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mehsi's review against another edition
1.0
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
I am so sorry, but this book was horrendous. For various reasons which I will be discussing in this review. Be prepared, you want honesty, I will give you that.
Let’s start with the art. Instead of discussing this at the end, I think it is something very important. I have to say I am highly, very highly disappointed in the art. The cover looked great, and I was hoping for that art to go into the novel. Instead I get bad anatomy, faces that look ugly and eyes that gets smushed into nothingness and several other things just looked severely ugly and just plain bad. I have had times that I just wanted to close this book and delete it from my tablet, in a graphic novel art is the #1 thing I look at, followed with a story and characters. And sorry, I would love to see good art in a graphic novel that people are raving about (I have checked reviews for this one and the previous one).
The art also made the characters look totally different. For instance Tom? I am sorry, he is between 19-21 (that is at least what I can find when I search for how old College Sophomores are, sorry, our school system here is quite different from the American/Canadian one)? No freaking way. 14 or maybe 16 max is what I would give him. 19-21? With the way he looks, the way he acts, the way he goes around his life? snortSorry, I don’t believe it at all.
Apparently Jeremiah is almost the same age as Tom (well, according to the blurb), but sorry, that dude? He looks fricking 40, not 21. Even if he shaved and cleaned up, he will still look way over 21. It is a shame, it is not realistic and it annoyed me. If you portray characters as a certain age, make sure they look and act like that. You will always have people who are different, but I am sure you can keep a general how 21-years will act.
Tom, ah, Tom. I disliked him soooo much, he was a wuss, he didn’t have his priorities straight (like for instance he got to be Assistance Captain and he fucked it up within a short period by not caring to come to practise, seriously guy, you got such a great opportunity but just fuck it like this?), didn’t dare to talk back to his grandmother, didn’t care to find his own place, the things he did in the middle changed my perspective towards him some more, making it more like hate that he would do that, and then with the ending it turned back to really a lot of dislike.
I also had to keep reminding me that the guy was a guy, and not a girl like he so often looked like. I am sorry, I have no problem with guys with long hair, but it just doesn’t fit Tom and the way he was drawn also didn’t help with the girlish looks.
Jeremiah, meh, meh and meh. He was a pretty decent character at times, but for most of the times he was a dick. I didn’t like him, his attitude towards his fans, how much he drank, how he hid his marriage. And yes, I can imagine that he would hide the last one, but come on, one day someone is going to find out and it will be truly shitty. Just be honest, people will appreciate that more than you lying to them.
The grandma. Dear Lord, what a terrible woman that was. I can imagine she is worried about her grandson, but he is (well apparently according to blurbs) 21 years old. He has a life, he has friends, I know you are worried sick, but I was just so annoyed with how she treated him like he was 5 years old instead of the supposedly 21 years he actually is.
The story was also very boring and the way time passed was even more annoying. It felt like just days went by, when it was actually months (apparently, I had to re-read Tom’s statement a few times, because I couldn’t believe it at all).
All in all, I was happy when I was done with this book, I had expected some epic Hockey stuff, maybe some realistic stuff happening with Jeremiah. Instead we get horrendous grannies, boring stories that seem to go on and on, and a not so believable plot.
Would I recommend this one? No.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I am so sorry, but this book was horrendous. For various reasons which I will be discussing in this review. Be prepared, you want honesty, I will give you that.
Let’s start with the art. Instead of discussing this at the end, I think it is something very important. I have to say I am highly, very highly disappointed in the art. The cover looked great, and I was hoping for that art to go into the novel. Instead I get bad anatomy, faces that look ugly and eyes that gets smushed into nothingness and several other things just looked severely ugly and just plain bad. I have had times that I just wanted to close this book and delete it from my tablet, in a graphic novel art is the #1 thing I look at, followed with a story and characters. And sorry, I would love to see good art in a graphic novel that people are raving about (I have checked reviews for this one and the previous one).
The art also made the characters look totally different. For instance Tom? I am sorry, he is between 19-21 (that is at least what I can find when I search for how old College Sophomores are, sorry, our school system here is quite different from the American/Canadian one)? No freaking way. 14 or maybe 16 max is what I would give him. 19-21? With the way he looks, the way he acts, the way he goes around his life? snortSorry, I don’t believe it at all.
