TBC: Face Off

It's rare where I find time that doesn't have me involved in a dozen things that need my attention, but this past week has allowed me to dive into another story that I wanted to tackle. I really enjoyed Power Plays, the first book written by Maureen Ulrich in the Jessie Mac hockey series, so it made complete sense to tackle the second book in the series! Teebz's Book Club is proud to review Face Off, written by Maureen Ulrich and published by Wood Dragon Books, as we dive back into Jessie McIntyre's life in Estevan, Saskatchewan as she enters high school while trying to navigate friendships, relationships, hockey, family, and a number of other problems and situations that teenagers face. Would a new book mean a whole new set of problems for Jessie to solve? It seems likely, but we know from Power Plays that Jessie finds good resolutions to these problems even when her path to the answers seems rocky.

From her bio on the Wood Dragon Books website, "Maureen was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan but grew up in Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta. In 1976, she returned to Saskatoon to attend university and graduated in 1980 with an education degree. Her first teaching assignment was in Lampman, Saskatchewan, and she has pretty much lived there ever since. Maureen has been writing plays for young people since 1997. In her free time – of which there is not a great deal – Maureen loves to read and write, travel, knit, hang out at rinks and ball diamonds, golf, ski, and ride her motorcycle." It should be noted that Maureen's Jessie Mac series is made up for four books: Power Plays, Face Off, Breakaway, and Shootout!

As summer is coming to a close, Jessie encounters her first major issue as she looks forward to U18 hockey and high school - Mark, her boyfriend, ends their relationship after alcohol and bad decisions lead to some public embarrassment for Jessie. Jessie struggles with her towards Mark throughout the entire story of Face Off as Jessie wonders why Mark suddenly turns cold and ignores her during every encounter the two have.

Beyond her fractured relationship with Mark, there are still other people Jessie has to worry about in Face Off as Kim is still part of her life, Marsha lurks around the edges, and the repulsive Greg still tries to make advances on Jessie. There are new people who we're introduced to in this book, though, as hockey players Brittni and Cory make life difficult for the Xtreme players, Jessie meets Michelle who was a bit of an outcast at Estevan Junior High, and new assistant coach Sue seems cold and uncaring to Jessie. Needless to say, Jessie has all sorts of new personalties to navigate as she makes her way through her first year of high school at Estevan Comprehensive School!

One example of all the personalties that Jessie deals with in Face Off is highlighted in the following passage. It reads,

"It's tough to tell which end of the bench is worse. At one end, Mr. Scott yells at our defence. Jennifer argues anf pouts when Mr. Scott makes her sit out a shift. Even Kim looks uncomfortable. At our end, Cory harps at Crystal for not coming off soon enough, and Brittni stays out as long as she wants, which is often way longer than two minutes. Sometimes my shift is only ten of fifteen seconds. Amber hardly sees the ice."

Needless to say, there are a lot of strong personalities on that bench with whom Jessie will need to co-exist, but can she? Will she?

A new opportunity at the U18 level for Jessie erases some of the worries she's experiencing, but Face Off exposes readers to some recurring issues seen in Power Plays while Jessie faces a new set of problems as well - new bullies, peer pressure to hurt others, self-harm, and poor decisions made by drinking make up some of the story arc in Face Off. Jessie struggles with some of these issues as she tries to find solutions for each of them, but some are beyond her control. Will her world spin out of control because of these issues she's facing?

If there's one constant I've found in reading these two books by Maureen Ulrich, it's that Maureen doesn't sugarcoat the issues. She's very clear about these issues facing teenagers, and her description of them may make readers uncomfortable. That emotional response felt by the reader means that Maureen is doing her job well, and there were definitely a few times in Face Off where I know I felt uncomfortable with the subject matter simply because I don't think about it a lot. By having this uncomfortable feeling bubble to the surface, Maureen is doing what everyone else should be doing: talking about these issues with their friends and family so that the stigma surrounding these situations isn't a wall preventing someone from seeking help.

Like Power Plays, Face Off was another easy read for me as I was drawn in by the story once more. The 192-page book doesn't speak above the heads of its readers, and the subject matter is completely relatable for adults while younger readers may relate to situations they've experienced, seen, or heard about in their own lives. And while Jessie doesn't always make the reight decisions, young readers will see the cause and effect of her decisions. Because Maureen sprinkles these lessons into a realistic and entertaining story about being a teenager and dealing with life, Face Off is absolutely deserving of the Teebz's Book Club Seal of Approval!

There are situations and discussions that wouldn't be suitable for younger kids, but the vast majority of Face Off deals with moments that young men and women will experience. Because of this, Face Off would earn a PG-13 rating, and I'd recommend this book for teens and older. Look for Face Off at your local bookstore or library today!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!