Roughneck

by Jeff Lemire

Derek Ouellette’s glory days are behind him. His hockey career ended a decade earlier in a violent incident on ice, and since then he’s been living off his reputation in the remote northern community where he grew up, drinking too much and fighting anyone who crosses him. When his long-lost sister Beth shows up, on the run from an abusive boyfriend, the two escape to a secluded hunting camp in the woods. There, living off the land, they reconnect with each other, the painful secrets of their past, and their Cree heritage...and start to heal. But Beth’s ex-boyfriend is hunting them. As he circles closer, he threatens to shatter this newfound peace and pull both Derek and Beth back into the world of self-destruction they’ve fought so hard to leave behind. Touching and harrowing, this is a deeply moving and beautifully illustrated story about family, heritage, and breaking the cycle of violence.

• ISBN10: 1501160990
• ISBN13: 9781501160998
• Publish Date: 4 May 2017 (first published 18 April 2017)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 5 April 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 272
• Language: English

Reviews

[wcs53]

I've been enjoying Jeff Lemire's work ever since I read his Essex County Trilogy a few years ago, so when I saw his latest book, Roughneck, in the library I knew I had to check it out.

It's a story set in Northern Ontario, with the main character being a former NHL hitman, who made one vicious hot too many and is still apt to go one fight too many. His life is complicated when his long lost sister comes back into his life with some extra baggage and on the run from an abusive boyfriend.

The story showed a lot of promise and it didn't disappoint me. It may be one of Lemire's finest works yet. I'll definitely have to pick up my own copy some time. There is a bleakness to the story, but there is also some redemption in there. The minimalist blue, black, and white artwork adds to the story, with the odd pieces of colour added at just the right time. Jeff Lemire is one of the best Canadian artists/authors out there and this is one that is definitely worth checking out.