Game Face

by Shari Green

Thirteen-year-old Jonah is determined to prove that anxiety won’t stop him from succeeding as his hockey team’s goalie in this dynamic novel in verse. 

What-ifs rattle around his brain at the worst times, like when he’s in the middle of a playoff game. What if he lets his teammates down? What if he can’t make it pro? And the biggest what-if of all, the one he keeps to himself — what if he’s like his dad, whose life is controlled by anxiety that has only gotten worse since Jonah’s mom died in a car crash?

To prove that he’s not like that, Jonah is determined to succeed in the high-stress role of goalie. He and his best friend Ty have big plans for their hockey futures. But when Ty suffers a medical crisis during a pivotal game, Jonah’s anxiety ramps up to new levels

Genres: Middle Grade, Novel In Verse, Sports, Canada, Mental Health, Hockey, Realistic Fiction

376 pages, Hardcover

First published September 5, 2023

About the author

Shari Green is an award-winning author of novels in verse. She’s also a poet, musician, and former nurse. She loves being out in nature and can often be found wandering the beaches or forest trails near her home. Shari lives with her husband on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada, on the traditional territory of the Laich-Kwil-Tach peoples.

Reviews

[Kathie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This excellent upper middle-grade novel in verse by one of my favourite Canadian authors looks at how a 13-year-old hockey player experiences anxiety both on and off the ice. Jonah and his best friend have big dreams of playing professional hockey, but Jonah already gets sick to his stomach from the pressure. When Ty has a life-threatening medical emergency during a game, Jonah's "what ifs" and fears escalate. Unable to talk to his dad, who struggles with his own anxiety following Jonah's mom's death, Jonah befriends the girl next door and eventually realizes that some problems are too big to handle alone.

I love that this story talks about the anxiety many kids experience playing amateur sports and the stigma that can accompany it, but this is so much more than just a "sports book." There's the relationship between Jonah and his father (which, as a parent with anxiety issues, really hit home for me) and his Oma, changing and new friendships, and how school and family life impact, and are impacted by, mental health issues. I think this story is an important addition to the books aimed at older middle-grade readers, and its format and length would make it an excellent class read-aloud to discuss with students.

[Hugh Mcdonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Game Face by @shari_green It’s an important & gripping middle grade novel in verse that has the potential to invite reluctant readers into quality books & conversations about sports, mental health, & empathy. #middlegradebooks #mglit #middlegrade #anxiety #anxietysupport #anxietyrelief #sd36learn

[Katie Reilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This middle grade novel in verse is a must buy for middle grade classrooms and libraries!

Yes, it’s about hockey. Yes, it’s about friendship. But it’s also about the alien (anxiety) that takes up space in so many students’ brains.

These lines below speak to how the author helps to normalize discussions around mental health: asking for and receiving help when it’s needed, and for doing the best you can with what you have on any given day.

Page 173: Anxiety is more about worries and scary thoughts being out of control, getting in the way of living life.

Page 212: Sometimes talking about a problem shrinks it a little, she says, so it doesn’t take up so much space inside.

Page 224: I can’t do this on my own.

Pages: 249/250: We all need help sometimes, Oma says…Some days we can be the helper…Other days we need to let the helpers help us.

Page 262: Why does poetry insist on revealing the truth wrapped in syllables?

Page 323: It takes a lot of courage to admit we need help, he says. Even more to seek it out.

Pages 361/362: There’s a lot to be said for doing the best you can with what you have on any given day. Some days, that’ll be more. Some days, less. And that’s okay.

Page 365: Doing the hard thing does take strength but asking for help when we can’t do things when it all seems impossible that takes strength, too.

[Bethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. It’s obvious pretty early in the book that Jonah has anxiety. Playing goalie doesn’t make the fears go away, sometime adding to them, other times putting them in the background.
Where does this take place that it’s just below freezing so he doesn’t feel cold enough for gloves or scarf on neck, not zip his coat all the way up?
“What if’s” rattling around in his brain
Worrying he might get as bad as his dad
Cool idea for the 2 voice poem using a venn diagram about a topic
“Why does poetry insist on revealing truth wrapped in syllables?”
Courage poem!
Great sports/hockey action, boy book but not an issue book
Love the friendship struggles, love how he finally decides he needs some help and the way his adults stand by him.

[Luciana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shari Green did an amazing job with this novel!

