The moment Astrid sees roller derby in action, she’s in love. All she wants to do is become a star player like Rainbow Bite. But her best friend Nicole, with whom she does just about everything, is not as enthused. Astrid finds herself embarking on her new passion alone, while Nicole spends more and more time in ballet with Astrid’s sworn enemy. As Astrid’s fear of losing her best friend takes over, she risks losing Nicole, her new roller derby friend, and her developing roller derby skills.
I loved this book. It’s a story about growing up and figuring out who your friends are and who you are, set against the exciting backdrop of roller derby. When Astrid finds out there’s a roller derby summer camp, she’s in, and she assumes her best friend is with her. Thanks to Jamieson’s deft illustrations, we can see the hesitation in Nicole’s face where Astrid does not. Astrid signs up for camp, and excitedly talks about it with Nicole, only to find that Nicole is not going to derby camp, she’s going to ballet camp.
Now she has to face derby camp all alone, while her best friend spends more and more time with perennial mean girl Rachel. From there, Astrid struggles with the physical difficulty of her would-be passion. Her worry over losing her best friend turns to a sort of vengeful jealousy. She also explores this new-found world of roller derby, with its colorful characters (and hair). I can’t believe how much emotional depth, not to mention entertainment, Jamieson packed into this 240-page book. I fully expect it to make my top 10 at the end of the year.
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