Sara Fujimura

I don’t know why it took me MONTHS to read this. Obviously, I wasn’t thinking clearly because this book was so good.
I really liked the characters. They were well-developed and pulled me into the story. They each had their own story and journey and no two were the same. Mack was such a great friend for Olivia and also had an older-sis role too.
I would have liked to see more scenes with Mack at the roller derby. It seemed to be such a large part of their story and it was not mentioned really after the beginning.
For any of you who love watching the Olympics or any event in ice, you’re sure to love this one.

Rating: 5/5
Language: s***, d***, a**
Romance: some intense kissing, never goes further
Spiritual: n/a
Violence: n/a

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher but ended up reading a physical copy I got from the library. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.… (mere)

A teen figure skater and a teen speed skater fall in love in this book, which is probably all readers need to know if they're into elite-level skating. Olivia is a pairs figure skater attending high school now that she and her partner had a disastrous performance a few months prior. Her former Olympian parents own a rink and her dad is on tour to raise money while her mom is in such pain from a spinal injury that she is largely absent from Olivia's life. Skating has always been her life and a large part of her journey in this book is about how to build a life without skating... or if she even wants to. Enter Jonah, a speed skater renting the rink for big chunks of time for training. They're a great couple--most of the conflict in their relationship is external and due to the requirements of elite-level skating. They're sixteen, which highlights the pressures to be grown-ups while still being kids. Includes: roller derby! snacks! lots of skating!


Content Warnings: spinal injury (parent), discussion of skating injuries, frequent references to restrictive eating


Suzanne received a digital copy of this book from the publisher for review. This is a Macmillan title and may be subject to library embargo.… (mere)

Recommended by Lauren B.

"If I can't be a normal teen and I can't be a normal skater, who am I?" (182)

Japanese-American Olivia Kennedy was a champion pairs skater, with her partner "Egg" (Stuart Trout), until one disastrous routine lost them financial support. Egg went off to college, and Olivia tried being a normal high school teen, working at her gold medalist parents' ice rink, Ice Dreams, after school with her 20-year-old friend Annabelle "Mack." But life gets more interesting when Korean-American speed-skater Jonah Choi comes to Ice Dreams. Things heat up quickly between Olivia and Jonah, but what will happen when Egg comes back to town and wants Olivia to partner with him again for his Olympians on Ice tryout? And when Jonah gets offered a spot to train...in Utah? Ice skating, first love, an Asian-American friend group, roller derby, and loving but inattentive parents (Olivia's mom has a back injury, and her dad is on tour) make for a realistic book about the rarefied world of top-level skating, and decisions about when to put #1 first...and when not to.… (mere)