Pillow Talk

I don't think I could have guessed that a graphic novel about a women's sport about pillow fighting would be my next read. I'm new to graphic novels but I was given a copy of this book in January when I attended the Ontario Library Association Super Conference in Toronto, so I decided to dive into this book that initially gave off a 'roller derby meets wrestling with pillows' vibe.

What I liked about this book: 

- Toronto setting

- shows how confidence, body positivity and women supporting each other can have a BIG impact!

- LBGTQIA2S+

- how these young women took something (pillow fighting) which has been sexualized by society and turned it into something that made them feel powerful

What I struggled with:

- the story was just okay. There wasn't enough struggle - Grace is new to the PFF (Pillow Fight Federation) but from the get-go she's great at it. Really?

- the artwork was just okay

- the dialogue was a little awkward

Overall, I loved the unique setting and the great, positive messaging, but it fell a little flat in the storytelling.

Disclaimer: Thanks to HarperAlley for this complimentary copy that I was given at the Ontario Library Association Super Conference.

My Rating: 3 stars

Author: Stephanie Cooke

Illustrator: Mel Valentine Vargas

Genre: Graphic novel, Young Adult, LGBTQ+, Canadian

Type and Source: Graphic Novel from publisher at OLA conference

Publisher: HarperAlley

First Published: April 30, 2024

Read: March 13, 2025

Book Description from GoodReads: Grace Mendes a.k.a. Cinderhella is a fierce competitor in the PFF, a pillow fight federation that’s part roller derby, part professional wrestling. But in this fresh, coming-of-age YA graphic novel, Grace needs to learn to overcome her biggest enemy: herself. For fans of Check, Please and Bloom.

When college freshman Grace Mendes reluctantly attends her first pillow fight match, she falls in love with the surprisingly gritty sport. Despite her usually shy, introverted, and reserved nature, Grace decides to try out for the Pillow Fight Federation (PFF), a locally famous league of fighters with larger-than-life personas like Pain Eyre, Miss Fortune, and champion Kat Atonic. They may battle with pillows, but there is nothing soft about these fighters. The first and only rule to pillow fighting is that the pillow needs to be the first point of contact; after that, everything else goes.

Grace struggles with deep-seated body image issues, so she is especially shocked when she makes the competitive league and is welcomed into the fold of close knit, confident fighters. As her first official fight performing as newly crafted alter-ego/ring persona Cinderhella looms on the horizon, the real battle taking place is between Grace and her growing insecurities. What if people laugh or make fun of her? Why did she think she could pillow fight in the first place when she doesn’t look like your “typical” athlete? Turns out, no one is laughing when Cinderhella dominates her first match in the ring. And as her alter-ego rises through the ranks of the PFF, gaining traction and online fame (and online trolls), can Grace use the spotlight to become an icon for not just others, but most importantly, for herself?

Pillow Talk is an inclusive, high-octane, outrageously fun graphic novel that aims a punch at the impossibly high standards set for women in sports (and otherwise) and champions the power of finding a team that will, quite literally, fight for you. A knock-out!