School Library Journal
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Gr 9 Up—After surviving a devastating fire that killed both her dads at a local roller rink and spending nearly five months in the hospital healing from her burns, 16-year-old Morgan "Moose" Shaker moves from a small town in Utah to Portland, OR, to live with her older half-sister Eden, whom she barely knows. Added to the loss of her dads and the only home she has ever known, Moose also struggles with her own sexual identity despite having grown up with gay parents. When Eden takes her to observe one of her roller derby practices, Moose is surprised by the openly queer community there and quickly becomes hooked on the sport. As she begins to bond with her teammates, form new friendships, and develop an even deeper relationship with one of her teammates, she gradually becomes more comfortable in her own sexuality and in her own skin. After a harrowing few days in which she returns to her former home without money, phone, or word to anyone, she also eventually begins to come to terms with the loss of the life she had in Utah and accept the new life she has begun to form in Oregon. Moose is a realistically flawed character filled with self-doubt and some questionable decision-making skills, but readers will surely root for her and her team. Moose is white. Secondary characters are racially diverse. VERDICT This debut is a heartrending coming-of-age story of loss, self-discovery, and self-acceptance that will be enjoyed not only by derby fans, but those who are derby-curious, or are just looking for a story with some emotional depth and featuring LGBTQIA+ characters.—Jessica Marie

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Fisher’s debut novel is raw and real, combining an exploration of deep grief with edge-of-your-seat derby action. Left orphaned and scarred by a devastating roller rink fire, 16-year-old Moose is taken in by her older half-sister and begins to find solace in the fast-moving world of junior roller derby. Alongside hip checks and body slams, Moose navigates a changing relationship with her sister, a growing crush on her team captain, and the grief for her fathers in typical teenage fashion, by making strong moves and discovering the (good and bad) consequences. Though at points veering into overexplaining, Fisher intentionally introduces readers to queer culture, mental health recovery, and even roller derby itself. Readers, especially younger teens, will learn things they might be afraid to ask, like what to do when experiencing a panic attack. Moose’s growth is woven beautifully with her progress as a skater, so never fear, sports lovers: a lot of action happens on the track. Skaters and non-skaters alike will want to lace up after this fast-paced, moving story of recovery.

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

In the wake of devastating loss, a queer teen finds a home on a roller derby team. Sixteen-year-old Morgan “Moose” Shaker has grown up skating alongside her dads at their local roller rink in Finney’s Mesa, Utah. When a fire breaks out at the rink one night, Moose narrowly survives, but the fire claims the lives of both Papa and Dad. She’s forced to move to Portland, Oregon, to live with Eden, the older half sister who’s a near stranger. Moose always felt too queer for small-town Utah; she now worries that she isn’t queer enough for Portland. She and Eden struggle to adjust to their new lives together, but they tentatively find common ground when Eden introduces Moose to roller derby. Moose finds an unexpected sense of community on her team and explores a romantic connection with Mercury, the team captain, despite dating among teammates being frowned upon. Moose’s path to healing as she copes with the physical and emotional aftermath of the fire feels authentically raw and includes positive depictions of therapy. The developing relationship between Moose and Eden is particularly compelling as the two reconcile their past and forge a new sisterhood. Fast-paced roller derby sequences lighten an otherwise heavy story and are easy to follow even for those unfamiliar with the sport. Moose reads white, Mercury is white and Korean American, and there’s some racial diversity in the supporting cast. A hopeful, tender debut about grief, healing, and finding community.(Fiction. 14-18) Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Publishers Weekly
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After surviving the tragic roller rink fire that killed her parents—rhythm skater Dad and artistic skater Papa—16-year-old Moose reluctantly leaves her Moab, Utah, hometown to live with her estranged half sister Eden in Portland, Ore. Dad and Papa were the only out-and-proud gay couple in Moab, and Moose kept her growing understanding of her queer identity to herself; now, surrounded by Portland’s freely-waving rainbow flags, Moose doesn’t feel “queer enough.” And her classmates’ reactions to her “resting bitch face,” PTSD-induced panic attacks, and scars from the fire don’t help Moose fit in either. What does help is joining the roller derby team Eden coaches, because “if anything will make me feel less like a victim, it’s putting on skates and crashing into someone.” Through derby, Moose bonds with Eden and finds emotional healing and a supportive community—until a league rule prohibiting dating between members stalls her unexpected developing romance with a teammate and compromises Eden’s budding trust. As authentically, endearingly flawed Moose muscles through the fallout of her missteps, Fisher’s debut romance whips its way out of the pack with smart first-person narration that smoothly balances heartfelt grief with droll humor, plentiful sports action, and meaningful discussions about queer identity. The cast is intersectionally diverse. Ages 14–up. Agent: Faye Bender, Book Group. (Nov.)