A review by yapha
The Comeback by E.L. Shen

4.0

Maxine is pursuing her dream of figure skating in Lake Placid, NY, former host city of the Olympics. She and her parents are one of the only Asian American families in town. This isn't an issue on the ice, since she has several Asian American skating heroes to look up to. It is an issue in middle school, however, where one of the boys in her class continually taunts her with anti-Chinese slurs and microaggressions. When this gets under her skin enough to start affecting her skating, Maxine has to learn to stand up for herself. She does this with help of new girl Hollie, who is a formidable opponent on the ice and an even better friend. While this is a fun skating story on the surface, it is a also a much deeper and more important story of the subtle racism that still pervades much of America. Highly recommended for grades 4 & up.

eARC provided by publisher via Edelweis