Icebreaker Audiobook By A.L. Graziadei cover art

Icebreaker

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Icebreaker

By: A.L. Graziadei
Narrated by: Tom Picasso
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About this listen

A. L. Graziadei's Icebreaker is an irresistible YA debut about two hockey players fighting to be the best - and the romance that catches them by surprise along the way.

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 number one 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.

This is a story about falling in love, finding your team (on and off the ice), and choosing your own path.

©2022 A.L. Graziadei (P)2021 Recorded Books
LGBTQ+ Mental Health Sports Fiction Young Adult Fiction Hockey Heartfelt Feel-Good
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What listeners say about Icebreaker

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Surprising

At the beginning, I REALLY did not like the characters. Honestly I was a little put off almost at being introduced to a gay character so early on, but that was mostly because it kind of caught me by surprise. I was worried that the characters were going to be like that the whole book, and I wasn't about that life but once I got more into it... I couldn't stop listening. Every character had a relatable quality to them, and it didn't feel forced. Even the background characters quickly grew on me. especially their teammates. This book really does show a raw view of what it's like to have what I would call high functioning depression; it doesn't depict it as nothing more than feeling sad all day and crying yourself to sleep at night. As someone who has high functioning depression, it felt so raw. I could see myself in Mickey. Which also lead me to being annoyed by him. Then there was him struggling with his feelings for Jaysen. I've never had to deal with truly coming out (aro/ace, no one believes I exist) so it was difficult to truly understand his reasoning. Or it would've been had he not been an athlete. It's so hard to watch the heteronormativty of sports, even today, and that's what really made his character, his struggles, real to me. The only bad thing I could really say about this, and it's hardly on the author seeing as it's clear as day what this book is about, but the hockey. references. When you've never played, it's easy to sort of zone out during the play by play sections.

As for the narrator, phenomenal job. The one thing, as others have said, though was that it would've been nice to have a little bit more differentiation netween characters. Sometimes it was very ... deadpan.

I always get nervous reading LGBTQ+ fiction because a lot of it falls into the same stereotypes and tropes, but I honestly feel like this managed to stay away from that. It was a solid book through and through for me.

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Authentic mental health depiction

Loved the realistic portrayal of depression & the struggles it presents. The family of both main characters are amazing and the detail the author provides paints such a vivid picture. I almost felt like I was standing on the dock or sitting with one of the James siblings or Royals players.

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came for a cute story left with so much more

that ending though!!! that deserved 5 star's on its own! that was very well done. made me scream and laugh!

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what do i even say

I envy the relationship cauler and terzo have, and this book portrays depression better than anything ive ever read

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college hockey rivals to boyfriends and mental health rep

I really enjoyed how genuine the characters felt. When Mickey was dealing with his mental health and feelings of inadequacy it was so believable. I also really enjoyed the team interactions!

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Lovely

Bro the end has me screaming, they left us in the dark , like who won broooioo this was so good , I would listen to this 100k times

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Idk

This made me cry, because it’s relatable. We have a protagonist that can be a jerk plenty of times, who has flaws and struggles. I love the way the author approaches the mental health issues that Mickey has. It’s an amazing story about learning to live with your own self and with others, of love, family, friends, and more.

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Great portrayal of mental health issues

I was a little hesitant on this book because pulling off mental health issues in a tasteful yet sensitive way is hard. But as someone with depression this book hit so close to home. The way Mickey thinks is all too familiar to me and had me crying so many times. There’s also just a lot of minority representation that made me feel seen. All I have to say is make sure you are in the right head space if you’re someone who goes through similar issues.

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The ending!!

The pacing was good, i loved the characters. Wish we got to the know the other players a little more but still a great listen. That ending is nasty work lol.

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    3 out of 5 stars

All the elements for YA romance,

I get really tired of gay hockey books. This month I have been on a quest to only read titles included in my membership to bank my credits for the long winter ahead. As many YA books tend to do, this book goes out of its way to have a bit of everything, and not really delve into anything.

Tom Picasso does a really solid job navigating all these kids and a lot of female characters. I found him appropriately sympathetic when necessary, and handled the early argumentative dialogue quite nicely.

Icebreaker has a couple of themes. Protagonist Mickey James III has been bred for greatness on the ice, and not much else. Jayson Caufield grows into a multilayered character eventually, but a lot of his potential is wasted on repetitive behavior from Mickey. Mickey is from a hockey dynasty family and has very little say in his life. To stay in the best programs, Mickey hasn't lived with his family since he was ten. At 17 and a college freshmen being watched by NHL scouts, Mickey is virtually a machine.

We could have focused almost exclusively on his abandonment issues, how he tries to stay connected to four sisters who have had very different childhoods, his avoidance of his parents and the pressure he is under to be the first draft pick. Throwing in his arch rival as an unexpected love interest is both obvious, but also a distraction from the story. Anyone Mickey encountered and began a relationship with would have been problematic to his goals. Jayson's story as the rare African American player, also in consideration for the upcoming NHL draft, his story is mostly told through venomous arguments early in the book, and then sporadically in the second half. The reader knows that Jayson has the feels, but it isn't really said, and instead we are left to deal with Mickey's adolescent flailing about.

There are some really great moments in this story, there should have been more had Mickey been edited better. He has all these internal struggles about school, hockey, family, love, but I don't think there is any particularly satisfying resolution to any of them, and the chance to really get Jayson, is left side conversations. Worth the read, but I think there are better YA stories. The angsty nature of the struggling kid approaching adulthood plays better for me in Lose You to Find Me, by Erik J Brown. And there isn't any hockey.

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