Apparently Jeremiah is almost the same age as Tom (well, according to the blurb), but sorry, that dude? He looks fricking 40, not 21. Even if he shaved and cleaned up, he will still look way over 21. It is a shame, it is not realistic and it annoyed me. If you portray characters as a certain age, make sure they look and act like that. You will always have people who are different, but I am sure you can keep a general how 21-years will act.
Tom, ah, Tom. I disliked him soooo much, he was a wuss, he didn’t have his priorities straight (like for instance he got to be Assistance Captain and he fucked it up within a short period by not caring to come to practise, seriously guy, you got such a great opportunity but just fuck it like this?), didn’t dare to talk back to his grandmother, didn’t care to find his own place, the things he did in the middle changed my perspective towards him some more, making it more like hate that he would do that, and then with the ending it turned back to really a lot of dislike.
I also had to keep reminding me that the guy was a guy, and not a girl like he so often looked like. I am sorry, I have no problem with guys with long hair, but it just doesn’t fit Tom and the way he was drawn also didn’t help with the girlish looks.
Jeremiah, meh, meh and meh. He was a pretty decent character at times, but for most of the times he was a dick. I didn’t like him, his attitude towards his fans, how much he drank, how he hid his marriage. And yes, I can imagine that he would hide the last one, but come on, one day someone is going to find out and it will be truly shitty. Just be honest, people will appreciate that more than you lying to them.
The grandma. Dear Lord, what a terrible woman that was. I can imagine she is worried about her grandson, but he is (well apparently according to blurbs) 21 years old. He has a life, he has friends, I know you are worried sick, but I was just so annoyed with how she treated him like he was 5 years old instead of the supposedly 21 years he actually is.
The story was also very boring and the way time passed was even more annoying. It felt like just days went by, when it was actually months (apparently, I had to re-read Tom’s statement a few times, because I couldn’t believe it at all).
All in all, I was happy when I was done with this book, I had expected some epic Hockey stuff, maybe some realistic stuff happening with Jeremiah. Instead we get horrendous grannies, boring stories that seem to go on and on, and a not so believable plot.
Would I recommend this one? No.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
geekwayne's review against another edition
4.0
'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.
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.
svnz's review against another edition
3.0
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is a sequel to "The Stereotypical Freaks" but can be read as a standalone story. Like the first book, this too focuses on an unlikely friendship between a world famous hockey star and a college hockey player. It covers topics such as addiction, unwanted media attention and the idolization we subject celebrities to endure without stopping to realize that what we see in media isn't necessarily the full picture. I personally enjoyed the first book more but this was a pleasant read too!
This is a sequel to "The Stereotypical Freaks" but can be read as a standalone story. Like the first book, this too focuses on an unlikely friendship between a world famous hockey star and a college hockey player. It covers topics such as addiction, unwanted media attention and the idolization we subject celebrities to endure without stopping to realize that what we see in media isn't necessarily the full picture. I personally enjoyed the first book more but this was a pleasant read too!
wrentheblurry's review against another edition
3.0
I received a digital version of this from NetGalley. Initially I sent it to my Kindle Paperwhite, so the color (of course) is lost. More importantly, the dialogue and text became separated, so to continue reading it on this device I would need to look at the pictures, turn the page, then read all the text. That wouldn't work, so I read it on my computer using Adobe Digital Editions. My only complaint there is the lack of a two-page wide view. Still, it was free, and I was happy to get it.
I may lean closer to 2.5 stars. Many strong reviews abound for this title, and since I'm a graphic novel fan, I figured I would like it quite a bit. The artwork is fine, though Tom's grandma looks like she's been punched in the face. The color are vibrant and appropriate, and I'm certainly pleased I got to see them.
While this is a sequel to a graphic novel that I haven't read, that didn't negatively affect my opinion of this one. A reader can jump right in, and if they strongly like this one, I imagine it would be just as easy to go back and read The Stereotypical Freaks. I also lack a passion for hockey (or most sports, really), though that shouldn't stop would-be readers from checking it out either. The story revolves more around Tom, a hockey playing college sophomore, and his new friendship with a local young hockey superstar.
The writing felt a bit flat, with more of the tone of an after school special than I prefer. Some humor thrown in would have alleviated the overlying heaviness of the story. Plus, I didn't like a lot of Tom's actions. I'm fine with not liking characters, but with Tom, I could neither bond with him nor understand his motivations.
