The Hockey Saint

Despite its title, you can easily read "The Hockey Saint" without knowing a thing about hockey. This story is all about an unlikely friendship, real life heroes and difference between the real and media self. Shapiro uses a bunch of tropes and stereotypes but as the book is clearly aiming for a young teen audience, it didn't annoy me too much. Most of the topics addressed throughout "The Hockey Saint" are meant to make you think about them and not offer too realistic depiction. My favorite thing probably were the recommended music titles for each chapter though - a nice touch and they fit the story perfectly!

'The Hockey Saint' by Howard Shapiro is the second graphic novel in a trilogy, but I read it as a standalone and didn't feel like I was missing anything.

Tom Leonard is a college sophomore and idolizes hockey player Jeremiah Jacobson. Tom's had it rough since his parents died, and when he gets a chance to hang out with his idol, he takes it. Jeremiah has some good qualities, and some bad ones. He shows Tom that he's only human. When a rival team hires a private eye to dig up dirt on Jeremiah, Tom is caught in the middle. He is pressured to give out secrets of his new friendship and even offered money to give up the dirt. Eventually, this leads to a conflict between Tom and Jeremiah, especially when Tom sees something in Jeremiah's life that will eventually hurt him.

The art is not awesome, but the story isn't bad at all. It feels like an after school special (except one where smoking and drinking is okay). I like the fact that Tom is not so starstruck that he doesn't want to help Jeremiah out. The supporting characters are pretty good for the most part. The main characters are only a few years apart, but I felt like Tom was a lot younger for some reason. The story has some good things to say about stardom and friendship.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Animal Media Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

When friends need each other, sometimes it is hard to take a stand in order to help one another. But if a friend won't help? Who will?

This sequel to "The Stereotypical Freaks" is set two years after its predecessor ends. In this installment (Volume 2 in the "Forever Friends" Trilogy), Tom becomes friends with Jeremiah "Jake" Jacobson--the world's best hockey player--and realizes that fame and stardom have a gritty side. In fact, it would seem that the real Jake is far more real than Tom would really like. Although it can be a little heavy handed and preachy, this text has a fun twist at the end and will resonate with lovers of realistic fiction.

Solid story about being open to see the true heart of people past the persona they put on or the reputation they may or may not have earned. Somewhat predictable and a little heavy-handed at times, but still a message that deserves to be heard.

This is the second story in the Forever Friends Trilogy. In this story, Tom is now a sophomore in college. He is living with his grandmother after the death of his parents in an accident with a drunk driver. He is playing on the college hockey team and has just been made Assistant Captain as well as receive a partial scholarship. When he meets his idol, Jeremiah Jackson, he can not resist the opportunity to hang out with him. Jeremiah has some good qualities, and some bad ones. He shows Tom that he's only human. When a rival team hires a private eye to dig up dirt on Jeremiah, Tom is caught in the middle. He is pressured to give out secrets of his new friendship and even offered money to give up the dirt. Eventually, this leads to a conflict between Tom and Jeremiah, especially when Tom tries to convince Jeremiah to make some changes in his life to avoid being hurt.

The story centers not just on friendship but the faces behind fame and the darkness that sometimes comes with it.

I enjoyed this story and the lessons that it teaches. I definitely think this series would be a hit with older boys, especially the ones that love sports and the reluctant readers.

Title: The Hockey Saint.
Author: Howard Shapiro, Marica Inoue, Andres Mossa Genre: Graphic Novel Series: Forever Friends Trilogy (#2)

A few starting notes:

I received a free digital review copy of this book via NetGalley. NetGalley provides review copies from publishers in exchange for fair and honest reviews.

I approached this graphic novel with a little hesitation. I know nothing about ice hockey. Like seriously, nothing. It's just not a popular sport in the UK in general - and Wales is more about the rugby than anything else.

You'll be happy to hear that, despite my hockey ignorance, I enjoyed this book a lot.

This is apparently #2 in a trilogy - but I read it as standalone and had no difficulty with reading it as such.

Premise:

Jeremiah Jacobson, or 'Jake,' is a 21-year-old hockey star. Tom Leonard is a 19-year-old college hockey player whose life is going through a rough patch - he also idolises Jake.

The two somehow form a fledgling friendship, but can it survive the demands of the sport, the press, and life?

Best bits:

I really did enjoy this - it was very readable, and the characters were actually a lot more involving than you would think on first glance. To such an extent that I basically zipped through reading this.

The art is perhaps a touch on the unusual side, but while a lot of artists make the mistake of becoming too radical in their attempt to bring a fresh style to their work, the artwork here keeps the balance well. I'd even go as far as to say it's charming (in a mature way, of course.)

The social issues touched on here are dealt with carefully and sensitively - and it gives the book a real heart that shines through excellently.

I also love the questions raised about the role of sports stars/athletes, and their glorification by a media that would just as soon tear them to shreds if it'll mean more viewers, readers, listeners, whatever.

Not so great bits:

Some of the issues dealt with might upset some people - notably that of alcoholism and drink-driving. Also mentioned are poverty, illness/cancer, the treatment of veterans, parental death, and suicide. All are dealt with sensitively, and, in my view, with great skill and balance - but this may still be upsetting to readers dealing with similar issues.

