Eighteen-year-old Phoebe Rose spent her childhood in one foster household after another, never having a place she could feel safe or group of friends she belonged to. What kept her going was hockey. The rink was the only place she felt at home.
Now what she wants more than anything is to play on her college hockey team–to leave her past behind and start building a new life. But she knows things are never that simple.
Becoming Phoebe is about painful secrets, unexpected friendships, and joining a team so you can become your true self.
Neal’s decision to explore Phoebe’s life in a series of flashbacks and flash-forwards . . . turns out to be a brilliant stroke of storytelling. . . . [An] emotionally gripping narrative. . . . A triumphant tale of surviving abuse, embracing hockey, and finding love.” – Kirkus Reviews
Becoming Phoebe, like its protagonist, jumps in right away and never quits for even a minute. . . . J. Michael Neal’s love of hockey shines through on every page-and so does a profound caring for young people trying to find their way in the world through difficult life circumstances.” -Marissa Lingen, author of Dragon Brother and Other Stories
Winner of the 2016 Independent Publishing Book Awards Bronze Medal for Best Regional Fiction – Midwest
Winner of the 2017 eLit Book Awards Silver Medal for Best Literary Fiction
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