Author: Jean Mils
Publisher: Red Deer Press

Hockey player Griffin Tardiff is starting Grade 11 in a new school, new home, new town. He has not been able to play hockey for months because of a broken arm and now is also cut off from his hockey friends and his on-again, off-again girlfriend. Floundering to find a new focus, he gets an opportunity for school credit to work at the local radio station with the hockey guy. It's a break (no pun intended) that fits with his abilities as a writer and his fascination with the game. It's not long before he has made a strong positive impression.

In his new neighborhood, Griff befriends a young boy, Noah, as he practices his ball hockey shots in the driveway. The boy would love to be a hockey player but his mother has vetoed that because of the costs of the hockey program. And Noah's older sister does not seem interested in encouraging her brother or in the older boy who has become a mentor to Noah. Then one night, Noah bursts in to Griff's home terrified because of something that has been happening at his home. Now Griff must face a complicated reassessment about his radio station mentor and several aspects of his new life. Jean Mills' astute insights into the hockey world as well as her ability to penetrate the emotional lives of teenagers makes this a compelling page-turner.

This novel scores, with especially high marks for its pacing and authentic-feeling characters. You don’t need to be a hockey player to enjoy it, although being a sports fan of some kind will definitely boost its appeal. The characters reach out and enfold you in their drama, the action is brisk and full of tension and the plot and players arc nicely.

The vulnerability of injured teen hockey player Griffin – he misses being a team member acutely, but learns patience and the ability open himself up to new experiences – is well played. Meanwhile, the relationship between him (it’s told in first person from his point of view) and his biggest fan, the little boy from down the street, is also key to the story’s appeal.

Griffin’s parents are a little over-the-top perfect, and his relationship with them a little over-the-top warm and fuzzy, but never mind. More disappointing is the jerk who isn’t really a bad guy; he never does anything terrible, is just a boring loser. At more than one point, the story leads you to think he may be more evil than he is, and in some ways, it feels disappointing that he’s not the fully formed antagonist the story could have used. Also, the “is-she-or-isn’t-she” shallow girlfriend’s hot/cold personality grates after a while, but I guess she’s supposed to grate.

Overall, the sports action, the insight into sports media coverage, Griffin’s physical and emotional struggles and the way he comes through stronger is a winning narrative. It’s a gripping, fast-paced story well worth stick-handling onto your reading list.

- Pam Withers