Starred Review ALA Booklist (Mon Feb 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Starred Review In some ways, life is the best it's ever been for Eric Bittle, the brand-new, pie-baking, hockey-playing junior at Samwell University. He's figured out his place both on and off the ice, and he's even dating somebody special. But though Bitty is happy, things have been hard: his boyfriend is Jack, former Samwell hockey captain, current professional hockey player, and they've been keeping their relationship a secret for the sake of Jack's career, hiding it even from their own friends. But the pressure is starting to wear on Bitty. In this second and final volume (Check, Please!: ckey, 2018), Ukazu follows Bitty through his junior and senior years, capturing his growth, his achievements, and his low points with warmth and humor. The Samwell team remains a near-fantastical haven where toxic masculinity goes to die and hockey is still a driving narrative force. Ukazu excels at drawing action, with whole panels dedicated to a puck's journey across the ice. Bitty's parents, though they love him, are slow to accept his identity, and Ukazu often zeroes in on his baking, which he uses to cope with stress, capturing his hands as he kneads bread dough or cuts pie. Ultimately, though, this is a love story, one with a romance characterized by sweetness and support. Fans new and old won't be ready for it to end.

Kirkus Reviews (Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)

A college hockey player copes with school and the challenges of a secret long-distance relationship.The effervescent Eric "Bitty" Bittle returns in this sequel to Check Please! #Hockey (2018). Many of Bitty's closest friends have graduated, and he finds himself getting to know (and baking for) a new crop of ice hockey teammates. He also has the difficult task of maintaining his secret relationship with former teammate Jack Zimmerman. Jack is now in the spotlight playing for the Falconers, a professional team, and Bitty struggles to keep up the facade that he and Jack are simply best friends. In addition to relationship and family issues, Bitty is once again agonizing about life post-graduation. After the Falconers' championship game, it's clear that Jack and Bitty are more than friends, and the couple spends the next year answering questions about being openly gay athletes. Bitty's bighearted personality will have readers cheering for him on and off the ice. The white main characters are surrounded by a lively, diverse cast of characters who defy the conventions of jock culture in their acceptance of Jack and Bitty even as they deal with outsiders who do not. The colorful graphic format is ideal for telling this story, with plenty of action shots. As before, the dialogue is laced with humor and camaraderie.An upbeat story of love and acceptance. (extra comics, tweets) (Graphic fiction. 14-18)

School Library Journal (Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)

Gr 10 Up-Ukazu continues the saga of small-town Georgia boy Eric "Bitty" Bittle as he begins his junior year at Samwell University and strives to balance his studies with baking, hockey, and his new long-distance relationship with former teammate and current pro hockey player Jack Zimmerman. Despite the excitement of dealing with new teammates, feuding over jam, and keeping up with the growing viewership of his vlog, Bitty struggles with having to keep Jack a secret, and he can't seem to find the words to tell his parents that his "best friend" is so much more than that. However, as Jack's team, the Falconers, reaches the Stanley Cup playoffs, the two must decide whether sharing their relationship would result in terrible publicity or exactly the honesty they need in their lives. Full of the same endearing charm and affable dysfunction as the first book, Check, Please! , this is a superb sequel. Ukazu's manga-esque art is still bright, bold, and deeply expressive; her ability to depict complex emotions in each panel remains impressive. The author infuses both minor and primary characters with unique personalities and quirks, resisting the temptation to settle for jock stereotypes and typical sports tropes. Her saga deftly tackles issues of privacy, acceptance, and authenticity without feeling preachy. Profanity and mature themes make it best suited for mature teens. VERDICT Funny, tender, and sweet without ever verging on saccharine, this is a stellar offering for fans of sports tales, romance, or stories of coming into one's own.Lara Goldstein, Forsyth County Public Libraries, NC