Title: Roller Girl

Written and illustrated by: Victoria Jamieson

Published by: Puffin

Embark on your own Roller Derby of emotions with Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson. The illustrations in this graphic novel portray the character’s feelings so poignantly. Right from the start it was a joy to see Astrid’s love and excitement at the roller derby compared with her best friend, Nicole’s reactions. All of Victoria’s characterisations are spot on. I laughed out loud, wiped away tears of disappointment and yelled out encouragement as Astrid became tougher, stronger and fearless in her ambition to be a roller girl.

This graphic novel draws you into the world of Roller Derby and being part of a team. Astrid’s courage and determination is an inspiration to all as she struggles to succeed without the companionship of Nicole. The story gets to the heart of a common adolescent occurrence of drifting away from previous relationships and making new friends.

Let’s hope we see more graphic novels like this on the shelves of the UK bookshops.