Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson

I'm typically not a fan of graphic novels. I've tried tons of times to read one, only to give up halfway through the effort. They just aren't my cup of tea. In saying that, I LOVED Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson. It's cute, it's sassy, the illustrations are vibrant, and the storyline is one that any young girl can relate with.  

Roller Girl is the coming of age story of Astrid, a twelve-year-old girl who is beginning to realize that her best friend may not actually be the best thing for her. In the meantime, when her mother takes her to a local roller derby match, Astrid falls in love with the sport, the athletes, and the thrill of the experience. On a whim, she decides to join the junior roller derby league. Joining the league doesn't prove to be easy breezy rolling, though. She doesn't really know how to roller skate, she doesn't know any of the other kids in the league, her best friend has decided to go to dance camp, instead, and her mom is oblivious to all of her worries. By the end of the summer, we can only hope that things may turn okay for our new favorite Roller Girl. 

Except for seeing online photos of super cool girls with cool clothes, cool hair, and strong bodies, I have little to no experience with the world of roller derby. I can't roller skate without people on either side of me holding me up, and it's not a sport that is wildly popular (that I know of) in my area (it isn't high school football). I don't think I enjoyed Whip It very much, which is surprising because I like all of the women involved in the movie. It's been a long time since I've watched it, so I can't recall a lot of details about why it bugged me. I just remember being disappointed in it. So, except for thinking the sport looks really bad ass (from what little I've seen), Roller Girl, then, was a big introduction to the sport for me. I thought Jamieson did a good job explaining the sport to beginners, no matter what their age, while still keeping a fluid storyline. She also goes beyond the image of what it is to be a derby girl with the message that, hey, girls, this is fun, but it is also a lot of REALLY hard work. It truly is a sport to be admired.     

Victoria Jamieson = author = roller girl 

This book is feisty, feminist fun for girls (and boys) of all ages. I really like the way Astrid's character evolves throughout the book. She's a 12-year-old girl with some mixed-up feelings. Sometimes, you aren't going to like her or her friends. But, that is what made her life seem very authentic and real to me. Plus, grumpy Astrid is really cute. Great graphic novel. It almost made me want to try putting on a pair of roller skates. *Almost.* 

 For more information on the author, you can visit http://www.victoriajamieson.com/



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