Bruised - Hardcover

by Tanya Boteju (Author)

"A searing portrait of self-discovery; soulful and captivating." --Kirkus Reviews

Whip It meets We Are Okay in this vibrant coming-of-age story about a teen girl navigating first love, identity, and grief as she immerses herself in the colorful, brutal, beautiful world of roller derby--from the acclaimed author of Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens.

To Daya Wijesinghe, a bruise is a mixture of comfort and control. Since her parents died in an accident she survived, bruises have become a way to keep her pain on the surface of her skin so she doesn't need to deal with the ache deep in her heart.

So when chance and circumstances bring her to a roller derby bout, Daya is hooked. Yes, the rules are confusing and the sport seems to require the kind of teamwork and human interaction Daya generally avoids. But the opportunities to bruise are countless, and Daya realizes that if she's going to keep her emotional pain at bay, she'll need all the opportunities she can get.

The deeper Daya immerses herself into the world of roller derby, though, the more she realizes it's not the simple physical pain-fest she was hoping for. Her rough-and-tumble teammates and their fans push her limits in ways she never imagined, bringing Daya to big truths about love, loss, strength, and healing.

Author Biography

Tanya Boteju is a writer and educator living on unceded Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh land (Vancouver, BC). Her debut novel was Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens and her other YA novels, Bruised and Messy Perfect, appear on the American Librarian Association's Rainbow List. Typically, you can find her cozy in her cabin, writing at cafés, or smooshing any dog that will let her. In both teaching and writing, Tanya hopes she's bending the universe even the tiniest bit toward justice. Visit her at TanyaBoteju.com.