KIRKUS REVIEW
At almost 16 years old, Olivia Kennedy, daughter of Olympic gold medalists, already feels like a washed-up failure of a figure skater.
Once the reigning U.S. junior pairs
figure skating champions, Olivia and her partner’s first season on the Senior
Grand Prix circuit was a disaster, and now she’s given up competitive skating
and is navigating regular high school for the first time. She’s also working at
her parents’ ice rink, Ice Dreams, which is struggling financially, while
medical bills mount for her mother’s back injury. But when speed skating Olympic
hopeful Jonah Choi books the rink for his private training sessions, things
heat up. Jonah’s determination to be the best is both relatable and inspiring
to Olivia, and their friendship grows into something more. Fans of the 1992
movie The Cutting Edge will wonder if
that something more includes pairs figure skating, but Fujimura (Breathe,
2018, etc.) simply gives a nod to the movie and takes Olivia’s journey on its
own trajectory. Olivia has many obstacles to overcome, including absent parents
(both literally and figuratively), lack of emotional support, and financial
struggles, but her character is believable from start to finish, and the
romance is not overly saccharine. Comic relief and perspective are provided by
Mack, Olivia’s white best friend. Olivia is half white and half Japanese; Jonah
is three-quarters Korean and one-quarter assumed white.
Sure to take the gold. (author’s note) (Fiction. 13-18)