I think this book was set in Canada - but I'm not 100% on that. Enough places in the USA were mentioned to give me some doubt. On balance, it was probably Canada... probably. The names of the leagues etc. would probably tell most North Americans where it was, but as a British girl with no interest in hockey, I was left just a little confused.

Occasionally, the dialogue is a touch stilted and/or naïve, but really, this is barely noticeable, and the vast majority of the speech flows well.

Verdict:

This is a readable and eloquent graphic novel, absorbing and charming, and accessible to people outside the world of hockey, this has some stuff to say in style.

I've read Shapiro before and I love the recommended listening idea he puts at the beginning of each chapter. (Especially when they include wonderful songs like Gary Jules's Mad World.)

Though stories like this stress me out. The suspense of real-world type issues is more intense than the suspense of action movies.

But it was a really good story. I'm not much on sports-related stuff, but I'll read just about anything in graphic novel form, and this story was well worth it. A little bit about finding yourself. A little bit about redemption. A little bit about the real world.

College hockey player who lives with his grandmother gets a partial scholarship, named assistant captain, and finds out where his idol lives. Quite an opening chapter. From there he meets his hero, who takes him to surprising places, as long as he doesn’t tell. There’s a conspiracy by the rival team to get the goods on the hockey star, and the kid has to decide which side to pick.
Each chapter comes with a recommended song list; I didn’t try it, but the one song I did know, Rush’s Limelight, was well chosen.
It’s a nice story, with an upbeat ending. But it’s hard to believe a guy this secretive would open up and spill all his secrets to a teen fan. This is more like a kid’s fantasy, especially the hero’s redemption at the end.
The artwork is fine, nothing special but definitely good enough. As long as the reader has no illusions about it being far from reality, there’s a lot to enjoy here.

This may have worked better as a prose novella then a graphic novel. The panels are almost exclusively of people talking. The art is high school art level at best. That being said, I did like the story.

So this was a really great book and it made me super happy! This is partly because I received some really exciting news that made me really, really happy but this book shows that friendship rules!!!!

I am quite happy that I really liked this one as I read the first one last year and really loved it. This fall into a category that I like to contemporary graphic novels because both of these tackle issues that deal with real life and I know that I don't really read a lot of these graphic novels, but I would definitely like to see more.

The book follows the budding relationship of Jeremiah and Tom who gets to be friends with his "hockey saint" and the challenges that follow...

I really enjoyed the plot to this, the friendship definitely it was slow building one and was really nice to see how the relationship grew. Granted there was a lack of plot but it was definitely character driven and this is something that I personally really enjoy. Although I am not a great lover of sport and there was lots of hockey, I don't think this damped my view of the story and did make it more interesting. I definitely also liked the ending and it was a perfect way to end the story.

The characters in this graphic novel were also great and there was no character that I really disliked. I definitely like both main characters, Tom, and Jeremiah and it was so nice to see their characters develop over the course of the graphic novel and stick by their friendships even though Tom was in some bad situations, this didn't prevent him deserting Jeremiah. I definitely also like who Jeremiah was a lot more developed than his celebrity persona.

The artwork in this graphic novel is also wonderful. It was bright and colourful and I really enjoyed it. My only problem with this was the fact that I read this book and the speech did not match up with the artwork although this was not that much of an issue.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Hockey Saint and I highly recommend it.

The Hockey Saint centers around two hockey players, one amateur and one professional, that quickly become friends. Tom Leonard is a college student who idolizes Jeremiah Jacobson and seizes an opportunity to meet him.

The bond that forms between the two men occurs naturally, and doesn't feel forced. The effect they have on each, good and bad, is slower to develop and deepens their relationship.

There are two elements that threw me off the book: the artwork and the investigation into Jeremiah. One of the league executives auapects Jeremiah of misconduct and hires a former FBI agent to investigate him. A lot of the story surrounding the investigation is repetitive, while the art felt understated throughout.

I enjoyed The Hockey Saint for the most part. Although it is presented as a hockey story, it is more about the characters and their relationship.

I liked this book and found it very relatable. I remember Tom from the first book and it was nice seeing him a few years after The Stereotypical Freaks.

This book started out sad and focuses on a lot of real life issues. Even with all of his problems, I still liked how Jake was written. Once again, the author has inserted a 'Recommended Listening' and I can't wait to go through it. Great writing once again, and amazing artwork.

A story with a clear and believable message that is definitely for a teen audience. Worth a read if you're in the right age group with some serviceable and fun art and a sports twist which is unconventional for the genre.

This is graphic novel about a great hockey player that has a secret life. He no longer gives interviews. He eats in private. He doesn't let anyone in, until a young man stubbles upon him at his front door (he wasn't stocking him, not really) and they become friends.

As much as a discussion on how hard it is, once you have gotten into the spotlight is it to get out again, unscathed. While the Hockey player does do a lot of a good, he also drinks to excess.

Interesting story. There were some slow bits where news casters were talking, about all things, hockey. Otherwise this is a good story about a bad situation.

