Bruised by Tanya Boteju
Reviewed by:
Violet
$19.99
ISBN: 9781534455023
Availability: Click Title to See Location Inventory
Published: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers - March 23rd, 2021
Bruised is a contemporary YA novel about grief, identity, and queerness. While there are many things to love about this book, the queerness and roller derby scenes are arguably two of my favorite parts. After losing her parents in a horrifying car crash, Daya finds a second family in the Killa Honeys—the local derby team. Using bruises from the rough full contact sport as a coping mechanism for her internalized pain, Daya eventually realizes there are many ways to be tough and many ways to be soft. What follows is a coming-of-age story that tackles how to find oneself and deal with pain in a healthy way amidst the subplot of a burgeoning queer romance. -Violet
