Reviews

Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey by Ngozi Ukazu

carsonelainee's review against another edition

3.0

i really didn’t like this as much as i was hoping i would. it seemed very light and cute, which it was, but it also felt like such a chore to read. the panels were all very text heavy and i didn’t really connect with the characters. shitty was the only redeeming character. i will say that the art style was very unique and cute.

adown's review against another edition

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

lexie_lex's review against another edition

1.0

No soy realmente fan de esto.
No me gustó el formato, a pesar de que sí, dentro de las novelas gráficas que he leído, es bastante innovador, pero siento que deja un montón de cosas al aire.
La trama no se acaba de ver bien dibujada, porque parece simplemente una cosa de "estilo de vida" y, aunque supongo que hay personas que están dentro de este tipo de temáticas, yo no lo estoy, por lo que me resulta francamente aburrido. Los partidos a penas y se esbozan, las relaciones se tocan por encima y la mayor cantidad de información que obtenemos, al menos en la primera parte, viene absolutamente toda de los vlogs de MC, lo que rompe la regla del "no me lo digas, muéstrame", incluso más hardcore porque es una novela gráfica.
Esto también provoca que el romance, razón por la que quería leer esto hace mucho tie Po, no sea creíble. Como vemos a ambos interactuar tan poco, resulta sorprendente el final de la segunda parte. Sorprendente, pero no emocionante. Daba igual que sucediera.
Mi único deseo real era que se acabaran las páginas, porque me daba pena dejar una novela gráfica como DNF, xd.

gregoryreadscomics's review against another edition

4.0

This is an adorable slow burn love story that is just down right adorable!! Both volumes are full of cuteness and fun but there are parts that lag a little. All in all a nice cute easy read! Perfect for pallet cleansing after some emotional readings!

emilyb_chicago's review against another edition

4.0

This graphic novel surprised me two times. First with the very strong language - though appropriate for what I understand from college locker room talk, I just didn’t expect it! Second with the very genuine feelings I got throughout. It’s very sincere and sometimes a little romanticized, exactly how the main character feels throughout. I genuinely gasped - a pure, there-with-them expression of shock/joy/big-feelings at the end. And I am so content and excited to read more about hockey, a sport I know nothing about, and about these great characters.

amberwallace2012's review against another edition

4.0

Cute story about a boy, Eric Bittle, starting his freshman year in College and playing on the University's hockey team. Bittle enjoys vlogging, baking, and has a crush on the team captain, Jack. In this volume of Check, Please!, you are introduced to some fun characters, and learn more about Bittle, his team, and Jack. The illustrations are adorable and the story is fun and interesting.

k8we's review against another edition

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

stitzleinkz's review against another edition

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

freshetables's review against another edition

5.0

A warming, beautifully illustrated graphic novel about starting college, falling in love and growing up. One of the best LGBTQ graphic novels I have ever read.

heabooknerd's review

5.0

I devoured CHECK, PLEASE! in all its adorableness! Bitty is such a sweet character and I loved his earnest manner and his uncontrollable pie baking; he's just a big marshmallow trying to find his way on a college hockey team. CHECK, PLEASE! was low angst and super light and fluffy and it just made my heart sigh. I was so happy to see the hockey team accept Bitty for exactly who he was and showed him that he could be himself without worry. We also got a little bit of a brewing romance story with Bitty's relentless crush on the team captain, Jack Zimmerman.

I really enjoyed Ngozi Ukazu's style and found the characters to be cute but also incredibly expressive in the way they're drawn. I also liked the way she subtly aged Bitty over the first two years of college and you can see him grow up both in the story and the images. The colors are also very vibrant and eye-catching so the pages all have a fun and exciting vibe.

Content Warning: brief mention of past anxiety and drug overdose