The Mask. (Orca Sports)

Logan Grant, 14, seems to have a charmed life: he is the star of his hockey team, the Wolves, he is very good looking with a “hot” girlfriend, and he seems to have everything a boy his age could want. However, though he doesn’t realize it, Logan is a bit of a bully, just like some of his teammates who harass the players who aren’t as good or who are different from everyone else. Logan knows he’s the best player on the team and that they can’t win without him, but, from his perspective, they aren’t even good enough to back him up, and Logan is not afraid to tell them that. Logan is angry. In fact, his girlfriend, Riya, says he is angry most of the time. His dad left them, something for which he blames his mom, and now, though she is there for him in every way, she still can’t do anything right in his eyes.

Then one night, everything changes. A terrible fire awakens Logan, and he must save his mother. When Logan goes back into the building to rescue his dog, Turk, he is trapped by a falling ceiling. When Logan comes to in the hospital, his world has changed. He is badly burned and lucky to be alive. Weeks of pain and treatment show him that he will probably never be able to play hockey again. In fact, he doesn’t even want the team players or fans to see him as he is now. But Logan must learn to accept himself and the reality of his situation.

As Logan heals, he learns a great deal about what it is like to be different and how to develop new skills, but mostly he learns about friendship and acceptance. The one boy on the team who is different from the rest, whom Logan bullied like everyone else, shows Logan how to accept his reality and actually thrive. And all of Logan’s other friends, even the ones he bullied, were there with ideas on how Logan could play hockey again. It took a long time and the kindness of his friends to help Logan realize that no one cared about his physical appearance; they were just happy he is alive.

Eric Howling has written another excellent sports-themed book for young people. Having myself been involved in youth sports for many years, I find that Howling paints a very true picture of relationships between teens, their peer group, and parents, especially in the sports world which puts a different twist on relationships. Competition can add stress to a teen’s life. Teammates mean new friendships, and communication, responsibility and working as a team are necessary skills.

Hockey’s being such a popular sport among teens makes The Mask an excellent book for players and nonplayers as it deals with many normal teen issues.