First of all thank you very much to the author for offering and providing a print copy of this book after the ebook I got via NetGalley was edited in a very early way with the text being not within the images but on an extra page.
And I was glad I got this in full colour and full beauty because there is a really nice colour scheme to the single pages, they all have a unique shade to them that fits the mood well.
But let's start with the story. There is Tom, a young hockey player who lives with his grandmother after his parents died in a car accident, by chance he meets Jeremia, a star hockey player, against all odds they become friends but Tom soon has to realize that behind the glamourous facade is hidden much more, some good and some bad...

I really enjoyed reading this. The story has way more depth than I expected, I loved all the characters and the developments of them. The unlikely friendship between the protagonist and the famous hockey player is portrayed well. The way Tom's expectations of what a hockey star's life must look like and what he really discovers behind closed doors was really touching and heart breaking.

This is a beautiful example of a comic book full of beautiful art AND a story that doesn't just scratch the surface of real life.

I am looking forward to reading the first installment of this book as soon as I can get my hands on it.

A very moving story about friendship- and, ultimately, how accepting the help of those around you can get you through the most difficult paths, which you should never have to face alone.

There's also some interesting approach to how the media and the general environment affect the lives of sports players, and their relationship with an activity that should be of sheer enjoyment for those who decide to get involved in it.

For something so short, it was amazing how deep the narrative went.
Also, the illustrations are adorable. They really complete the great dialogue.

This is the second book in the Forever Friends series. The only familiar face in the whole thing is the main character, Tom. Neither Dan nor Marc from #1 were even mentioned, nor was Jacoby, which was a HUGE disappointment considering the visits to the VA & children's hospital's cancer wards. I mean, what?

Just like the first in the series, this one started slow and built slow, but then picked up. Some of the events were a little beyond suspended disbelief...but overall it was another fun little read.

Also...I really thought with Felicity's reaction that they were going to say Jake was the cause of Tom's parents deaths...but I'm glad they didn't take that route.

Tom Leonard is a hockey player and a sophomore in university. His coach made him assistant captain for the team and he may get a full scholarship for his next year at school. He lives with his grandmother because his parents were killed in a car accident when he was a kid. He loves hockey and his favourite player is Jeremiah Jacobson. When he finds out where Jeremiah lives, he goes and sits outside his house, just to think about the problems in his life. Jeremiah goes outside and starts talking to Tom. Jeremiah tells Tom that he lost his father as a child too, so he understands what Tom is feeling. He invites Tom to go out with him the next day.

When Tom meets him the next day, they go to a food bank where Jeremiah volunteers every week. Tom assumed that Jeremiah went there to sign autographs but he wants to help people. Then he takes Tom to his next stop at a hospital to visit with veterans and children with cancer. Jeremiah continues to defy Tom's expectations of who a stereotypical athlete should be.

Tom learns that his idol is very generous. Jeremiah is a famous hockey player who uses his status to help people who are less fortunate. Tom is shocked when he does this without asking for recognition. There are some celebrities that do this in the real world. Celebrities, whether they are athletes, singers, actors, or another profession, have a lot of influence over large portions of the population so they could make a positive impact on the world if they use their influence in a good way. However, many don't use their power to make positive changes.

This is a really good graphic novel because of the way it looks at helping people who are less fortunate. Tom's assumptions of Jeremiah looking for recognition of his good deeds are also knocked down. I like this positive message in the story. It is the third graphic novel in a trilogy from Howard Shapiro. The first one is called The Stereotypical Freaks.

This review will be posted on my blog on May 20, 2017.

4.5 stars

Introduction:

After I had finished reading Howard Shapiro’s previous graphic novel, “The Stereotypical Freaks,” I was excited to find out that “The Stereotypical Freaks” was a part of the “Forever Friends Trilogy” and I was even more excited to find out that I was approved of the second book in the series “The Hockey Saint” by NetGalley! After reading this graphic novel, I found this story to be just as memorable as “The Stereotypical Freaks!”

What is this story about?

Tom Leonard is back once again as he is now a college sophomore who is a part of the school’s hockey team and he now has a new dilemma to face! The story starts off with Tom’s parents being killed in a car accident and Tom is still trying to deal with this tragedy. Also around that time, Tom has been offered a scholarship for his talents in hockey and Tom is striving to get that scholarship as much as possible. One day however, Tom ends up meeting his favorite hockey player, Jeremiah Jacobson, who is known as the world’s best hockey player. Tom then quickly becomes good friends with Jeremiah and the two of them started spending a lot of time with each other. But later on, Tom discovers that Jeremiah has a terrible secret: he is a heavy drinker and a smoker and Jeremiah refuses to acknowledge that he has this problem.

Can Tom help Jeremiah with his drug addiction before it is too late?

Read this book to find out!

What I loved about this story:

Howard Shapiro’s writing: Howard Shapiro’s writing is as usual a delight to read as the characters are written extremely well and I loved the real-world plot of this volume as it addresses the dangers of drug addiction that has rarely been addressed in many comic books. I loved the fact that we actually have a comic book that details drug addiction in a realistic way by showing that Jeremiah is in denial about his addiction and how it was difficult at first for Tom and his loved ones to try to get Jeremiah to understand about the severity of his drug addiction. I also loved the way that Howard Shapiro wrote the relationships between the characters, especially between Tom and Jeremiah as I loved the fact that Jeremiah shows Tom that there is more to life than just playing hockey all the time and Tom cares enough for Jeremiah to go out of his way to help out Jeremiah with his drug addiction.