Jonah's mom died in a car accident & his dad is raising him. His dad has anxiety disorder; thus Jonah's oma helps out a lot.

Jonah feels out of control & then, he too, realizes he has anxiety especially after his best friend collapses in the changeroom after playing hockey. Jonah thinks it's his fault & puts a lot of blame on himself.

What I loved about this book is the layout, the word placement on the pages, & how easy it is to read. It incorporates poetry, hockey, dealing with anxiety & coping in day to day life.

A great read for all; however, boys, in particular, who are anxious or worried would really enjoy this read.

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was bored most of this book, but I did like the mental health representation and what it's like for teen boys. We don't talk about this topic enough at this age.

CW: anxiety, panic attacks, death of a parent, car accident, hospitalization

[Kimberly Hinman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jonah’s story is an important one for all of us. This novel in verse chronicles his journey as he deals with some heavy situations while trying to manage his anxiety. I also love that it is a hockey story!

[Jen (Remembered Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forest of Reading Festival 2025 Silver Birch Nominee

[Ben Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Review of Game Face

Okay, I never knew what a ‘novel in verse’ was until I read this, and now that I do, I know it’s not for me. Before you buy this book, make sure that it’s a style you or your child will enjoy reading in this style.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley.

[bjneary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jonah and his friend Ty love hockey; but Jonah is anxious about everything and Ty is the only one who knows. Also Jonah's Dad suffers from anxiety and it has only gotten worse since his mom died in a car accident. It is through working on class projects with his neighbor, Rosie, that Jonah shares his anxieties to Rosie just as she shares her grandmother's worsening dementia. This novel in verse captivated me from the first line; so much power in each word and line, middle grade students will be sharing this gem.

[Ya Boi Be Reading · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an advance reader copy! This is personally a 2.5/5 for me. For the intended audience it might be 3.5/5 or a 4/5 if they are specifically a hockey fan.
I think a large portion of this comes from how the story takes awhile to be good. It took me almost halfway through to really begin enjoy reading it. Prior to that it was so focused on topics like hockey and school drama I was uninterested and felt this was a book just not for me but for sure was worth merit. After about 40% through it really ramps up about handling of anxiety as Jonah's anxiety takes center stage along with the (in the book) recently-turned-complex relationship between Jonah and his best friend Ty. There is also a side story and foil with Rose, who is Jonah's friend and neighbor, as she tackles her own personal issues and supports Jonah. I found her side story to be a great inclusion as she understands Jonah's plight with more clarity from her current experience but still struggles herself. This gives her a unique voice in the story. But the main focus is on Jonah and Ty's relationship and Jonah's anxiety. These are two things the book handles and writes the best and I was glad to see them be the focus of the story. But there is so much lead-up to these topics that it makes the beginning a rough read.
I really enjoyed the poetic form of this verse novel. There is a lot of spacing to handle thoughts or phrases that run multiple lines as well to create or reflect certain emotions that Jonah has. I enjoyed this but I can see some of the intended age finding it too confusing or weird. I cant believe I'm saying but I actually might prefer a more straight forward verse for a verse novel? I mean, I love it. Older readers will love it. Poetry fans will like it. But a middle schooler who likes sports and picks this up since it's a looks like a short book to read and has his favorite topic in it? I don't know. They would get used to it as the format is consistent. But, it can detract from initial interest and reading motivation. If the beginning was less intense with its poetic form it might not been as much of a potential issue for the intended audience. But is good poetic form ever really an issue? Lol.
As previously mentioned, a key point of this verse novel is Jonah's anxiety. I appreciate how the topic of anxiety is handled. It's written realistically (actually reminds me of how it manifests in my boyfriend a lot lol) and I believe many readers of the intended audience can easily relate and learn from Jonah's experiences to deal with their own struggles with anxiety. But poetry-wise it takes awhile for the anxiety to be written well. In the first third it feels awkwardly written into the verse and after that the author seems to massively improve writing it.
I will personally one reason I gave this a 2.5/5 is that I struggled to relate in general. The poems just lacked some special OOMPH for me. Even when it was good I struggled to relate. I felt myself glazing over or wishing it was written slightly better as other than the unique form the actual words and writing is kinda... plain. It would work for the intended audience but this might be one of those younger middle-grade YA stories that is less engaging to older readers. This isn't a bad thing. I think middle grade YA that is specifically meant to be engaging to mostly middle schoolers is a good thing. But it does color my opinion.
Part of the issue might have been that I am not a hockey dude. There is a lot of hockey terms thrown around and the verse novel expects you to understand hockey. I'm not a hockey guy. So it left me a bit confused.
Overall its a great verse novel for middle schoolers but maybe not strong enough (or written for them) to be read for the larger reading community.