Young adults and sports-loving teenagers will probably find more here to like than I did.
I may lean closer to 2.5 stars. Many strong reviews abound for this title, and since I'm a graphic novel fan, I figured I would like it quite a bit. The artwork is fine, though Tom's grandma looks like she's been punched in the face. The color are vibrant and appropriate, and I'm certainly pleased I got to see them.
While this is a sequel to a graphic novel that I haven't read, that didn't negatively affect my opinion of this one. A reader can jump right in, and if they strongly like this one, I imagine it would be just as easy to go back and read The Stereotypical Freaks. I also lack a passion for hockey (or most sports, really), though that shouldn't stop would-be readers from checking it out either. The story revolves more around Tom, a hockey playing college sophomore, and his new friendship with a local young hockey superstar.
The writing felt a bit flat, with more of the tone of an after school special than I prefer. Some humor thrown in would have alleviated the overlying heaviness of the story. Plus, I didn't like a lot of Tom's actions. I'm fine with not liking characters, but with Tom, I could neither bond with him nor understand his motivations.
Young adults and sports-loving teenagers will probably find more here to like than I did.
powisamy's review against another edition
5.0
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.
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.
ellelainey's review against another edition
4.0
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.
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.
sadiecass's review against another edition
4.0
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 received a copy free from netgalley. All opinions are my own.
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...
Spoiler
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.*I received a copy free from netgalley. All opinions are my own.
a_manning11's review against another edition
3.0
I was given a text-only review copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review. I'd like to start out that the star rating would probably be higher, if I had read the finished version of the book, as the artwork will greatly contribute to the experience of this read. The cover of the book promises an exciting visuals.
The Hockey Saint wasn't at all what I expected (although I am not sure what that was). Howard Shapiro has written an extremely honest account of the lives of a world-class hockey player and a college athlete that come to a head when the two meet by chance. As college hockey player Tom gets to know hockey star Jake, he realizes that there is more to famous athletes that their (goal scoring) stats, autographs and their media image. As a person, Jake has many more admirable qualities - but his life isn't perfect either. Jake learns that he has to deal with the issues in his life that he is working so hard to avoid, recognizing that being a famous hockey player is not limited to the rink.
Alcoholism, grief and a critical look at the media (and sports fans) all add to the eye-opening experience of this graphic novel. Although, as a graphic novel, the book is comparatively short, there is depth to this story, and Howard Shapiro presents the reader with well-developed characters, and honest emotions (which I hope to see in the artwork).
I believe this book will be very popular with young adults who have an interest in sports, and I look forward to reading more of Howard Shapiro's work (and to see this book in its finished version!).
The Hockey Saint wasn't at all what I expected (although I am not sure what that was). Howard Shapiro has written an extremely honest account of the lives of a world-class hockey player and a college athlete that come to a head when the two meet by chance. As college hockey player Tom gets to know hockey star Jake, he realizes that there is more to famous athletes that their (goal scoring) stats, autographs and their media image. As a person, Jake has many more admirable qualities - but his life isn't perfect either. Jake learns that he has to deal with the issues in his life that he is working so hard to avoid, recognizing that being a famous hockey player is not limited to the rink.
Alcoholism, grief and a critical look at the media (and sports fans) all add to the eye-opening experience of this graphic novel. Although, as a graphic novel, the book is comparatively short, there is depth to this story, and Howard Shapiro presents the reader with well-developed characters, and honest emotions (which I hope to see in the artwork).
I believe this book will be very popular with young adults who have an interest in sports, and I look forward to reading more of Howard Shapiro's work (and to see this book in its finished version!).
ljrinaldi's review against another edition
3.0
This was a fine graphic novel about friendship. There is also a lot of stuff about hockey, which I tended to skip over. Pretty sure it was important to the story, but I got bored with that part.
It was a nice story of how two young men can be friends, and grow, one being a poor orphan college student, and the other being the best hockey player in the world. It is a secret friendship, and it helps both of them.
The hockey, that is just in there for some reason.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
It was a nice story of how two young men can be friends, and grow, one being a poor orphan college student, and the other being the best hockey player in the world. It is a secret friendship, and it helps both of them.
The hockey, that is just in there for some reason.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
cetaylor05's review against another edition
4.0
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.