Maricia Inoue and Andres Mossa’s artwork: Maricia Inoue and Andres Mossa’s artwork is beautifully done as the characters look truly realistic and I loved the way that the characters glow off the pages. Now, I will admit that there were some facial expressions on the characters that looked a bit odd, especially regarding Tom always smiling during some serious moments; but other than that, the artwork really captures the raw emotions that the characters feel during this serious situation that deals with drug addiction.

What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:

The reason why I took off half a point from this rating was because I felt like the pacing was a bit slow at times, especially at the beginning and I sometimes wished that the plot moved at a much faster pace to get to the main point of the story.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, “The Hockey Saint” was a truly heartwarming and realistic story about drug addiction that anyone who wants to read about the consequences of drug addiction and the importance of true friendship will truly enjoy!

An uplifting story of friendship where a college aged hockey fan (Tom) meets and becomes friends with his idol at the expense of his own studies and friendships. The star hockey player has secrets which others want exposed so try to bribe Tom to spill the dirt on his idol whom is a really decent person but has a few vices he needs to resolve. A teen story of friendship, keeping trusts and doing the right thing.

Book – Hockey Saint (Forever Friends Trilogy #2)
Author – Howard Shapiro
Star rating - ★★★★☆
No. of Pages – 133
Cover – Great!
Would I read it again – Maybe
Genre – Young Adult, Comic, Sports


** COPY RECEIVED THROUGH NETGALLEY **


It was a little strange going from teen Tom to adult Tom, but I think it worked well. It didn't have quite the same emotional impact as book 1 in the trilogy, but it was a really great story.

Again, I loved the illustrations and the way the story was paced. It had a nice undercurrent of good will and teaching a lesson, this time about appreciating what you have because others have it worse and helping out those who really deserve it. I did think, for a moment, that Tom might have mentioned Jacoby when they were at the Children's hospital, so I missed that when it didn't happen.

Tom has really grown a lot, since the first book, but I did feel that he was a little too over-eager, too naive and easily led compared to before. I found it a little weird the way he met Jeremiah, only because it was kind of stalker-ish and there was no real reason for Jeremiah to continue to hang out with Tom. I didn't really believe in their friendship, much, because it felt superficial. Jeremiah wasn't a good guy and he wasn't a great role model, he seriously affected Tom's social and educational lives, in a negative way, and that wasn't great. But I did like the way that Tom tried to help him, once he knew there was a problem.

Again, there were some serious issues tackled – drinking, death, excessive smoking etc. They all had their impact on the story, the characters and the way the plot flowed from one part to another.

Overall, a decent follow-up, but it failed to have that emotional tug on the heart-strings that book 1 had.

I'm not a big sports fan but having read another book by the author, I decided to try this one out. I'm glad it turned out to not be a sports book, just a good book with hockey in it. I love how the author includes song suggestions to go along with the chapters. My favorite part though is how he portrays his characters as flawed but inherently good people. I look forward to more from him.

I kept hearing about the Forever Friends Series from one of my library friends so I finally decided that I should give the much talked about The Hockey Saint a try, and I wasn't disappointed. Although a little on the shorter side for a graphic novel, this book covers a lot of ground in both the topics covered and the development of it's characters throughout. Dealing with coming of age, assisting an alcoholic come to grips with his addiction, and coping with the loss of one's parents this is a book that might be better suited to older/ more mature YA readers and adults. Yet, at the same time it is also incredibly relatable. 

The sports focus was the perfect vehicle to broach some much broader topics all while keeping the action high and the plot trucking along. I really enjoyed the development of the relationship between Tom and Jeremiah, and how they both came to help each other in their own ways. It does a beautiful job at addressing the pressures that accompany pursuits such as university, college sports, professional hockey, and managing private lives in the public eye. But more than that, Shapiro talks unabashedly about some of the socio-economic differences experienced based solely upon your zip-code. The messages that good people can make bad choices, that snakes and spies can be outed, and that we really can make a difference in the world if we so chose to truly ring loud and clear.

I really enjoyed the artwork throughout as well. The colours are beautiful and striking, faces expressive, and the layout is clean and easy to follow. Just enough action happens in the gutter to spark the imagination a little - and as a life-long hockey fan I really loved how all of the action scenes were depicted. I could envision every deke, pass, and play and really got caught up in the practices and games.

The Hockey Saint is the second book in the Forever Friends Trilogy and tells the story of Tom Leonard and Jeremiah Jacobson. Tom is a 19-year-old student who loves playing hockey and who's fascinated by Jeremiah, a hockey player. Tom and Jeremiah meet one night and from that they on they're friends. But is Jeremiah the hockey player that Tom thought he was?

The Hockey Saint is such a nice graphic novel about some tough topics, just like The Stereotypical Freaks. I think that it's a good sequel, but I loved The Stereotypical Freaks more. I do love that all the comics are in colour though!

I cannot wait to see what Hockey Karma has in store for me!

The Hockey Saint is an interesting read in that it has several problems with the plot, but the characters are strong enough that you’ll likely overlook every problem and enjoy the book from beginning to end. What’s strange about that, is that this happens to me a lot. I can enjoy something and still pick it apart and write a review for it, while still enjoying it.

