2/5 star

I was so close to DNFing this very early on. I understand that this is YA, but I could not deal with many of the characters. I spent most of this just wanting to be done with it. Holden is a prime example of tell rather than show. We get info dump after info dump, and while I can see it was supposed to come across as our MC learning important information, it felt kind of lazy. The dialogue felt off, and while some of the cringe was very on brand for teens, I simply could not deal with most of it.
I think if I had read this at a different time in my life then I would have enjoyed this more, but unfortunately, I did not vibe with Mighty.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Remember in high school when you were sooooo self-centered that everything felt, like, ridiculously important? Then you will DEFINITELY have empathy for the heartbreakingly awkward Millie Novak. This YA book is so messy and a little angsty, and I couldn't put it down.

Millie is homeschooled, friendless, and largely left to her own devices by her family when she tries out for her local roller derby team. She is so anxious her first few months that it's hard for her to take a compliment, let alone hold a conversation or make a friend. And everything feels so CRUCIAL to Millie. If she makes a comment, she worries it was the wrong one. She badly wants to cling to her only friend, who seems at times only mildly interested in her.

But it also seems like, as the book goes on, Millie is not the most reliable narrator. Her perception of her place on the team, her teammates interests, her family dynamic, and even her own love life are not accurate. She is lucky to make a true friend (and then some) in the equally awkward Stork, who is also using roller derby as an escape.

Heartbreakingly cringe at times (in a super relatable way), I read this in one day.

Mighty Millie Novak

Oh my gosh, Mighty Millie Novak was everything I needed and more! I’ve been eagerly awaiting this book for MONTHS, and let me tell you, it did NOT disappoint. Millie is hilarious, snarky, and SO relatable. Her narrative voice is funny and totally entertaining, and I could not get enough of it. If you love badass girls, sports, and found family, this book is definitely for you. Seriously, I just devoured it!

Tropes I loved:
- Found family
- Powerful girls
- Queer girl finding herself
- Teen self-discovery
- Roller derby (obviously!)
- Personal growth

The story starts with Millie, a teenager navigating her parents’ divorce and the struggles of being an outcast. She’s socially isolated and hiding from bullies, so when she finds roller derby, it’s like she’s discovered her own little slice of freedom. While at first, she’s awkward and unsure, as she dives deeper into the sport, she starts to build her confidence, her body strength, and her own sense of self.

It’s beautiful to watch Millie go from feeling completely lost to finding her place in the roller derby community. The author really nails the *teen experience*—the self-doubt, the toxic friendships, and the blossoming strength that comes with realising who you are. Millie might start as a bit of a mess, but you root for her every step of the way.

The whole *roller derby* aspect was *chef’s kiss*. If you’ve seen *Whip It* and got obsessed with roller derby like I did, this book will definitely hit the spot. The author, a roller derby player herself, really knows her stuff. The game is described with so much detail that even if you don’t know much about the sport, you can still feel the intensity and passion of it. I loved how the book captures the emotions of the track.

A couple of things to note—I deducted half a star because the book assumes a bit of prior knowledge about roller derby. I think it could’ve been helpful to explain things a bit more for readers who are unfamiliar with the sport.

But overall? It was fantastic. Millie’s growth throughout the book is incredible, and I was seriously cheering for her by the end. Plus, the supporting characters (Pumpkin, anyone?) added so much depth to the story. It’s a well-written, researched, and heartfelt read that will make you laugh, cry, and cheer for Millie all the way.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mighty Millie Novak by Elizabeth Holden is an empowering coming-of-age story about a teenage girl navigating social anxiety, personal growth, and the complexities of roller derby and love. Millie, 16, struggles with her self-image and her messy personal life, but she’s determined to reinvent herself. With the help of her new friend, she fabricates a plan to fit in and win the attention of her crush, only to discover that deception complicates her relationships and self-discovery. Holden creates a relatable and heartfelt story of finding one’s true self, making this a perfect read for fans of teen drama, personal challenges, and LGBTQ+ themes.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to read this book in time but I will definitely buy it. The description sounds good and don’t get me started on the cover. I love the color combo!

