Books
ICEBREAKER
2023 Michael L. Printz Award - Honor
A. L. Graziadei's Icebreaker is an irresistible YA debut about two hockey players fighting to be the best—and the romance that catches them by surprise along the way.
Seventeen-year-old Mickey James III is a college freshman, a brother to five sisters, and a hockey legacy. With a father and a grandfather who have gone down in NHL history, Mickey is almost guaranteed the league's top draft spot.
The only person standing in his way is Jaysen Caulfield, a contender for the #1 spot and Mickey's infuriating (and infuriatingly attractive) teammate. When rivalry turns to something more, Mickey will have to decide what he really wants, and what he's willing to risk for it.
This is a story about falling in love, finding your team (on and off the ice), and choosing your own path.
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"Graziadei’s empathetic first novel is richly plotted and handles its gay themes and hockey action well, making it a natural read-alike for Ngozi Ukazu’s Check, Please! #Hockey (2018). The author shoots and scores!" —Booklist
"A thoughtfully rewarding read for those who need one most." —Kirkus Reviews
"Debut author Graziadei clearly knows the sport, but even readers who don’t will enjoy a tale that’s more than just enemies-to-lovers . . . A complex read." —Publishers Weekly
IN REPAIR
Nathaniel Conti doesn’t feel real when he’s alone. Maybe that’s why he has a reputation as a troublemaker—he’ll do just about anything to have everyone’s eyes on him.
But things are about to change. Nathaniel is in his first year of college, flung into new circumstances with new people to meet. There are public speaking classmates, lacrosse players—and then there’s the aspiring photographer who asks Nathaniel to be their model, who’s interested in more than what’s on the surface. Nathaniel feels like he’s moving forward—until a former friend shows up, someone who reminds him of habits and hurts he thought he’d left behind.
From the author of Icebreaker comes a deeply felt, gorgeously told story about confronting what's buried, coming into your own, and finding your people.
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​"Graziadei (Icebreaker) vividly portrays the physical effects of trauma, such as bodily dissociation, and handles both Nathaniel’s and the supporting characters’ challenges with nuance. . .Via acerbic and vulnerable prose, Graziadei presents an empathetic portrait of a young person learning to do better for the people he loves and for himself."—Publisher's Weekly
"The sharp, fluid prose propels readers further into Nathaniel’s complex frame of mind as the story is uplifted by its touching characters. . .A thoughtful rumination on the power of friendship, trauma, and healing."—Kirkus
"Graziadei’s second novel, after Printz Honor Book Icebreaker (2022), is a deep exploration of trauma responses, queerplatonic relationships, and the need for community, and Icebreaker readers will appreciate cameos from Mickey and Jaysen." —Booklist