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.
I’ve been wanting to read this book for months. When I say I’ve thought about Icebreaker near weekly since its release in January, I truly mean it. And, let me be honest, it really lived up to the hype I’ve given it. The narration is unique and emotional, although it can get confusing at times, and the storyline is addicting. I’m not an athlete anymore, but I can say for certain that the way Graziadei captures the downward spiral you can go in during games is heart-wrenchingly accurate. From the narrative’s explorations of depression to its carefully calculative descriptions of body language, I found myself stuck deep in the emotions and stakes of Mickey’s situation. I was honestly immersed in this book and did not want to put it down for anything.
Mickey’s journey with depression feels deeply personal, both thanks to the narration style and the grace in which it's handled. The ups and downs push the plot forward instead of just decorating the climactic points, and the emphasis on multiple relationships is poignant. It’s not Mickey’s relationship with Jayson—which is page-turning—that sparks his growth, but instead a culmination of his friendship with his teammates, his solidarity with Darian, and his love and admiration for his sisters.
Speaking of, the side and minor characters were all stand-out. I could pinpoint everyone’s personalities and was easily able to understand and follow their decisions and actions. Jayson feels alive, like someone I could know rather than a book character, and I loved Zero, Darian, and Nova. It’s all the small world-building details—the lax-hockey rivalry, the media mess, the various character backstories— that really make these people real. I don’t know much about hockey but was able to easily follow all the games, though there were some jokes and names I had to look up. The additional slew of Italian and k-pop references was niche (though I knew all of them so I honestly didn’t mind) but still helped breathe reality into everything.
When I say I believe Mickey and Jayon’s relationship, I mean it. As an aroace, I often find myself thinking many written romances make no sense, that the characters feel like actors. In Icebreaker, this isn’t the case. The relationship is hopeful and energetic, born from attraction then quickly developing emotional intimacy. And while the dance Mickey and Jayson have throughout the entire book is born from Mickey’s own internalized homophobia, the romance and queerness aren’t dreary.
I, obviously, cannot exclude the casual queerness of this novel, which had me beaming the whole time. The inclusion of polyamory is not something seen often outside of fandom works and was nice to have in traditional publishing. I also loved seeing a focus on coming out to family rather than coming out publicly.
The only thing keeping this book from a perfect five is its ending—it feels off. I really liked the last chapter on its own and feel that it finishes where it needs to, but I believe some chapters are missing. Compared to the pacing of the rest of the book, the last three chapters are choppy and leave a lot unsaid. I don’t know if this was an authorial choice or an editorial one, but I remember closing the book and thinking, “I loved this so much, how could it wrap up like that?”
Still, Icebreaker is a unique amalgamation of tropes and themes that read as realistic. The ending doesn’t detract at all from the forward-moving and meaningful story that is the majority of the book, and I still recommend this to anyone who wants something new and exciting.
A.L. Graziadei was born in Buffalo, New York and raised on Sabres hockey and video games, using their free time to write books inspired by both. Now living in Wisconsin, A.L. still plays plenty of video games and is a proud member of the Displaced Buffalo Sabres Fans group. Icebreaker is their first book.
You can find more about Graziadei on their Twitter, @grazialec.
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