Breakaway
by Maureen Ulrich
Coteau Books, 2012
ISBN 9781550505122
$12.95, 272 pp, YA fiction
coteaubooks.com
My favourite character in this story is Jessie because she plays hockey and gets good grades in school. She also deals with family conflicts which make her very relatable. She doesn’t fold under peer pressure even if that means she’ll be shunned by her friends.
The story takes place in Estevan, Saskatchewan over the course of the hockey season. It primarily takes place in Jessie’s house, her school and the local hockey arena during Jessie’s senior year of high school and last year of midget hockey. She’s faced with some major decisions between her hockey and her social life, while juggling her family life (annoying sister) and two different boys.
The story reminds me a little bit of the movie “Bend it Like Beckham.” Both main characters are juggling school, sports, family and a difficult social life.
Something that I like about this book is how, no matter what the situation, she always chose what was best for herself in that moment. Even if it didn’t always turn out to be the best decision, it’s nice to know she has a backbone.
Review by Anna, age 16, grade 11.
This review is from Canadian Teacher Magazine’s May/June 2013 issue.
