Mighty Millie Novak

June 1, 2024
A roller derby-loving teen from the Chicago suburbs faces turmoil and discovers her inner strength. Millie Novak is a queer, white sophomore who loves dyeing her hair fun colors and struggles with anxiety. Millie's parents are finally divorcing after years of fighting. She attends school online, and her older brother is away at college, so she's on a mission to make friends. The one place Millie feels like she's a part of something bigger is at the rink, playing roller derby. When Millie (aka Dino Might or Mighty) makes it onto the Prairie Skate Juniors team, along with Pumpkin Slice Latte, who's Latina and her only friend, she's thrilled. Getting to know Pumpkin better offers Millie a glimpse into the type of friendship she's been missing ever since leaving public school in sixth grade after being seriously bullied. Pumpkin starts to become a distraction during practices, however, and their friendship begins to hinder Millie's progress in the sport. By contrast, another teammate, Stork, is a focused athlete who takes an interest in Millie's growth. Along the way to trying to win the Soy Anything tournament, Millie will need to navigate complicated crushes and friendships. Holden's debut invites readers into Millie's fast-paced journey of self-confidence and growth that's set against the vibrant culture of roller derby, making for a delightful coming-of-age story. Quirky characters and a swiftly moving plot will keep the pages turning and inspire readers to lace up their own skates. (Fiction. 14-18)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2024
Grades 8-12 Millie "Dino Might" Novak is dealing with a lot: her brother moved to go to college, her parents are getting divorced, and she's anxious she might have cheated to get on her roller derby team. As Mighty and her team train for the big "Soy Anything" competition, she feels unprepared and not good enough. Added to that, her new friend and teammate, Pumpkin Slice Latte, is trying to set her up with an older derby girl named Spineapple--though Mighty's not sure if what she feels is a crush, true love, or just adoration for Spineapple's effortlessly cool personality. As she navigates trying to get better at the sport while managing the social landscape of the derby girls, she also has to deal with the fallout of her parents' divorce and how it's affecting her relationships. While the story involves serious topics like divorce, identity, and bullying, the tone is lightened by the derby girls' names, like Ann Archy and Impaylor Swift. Millie is relatable in her anxiety and confusion, and readers will enjoy the ride.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 1, 2024

Gr 9 Up-Almost 16-year-old Millie Novak has decided to reinvent herself, starting with successfully passing tryouts for the Prairie Skate Juniors, her local junior roller derby league. Among her parents impending divorce, her brother going away to college, and her social isolation from attending online school, Millie is unhappy with the direction her life has taken and is determined to make friends and be considered a real athlete. After she makes the team, Millie and Pumpkin, her only friend and fellow league-mate, also begin to scheme to win over an older league member whom Millie has a crush on. Unfortunately, their schemes involve an increasingly elaborate series of lies, which all inevitably come back around to make Millie's life worse. What's more, Pumpkin seems to be less and less enthusiastic about derby and more interested in Millie's older brother, which creates a rift in their friendship. In spite of a series of missteps and bad choices, Millie eventually manages to find her derby legs, make some friends, and come to terms with herself. She also finds love with a teammate, albeit one she would have least expected. VERDICT This coming-of-age debut featuring a beautifully flawed queer-identifying protagonist endeavoring to succeed in a largely underrepresented sport will likely be enjoyed by readers beginning their roller derby journey or those who can't get enough of it, as well as those curious to know more about derby culture.-Jessica Marie

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