Roller Girl

Fiction | Graphic Novel/Book | Middle Grade | Published in 2015

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-4

Chapters 5-8

Chapters 9-12

Chapters 13-16

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Chapters 1-4Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 1 Summary: “How it all began”

Astrid, the protagonist, is 12 years old; she dresses casually, has dark messy hair, and narrates the story from her perspective. She begins her narrative by looking back on the time she first went to a roller derby and her new passion began. At that time, Astrid was 11, and she was still best friends with Nicole. Astrid’s story is illustrated in a naturalist yet soft and cartoonish artistic style with vivid details and facial expressions. A balance of splash pages and frames depict each moment. Astrid’s mother took Astrid and Nicole to all sorts of boring places for what she calls evenings of “cultural enlightenment” (8), but one night she takes the girls to the roller derby. Astrid remarks, “Whatever this is…it’s a lot better than the art museum!” (14).

Astrid lives in Portland, and their home roller derby team is called The Rose City Rollers. They dress in purple, some have hair dyed in unusual colors, and many sport tattoos or “creepy makeup” (15). Astrid finds the culture fascinating, noting how each player carries a unique name, such as Scald Eagle or Roarshock Tess. Astrid explains the rules of the game, which she learned from a program at the event. The jammer tries to pass the other team’s blockers, scoring a point for each one she passes. The blockers push and shove her to keep her back. One jammer named Rainbow Bite has an immediate impact on Astrid because she “looked like a superhero” (18). In some frames, the illustrations are depicted with stick figures as if Astrid herself is drawing them. She does this here while explaining the rules of the game. She later depicts Nicole as happy to be close to the action, joking that she uses artistic license to do so.

Nicole finds roller derby unnerving, and Astrid calls her a baby. After the game, Astrid chooses a black shirt at the gift shop, and Nicole chooses a pink one, and Astrid gets a Rainbow Bite poster. The differences between them are becoming clear, as are the reasons why their friendship began to fall apart. Astrid, Nicole, and Astrid’s mom go to a burger place afterward, and Astrid cannot stop talking about the game and Rainbow Bite. When her mother notices there is a junior roller derby camp starting that summer, Astrid is instantly on board, stating, “And just like that, my fate was decided. I was going to be a roller girl” (25). Astrid is shown sitting at the table wearing her Rose City Rollers shirt and an eager smile.

Chapter 2 Summary

Astrid wakes up the next morning excited to start the next chapter of her life. She hangs up the Rainbow Bite poster so she can see it every morning and night, makes a list of lifestyle changes she needs to make with her diet and exercise routine, and plans to watch as many sports movies as possible. Astrid goes straight to her mother and asks to be taken to the roller rink again with Nicole. Astrid’s mother is unsure if Nicole will want to go, but Astrid has no doubt because “best friends…do everything together” (27). Astrid remembers back to first grade when she and Nicole first became friends. A bossy and rude girl named Rachel finds a dead squirrel and demands that nobody touch it, but Astrid does so just to spite her. Rachel starts screaming that Astrid caught rabies and will die. Astrid goes to the bathroom and washes her hands “about 50 times” (30), but Nicole follows her in and checks her hands to find they are cut-free. Nicole reassures Astrid that she will be fine, and Astrid feels much better. Astrid recalls, “When someone saves your life like that…you can’t help but become best friends” (32).

Chapter 3 Summary

Nicole does want to come to the roller rink, and the two girls arrive there excited to have fun. Astrid envisions herself as a pro immediately, and she imagines doing amazing tricks in a montage of frames. However, the moment she steps onto the rink, she falls. Astrid gets up but struggles to figure out how to move in the skates. Nicole teaches her patiently, but Astrid feels embarrassed and tells Nicole to go skate by herself for a bit. Nicole skates well and finds a boy that she likes on the rink. Astrid makes her way off the rink to the bathroom, “story of [her] life” (38), and Nicole finds her there with a present: a pair of rainbow socks, just like the ones Rainbow Bite has. Astrid dries her tears and follows Nicole out of the bathroom. After skating, Nicole’s mom takes her and Astrid to Nicole’s ballet lesson. Rachel is there, and Nicole tells Astrid to give her another chance. However, Astrid rebuffs Rachel. As Rachel and Nicole make their way into the dance studio ahead of Astrid, Astrid gets “a very bad feeling that this summer wasn’t going to go the way [she] planned” (42).

Chapter 4 Summary

Astrid’s mom signs her up for the roller derby camp but first asks Astrid if she is certain she wants to attend. Bravely, Astrid says yes despite the likelihood of Nicole not going with her and the fact that she can’t skate yet. A few days pass, and Astrid does not hear from Nicole. Her spirits perk up when her mother buys her a new black helmet, but they are dampened again when her mom tells her to ride her bike over to Nicole’s house to show it off. Astrid rides by Nicole’s house four times before Nicole notices and comes out to talk to her, complimenting her helmet. Astrid starts talking about roller derby camp, and Nicole finally admits she does not want to go. Astrid compares her emotions to being hit in the gut by a kickball. Nicole explains that it is nothing personal; she wants to attend dance camp instead because that is what she is interested in. Astrid is distraught, and Nicole feels guilty, but moments later Rachel rushes out of Nicole’s house talking about going to the mall to meet boys. Astrid is shocked, and Rachel begins making fun of her helmet: “Hey, Astrid. Are you heading into combat or something?” (49). Rachel says this as she covers a sly grin with her hand, and Astrid’s expression becomes increasingly angry. Rachel can tell Astrid is jealous and tries to rub it in her face, but Nicole feels bad and invites Astrid to the mall with them. Astrid pedals home, more upset than she was before ever going to Nicole’s house.

Chapters 1-4 Analysis

Astrid’s summer begins like any other but soon takes a turn for what seems like the worst when her best friend Nicole loses interest in her and begins hanging out with another girl instead. This other girl, named Rachel, happens to be someone Astrid strongly dislikes because Rachel tends to bully Astrid. For this reason, Astrid cannot comprehend why Nicole would want to hang out with Rachel, and this makes losing Nicole even harder. Until now, Nicole has been supportive and kind to Astrid.

Other important changes are happening in Astrid’s life this summer as well, including the end of elementary school (which her mother and Rachel often talk about) and Astrid’s first time at roller derby camp. Astrid saw a roller derby game, particularly a player named Rainbow Bite, and immediately wanted to try the sport. Originally, Astrid expected Nicole to attend with her, but when Nicole goes to dance camp instead, Astrid forces herself to brave the new world of roller derby on her own.

Victoria Jamieson employs a naturalist style for the drawings in Roller Girl. This naturalist style is accented by a slight cartoony look on the characters’ faces, which are full of detailed expressions. The lines often include gaps, giving the drawings a soft characteristic. Jamieson includes background action to add realism to each image, such as drawing several skaters around Nicole and Astrid, or the dark and rainy Ferris wheel and roller coaster that Astrid, Nicole, and Astrid’s mother drive past on their way to the next cultural enlightenment activity. Significant moments are indicated by larger frames or splash pages, and drawings done by Astrid personally use stick art, lending an approachability and relatability to the story as it unfolds.