[Pam Withers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thirteen-year-old Jonah is determined to prove that anxiety won’t stop him from succeeding as his hockey team’s goalie in this dynamic novel in verse.

This contemporary ice hockey-story for pre-teens is rather unusual for being written in lyrics. That makes it not only a fast-moving, engaging story (especially to hockey fans), but a book likely to turn readers on to verse. Seriously!

It’s all in Jonah’s point of view, and he’s 13 (though he often feels younger). Like so many his age, he aspires to be a professional hockey player, his best friends have the same ambitions and he’s passionate about the game. At first it feels normal that he gets anxious before and during play. Then we start to realize his anxieties are stronger and more frequent than most kids have, and are holding him back from being his best self.

Worse, he’s trying hard to hide or deny that fact that his father has even more serious anxiety issues, which have worsened since his mother died. Ups and downs haunt him, a crisis leads to a fallout with his best friend, but through it all, he has a female friend, Rose, who is a steadying influence.

You want to tell me

about it? she says

as casual as if

she’s asking the score

of a random hockey game.



No!

Okay. But it seems like

it takes up a lot of room

in your head.



She shrugs one shoulder

up

down

in a very Rose gesture.



The loss of his mother plays a very small part of the novel, but produces these poignant words:

Every now and then

missing her

catches me off guard

sadness rushing through me

triggered by the weirdest things.

It hurts worse than anything



but if it ever stops happening

I’ll miss it.

His father offers little support, especially having abandoned help for his own bouts of paralyzing fear, but maybe it’s Jonah who eventually needs to help his father?



I’m sure there are things you worry about, he [his father] says.

but your worries –

they’re not

out of control

are they?



His face is a familiar tangle

of love and fear and his voice

practically pleads for everything

to be okay.



I tell him exactly

what he needs to hear.

I’m fine.



When things start to go bad both on and off the ice, Jonah finally seeks help, a very brave move.



I struggle with my gear

stumble

stepping onto the ice

let in the weakest shots

and fall on my butt

twice.



Guilt rises up

e x p a n d s

wraps

around

to smother me.



It’s impressive how the verse emphasizes what the words are offering, like the spacing of the word “e x p a n d s” above.

More importantly, it’s a gripping tale that also touches on hockey, family, friendship and anxiety issues. What an unusual way to inform and support young people on these vital concerns!



Doing the hard thing

does take strength

but asking for help

when we can’t do things

when it all seems

impossible

that takes strength, too.



Game Face is a highly recommended read.



-Pam Withers. This review also appears at https://yadudebooks.ca/, a not-for-profit book-review and author interview website.

[Read by Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Game Face is a middle grade novel in verse that explores an abundance of life's challenges including (but not limited to) anxiety, mortality, grief, and Alzheimer's. It's no small feat to tackle all of these (and more) complex themes in one novel, but Green accomplishes this in an authentic, even-handed, and considerate manner.

Main character Jonah is the goalie on his hockey team, and he feels tremendous anxiety about being responsible for each goal scored against his team. He receives empathetic support from best friend Ty, but cannot share his struggles with his father, who wrestles with his own crippling anxiety which has gotten worse since the recent and unexpected death of Jonah's mother. When Ty experiences a medical trauma, Jonah spirals into worry, guilt, and loneliness. Game Face teaches its readers the pragmatic lesson that many of life's problems offer no simple solutions. Luckily, the overarching theme of the novel is not one of curing a problem, but developing resilience through positive coping and the courage to seek professional help.

Previous to Game Face, I had only read one other novel in verse, Fly by Alison Hughes. Hughes uses the novel-in-verse to its full potential, employing powerful language and poetic devices. While I enjoyed the plot of Game Face and am confident that it will appeal to middle school readers, I wish Green's narrative had been, for lack of a better word, prettier. I might have enjoyed Game Face more if I hadn't read Fly.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. Game Face will be published in September, 2023.

