Bruised

Daya Wijesinghe’s parents have recently been killed in a car crash. She survived, and now she has to learn to cope with overwhelming grief and move on with her life. Boxing with her dad may be over, but Daya chooses to take up skateboarding to keep in shape. It’s demanding and often bruising but gives her time on her own to try and figure out how to handle things. By chance, she is introduced to the sport of roller derby, and suddenly everything seems to fall into place. Although Daya isn’t keen on being part of a team and becoming involved with, and potentially dependent on, so many others, she certainly likes the rough and tough world of roller derby.

In fact, she looks forward to the physical aspects of the sport since it’s another way she can add to the many bruises she already has. Emotional bruises, physical bruises, Daya is happy to have them all!

Daya is a complicated character who grows and matures throughout the novel. She is a first-generation Sir-Lankan Canadian and an excellent athlete who excels at boxing, skateboarding and eventually roller derby. But this confident and capable exterior is misleading since, when she’s alone, Daya seeks comfort and control through self-harm. There’s nothing better than being physically bruised and then poking and pressing the wounds in order to really feel the pain. Through much of the book, Daya needs this physical pain in order to deal with her emotional pain and grief over her parents’ death and the survivor guilt she feels. Daya manages to become less of a loner and more of a team player as the book goes on, another life lesson which is difficult for her to learn. Finally, she learns that there are different ways of being strong, and her romantic interest, Shanti, is key in developing this area of Daya’s personality.

There is a huge cast of secondary characters in Bruised. Through flashbacks, readers learn about Daya’s parents, their move to Canada and the adjustments they must make and how their vastly different personalities influence Daya. In the novel, Daya lives with her over-the-top, dramatic aunt and uncle who add a touch of humour to the book. Like others, they finally are able to penetrate Daya’s well-constructed outer shell and help her learn to accept empathy and support.

Daya’s friends include those both before and after roller derby, and all add interest to the novel and teach Daya lessons as she interacts with them. Worth particular mention are Kat and Shanti who mirror Daya’s father and mother with respect to personality. Kat expects toughness on the roller derby team which she leads and will accept nothing less. Shanti, the love interest in the book, shows Daya that toughness is not always strength since one can be tough but insecure at the same time. Shanti radiates a calm and understanding aura and has an ability to read people and support them. Her toughness comes from internal confidence and assurance rather than having, as Daya puts it, a “full suit of scarred armor”.

In Bruised, Tanya Boteju touches on many themes, some of which might be difficult for some readers. Coping with grief and the importance of asking for and accepting help and even professional counselling is a major theme of the book. Daya deals with her emotions through self-mutilation, and, although the details aren’t particularly graphic, this is still an area which may be problematic for some readers. The LGBTQ community, new Canadians, sports and teamwork….all are other thematic threads in this excellent young adult novel.

The sport of roller derby plays an important role, and there is a brief overview of the sport at the end of Bruised. Roller derby is an excellent choice on the part of Boteju since its rough, tough and chaotic nature appeals greatly to Daya and, in fact, mirrors her character.

Daya is not always an easy character to read about or to like and yet, we, like the characters in the book, are eventually able to crack the careful shell she has built and see the person underneath. With interest, sympathy and a growing admiration, we watch her move in Bruised from beginning to understand herself to forgiving herself and eventually being set on the path of finally loving and accepting herself.