With the Olympics fresh on everyone's mind and sports romances once again at the top of everyone's lists, what better time than now to read a sapphic coming-of-age story set in the chaotic world of high school roller derby? (Okay, no, it isn't an Olympic sport, but it's still a sport!)
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This is the story of Millie "Mighty" Novak, a homeschooled sophomore with asthma who just successfully graduated Skatertots and made one of the derby teams at her local skating rink. She's got a lot on her plate--her parents' newly announced divorce, her brother being gone at college, an acute lack of confidence, and new romantic feelings toward a fellow skater, to name a few--but her biggest goal is to shore up her skills and help her team to victory at the upcoming Soy Anything competition. Easy, right?
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Millie is a messy protagonist, and yet you can't help rooting for her as she fumbles through the chaotic situations life throws her way; even as she makes countless terrible choices, her pluck and determination keep her in the reader's good graces, and several people--including her coaches and her peers--call her out on them. The stress she feels towards dating, especially as her parents' split casts her own ideas of romance into doubt, is particularly resonant, as is her reckoning with the realization that her teammates are not quite as she had initially imagined. And her character development is handled smoothly, as her confidence, athletic skill, and awareness of others all grow in tandem toward a satisfying resolution.
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I will say, this is definitely a book for the younger end of YA, and some of Millie's dating decisions (and the speed with which she fell into a certain initial crush) felt over the top to me, but that may come down to personal preference. I also still don't know if I fully understand the mechanics of roller derby, but the book certainly tried its best to explain the rules for those of us not in the know.
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Two other cool side notes:
1. Love the asthma rep throughout; Millie finds herself using her inhaler in the face of both strenuous athletic work and general anxiety.
2. This book is joining the small but mighty (no pun intended) coalition of books that actually reference the Covid-19 pandemic, including that it never really ended; Millie takes Covid tests on-page when she gets sick, which is a nifty addition, and her coaches are adamant about the team members not practicing when ill, even with just a cold.
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The verdict? If, like Millie, you're interested in "badass sports for weird girls," or if you just want an easy read full of queer teens finding family in a team of fellow oddballs, this may be just the book you're looking for.
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Rep: fat bisexual MC with asthma, Latina SC, Black SC, sapphic LI(s), various queer SCs
TW/CW: internalized fatphobia, dating between 18- and 16-year-old, alcohol use, anxiety, divorce, blood/injury, toxic friendship

This YA queer romance features a young woman dealing with social anxiety and her parents divorce, but her deep resilience keeps her moving forward!

Honestly I really wanted to like this book, but I got bored around 20% through and ended up DNFing. It just was for me. I did enjoy the concept but the pass just didn't hold my attention sadly.

If you like to roller derby and sapphic novels this one was for you.

Despite the super cute cover, this wasn't my favorite ever unfortunately. I had a difficult time connecting to Millie and ill admit she was a little annoying which given is typical for a teenager her age but at times it felt a little overdone so I also just had a difficult time reading the story overall. I saw everybody say that it does hit a turning point and get better and I would consider coming back to finish it in the future since I believe it does but for right now it isn't for me so I'm gonna put it to the side. I absolutely think you should still read this if your interested! This was a personal thing and obviously a lot of other people enjoyed it and it will and has found it's audience. Regardless, thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC, this didn't affect my opinions at all!

This was a fun, mostly sweet queer coming of age story. I liked the characters and thought they were age-appropriate, which is always refreshing to see in YA books.

I didn't really know anything about roller derby going into the book. I feel like I would've enjoyed that aspect of the story more if I had. It was still a good read though. The characters and relationships (platonic and romantic) make it worth reading.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

Cute YA sports romance - I did find Millie to be annoying at the start but as I read on, I grew to understand her character and was able to relate to her. As someone who did not know a lot about roller derby, it was great to hear Millie's description of the sport. Will be recommending!

thank you netgalley for giving me an advanced opportunity to read this book. i genuinely enjoyed the story of millie and how the story progressed,

The road to success is a work-in-progress, and Millie’s messy journey is a testament to that. Millie’s passion for roller derby burned throughout the book. While she was focused on derby and her life, her friendship took a hit in a messy way, adding onto the issues she was already facing.
Millie was flawed and quirky. Although she was slow and catching up with her peers, reading her self-discovery journey was motivating.

This book would appeal more to middle school (13+) audience than YA.

I never knew much about roller derby, but this book branched out from mainstream sports in fiction and delved into the world of roller derby through Millie’s story.

Millie is struggling. Her parents argue all the time- announce their divorce. Her older brother moves to attend college. Attending virtual high school allows Millie to avoid the relentless bullying from middle school.
With her parents pushing for social interaction, Millie finds her community in roller derby. Toxic friendships. Lying about her age to a crush. Massive lack of confidence.
With the help of roller derby, Millie finds strength in her body and her self. Wonderful story of a young queer girl.

3.5

First of all, I didn’t know much about roller derby before this book, but the author did such a great work describing each one of the scenes when they are practicing or competing, it really made me feel like I was with our characters, that i was a nervous and excited spectator watching them.

I enjoyed reading the journey of Mighty through this phase of life when you want to be a part of something, have friends, have fun, being a little bit selfish, lie, find your passion, being in love, learn from your mistakes and grow.

Her love and determination towards the goal of being a better athlete in this sport was inspiring and realistic, our minds sometimes kind of betrays us and starts making us overthink and compare ourselves with others, which can make us feel less worthy of what we want, so i liked reading how Mighty starts dealing with these. The scene where Ann tells her to be gentler with herself and believe in her team was one of my favorite ones.

