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madamenovelist's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Mass/school shootings, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Cursing
Minor: Racism, Classism, and Car accident
I really wanted to like this book, and there were a lot of good moments and astute observations into the inner struggles of elite skaters. I felt the author really understood the immense hurdles pairs female skaters have to face very well. That is VERY hard to nail and make it understandable to non-skating fans, but she did nail it. But. BUT. There were a lot of stereotypes/hamfisted references in showing the experience of mixed Asian kids in an area like Phoenix that just didn’t ring right. I love that the author wanted to write something for mixed teens like her own kids… just the execution probably needed a sensitivity reader or two, or a coauthor to help handle showcasing an experience the author herself didn’t have as a white mom. Another point broke immersion as a reader…she cannot write modern Gen Z teen dialogue or inner monologue. It’s hard yes, I am not one of the kids these days either! But I know what they don’t sound like. Another point that was done VERY well but will be hard on readers: extremely disordered eating—and by extension—fatphobia. It’s scary accurate to how eating disorders basically are part of the sport itself but can be extremely distressing or triggering for anyone who has struggled/is struggling with disordered eating. My favorite part of this book is actually a single mom who is a little older than the heroine and is basically her best friend and big sister rolled into one. She was the most alive and spot-on of any of the characters.
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