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alenka 's review for:
The Comeback
by E.L. Shen
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a very solid novel about a 12-year-old figure skater who loves to compete, despite her parents' reservations about the pressure of competition. When her best friend's crush on her school bully - a boy who targets Maxine with racist comments about her Chinese heritage - and a new, incredibly talented skater joins her rink, Maxine feels like her world is coming apart. However, she and Hollie, the new skater, overcome Maxine's initial fear of new competition and grow close. They share their struggles at school and at home - Hollie's parents homeschool her so she can focus on skating, and Hollie is beginning to get worn down by the incredible pressure - and become strong supports and friends. Maxine eventually has to open up about the racist bullying, and finds support in her school and in her parents.
Despite being a hardcore Yuri on Ice fan I know very little about actual, technical figure skating, but felt that this was still pretty accessible. Shen throws in skating terminology that a kid could look up if they are super interested, but if they're not it doesn't take away from the rest of the content of the novel. Maxine, despite being embroiled in the world of competitive figure skating, is a chill, relatable 12 year old. She likes "old nineties music" (when I read that bit my body just crumbled into dust), and digs into learning about women who did cool stuff during the Revolutionary War in her history class, but dreads her math homework. The moment between Maxine and Jennie, an older Asian figure skater, when they discuss makeup that works for her face rather than catering only to white skin, is really sweet and powerful. The connections Maxine builds to people throughout the novel - to Hollie, to Jennie as an older idol, and eventually, when she opens up, to her parents - feel really strong, and her earlier relationship with Victoria, who ditches her easily for a crush, feels flimsy in retrospect. Maxine is learning to find people who will really be in her corner, and how to trust and support them in kind. As an adult reader, I was very proud of her at the end.
Despite being a hardcore Yuri on Ice fan I know very little about actual, technical figure skating, but felt that this was still pretty accessible. Shen throws in skating terminology that a kid could look up if they are super interested, but if they're not it doesn't take away from the rest of the content of the novel. Maxine, despite being embroiled in the world of competitive figure skating, is a chill, relatable 12 year old. She likes "old nineties music" (when I read that bit my body just crumbled into dust), and digs into learning about women who did cool stuff during the Revolutionary War in her history class, but dreads her math homework. The moment between Maxine and Jennie, an older Asian figure skater, when they discuss makeup that works for her face rather than catering only to white skin, is really sweet and powerful. The connections Maxine builds to people throughout the novel - to Hollie, to Jennie as an older idol, and eventually, when she opens up, to her parents - feel really strong, and her earlier relationship with Victoria, who ditches her easily for a crush, feels flimsy in retrospect. Maxine is learning to find people who will really be in her corner, and how to trust and support them in kind. As an adult reader, I was very proud of her at the end.