The thing is, there’s only one time that I looked at the story and thought, well that’s a little far fetched. The rest of it is character moments pure and simple, and for a book about hockey, there’s almost zero hockey in the book.

The story follows Tom, he’s recently been orphaned and now living with his grandma as he attends university. He’s on the hockey team, but the fourth line. I’m not going to explain hockey to you nor is the book, but thankfully details like that are given smoothly in conversation and not something that ends up being important to the story.
The Hockey Saint.jpg
A friend of Tom’s finds out that the best player in hockey and star player of their local team lives in the burbs near by them. For some reason, Tom goes to visit Jake, the star hockey player’s house. I say “for some reason,” but I know the reason, and that’s another interesting aspect of the storytelling. You’d think that this scene doesn’t make any sense, and that’s it’s a big “Deus ex machina” just getting the plot going, but it does have meaning and turn into something more than that.

Jake invites Tom into his life, and it’s not what Tom was expecting. The first time Tom completely bails on his life and practice to hang out with Jake, but he ends up helping at a food bank, a hospital and having a private dinner at an Italian restaurant. From there Tom becomes more and more involved in Jake’s world, learning things about him that are never said in the press. But as Tom says, it’s a carefully orchestrated house of cards that could come crashing down at any moment.

The artwork is a little weak at times. Based on the info presented it seemed as if Tom and Jake were pretty close in age, but they never looked it. There were also numerous scenes in which Tom’s clothes look massive on him. Otherwise, there was a significant bit of detail to the artwork and consistency to the characters. The coloring is vibrant and matched the tone of the story. It's strange to say this, but the lighting effects were almost too much at times. It made the art look sharp and animated, but particularly with the hair, it seemed like overkill.

The ending is the only part that seemed far-fetched regarding what we see in the story. It’s not far-fetched, but because it has a twist we’re suddenly not privy to some character information that we’ve previously been exposed to. That’s my only gripe with the story, and even then it works quite well for the rest of the ending.

The Hockey Saint was not what I was expecting it to be about. It’s about role models, idol worship, friendship, and family, with just a sprinkle of actual hockey. It’s human drama, and it’s quite well done.

Follow-up to The Sterotypical Freaks. Tom, the main character in The Stereotypical Freaks is now a college Sophomore and hockey, rather than music, is at the center of this book. The focus shifts from Tom to his idol, Jake, a professional hockey star and the different sides of his fame. Another entertaining installment.

Although not up my usual alley, I really enjoyed this story. An unlikely friendship, with two troubled hockey players in seemingly different worlds blossoming into something so real, made me feel all fuzzy inside, and my heart race when the friendship was tested. I really liked the suggested music to listen to while reading each part, it really enhanced the story.

I'm probably not the intended audience for this comic/graphic novel. I requested an ARC so I could read it alongside my nephew, a young hockey fan. While my nephew enjoyed the illustrations the story was a bit mature for him and too juvenile for myself. We did discuss the importance of friendship and the dangers of fame, money and drug dependency.

3 out of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book. I had problems with the formatting on my e-reader so it made it a bit hard to follow at times but when I got into the story it was quite enjoyable. The artwork was very clean and I thought the colors were vibrant. I really enjoyed the character arc of Jacobson and the fact that everyone got theirs in the end really. It was quite satisfying.

This a heart warming story set in the world of professional hockey. It has a lovely illustration style. A thoroughly enjoyable story.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. There are great messages behind the plot. A lot of sports stars are portrayed as "divas" or pinks. What we don't see is that a lot of those same starts are heroes in their own communities. They just don't make a huge deal out of it.

The plot was engaging and the artwork was done very well. It flowed very nicely and kept my attention through the entire story.

[Note:  This book was provided free of charge by Net Gallery/Animal Media Group.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

As someone born just outside of Pittsburgh, I have an interest in hockey even if I have never been an adept player of it [1].  This book has at its core a friendship between two young men of about the same age.  One of them is a scholarship student at a fictional Canadian college and the other is a local hockey star with a bad reputation, and the visual novel shows the complications that result as both of them wrestle with their responsibility and their loyalties.  The result is an exciting story that demonstrates growth in character and maturity as people wrestle with their bad choices and the results of them.  This is an inspirational tale of the kind that would likely be very appealing as very informative to teen and young adult readers--especially young men.  Here we have a focus on friendship and family and sports, all of which ought to be of interest to a wide audience.  This is the sort of story that I can easily imagine being successful in other media besides graphic novels, as this novel is part of a trilogy and naturally I started reading in media res.

The premise of the novel is a straightforward enough one, with a young man struggling to recover from the death of his parents living with his grandmother.  Just as he is offered a role as a captain for his college team and a partial scholarship he becomes friends with a famous local hockey player whose bad reputation with the press is at odds with what the student sees of him as a quiet and somewhat reclusive person who smokes and drinks too much and is secretly married but who does a lot of good in community service that he tries to keep as private as possible.  As a result of their budding friendship the two young men are put in a world of secrets where neither of them feel comfortable being open with those around them, all while the owner of an archrival is trying to dig up dirt on the hockey star, which results in a humorous twist that sets up the bittersweet ending, one that ends with life going on, if not the sort of outcome that the reader would expect from a book of this genre.

