thank you to netgalley for this arc in exchange for a review!

i have never played or watched roller derby. why, then, do I keep reading books about roller derby? because roller derby is cool. its cool women doing sports. that's so awesome.

while the pillow fight federation in this book is not, in fact, roller derby, it is similar in that it features cool women doing sports in cool outfits, which makes me like it already. i love all the side characters in this book. there is not a single side character that I am not somewhat attached to. they are relentlessly welcoming and also did i mention cool? because they're very cool.

i loved grace and her storyline. i like that she makes the choice to join the pff independently -- while callie supports her wholeheartedly, she never pushes grace into it or forces her to do anything she's uncomfortable with. i also appreciated that grace didn't have a romantic storyline, because she didn't need one! the prevalent thing she's dealing with is her own anxiety, and that's definitely big enough for one novel. however, i did like all the cute side pairings---callie turning out to be queer was unexpected but awesome!

very nice graphic novel! longer than i expected it to be (yay more content!) but still super quick and fun :)

In Toronto, Grace is confident as a student, but not so much in the rest of her life...until she's introduced to the Pillow Fight Federation (PFF) and reincarnates herself as Cinderhella, a competitor to be reckoned with in the ring.

I love roller derby (watching, not playing), and I suspected that this would have a similar vibe—and indeed, the PFF of this graphic novel reads like a cross between roller derby and wrestling. Think all the drama of a wrestling match (and wrestling personas) mixed with the supportive environment of roller derby...and with the athleticism of both. (I learned from this book that professional pillow fighting is in fact a thing, and I'm ten percent disappointed that it's not a work of the writer's imagination but 90% delighted that, you know, it exists.)

Grace struggles with confidence and body image throughout the book, and I love love love that 1) while these things are matters of discussion, there's never a point at which anyone—including Grace—puts the focus on weight loss and 2) the answer to the riddle, so to speak, is *not* 'finding someone who's into you will solve your confidence problems'. Among other things, this keeps the book feeling fresh.

I'm not as sold on the artwork, which is competent but generally feels more 'comic book' than 'graphic novel' to me in style; partly that's the way the characters are drawn and partly it's how many of the backgrounds are either very simple line work or plain with a simple gradient. I'd also have loved to see a bit more of a journey for Grace as a pillow-fighting athlete—she's good from the very beginning, and as nice as it is to see her succeed, it also feels more relatable (and realistic) to see a character have more ups and downs with their new sports etc. But if you're a comics reader—or a roller derby enthusiast—this is worth the read.

Thanks to the authors and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

this was a fun, fast-paced read that will appealing to fans of professional wrestling and other high-performance organizations. it took me a bit to get into the illustration style, but at the core this is a body-positive tale with a lot of good representation, action-packed scenes, and wonderful depictions of friendship. some plot points may have needed a bit more fleshed out, but i had fun regardless!

This graphic novel was such a fun read! Thanks so much Netgalley for the ARC. I totally want to join a pillow fighting league now! It hits so many emotions and I love how it deals with insecurities most people have.

This is a delightful graphic novel about a young woman who gains more self confidence through joining a WWE style pillow fight federation. The characters and their stories are enjoyable, the art is lovely, and I really enjoyed the story and its message. I'd definitely go watch that kind of a pillow fight match if they had one in my area!

Have you heard of the Pillow Fight Federation, the PFF?

This was such a fun and heartwarming novel of a young college student, finding the world of PFF. Grace is instantly enthralled with the world and decides to tryout to be a PFF fighter, creating her own persona, Cinderhella. Along the way, Grace meets a supportive group of women (presenting) who are diversely inclusive and share the enthusiasm of desexualizing and reclaiming pillow fights.

What I loved so much about this graphic novel is the strong friendship between Grace and Callie. They are childhood best friends and know one another on a deeply profound level. Callie pushes Grace just enough to bring her out of her shell. She also supported Grace in all of her PFF endeavors, bringing on major pep and excitement energy. Then, there are the times where Callie and Grace have heart-to-heart conversations in prep interviews and when social media gets to be too overwhelming on Grace's self-love and confidence. We also get a glimpse of Callie as more than a bff too, as she becomes comfortable with her own sexuality and welcomes romantic love.

If you're looking for a fun gn to recommend to teens filled with women supporting women, top tier friendship, positive body image, and the concept of wrestling-esque pillow fights, look no further!

I thought this was such a fun graphic novel with lots of great topics like tackling insecurities, friendship and knocking down stereotypes, especially in women’s sports. I related a lot to Grace with her insecurities and introverted nature. I loved seeing her become such a badass version of herself in and out of the ring. Her friendship with Callie and all the other PFF fighters was so wonderful. I loved their camaraderie and how they supported each other. I really enjoyed the conversation about reclaiming narratives like the hero/heel roles for the fighters and how they desexualized pillow fighting and made it so empowering. And the artwork was fantastic! This was such a great read and I think a lot of people will enjoy this one.
CW: online bullying

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAlley for an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

This graphic novel is different than the type that I normally read, but I ended up enjoying it a lot. I found the characters and their experiences to be heartwarming.

This was a fun graphic novel about a young college student who attends her first pillow fighting match and decides to try out only to become the league's next star. I really enjoyed this book! It was a fun story that had heart and dealt with issues like self-image, mental health, and family. The characters were great. I REALLY want to attend a pillow fight league event now!