organic and beautiful. There is so much consent throughout the story as well, not just between the main couple, but between friends as well. The characters always asked for permission before touching or doing anything they thought the other person would not be comfortable with. It is so important to show this in books because consent is just as important between friends as it is with romantic relationships. This book does an amazing job showing that.

I also love how easy the drama kids were with talking about their sexualities. The focus was not on gay panic and more about how they navigate the world with the knowledge that they are not heteronormative. It shows that kids in high school are not all panicking about their sexuality and some are actually comfortable in their skin.

The book also really demonstrated how bullying plays a role in high school. I felt it every time one of the characters would insult the main characters. The polarizing reactions between Alix and Ezra was a great way to show young people who read this how to react to bullies (the good and the bad way).

The reason I rated so low is because the art was a bit distracting for me. The way the faces are drawn almost make some of the characters look deathly gaunt. The lines on their cheeks make it look like they haven’t eaten in weeks. Their bodies are done nicely and I was able to get facial expressions but both Ezra and Alix’s mom especially, look like skeletons. Hopefully, the art will get cleaned up better in post production.

My patrons will absolutely love this book! I will definitely be recommending my library purchase this book for circulation.

I loved the story of Hockey Girl and Drama Boy! It’s that perfect combination of the butterflies of early romance, inner struggles, and societal struggles that makes it a no-brainer for me to read Erin Faith Hicks’ books. I wasn’t a fan of the illustration style, though. Maybe since I had an eARC, it just wasn’t finished with the coloring???