At its heart, this book reminds us, if any reminder is necessary, that there is often a wide gulf between the public reputation of a star athlete and the reality of their lives.  This can work both ways.  Someone who is thought of as being aloof and proud and difficult with the media can merely be shy and somewhat awkward.  Likewise, someone whose athletic abilities can put them on a pedestal can be someone with serious problems that can cost them their lives if they refuse to face them and deal with them, as is the problem with addictions like smoking and drinking.  Yet having loyal friendships can help us to become the sort of people that we were meant to be and can encourage the better angels of our nature to face responsibility for our lives and to build better relationships with other friends and family as well.  This is a book that shows some definite growth on the part of its protagonists, and even manages to show a divide between the professional media and the blogosphere, of which some of us play a notable part.  For its intended audience of young readers, the book is a reminder of the complicated aspects of adulting that are involved among those who are skilled at sports and which may escape those who are lost in hero worship.

[1] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017/07/02/o-canada-or-finding-identity-in-negative-spaces/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016/05/18/book-review-the-field-guide-to-sports-metaphors/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2013/06/14/book-review-love-thy-rival/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011/05/16/dont-let-it-go-to-your-head/

4.5 stars

Synopsis: Tom is a college student playing hockey. He has lost his parents and is living with his grandmother. One day, he hears that his hockey idol, who isn't that much older than him, lives in a certain house, so Tom just drives one day to go and see if it is true. He meets his idol that night, and they start up a friendship. Tom has to sneak around so that no one knows, and so the idol doesn't get bothered, but since he has started feeling again, Tom feels that it is all worth it.

The story: well told with a definite feel for fame and hockey. This didn't sugar coat the benefits, or what people lose because of fame. It also touches on alcoholism and grief, and how people just try to get through each day however they can without causing harm to themselves or someone else.

The art: I didn't really notice the art, or have strong feelings about it, so that means that it stayed out of the way of the story.

I'm not a full on hockey fan but I did enjotly this book. This was more behind the scenes of Jeremiah Jacobson's life and his struggles. I loved his and Tom's relationship and that he loved to play hockey not compete in it. The story was good and I liked the artwork. 3.5 Stars
FTC DISCLAIMER: I received this book in exchange for an honest review

I initially requested the book that comes after this on netgalley, but was granted access to Animal Media Group's catalog so I discovered that this book was available, so I decided to dive in here. I had no idea this is actually the second book in the series. I don't think I missed much from not reading the first book. I think the story in this comic stands well on its own, so if you haven't read the first one you can still pick up on what is going on.

There isn't anything particularly special about the art in this one. I liked it, but there was nothing that really jumped out as "wow" to me. It had some pretty standard clean lines in the art, which I think makes sense for this story. The story in this comic is what really stands out, and I think that is kind of the point.

I think this story is interesting, it's all about how not everything is what it seems. When Tom meets his idol hockey player he has some preconceived notions about what he is supposed to be like. He expects a glamorous lifestyle, which he gets some of that, but Jacobson also tries to show Tom how it's important to give back to your community. It actually made me feel bad that I don't do enough charity work! Jacobson is somewhat of a "hockey saint" with how much he gives back to his community.

This was a decent one, but I had a hard time with the main character Tom. As soon as he meets his idol he kind of gives up the rest of his life to hangout with this dude. His grades drop, he starts missing practice and he's kind of crappy best friend. It seems to "all work out in the end" in this comic, but I felt like it was wrapped up a little too perfectly. His best friend forgives him for basically ditching him way too easily. The neat ending just didn't sit that well for me.

I was initially interested in this one because it's about hockey, and I am a huge hockey fan, but it's less about the game and more about how it holds captive some of the people that make a living off of it. It also seems like the author was throwing mad shade at sports journalism and how everything these athletes do is scrutinized to the Nth degree. I don't think he's wrong in this assessment, but I found it really interesting to read about here. It was so interesting to me that Jacobson would refuse to do interviews with the traditional media, but will do stuff for smaller blogs. I know when I wrote for smaller hockey blogs this was a hard feat to manage!

The next comic in this series is also about Tom and Jacobson again, so I am really interested to see where their story goes next.

*I received a free egalley copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

I don't know anything about hockey but i want to read it. This graphic novel is much more than hockey. It is about friendship and helping people around us. Heartwarming and real story. Characters are realistic. I really enjoyed reading it.

THE HOCKEY SAINT by Howard Shapiro is the second book in a trilogy of young adult graphic novels, and is a story about Tom Leonard, a young man in college and a hockey player with a huge passion for the sport.

Tom lives with his grandmother after the death of both parents due to a car accident involving a drunk driver, and is still dealing with that as he tries to do well both in his studies and on the ice.

Jeremiah Jacobson is a high profile hockey star that is dealing with the disillusionment of constant press invasions on his life, and unfair portrayal of him causing him to put up a wall that isolates him from others, including his fans.

Tom happens to meet Jeremiah, and the star player is drawn to Tom after learning of the death of his parents, and reveals private details of his personal life to Tom with the understanding that it’s not to be shared with others.

