Roller Girl

Photo credit Penguin Random House

“And just like that, my fate was decided. I was going to be a Roller Girl.”

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson, had me right from the get go. Astrid is such a well written complex character, who really just captured my heart, with her determination and hard working attitude, despite starting off pretty awful all along with having other big adolescent issues, like losing a friendship, bullying, making new friends and trying to figure out who you are. This is one of the most well rounded graphic novels I have ever read. The plot line, the characters, the descriptions and details, all within minimal writing, and mostly visual illustrations is outstanding. And just like that, I want to be a Roller Girl!

Jamieson has created so many wonderfully strong, diverse, and complex characters who are completely relatable and believable in Roller Girl. Astrid, the main character, who wants to be a Roller Girl, yet has never been skating in her life. Astrid creates a wonderful narrative of her thoughts and actions to tell this story and what she’s going through alone with her life. She reminds us of this by relating her experience to us, “Gentle readers, I’d like to pause here for a moment. It might surprise you that I hadn’t mentioned a certain little fact to my mother. But what would you say in my position? ‘Actually my best friend ditched me for a rat-faced jerk, and now I’m heading into this, the scariest day of my life all alone.’ Or would you say… ‘yes everything’s fine! Good deal! Good deal!’ “ and her face really tells the story behind this decision, but you can see what she’s dealing with and any kid can relate to that feeling of thinking they have to take care of everything on their own. For Roller Derby, Astrid’s hero Rainbow Bite, roots for her through letters of encouragement that really help keep Astrid working towards her goal of becoming a Roller Girl. One of my favorite letters that Rainbow Bite wrote to her was “I’ve found that if you want something badly enough, you just have to work harder than everyone else to get it. -Bitey.” These little bits of advice, from another strong female character, are great for everyone not just Roller Girls.

The composition of words to visuals in Roller Girl is perfect. The illustrations really show the reader what Astrid is doing and her facial expressions, to connect with some of the things that she is thinking. However there are a few text boxes in each panel that explain, or give a few more details to the frame. Some frames though are just visually perfect that they don’t need any additional text or just have the dialogue bubbles over the characters who are speaking. The way the different features are integrated makes for a visually pleasing aesthetic that also moves the story along in  way that is easy to follow and moves seamlessly from one frame to another. The reader can read the story in a completely uniform way because each feature is balanced within each frame.

Jamieson also has created illustrations with an extensive amount of detail to immerse the reader in scenes of both Astrid’s life, but also the whole roller derby experience. The reader can follow along with a sport they may have known nothing about before reading, and yet feel they are a part of through the book. These details show an extensive amount of research into roller derby on Jamieson’s part, and it adds so much to the storyline as Astrid is learning about the derby as well. The details help put you into the perspective of Astrid as she’s learning the game at camp, and allows you to see her thoughts and actions all at the same time. The detailed illustrations tie the story together so nicely, that it makes for a wonderful visual experience.

I started out knowing absolutely nothing about roller derby when I started this book, and by the end I was rooting for Astrid to become a Jammer, and understanding the bout, or game, that they played at the end. I felt a new appreciation for roller derby and became a fan through this story. Astrid provides a basic description of the game, “Basically there is a Jammer, who wears a star on her helmet. She tries to pass the blockers on the other team. For every blocker she passes, she gets a point. Of course, the blockers don’t want her to score points. That’s where all the hitting and falling comes in.” As Astrid learns more, so did I.

While this is a story about roller derby, friendship and figuring out who you are and where you fit plays a big role in the story. I think these two things are very important in the world and I could relate personally to differences in friendships and realizing that you don’t have to be exactly the same as another person to be friends. Nicole was angry with Astrid and said, “We always did what you wanted to do, like roller skating or the science museum. You never wanted to do the things I like.” Astrid didn’t realize that to be friends you have to take the other person into account and empathise with one another. This is a lesson that most people need and I think it’s important to realize both the power of friendship and what it takes to be a good friend. This is an important theme within the story. I wholeheartedly enjoyed Roller Girl, and recommend it to anyone and everyone. It is deserving of five out of five stars and the Newbery honor Award that it received.

Roller Girl is an absolutely amazing read, with strong, diverse characters who are wonderful role models. The composition of graphic illustrations and text make for a highly engaging read and the detailed illustrations put the reader right into the story! This book is fun, hilarious, yet has great lessons within Astrid’s experiences that lots of other teens or adolescents can learn from and connect to. Overall I think Roller Girl is a great pick for anyone and everyone.