Leave It on the Track

By: Margot Fisher

Narrated by: Bailey Carr

From Reese's Book Club LitUp Fellow Margot Fisher, a moving debut about healing, self-acceptance, and queer first love, set on a roller derby team

Morgan “Moose” Shaker barely survived the fire that killed her fathers in their beloved roller rink in small-town Utah. Now she has to move to Portland, Oregon to live with her much older half sister, Eden. Eden’s doing her best, but she’s hardly ready to be a parent to a sixteen-year-old she hasn’t seen in years. Plus, barely-out-of-the-closet Moose worries that she’s not ready for super-affirming, rainbow-flags-everywhere Portland. Her anxiety and frustration are at peak levels.

Fortunately, Moose finds an outlet for her emotions and a surprising group of friends in roller derby. Her teammates help her grieve her dads and confront her queer imposter syndrome. And even though it's against league rules, she might be falling for a teammate.

Heartfelt, funny, and romantic, this debut will make you want to lace up your skates, pull on your pads, and hit the track.

Critic reviews

★ “Fisher’s debut romance whips its way out of the pack with smart first-person narration that smoothly balances heartfelt grief with droll humor, plentiful sports action, and meaningful discussions about queer identity.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“A beautiful exploration of grief, healing, and self-acceptance, Leave It on the Track will break your heart and put it back together. An incredible read that made me want to lace up my own skates!”—Jennifer Dugan, author of Some Girls Do

"Never has a book punched me in the gut so hard, so fast, but Fisher skillfully builds both readers and Moose back up with both tender self-empowerment and a cruisin' for a literal bruisin'. A truly great debut about coming into your own under the toughest of circumstances, and so queer it could be its own roller derby team."—Dahlia Adler, award-winning author of Home Field Advantage

"Electric, visceral, and affecting, Leave It on the Track is a grand slam of a debut. I cried and cheered alongside Moose and her roller-derby family—all as tough and tender as their hard-earned bruises. Margot Fisher is a YA author to watch."—Jen St. Jude, author of If Tomorrow Doesn't Come

"Fisher’s debut grabs you and doesn’t let go, tackling grief, being LGBTQ+ and finding community."—The Associated Press

“Fisher’s debut novel is raw and real, combining deep exploration of grief with edge-of-your-seat derby action. . . . Skaters and non-skaters alike will want to lace up after this fast-paced, moving story of recovery.”—Booklist

“Moose’s path to healing as she copes with the physical and emotional aftermath of the fire feels authentically raw . . . A hopeful, tender debut about grief, healing, and finding community.” —Kirkus Reviews

“This debut is a heartrending coming of age story of loss, self discovery, and self acceptance that will be enjoyed not only by derby fans, but those who are derby curious, or are just looking for a story with some emotional depth and featuring LGBTQIA+ characters.” —School Library Journal

Beautiful writing read just right

I love this book so so so so much. Much like roller derby, it completely drew me in! The settings, relationships, and emotions are visceral and palpable. I typically have a short attention span, but this writing was so uniquely engaging and immersive that it held my attention the entire time. Even though it’s written from the perspective of a teenager, you don’t have to be that age to connect to the real human emotions that we all have experienced. Similarly, you don’t have to play or understand roller derby to feel a connection to the impact of that community and found family. Additionally, the narration was very well read, representing those emotions well.