Check, Please! Book 1: # Hockey
Staff Reviews
CHECK PLEASE by Ngozi Ukazu is one of my all-time favorite comics! I followed it online throughout high school and college, and the sweet protagonist (and his baking) never failed to warm my heart with this story of coming out and learning to thrive in college. For fans of hockey, pie, or sugar-fluff, this graphic novel is a must read! 5/5 life-changing first kisses
Description
"Heartstopper" meets "Heated Rivalry" in the first volume of Ngozi Ukazu's New York Times–bestselling graphic novel series!
Eric Bittle has been a junior figure skating champion, a vlogging sensation, and a talented amateur pâtissier—but nothing could have prepared him for freshman year on the Samwell University hockey team. College hockey is a whole new game, with hard checks, intense practices, and one very attractive—but moody—team captain: Jack.
Check, Please!: #Hockey collects the first half of Ngozi Ukazu's beloved webcomic series, a hilarious, heartwarming coming-of-age story about hockey, friendship, and taking a chance on love. This edition features updated artwork and a curated selection of Bitty’s most memorable tweets.
Perfect for fans of Heartstopper and Heated Rivalry, this is a story about sports, broships, and finding love in the most unexpected places.
New York Public Library – Best Books for Teens
The Boston Globe – Best YA of the Year
Ignatz Award – Outstanding Comic
William C. Morris Award – Finalist
Praise for Check, Please! Book 1: # Hockey
A Boston Globe Best YA Book of 2018
YALSA William C. Morris 2018 Finalist
"Check, Please! is very much a thing of our time in its approach to gay identity and romance... There's no big coming-out scene, no 'convert the lone homophobe' drama, no storyline cooked up just to educate the reader about the gay experience. Bitty doesn't need any of that, and Ukazu gives the reader credit for not needing it either." —NPR
"Check, Please — an endlessly delightful web comic about hockey, baking, and bros." —Den of Geek
"Check Please! is the perfect reminder of the growth in queer narratives we’ve gotten in the past few years...filled with cute romance, zero toxic masculinity, and a really great sense of male comradery that’s refreshing to read." — The Mary Sue
"Ukazu, who began Bitty’s story as an uberpopular webcomic, folds in plenty of hockey terms and highlights team camaraderie while skillfully dismantling themes of toxic masculinity…A slow-burn same-sex romance is just the icing on the cake (sorry—pie) in this irresistibly fun and utterly charming sports story. Volume two can’t come fast enough" —Booklist, starred review
"This is a warm story with an irresistible protagonist, a clever supporting cast, and lively and plentiful game and practice scenes... A fun and deeply satisfying read for teens." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"The art relies on thick linework and facial shots to tell the story, playing to Ukazu’s knack for pithy, personality-showing dialogue. Ukazu blends a series of tropes (coming-of-age, coming out, an outsider finding acceptance) into one coherent, amusing tale." —Publishers Weekly