[Megz Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Middle Grade Book: Game Face by Shari Green (Novel in Verse)

I honestly went into this book not thinking I’d like it. 1) Because sports are heavily part of the plot and that just doesn’t generally interest me and 2) because it’s a Novel in Verse.

I loved that when I first opened the book, the first page is a Land Acknowledgement-so kudos to Groundwood Books!

This book was about sooo much more than Hockey! Set in Canada, an adolescent boy is dealing with past trauma. So is his father. His father is agoraphobic and has severe anxiety. Probable PTSD. The main character, the boy, has severe anxiety. Especially After the traumatic event.

Then another traumatic event happens to his best friend and he has to learn how to navigate that. He is a remarkable young man who knows he needs help and can’t handle all of his big feelings on his own and seeks out his school counselor.

He makes another friend who is dealing with her grandma who she is very close with, who now has Alzheimer’s. They help eachother navigate there tough stuff.

There are so many different facets that are explored in this book. There’s great coping mechanisms for adults and kids alike that are brought up as well.

Really a very cute book and super helpful for these topics:

Grief
Trauma
PTSD
Anxiety
Agoraphobia
Bully’s
Friendship difficulties
Coping skills
Recognizing when you need help
Loved one with Alzheimer’s

Highly recommend for any adolescent!

[Christiana Doucette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shari Green's newest novel-in-verse holds the nuance and emotional power her readers have come to expect from her. Thirteen-year-old Jonah is afraid he's facing the same monster his father is: an anxiety disorder that has only grown bigger since the death of his mom several years prior. When his anxiety begins to mess with his hockey game, frustrating his best friend, a fight followed by a medical emergency in his friend's life sends his anxiety into overdrive. Jonah must find the courage to reach out for help, and trust friends enough to be open about his struggles, or he may find himself as isolated and homebound as his dad.

As usual Shari brings her special magic in intergenerational companionship. I always appreciate how deftly she explores the losses the elderly face, while bringing more understanding to kids and how those changes affect them.

I also love that the sport highlighted in this verse novel is hockey. I've read so many baseball and basketball books, but hockey is the sport I grew up around the most. And I don't often see it portrayed like it is in this story. Highly reccommend!

[K.A. Wiggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I once helped out in a (Canadian) school library and was blown away by the number one circulation category—I just couldn't keep hockey books on the shelf! But aside from a clearly highly desired topic, there's much to recommend in GAME FACE. The novel-in-verse format keeps those pages turning (I'm curious if it's actually much more approachable and decipherable to reluctant readers than you'd think?) and the inner life of the tween boy main character is captured with immediacy and relatable honesty in fast-moving vignettes, stream-of-consciousness snippets, overt poems (as class assignments) of various forms. While there are weighty topics covered—anxiety, grief and loss, bullying—they're well balanced and always solidly "in character". The progression of growing awareness, identifying and seeking help, and developing and practicing counsellor and family-supported coping mechanisms for anxiety was particularly well-balanced while maintaining character voice. Highly recommended for upper elementary, middle school & up readers, classrooms & libraries!

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!

“The puck echoes
off the boards
— shot wide
glove side.

I grin.”

Game Face tells the story of Jonah, a thirteen-year-old hockey player who has anxiety. Jonah is a goalie and finds himself trying to navigate playing hockey and managing his anxiety which ramps up after his best friend experiences a medical event.

As a hockey fan and someone with anxiety, this book resonated with me. While novels in verse aren’t something I usually select, I found myself devouring this book. Not everyone will appreciate the poetic descriptions of hockey, but as a hockey fan, I love the ways Green highlights the beauty of an often violent game. I also appreciate reading about anxiety in a creative way because the what-ifs swirling in Jonah’s mind remind me a lot of my own.

I look forward to adding this book to my library when it releases in September.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Game Face by Shari Green introduces readers to hockey player Jonah who struggles with anxiety. He plays goalie and is finding that his anxiety is starting to affect his game play. After a scary medical emergency during a game impacts his teammate/best friend, his anxiety spirals. Jonah is conflicted about seeking help but will need to find the courage to do so. While hockey is at the forefront of this novel in verse and the game is captured beautifully in the poems, this is not simply a sports book. Game Face addresses anxiety in a way that readers will be able to access and provides an example of how reaching out for help is okay.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC to read and review.