And i LOVED the develop of her relationship with Strok, i wish we had more scenes of them together.

This was such a nice and refreshing book!

Mighty was definitely a tiny bit annyoying at first, with her self-hatred and comments she made about herself. But the way she grew from it and started to realize that she can be good at things...
What definitely set this book apart from others where the main character gets tangled into their own lies, is the character growth and Mighty's self-awareness. She knows that her lies, ones that she previously said without thinking about the consequences, are bad and she also knows that the longer she keeps it up, it's going to be just worse as time passes by. Mighty's aware as she overcomes her insecurities, that she needs to do something to make things right - and she does! I loved the fact that she decided to just communicate her worries about various things that were on her mind. from the try-out laps to the lie she told Spiny. She was also not afraid to apologize for her mistakes and that was honestly so nice to see (especially in a book targeted to teens).
Another thing I liked was the sense of community and friendship around the team, especially the characters closest to Mighty. I loved how her relationship with Stork progressed from the kind of annoyance and jealousy to a wonderful bond. Mighty's relationships with Pumpkin, Stork, her other teammates and her family were all nicely complex and felt so natural, while not taking away from the plot too much.
The pacing was fine too, only sometimes it felt a bit slow, but I don't think it took too much away from my reading.

Mighty Millie Novak begins with heart. Full of imposter complexes, Millie struggles to feel like she belongs on the team. She struggles to figure out how seriously she wants to take roller derby, to figure out where she stands in her family, and what friends she wants to make. It's always difficult to figure out how to merge our worlds, to be honest when our feelings have changed. My favorite element has to be the friendship difficulties. How we realize we've changed and how do communicate that?

4,25/5⭐️

First of all, thank you NetGalley and North Star Editions for the ARC.

TW: alcohol consumption and references to past bullying

"Mighty Millie Novak" by Elizabeth Holden is a quick YA sapphic coming-of-age story.


I liked Millie and her relationships with the rest of the cast of characters, and I also absolutely loved all the roller derby scenes and games.

However, in the beginning, I was a bit confused during more than one scene, due to my lack of knowledge of the sport.


In general, I had a good time reading Elizabeth Holden's debut and I will definitely read her next books!

Representation: asthma, anxiety, queer MC, sapphic lovestory, BIPOC side characters.

This book started off really fun. I had a blast getting to know Millie and her situation.
I only knew roller derby because of a Phineas & Ferb episode I saw as a kid. But other than that I had no clue. And I really like sport romances, so I was curious to see a YA with a sport I didn't know much about.
Do I understand the sport after reading the book? Partially. But I could not explain it to someone else, lol.

Halfway through, this book fell a bit flat for me. And that was mostly because of my wrong expectations. I hoped for more of a love story. Wether that be romantic love or friendship. It started to get a bit more complicated and I have mixed feelings. I hate conflict. But the conflict was necessary for character growth, I just did not expect this much conflict on so many fronts... Millie and Pumpkin weren't really good friends to each other and their relationship turned out different than I expected! And it was kind of refreshing?! The synopsis reveals quite a bit. But it still was a different story than I expected.
The split between her parents was mentioned in the synopsis but it got way more page time than I expected. That wasn't bad per se, I just was not prepared. Unlike the social anxiety which was never named on page. It was unclear to me if it was a legit mental health issue or just teenage insecurity. And that's not a bad thing necessarily. Every reader can interpret it how they want and take it in whatever way feels most validating to them. Speaking of disability representation; Millie has an inhaler for her asthma. It comes up from time to time but it's not a plot point and that was very nice!!

I guess it is kind of a story of self-love. Millie was bullied at school in the past, resulting in her currently doing school online. But the bullying had a bigger effect on her (self image) than she realized. While not going to public school has made her lonely, it felt like the safest option at the time. But her loneliness combined with the image and confidence issues have made her desperate to make friends and be liked. But she really grows in that aspect, with the help of kind people and I liked that!

Sadly the pacing was not great. Some parts were very easy and quick to read, while other parts felt really slow. That was the other reason the story got less enjoyable for me. It was easy to lay down and hard to pick up again. The resolution of the Spiny storyline for example felt rushed and could have used a bit more attention in my opinion. It felt crammed in whilst other parts like the 'crush phase' just dragged on. But I finished it. And while immediately after reading it I felt a bit disappointed, now, a few days later I actually appreciate what the author chose to do. The cover made me expect a more fluffy yet badass story. But I would not describe 'Mighty Millie Novak' as fluffy at all. It is a reflective story about friendship, relationships, self worth and happiness.

Set against the backdrop of the Roller Derby world, this book was a fantastic coming of age story about self discovery and friendship. Millie's character rang true to the those awkward teen years when you are just trying to find your place in the world. The romance was sweet and tender and I was rooting for Millie every step of the way. Will definitely be buying this book along to my tween who is just beginning to read YA books, and will love these characters.