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bertolino's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Very fun. I felt like there were some plot holes, but I liked it.
mrsclarkcatlady's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
anjelica's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
nicoledean's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
3.0
📖Mina is a 13 year old figure skater who has been training for the Olympics her whole life. When a skating injury shatters her chances of ever going to the Olympics, she has many mixed emotions. That night on her way home she’s kidnapped by a group of vampires, who strike a deal with her. Play in their roller derby league, and they’ll fix her injured arm.
đź’This was a cute read. I didn’t know anything about roller derby, so it was interesting to get a glimpse into how it works. I also thought there were some good messages for young readers like finding a place to belong and the importance of teamwork/friendship. The illustrations were really fun too!
📚Read this if you like…
Supernatural creatures
Competitive sports
Creepy, but fun vibes
Diverse and inclusive characters
❤️Shoutout to @magnoliapigeonbookblurbs for putting this book on my radar!
đź’This was a cute read. I didn’t know anything about roller derby, so it was interesting to get a glimpse into how it works. I also thought there were some good messages for young readers like finding a place to belong and the importance of teamwork/friendship. The illustrations were really fun too!
📚Read this if you like…
Supernatural creatures
Competitive sports
Creepy, but fun vibes
Diverse and inclusive characters
❤️Shoutout to @magnoliapigeonbookblurbs for putting this book on my radar!
adriansreads's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
mehsi's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book from TBR and Beyond Tours in exchange of an honest review!
I have had my eyes on this book for a while so I was definitely excited when I could be part of the Tour and review the book! I mean, that premise! Roller derby but darker because vampires! And witches!
In this one we start with Mina going to an audition/competition and things go all the way wrong (poor Mina, I just felt for her and I wish her mom would see that what she is doing is not OK) and then go even more wrong when Mina gets kidnapped! Yes! To vampires! Who apparently run a roller derby team to survive and need humans to complete their team (which I still don’t entirely get, but hey I will roll with it). I loved seeing how well Mina fitted with the team and how hard she worked to get over her fear of falling, getting kick-ass with each new page, getting more stamina (because roller derby is way more intense than ice skating it seems), befriend people in her team (not just the human player but also the vampires). Plus, I loved seeing Mina grow in other parts as well. We see her think back to how she started ice skating, how big her dreams were, but were they entirely her dreams? I loved seeing her discover a new love that still involves the skating that she likes but just without a lot of pressure and parenting hovering. Mina was really a fun character and I was just rooting for her to discover a new side of hers and to feel free after so many years of being thrown into practices, competitions, and more.
The roller derby was such a thrill! It is a sport I would definitely kinda like to check out. Not sure if it is as big as it is in the US, but who knows. Maybe I should check things out. Though without the vampires please. Haha.
I liked to meet all the teens on the roller derby and see their pronouns + so many being LGBT.
Oh, and I just love the dash of romance between Mina and Val! I loved seeing them get closer. They really were cute together and I found myself rooting for these two to get together!
Bonus points as well to the ending (which made me smile and now I need another book, I am happy that Mina decided for this, it fits so well with her and the development she went through in this book), the cute doggo (Bruise Wayne who was just the sweetest and well just a dash bit demonic, teehee), what happens before the ending and which was just drawn so epically, Val saying a Dutch saying/proverb just made me smile so much, oh and the referee ghosts at the derby were just fantastic and I love the diversity not just your normal standard ghost but even one with a hijab.
And of course, all the points to the art! I just love how the vampires were drawn and how the colours used fitted the right scenes and the vampires stuff so perfectly.
HOWEVER, I did NOT like how humans were kidnapped for the roller derby team. It just felt off/weird and not OK. I would have rather have them go to kids who are good at skating (either roller or ice) if they wanted to join a superduper fun team with danger and excitement. Let these kids themselves choose if they want to be part or not. Because hey, the roller derby team does contact the parents with some make-up excuse so I just don’t get why the kidnapping. I am sure there are kids enough who would LOVE to be part of something like this.
Oh, and I was so confused when Mina at one point had way shorter hair yet I didn’t see her doing any cutting of it. I think that would have been such a cool moment to add. See her cut it off, celebrate her freedom/celebrate that she found something new to love.
But all in all, I really enjoyed this one! There is action, excitement, great character development, a dash of romance, fab art, and roller derby!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I have had my eyes on this book for a while so I was definitely excited when I could be part of the Tour and review the book! I mean, that premise! Roller derby but darker because vampires! And witches!
In this one we start with Mina going to an audition/competition and things go all the way wrong (poor Mina, I just felt for her and I wish her mom would see that what she is doing is not OK) and then go even more wrong when Mina gets kidnapped! Yes! To vampires! Who apparently run a roller derby team to survive and need humans to complete their team (which I still don’t entirely get, but hey I will roll with it). I loved seeing how well Mina fitted with the team and how hard she worked to get over her fear of falling, getting kick-ass with each new page, getting more stamina (because roller derby is way more intense than ice skating it seems), befriend people in her team (not just the human player but also the vampires). Plus, I loved seeing Mina grow in other parts as well. We see her think back to how she started ice skating, how big her dreams were, but were they entirely her dreams? I loved seeing her discover a new love that still involves the skating that she likes but just without a lot of pressure and parenting hovering. Mina was really a fun character and I was just rooting for her to discover a new side of hers and to feel free after so many years of being thrown into practices, competitions, and more.
The roller derby was such a thrill! It is a sport I would definitely kinda like to check out. Not sure if it is as big as it is in the US, but who knows. Maybe I should check things out. Though without the vampires please. Haha.
I liked to meet all the teens on the roller derby and see their pronouns + so many being LGBT.
Oh, and I just love the dash of romance between Mina and Val! I loved seeing them get closer. They really were cute together and I found myself rooting for these two to get together!
Bonus points as well to the ending (which made me smile and now I need another book, I am happy that Mina decided for this, it fits so well with her and the development she went through in this book), the cute doggo (Bruise Wayne who was just the sweetest and well just a dash bit demonic, teehee), what happens before the ending and which was just drawn so epically, Val saying a Dutch saying/proverb just made me smile so much, oh and the referee ghosts at the derby were just fantastic and I love the diversity not just your normal standard ghost but even one with a hijab.
And of course, all the points to the art! I just love how the vampires were drawn and how the colours used fitted the right scenes and the vampires stuff so perfectly.
HOWEVER, I did NOT like how humans were kidnapped for the roller derby team. It just felt off/weird and not OK. I would have rather have them go to kids who are good at skating (either roller or ice) if they wanted to join a superduper fun team with danger and excitement. Let these kids themselves choose if they want to be part or not. Because hey, the roller derby team does contact the parents with some make-up excuse so I just don’t get why the kidnapping. I am sure there are kids enough who would LOVE to be part of something like this.
Oh, and I was so confused when Mina at one point had way shorter hair yet I didn’t see her doing any cutting of it. I think that would have been such a cool moment to add. See her cut it off, celebrate her freedom/celebrate that she found something new to love.
But all in all, I really enjoyed this one! There is action, excitement, great character development, a dash of romance, fab art, and roller derby!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
des_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
calebcandy's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0