[Kay S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was likely going to skip this book. It's chonky and, on the outside, about sports. But it was next on my list and there was a copy on shelf at at he library.

I've never been so glad I picked up a book. Seriously. This book is brilliantly written, encapsulates anxiety disorders and the ways they vary in an exceptional way, and deals with some heart-wrenching situations that make Jonah an amazingly strong character.

I have a soft spot in my heart for books about anxiety disorders. I've read some good ones as the push towards neurodiverse characters in kidlit. I've praised titles in the past but this one... whether it's the story, the prose, the author... This is amazing. I loved it. Don't judge a book by its cover.

[Bonnie Grover · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Anxiety is more about worries and scary thoughts being out of control, getting in the way of living life.” Thirteen-year-old Jonah is determined to prove that anxiety won’t stop him from succeeding as his hockey team’s goalie. The what-ifs rattle around in his brain and what if he can’t make it pro? What if he is like his dad who is controlled by anxiety that has gotten worse since his mom died in a car crash? Jonah is determined to succeed, but when his best friend suffers a medical crisis during a game, Jonah’s anxiety ramps up to a whole new level.

This middle grade novel in verse is packed with emotion and is sure to be a favorite whether you are a hockey fan or not.

[Johnny G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son and I read this together at story time: 30-50 pages at a clip, and, although the theme of dealing with anxiety was pretty deep, we were into the book. Yes, there is hockey; yes, there were middle school social issues; yes, his dad also has severe anxiety, and, yes, there was reminiscing about the loss of Jonah’s mother, but because the book is told in poetic form totally in the first person, it was all interesting. It would be easy for a 3rd grader to say, “this isn’t for me,” but my boy didn’t go that route. Middle school librarians and guidance counselors should put this on their “to read” lists.

[Barbra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Narrated in lyrical free verse, Jonah reveals his anxieties. He loves hockey and especially playing with his best friend Ty. However, when a medical condition takes Ty out of the game, Jonah’s fears exemplify, and he questions his competency. The death of his mother and his father’s constant worrying, along with the high-pressure position of being a goalie, bring forward Jonah’s doubts, but also his determination to push himself and learn how to live with stress. Jonah’s story will have readers relating and caring and turning the pages, hoping for his success.

[Pat Heck · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explores anxiety in a unique and digestible way for teenagers. You can’t help but sympathize with Jonah as he navigates his “love” for hockey and his anxiety disorder that threatens his success on the ice and his friendships. Also, Rose’s kindness toward Jonah was a nice touch.

I’m personally not a fan of novels written in verse. There’s too much blank space. However, this is a book I’d recommend to middle schoolers and is one I will definitely add to my classroom library.

[Serena Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing read, for anyone of any age!
This is such a wonderful story with a special type of verse that truly shows the way the main character, Jonah, is feeling throughout the story.
I will read this again and again!
Thank you NetGally for the amazing early trader copy :) I cannot wait for my pre-ordered book to arrive! Another Shari Green classic to add to my shelf!

[Lorna Nicholson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Game Face by Shari Green is a beautifully writtern, well researched, novel in verse that will make you laugh and cry. Jonah, the main character, stole my heart and then some. Everything about the novel is well executed from the hockey action, friendships, family dynamics, and anxiety that Jonah and his father face. Game Face is real and honest and word perfect.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Game Face strikes a good balance between hockey details and exploration of anxiety, all told in a verse format. The characters weren't the most memorable, but I think this has some potential to help stressed kids. The inclusion of Jonah's dad also being anxious was believable and added some nice depth.

[Candice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jonah and Ty are best friends. They dream of growing up and playing professional ice hockey together. Their dream seems like a sure thing until Ty collapses at a match. Will Ty still be able to play? Will Jonah want to continue? Will Jonah’s anxiety get the best of him?

A great story of friendship and family, and overcoming one’s weaknesses.

[Ashlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this middle grade graphic novel in verse. I loved reading Jonah’s story. I’m so glad I picked this up and finally was able to finish it. It hits some heavy topics but in a way that’s accessible for kids who may be experiencing the same thing.

[Suebee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly recommend for school library purchase. About a boy who lost his mom in a car accident and deals with anxiety that affects his friendships and his hockey playing (in Canada).

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hockey. Anxiety. Disappointment. Dear. Friendship. Regret. Hope.

This middle grade novel in verse is everything a 4th-8th grader could hope for in a book.