I’m a sucker for sports stories, which is what initially pulled me into Faith Erin Hicks’s 2023 YA graphic novel Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy , along with Hicks’ thoughtful exploration of friendship, sexuality, assumptions, and the messy realities of growing up.
SPOILER WARNING: It’s impossible to discuss Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy meaningfully without spoilers, so turn back now if you’d prefer to stay unspoiled! You can also read our Bi Media entry about this novel, if you’d like a quick summary.
The plot follows star hockey player Alix, who’s desperate for her coach’s recommendation to attend an elite summer camp. When a fistfight with the bully and team captain Lindsay jeopardizes that chance, Alix turns to Ezra for help. She barely knows him, but she’s noticed how he remains unshaken under the same kind of taunts Lindsay hurls at her. If anyone has the secret to staying calm, it’s Ezra — and maybe he can teach her before it’s too late.
Ezra is just as surprised as anyone when he agrees. Fresh off a breakup with his ex-boyfriend, Bryan and deep into rehearsals for the school musical, he’s stretched thin — but there’s something about Alix’s desperation that resonates. He’s been there before.
Neither anticipates how their unlikely connection will upend their high school lives. When two such different worlds collide, chaos follows — with Ezra’s friends, Alix’s teammates, and between the two of them. Can Ezra really help Alix, and is she ready to hear what he has to say?
In terms of representation, Ezra’s friend Law is one of the few characters who explicitly identifies as bi. Ezra, meanwhile, is openly queer — he casually mentions liking “girls, guys, all genders!” — but rejects labels. Like Ruby in Jennifer Dugan’s Some Girls Do , his hesitation stems from discomfort with categorization, not uncertainty about his sexuality. Unlike Alix, who grapples with shame, Ezra is wholly comfortable in his skin: out, proud, and unconcerned with defining himself further. This refreshing portrayal was deliberate. In a 2023 interview with The Mary Sue , Hicks explained she wanted to depict a teen who was “happily queer” but indifferent to labels: “I loved the idea of writing a character openly celebrated for his queerness.”
Ezra’s confidence makes him a compelling vehicle for addressing bi erasure head-on. Repeatedly, classmates assume he’s gay simply because his most recent relationship was with a boy. Each time, Ezra corrects them — sometimes in the moment, sometimes privately later — asserting his queerness on his terms. Even Alix, who knows little about his dating history, makes this assumption. Without spoiling their pivotal conversation, I’ll say it avoids feeling preachy; instead, it’s natural, kind, yet firm. Though Ezra never uses the word “bisexual,” his frustration will resonate with anyone who’s had their identity reduced to their current (or most recent) partner.
Sexuality, however, isn’t the novel’s primary focus. Hockey Girl shines brightest in its nuanced portrayal of romantic, platonic, and familial relationships. Ezra’s queerness is just one facet of his character; his arcs revolve more around conflicts with his best friend Olive, his mom’s boyfriend Calvin, and unresolved family trauma. These layered struggles make him feel fully realized.
As a former competitive athlete, I expected to relate most to Alix — and I did, particularly in her journey to assert herself. But Ezra surprised me by being just as compelling. In many ways, I saw myself in both, and their dual narratives made for a satisfying read. (Though I wish Alix and Ezra’s phone debate about team dynamics had been more nuanced!). Nonetheless, this graphic novel was an enjoyable read.
Hockey Girl isn’t the only sports story I’ve loved recently — see Melissa Faliveno’s Tomboyland , Rachel Reid’s Time to Shine , or Nita Tyndall’s Who I Was With Her — but it’s the one that lingered. Yes, it’s a sports story, but you don’t need to care about hockey to appreciate it. Like real life, the game is just one thread in a richer tapestry. It’s Alix and Ezra’s messy, multifaceted lives that make this graphic novel both quick and unforgettable.