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andreiaoh's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.5
this is probably an unfair critique to make about a memoir but to me, this felt too busy, thematically, and all of these different elements felt half-formed. it lacked a bit of coherency.
the art was beautiful, and i did feel an emotional connection to the story (poor tillie went through so much) but the structure of this graphic novel wasn't something i really liked.
the art was beautiful, and i did feel an emotional connection to the story (poor tillie went through so much) but the structure of this graphic novel wasn't something i really liked.
kirstenrose22's review
3.0
I wanted to like this more than I did. Because we see everything through the main character's eyes, and she is numb and detached, the book is too. As a result, I was never able to really sink into it, and there wasn't a lot of depth - it felt pretty superficial.
hickorynut's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
3.25
As a former childhood skater I was intrigued to learn more about a common experience this author and I had. She ended up in a much higher level and competed, which my body didn't allow me to do. Reading this validated my feelings around competitive figure skating and how complicated and toxic that world can be. It followed Tillie's growth both on and off the ice from elementary age to graduating high school. As she grows she encounters the complicated life of a closeted queer child surrounded by homophobic peers. She tries to come to terms with all aspects of her identity, including that of being a figure skater, and ultimately makes the decision to leave that world behind.
I found that some of the pacing was difficult for my brain to follow due to the vague nature of the artwork. There is not a lot of variety in the character design that makes them each very unique and easily identifiable, especially for folks with vision difficulties. A lot of the characters looked similar to me so at times I struggled to identify who was saying or doing what.
But in reading the author's note, I suppose that is likely due to the way Tillie chose to focus on relaying her vague mishmash of memories and not go seeking specific details like years or competition dates. It did leave a lot of content that just felt a bit confusing and out of context. I believe this was executed as intended and I can appreciate it for the journey Tillie went through both growing up and while creating this book.
I found that some of the pacing was difficult for my brain to follow due to the vague nature of the artwork. There is not a lot of variety in the character design that makes them each very unique and easily identifiable, especially for folks with vision difficulties. A lot of the characters looked similar to me so at times I struggled to identify who was saying or doing what.
But in reading the author's note, I suppose that is likely due to the way Tillie chose to focus on relaying her vague mishmash of memories and not go seeking specific details like years or competition dates. It did leave a lot of content that just felt a bit confusing and out of context. I believe this was executed as intended and I can appreciate it for the journey Tillie went through both growing up and while creating this book.
dalhausen's review
4.0
Tillie Walden's memoir, Spinning, is one of the freshest coming-of-age graphic novels to hit shelves in some time. She's remarkably young, quite accomplished, and has already developed an identifiable artistic style. For being 21 years old, she's deftly maneuvering her career with the precision and skill you would expect from someone who rigorously trained for the majority of her life.
Spinning isn't a psychological exploration of Tillie's childhood and teenage years, but it isn't an exploration of friendships and relationships, either. This is her story of the overwhelming presence of figure skating, of moving through each day by clinging to obligations and activities, and how easy it is to lose yourself in that constant movement. With a somber tone and sparing uses of color and light, the bubble of Tillie's isolation within her regiment sets the mood for her youth. Spinning is the quiet reflection of memories on ice, in cold air, and kept at arm's length.
Spinning isn't a psychological exploration of Tillie's childhood and teenage years, but it isn't an exploration of friendships and relationships, either. This is her story of the overwhelming presence of figure skating, of moving through each day by clinging to obligations and activities, and how easy it is to lose yourself in that constant movement. With a somber tone and sparing uses of color and light, the bubble of Tillie's isolation within her regiment sets the mood for her youth. Spinning is the quiet reflection of memories on ice, in cold air, and kept at arm's length.
refractedtruth's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
5.0
Tillie does a wonderful job of allowing us a glimpse into her youth, walking us through her experience with competitive figure skating and the things that surrounded and impacted that experience. The vulnerability here is humbling.
I cannot wait for my next Tillie Walden read.
I cannot wait for my next Tillie Walden read.