Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Dreamer by Akim Aliu, Greg Anderson Elysée

4 reviews

noodlesny's review

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.0


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antonique_reads's review

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.0


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pucksandpaperbacks's review

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challenging dark emotional hopeful tense fast-paced
CW: racial slurs & swear words (on page, but are scribbled out), racism, hazing, racial microagressions, violence and blood (on-page), and emotional abuse

This was incredible. It's a short, fast-paced yet impactful read about NHL player, Akim Aliu and his life leading up to creating the Hockey Diversity Alliance. It feels like this book was written to promote the HDA which is good but I do wish it had a little more joy moments admist the trauma Aliu went through. I really enjoyed how his story didn't shy away from the truth and exposed the racist players and coaches, hazing, and the racism he experienced in the league from childhood to the age of 20-years-old.  This book will piss you off but in the right way. The way the NHL and any pro hockey league since the dawn of time has excused their racist players and coaches while shunning the players that speak out, Aliu exposes that here. I didn't know Aliu much prior to reading this and knowing his involvement in the HDA but now after reading "Dreamer", I know more about his life from living in Nigeria to Ukraine then Canada.  I also like how they broke the fourth wall showing Akim as an adult following himself as a child. The book also mentioned facts about the NHL draft and living with a billet family. As a long time hockey fan who knows a lot about the ins and outs of the sport, I was surprised to learn some new facts like how the coaches (in this case, it was the assistant coach) interview the billet family before selecting and pairing them with the player AND they play in the OHL from 16-20 years old. 


Favorite Quotes: 
..The cold air on your face... like the feeling of facing reality for the first time. Like facing the fact that you were an outside within a world or community you loved so dang much. So dang much that you had to fight against, and endure hate and bigotry - years of racism just to keep on following your dreams, just to be happy... or to make a better place for the next ones following in your footsteps... 
...This is that story...about perseverance and following your dream against all odds.

"You know what I think is amusing? The NHL's title for their annual diversity campaign, "Hockey is for Everyone." Makes me crack up. Because right now hockey is not for everyone. I learned that when I was sixteen." 



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mysterymom40's review

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.5


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