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thebookguru's review
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
3.5
The story itself is good and interesting but I didn’t like the interruptions from Adult Akim as it was confusing at times and they jumped through time pretty quickly.
However his story is really inspiring and I love that he finally spoke out about the racism he experienced and started the Hockey Diversity Alliance.
TW: The racism is very explicit
Overall, it is a good story and memoir however it was confusing at times with the additions from Older Akim and time skips.
I think students will enjoy this as they will learn about ice hockey and how deeply ingrained systemic racism is.
However his story is really inspiring and I love that he finally spoke out about the racism he experienced and started the Hockey Diversity Alliance.
TW: The racism is very explicit
Overall, it is a good story and memoir however it was confusing at times with the additions from Older Akim and time skips.
I think students will enjoy this as they will learn about ice hockey and how deeply ingrained systemic racism is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Bullying
jade13's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism
Minor: Cursing
ness's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Ableism, Racial slurs, Bullying, Racism, and Gaslighting
antonique_reads's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Bullying, and Emotional abuse
raix's review
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Racism, and Blood
Moderate: Racial slurs
alexandrac's review
challenging
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Hate crime
destdest's review
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
3.0
Good memoir! Akim breaks the fourth wall often to give added information, and, while distracting, it doesn’t break the flow of the story.
As I get older, I start feeling wearier of the (true) stories of black and mixed raced people having to continually put up with, endure, and survive virulent racism. No one should be having to put up with this type of garbage!
As I get older, I start feeling wearier of the (true) stories of black and mixed raced people having to continually put up with, endure, and survive virulent racism. No one should be having to put up with this type of garbage!
I do have to side-eye the portrayal of one of the two visibly black women in this book. I don’t doubt that event happened, but the optics of media in general always portraying black women as bitter and jealous gets old.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence
pucksandpaperbacks's review
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:
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."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: War
Hazing, Colorism, Microagressionsmysterymom40's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Bullying, Physical abuse, and Racism
Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
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