Jeremiah shows a good side of himself in his behind the scenes support of a food bank and other charities, but Tom is concerned about excessive drinking being a potential problem for his new friend.

Tom is approached by an individual representing himself as a security agent for the league, and who tries to extract damaging information on Jeremiah with promises of payment as a reward.

Eventually, Tom gathers the courage to approach Jeremiah regarding the drinking, and has already warned him about the agent, but Jeremiah refuses to listen to his wife that he’s kept secret from the press, or Tom, and lashes out in anger at Tom causing a rift between the two.

Will Tom be lured by a possible large payday for damaging information about Jeremiah, or will Jeremiah see the light and try to turn his life around and reconnect with his fans?

I grew up playing hockey from a young age, so I read this book with interest knowing that it was targeting youths, but still found it an enjoyable read and one I’d recommend to a young person, as there are some positive messages here regarding putting things in perspective and setting priorities, but most of all being true to who you really are as a person.

3 stars.

But these are great for kids who may not like reading or kids who enjoy real-life comics. Would recommend! Downloaded from Netgalley (auto-approved for this publisher on there). But these are great for kids who may not like reading or kids who enjoy real-life comics. Would recommend! Downloaded from Netgalley (auto-approved for this publisher on there). This has been out since 2014 so can purchase now. Yay!

A nice quick read that I found immediately engaging. I loved the storyline and meeting all the characters. Cannot wait to read more from this author.

I'm always looking for books that are engaging or educating or hopefully both for YA students. Call this one "engaging."

This was such a fun book to read! As an avid hockey fan I loved this so much. The story line was fun and the characters were great to get to know! I loved the format

Book Review
Title: The Hockey Saint (Forever Friends Trilogy #2)
Author: Howard Shapiro
Genre: Graphic Novel
Rating: ****
Review: The opening to The Hockey Saint was good, we are introduced to Tom, a great hockey player living with his grandmother as he is made assistant captain for his team. I am not sure if this is the same Tom from the Stereotypical Freaks because the character design is a little different but the dream he has about his parents seem to be identical to the first Tom’s parents. Tom’s hockey idol is Jeremiah Jacobson and through a friend he accidently finds out where he is currently living.
As we approach the ¼ mark in the story, Tom decides to drive out to the house just to see if his idol lives there and ends up meeting him face to face. It is confirmed that this Tom is the Tom from the Stereotypical Freaks and that his parent’s died recently in a car accident, but on the bright side his idol sort of becomes his friend in the strangest circumstances.
As we cross the ¼ mark in the story, Tom gets to spend the day with Jake and learns more about the man behind the name good and bad. Tom learns that Jake is a very selfless person, he spends huge amounts of time in the cancer ward of the hospital and the food bank, but on the other side of things he also seems to have quite a large drinking problem and major distrust in the media.
As we approach the halfway mark in the story, I realised that this instalment in the series is a lot more dialogue heavy that the first book, but it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. As the pair get closer, Tom is beginning to realise that there is far more to being a world class hockey player than just playing well but he decides that he likes Jack and isn’t going to betray his trust like everyone else. However, there is a man who owns a rival hockey team that wants a private investigator to dig up some dirt on Jake in order to throw him off his game and let them win.
As we cross into the second half of the story, Jake and Tom have become firm friends despite not knowing each other long but Tom’s grades are beginning to suffer, and he also has his assistant captain’s position revoked and his scholarship might be next if he doesn’t get his act together. The pair however, are unaware that they are being followed by a P.I. but the P.I. decides to go after Tom thinking he is easier to get to than Jake but Tom remains loyal to his friend and defends his secrets at all costs. However, Tom has seen the vices that Jake has and is determined to help him through them, but he has to sort out his own life first starting with school and practice.
As we approach the ¾ mark in the story, Tom gets approached by the private investigator for him to give his story to them and sell out on Jake and he refuses but when money is mentioned Tom considers it for a moment as he knows that Jake has a problem and needs help with it, but he also knows that this isn’t the right way to go about it.
As we cross into the final section of the story, despite dropping hints to Jake about changing, Tom eventually meets with the P.I. and agrees to tell him what he wants in exchange for 10 grand, but it is clear to see that Tom is being naïve as he believes that these men are trying to help Jake when they are actually trying to do the opposite. In the end, not everything is resolved but there is a good opening for the characters to develop further in their own individual arcs as well as in the overall story. While I didn’t love this graphic novel the same way I did the Stereotypical Freaks, I still highly recommend the hockey Saint and I will be jumping into Hockey Karma straight away.

Since I love hockey I went into this thinking I would get a graphic novel about hockey. Surprisingly even though the title is hockey saint, this novel is more about unlikely friendship and meeting your heroes. Everyone knows you shouldn't because you might get the complete opposite of what you expected but in this story Tom gets to meet hockey superstar Jake and although he is completely different from what he expected, Jake is both a giving caring guy but also dealing with secrets and his own demons. Overall, I found it an interesting, quick read and even though it wasnt about hockey, it was a more human, people-focused story on the game.

