Trigger Warnings: Trauma, parent death, self harm

Daya sees bruises as a mixture of comfort and control. When she sees her first roller derby match, she's instantly in love with the amount of bruising she can get. But joining a team pushes her towards truths she's struggling to come to terms with.

I liked the representation this book has (queer characters, they/them, deaf character, Sri Lanka) and I liked the information about roller derby... but that's really it?

Daya was really hard to like, and that's a part of her character and her growth, but it sometimes just got annoying. I'm also a bit confused/annoyed with Kat... we get her background from her sister but I still don't feel like it justifies why she did some of the things that she did besides she's a jerk.

I do wish there was more bonding with the derby team. I know it's hard for Daya and she struggled with it but I felt like I didn't know the team. I can remember that there was Kate and two other girls, but even writing this 16 hours after finishing the book, I can't remember their names, and then Shanti.

I loved how supporting Fee is, they're amazing and a rock solid friend that Daya definitely needs.

Overall I did enjoy the book, it was fun to see a bit of the inside of a sport I don't know much about. ( )

couldn't finish, book spends a lot of time repeating same idea over and over instead of showing it via the action. ( )

Daya's dad always taught her to be tough, so when her parents died in an auto accident, she kept everything bottled up inside, To tamp down the hurt, she'd skateboard and endure, even rejoice, in the pain from falls. When a friend takes her to a roller derby bout, she realizes that the pain caused by the hits could be t he answer to her prayers. She wants to join and so she tries out.

Quite enjoyable. There is some, but little, roller derby action. For that you should probably read Whip It. But still, overall, an easy, fun, enjoyable read.
Little did she dream on Shanti coming into her life. Sister to the 'jammer' on the Honey Bees team, Shanti shows Daya a different kind of strength. ( )