ALA Booklist (Tue Feb 28 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Targeted toward middle-grade readers, this powerful graphic memoir captures Akim Aliu's challenging, complex, and harrowing journey to achieve his dream of playing professional hockey. Gut-wrenching and vividly detailed (with, for instance, frank inclusions of some of the racist language he endured), the story begins with the challenges that Aliu's parents endured as an interracial couple in the 1980s, then moves to the struggles that he and his family faced living in Nigeria, Russia, and Canada, and concludes with his battles with bigotry and racism as he worked toward being drafted into the NHL. While it may be difficult for some young readers to witness the microaggressions, bullying, hazing, harassment, and vicious assaults that Aliu faced as a young hockey player, it will certainly be appreciated by those who believe in the importance of unmasking the ugly face of and negative impact of racism, particularly in the world of sports. With well-drawn artwork and an important story, this will educate and inspire many preteen readers. Contains racist language.

Horn Book (Thu Dec 28 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Former NHL player Aliu made headlines in 2020 when he shared stories of the racism and hazing he faced as a person of color in professional hockey. The son of a Nigerian father and Ukrainian mother, Aliu was born in Nigeria and spent his early years in Russia before his family immigrated to Canada and he discovered his love for hockey. His adoration of the sport was tested by persistent and devastating racism throughout his adolescence and beyond. This graphic memoir follows him from childhood through his exit from the NHL and to the formation of the Hockey Diversity Alliance, which makes hockey accessible to "children from diverse communities ­underrepresented in the sport." The narrative is notable for its emotional clarity and the strength with which the concise text carries both Aliu's pain and his resolve. Dynamic comic-panel art serves the story with expressiveness of motion and feeling. Grabbing readers at the intersection of sports and social justice, this is a welcome addition to the graphic-memoir genre. Alex Schaffner

Kirkus Reviews

A biracial former professional hockey player recounts his endless battle against systemic racism.Aliu's powerful graphic memoir opens with his joyful memory of falling in love with hockey as a child-juxtaposed with a scene of him being brutalized by a racist teammate. Readers are introduced to his parents-his father was Nigerian; his mother was Ukrainian-who faced discrimination for their interracial relationship. An older version of Aliu recounts his early life living in both Ukraine and Nigeria (including the difficulties his family encountered in each country) before eventually moving to Canada. There, young Aliu often felt like an outsider. When he discovered hockey, he put his all into becoming the best despite frequently being the only Black boy on his teams and relying on thrifted equipment. The strife he constantly confronted is clearly detailed-physical assaults, lack of recognition (despite stellar performances, he was often ranked relatively low), and racial slurs from NHL coach Bill Peters. Aliu makes clear that the racism he endured was institutional and that no individual player can dismantle it, but he believes that together we can work to effect change. His honest account of persevering in the face of oppression will inspire young readers, even reluctant ones, to pursue their passions no matter how seemingly insurmountable. Blunt, simple language, a brisk pace, and realistic illustrations work harmoniously to keep readers engaged.A story that will encourage youth to fight for their dreams. (Graphic nonfiction. 9-14)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

In this moving graphic novel memoir, Nigerian Ukrainian hockey player Akim Aliu recounts his childhood as the only Black hockey player on his high school team. After his father is released from an unjust imprisonment in 1995 Ukraine, the family moves to Toronto, believing they need to leave for Aliu to “succeed and prosper in life.” Known as the “Black boy with the ’fro who only spoke Russian,” Aliu is often met with anti-immigrant and racial epithets from classmates. Despite these stressors, Aliu is excited to join his school’s hockey team. He soon realizes that if he does well during a game, “all of a sudden, you’re approachable. You’re one of them.” Even so, he contends with prejudice both on and off the ice, as when an opposing team’s coach calls him a racist slur following a goal. Though the volume’s nonlinear timeline sometimes disorients, gregarious fourth-wall breaking lends humor, as when Aliu remarks “so I jumped way ahead of myself” after an aside. Clear, crisp artwork and richly saturated colors by De la Vega and Williams, paired with Aliu and Elysée’s conversational dialogue, result in a riveting, animated account. Ages 8–12. (Feb.)