I don't usually read graphic novels, but I liked this one. The friendship between Tom and Jeremiah was cute, I liked that Jeremiah showed his true self to Tom, the good and the bad. He gives to charity and volunteers with cancer patients, but he also drinks too much and is self destructive. I felt like Tom improved from the relationship, he started giving back to the community and he also encouraged Jeremiah to get help. The drama of the PI trying to get dirt on Jeremiah was intriguing and I liked how that played out. I wish this were longer and had more to it!

I haven't read the first book in this series so this is my first Forever Friends book. I can't say I liked this graphic novel very much, but I can't say I hate it either.

In the first half of it, the characters didn't really strike me as likeable and I found myself really confused as to what the point was to all of it. There was also A LOT of trauma surrounding the main characters that I kind of wanted to DNF, but I really liked the parts where Jacobson wasn't an awful guy, he's pretty decent actually, so I stuck to it. And I kind of got that this would be a journey to betterment for Tom and I wanted to see how it would go.

In the second half, things gladly picked up. The stakes were higher and Tom was really forming into a really well-rounded character. I appreciated the plot twist with Tom's ingenuity but I hoped there was more of a hint earlier for it to not be just a sudden thing when it finally happened. I thought the resolution was great in the sense that people fixed their own problems like they're supposed to, and I liked that the story did not turn into an exploitation of trauma, which I must admit I feared at the beginning of the story.

The art style is good, though it isn't for me, but the paneling and the dialogue worked well with the plot and the themes it wished to convey. I get that this may be portraying white America to some extent, but it didn't sit well with me that most of the people were white and blond, and the few PoC in there was an underwhelming best friend and a villain figure. Also, for a book with 'hockey' in the title, we get very little hockey in it.

I'm giving it a flat-middle line 3 stars, but there are people who liked it so much so I wouldn't object it you try it out. Still, I am piqued enough to check out the first book in the series and I am looking forward to reading the next book.

*The eARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for free in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Second volume in the “Forever Friends Trilogy”, The Hockey Saint explores Tom Leonard, a college sophomore hockey player, and the hockey superstar Jeremiah Jacobson’s unexpected friendship. Tom is the typical boy next door with latent potential and Jeremiah is the over-achiever big name in hockey with an unjustified bad reputation and a concealed thoughtfulness.

The cornerstone of this graphic novel is the incredible new friendship that blossoms between Tom and Jeremiah. It taps important and delicate topics, which are met with remarkable insight.

As well-written and thought-provoking as this story was, I couldn’t fully dive in: I couldn’t include hockey in the spectrum of my interests, or all things sport for that matter, and I thought Tom and Jeremiah’s bond was somewhat rushed in the beginning.

Decidedly recommended to sport-inclined people that enjoy deep and interesting plots.

3.5/5

Friendship. Sports and media. Nice story, a tiny bit preachy.

Tom Leonard is a 19 y.o. sophomore living with his grandmother after the death of his parents. He is a bit lost and still suffering nighmares. As a hockey player his idol is the famous Jeremiah Jacobson. A random decision causes an encounter between them.

Although it is about hockey players, in reality we see very little of the game itself in these pages, of course there are mentions of games, practices and things like that, but this is rather 'the other side of the coin' of the life of these athletes. Like saying: they are also human.


5

And Jeremiah is living prove of that. Not a sinner, nor a saint. Has problems, love the game, but he cannot stand the scrutiny of his private life, speculation, inventions and opinions about his life. Tom will have to make decisions too, although many of them are not very accurate.

A nice tale, with a slap on the wrist to the commentators and media.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tom es un chico como cualquiera, no demasiado bueno en el hockey, en su segundo año de la universidad, esta pasando un mal momento sin haber superado la muerte de sus padres. En un momento decide ir a conocer a su idolo deportivo de quien se dice es el mejor jugador del mundo.

Sin embargo. ni siquiera para una super estrella de los deportes como Jeremiah Jacobson la vida es fácil, sufirendo de la persecución de la prensa y de los comentaristas deportivos juzgando cada aspecto de su vidam desde su compromiso con el hockey, hasta su vida amorosa. Como no hace el juego con los publicistas, y no tiene pelos en la lengua, defiende su vida privada o más bien se oculta de todo el mundo aislandose . Como todos , tiene vicios y problemas.

Tom y Jeremiah terminaran haciendose amigos, aunque esta amistad se pone a prueba pronto.

No me gusto que Tom dejara todo de lado como sus estudios por pasarla de pinta con Jeremiah. Pero el final es más nada un bue tiron de emchas a la prensa y a la vieja guardia del mundo del hockey.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a copy of The Hockey Saint by Howard Shapiro in exchange of an honest review.

The Hockey Saint is the story of a university student whose name is Tom, who is part of the Hockey team and is living with his grandma after the loss of his parents. Tom lost his parents to a car accident; he blames himself for what happened that night. He thinks if he would have gone himself to get his hockey gloves, they would still, be alive.

Tom’s life quickly changes when his best friend gives out the directions to the house of his favorite professional hockey player. He, absent mildly, goes his way out to drive out there and sit in front of the house to think. That's how he meets Jacobson. Both embark on a series of moments that changes their perspective.

A friendship starts — hockey talks. But decisions are always going to be hard to make.

The Hockey Saint is a story about hope, friendship, and trust.

Content Warning: Talk about the loss of parents, alcohol abuse, and the denial of being alcoholic or needing help.