This turned out to be a bit more traumatic in places than expected, but I can see why - it is indeed the memoir of a young woman who had some of the expected experiences

This was published when Walden was 21, and so is a very fresh memory of having been a young skater. Lots of fabulous details -- each chapter begins with the description of a move, some with the feelings associated with that.

warnings: for depictions of attempted sexual assault, homophobia, bullying ( )

"Your life outside the rink shapes how you skate." This is the approach the author took to recall her days of competitive figure skating, focusing not so much on the drama and glitter of the sport as the outside influences of friends, family and her own mental state. In the book, Tillie is a closeted lesbian who finds and then loses her first love interest. She takes refuge in art and cello although she never seems passionate about either. She's somewhat aloof from the other skaters and depressed, and her relationships with her parents seem distant, especially with her mother. There's no glamour on ice here, just a girl who's skated all her life and isn't sure how to keep up her flagging interest. ( )

I DID NOT INTEND TO READ THIS IN ONE SITTING, EITHER. I GUESS I HAVE TO READ IT AGAIN. AND CRY EVEN MORE. ( )

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got a copy of this book as a Christmas gift.

Thoughts: I enjoyed this a lot, not quite as much as "On a Sunbeam" but it was an excellent memoir of Tillie's time growing up as a figure skater. The illustration is beautifully done and watching Tillie push through middle school and high school trying to figure out what she wants to do was relatable.

Tillie is dealing with what a lot of teens deal with; bullies, friends, school, family. She just has the additional burden of choosing to leave something she's excellent at because she doesn't like how that activity fits in with her personality and the rest of her life. It was an engaging and incredibly easy to relate to story that I really enjoyed.

This brought back a lot of memories of taking my son to ice rinks for hockey all the time and of when he made the decision to stop hockey doing so intensely and focus on other things. It also reminded me of growing up and my decision to stop playing music so intensely and focus on a science career. I feel like most people have this point in their lives where they need to step back and decide what their ability really is in an area and what would make them happy.

My Summary (5/5): Overall I really loved this. The illustration is beautiful and the story is engaging and well done. I think this is a graphic novel a lot of people will read and relate to in some way. It's both a memoir of Walden's time in middle school/high school and a coming of age story. I will continue to read Walden's graphic novels as they are released; I really enjoy both her illustration and writing style. ( )

It's kind of interesting to read a memoir from an author at a young age, but I think it works very well in this case. Walden's wonderful illustrations and specific topic of her years as a competitive ice skater are enthralling, and it gives authentic voice to a young adult audience as well. ( )