Check, Please! Book 2: Sticks & Scones

by Ngozi Ukazu

Overview

A collection of the second half of the mega-popular webcomic series of the same name, Check, Please!: Sticks and Scones is the last in Ngozi Ukazu's hilarious and stirring two-volume coming-of-age story about hockey, bros, and trying to find yourself during the best four years of your life.

Eric Bittle is heading into his junior year at Samwell University, and not only does he have new teammates—he has a brand new boyfriend! Bitty and Jack must navigate their new, secret, long-distance relationship, and decide how to reveal their relationship to friends and teammates. And on top of that, Bitty's time at Samwell is quickly coming to an end...It's two full hockey seasons packed with big wins and high stakes!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250179500
Publisher:	First Second
Publication date:	04/07/2020
Series:	Check, Please! Series , #2
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	27,789
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

Ngozi Ukazu is the creator of Check, Please!, a massively popular online graphic novel. She graduated from Yale University in 2013 and received a master's in sequential art in 2015 from the Savannah College of Art and Design. While she used her intensive knowledge of ice hockey to launch Check, Please! in 2013, Ngozi has a deep interest in sports that ranges from half-marathon training to basketball documentaries. Ngozi also cites '90s sitcoms as a major influence in the quirky, found-family feel of Check, Please!

Editorial Reviews

"Ukazu excels at drawing action...ultimately, though, this is a love story, one with a romance characterized by sweetness and support. Fans new and old won't be ready for it to end."—Booklist, starred review

"An upbeat story of love and acceptance." —Kirkus

From the Publisher

04/17/2020

Gr 10 Up—Ukazu continues the saga of small-town Georgia boy Eric "Bitty" Bittle as he begins his junior year at Samwell University and strives to balance his studies with baking, hockey, and his new long-distance relationship with former teammate and current pro hockey player Jack Zimmerman. Despite the excitement of dealing with new teammates, feuding over jam, and keeping up with the growing viewership of his vlog, Bitty struggles with having to keep Jack a secret, and he can't seem to find the words to tell his parents that his "best friend" is so much more than that. However, as Jack's team, the Falconers, reaches the Stanley Cup playoffs, the two must decide whether sharing their relationship would result in terrible publicity or exactly the honesty they need in their lives. Full of the same endearing charm and affable dysfunction as the first book, Check, Please!, this is a superb sequel. Ukazu's manga-esque art is still bright, bold, and deeply expressive; her ability to depict complex emotions in each panel remains impressive. The author infuses both minor and primary characters with unique personalities and quirks, resisting the temptation to settle for jock stereotypes and typical sports tropes. Her saga deftly tackles issues of privacy, acceptance, and authenticity without feeling preachy. Profanity and mature themes make it best suited for mature teens. VERDICT Funny, tender, and sweet without ever verging on saccharine, this is a stellar offering for fans of sports tales, romance, or stories of coming into one's own.—Lara Goldstein, Forsyth County Public Libraries, NC

School Library Journal

2020-02-26
A college hockey player copes with school and the challenges of a secret long-distance relationship.

The effervescent Eric “Bitty” Bittle returns in this sequel to Check Please! #Hockey (2018). Many of Bitty’s closest friends have graduated, and he finds himself getting to know (and baking for) a new crop of ice hockey teammates. He also has the difficult task of maintaining his secret relationship with former teammate Jack Zimmerman. Jack is now in the spotlight playing for the Falconers, a professional team, and Bitty struggles to keep up the facade that he and Jack are simply best friends. In addition to relationship and family issues, Bitty is once again agonizing about life post-graduation. After the Falconers’ championship game, it’s clear that Jack and Bitty are more than friends, and the couple spends the next year answering questions about being openly gay athletes. Bitty’s bighearted personality will have readers cheering for him on and off the ice. The white main characters are surrounded by a lively, diverse cast of characters who defy the conventions of jock culture in their acceptance of Jack and Bitty even as they deal with outsiders who do not. The colorful graphic format is ideal for telling this story, with plenty of action shots. As before, the dialogue is laced with humor and camaraderie.

An upbeat story of love and acceptance. (extra comics, tweets) (Graphic fiction. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews