Brothers on Ice

Lisa Arsenault is an elementary-school teacher in Ajax, Ontario.

Brothers Troy and Trent were born only 11 months apart. This means that
for a whole month Troy is no longer the older brother. To add insult to
injury, Trent is now a centimetre taller than Troy and has decided to
play goalie, Troy’s position in hockey, instead of his usual offence.
And Trent is on Troy’s team, because for that cru-cial month,
they’re the same age. Not only that, but Trent is good, maybe even
better than Troy.

By the time the two brothers compete for the position of starting
goalie, they’re at each other’s throats. Tension escalates between
them to the point where Troy actually strikes his brother and knocks him
down. This brings him to his senses. He seeks out his brother and
apologizes, and together they work out a plan for sharing the net.
Ultimately, they become “brothers on ice,” an awesome duo “between
the pipes,” almost impossible to score upon.

This is an excellent novel with several interwoven themes—sibling
rivalry, family dynamics and relationships, adolescent friendships—and
well-told hockey action. Troy is the narrator, and use of the
first-person technique lends a personal touch to the telling. He and his
brother are particularly well drawn: they speak and behave believably.
Particularly evocative is Troy’s account of being outside, crying in
the night out of sheer frustration, while his teammates are in a nearby
motel preparing for their away game. Hockey fans will enjoy the almost
lyrical descriptions of what it feels like to be on the ice. Highly
recommended.