A review by kaileehaong
Spinning by Tillie Walden

5.0

As Walden describes herself in the afterword, this graphic memoir is and isn’t about ice skating. On the surface level, it obviously is about ice skating. We get to follow through Walden’s journey of being an ice skater from when she’s young and new at it to when she’s almost finished with high school. This journey through a person’s most tender adolescent years is peppered with experiences she has on and off the rink. Past the surface level, this memoir is about loneliness, coming-of-age, sexuality, moving states, and just generally on navigating the world as a teenager. It is beautiful and light while also interrupted by moments of grief and pain. It feels completely authentic to a teenager coming into who they were always meant to be.