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jenny_d's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, and Self harm
Moderate: Transphobia
alanaschulte's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm
Moderate: Death of parent
ryannreidreads's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A YA roller derby story that isn’t “cute.”
This book is a dark depiction of grief and self injury and the journey to healthy outlets after severe loss. Daya is a jerk sometimes, but as someone who was a depressed teenager, her behavior makes sense.
I didn’t love the depiction of roller derby as a player of over a decade. It seemed the author understood the game but not the community and focused a lot on the tropes of a full contact sport (lots of how Daya behaves would have NEVER been considered ok) and the hyper-sexualized femininity associated with the image of the sport but not the reality. The other players and derby community having more depth would have really contributed to the growth arc of the book.
Overall a decent read that’s accessible and poignant for young adult audiences. If you love roller derby, check out Gabe Montesanti’s Brace for Impact for a more accurate depiction of the derby community.
This book is a dark depiction of grief and self injury and the journey to healthy outlets after severe loss. Daya is a jerk sometimes, but as someone who was a depressed teenager, her behavior makes sense.
I didn’t love the depiction of roller derby as a player of over a decade. It seemed the author understood the game but not the community and focused a lot on the tropes of a full contact sport (lots of how Daya behaves would have NEVER been considered ok) and the hyper-sexualized femininity associated with the image of the sport but not the reality. The other players and derby community having more depth would have really contributed to the growth arc of the book.
Overall a decent read that’s accessible and poignant for young adult audiences. If you love roller derby, check out Gabe Montesanti’s Brace for Impact for a more accurate depiction of the derby community.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm and Death of parent
qkitten's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Self harm, and Death of parent
Moderate: Car accident
shlymiller's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Self harm
oriannajoi's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Death of parent, and Self harm
britt_zonnebloempit's review
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Roller derby and a bunch of lesbians, what's not to love?
It was a lot more fun to read than I expected, honestly. Easy to work through, fun and bubbly characters with depth, and a whole lot of character development!
It was a lot more fun to read than I expected, honestly. Easy to work through, fun and bubbly characters with depth, and a whole lot of character development!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Self harm
readabookortwo's review
This was way too triggering for me soooo plus the MC ?? Nah thank you
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Self harm
fieldfarmer's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
My main issue with Bruised is that I felt like I was promised sad roller derby gals, and I did not receive enough of the roller derby itself because honestly my favorite part of sports books is the sport. However, I loved Daya's development so much. Grieving your parents is such a difficult task, especially when you're as young as she is, and I loved seeing her be able to open up both to her family and her new and old friends. Boteju's portrayal of grief was so real and raw that it took me longer to go through this book than I normally would've. I thought the love interest was kind of giving off "manic pixie dream girl who has a spine" vibes, but I still loved her and their relationship. Also, I'm a sucker for anything with queer grandmas.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Self harm, and Death of parent
Moderate: Car accident, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness
mittymyers's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm
Moderate: Car accident and Death of parent