Finding Her Edge

December 1, 2021
Elite competition and family legacy take center stage in this ice-rink romance. To 16-year-old ice skater Adriana Russo, daughter of Olympic gold medalist parents, the spotlight is simply part of life at Boston's prestigious, family-owned Kellynch Rink. Her older sister, Elisa, stars in a reality TV show with their dad and is on her way to compete in the Beijing Olympics. Maria, her younger sister, is embroiled in relationship drama with her figure skating partner, Charlie Monroe. Meanwhile, Adriana and her ice dancing partner, Brayden Elliott, are preparing for the Junior World Championships in Paris. Enter Freddie O'Connell, former crush, ice dance partner, and best friend, and Adriana has a lot more on her mind than perfecting her routine. Complicating things further is her fictitious romance with Brayden that is vaulting them to social media fame. Behind the glamour, though, is the overwhelming debt created by her father's lavish spending since the death of her mother four years earlier and the pressure Adriana feels to help keep the family afloat financially. Strained family dynamics and setbacks on the ice add to the obstacles that threaten to distract Adriana from her goals. Woven throughout the story are behind-the-scenes looks into the world of competitive skating and the all-encompassing commitment required and physical demands the athletes face daily. Adriana and most other central characters read as White; Charlie and his family are Black. An engaging read for sports fans and romance lovers alike. (Romance. 12-17)

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January 1, 2022

Gr 8 Up-The Russo name is infamous in ice skating: Adriana's father runs the most respected rink in the country. Adriana, too tall for her father's standard for figure skating, performs as an ice dancer with her partner, Brayden. Older sister Elisa is a singles figure skater, about to compete in the Olympics; younger sister Maria skates pairs. Adriana struggles with worrying about finances, which have been difficult since her mother died, especially because her father and older sister are extravagant. As Elisa and her father leave for the Olympics, the younger USA team converges on the Russo rink to train together for the Junior Worlds competition. Adriana dreads seeing fellow skater Freddie, her old partner, whom she left behind when her growth spurt made them incompatible as a team. Adriana and Brayden start to attract paparazzi on the coattails of her sister's reality show fame, so the pair decides to fake a relationship to take advantage of the media attention (and possible sponsorships). However, Adriana soon finds herself in a love triangle with all-too-real feelings. The main character is a mature, self-possessed, independent girl, who takes on more than her fair share of responsibility. VERDICT This is an engaging, interesting look at competitive figure skating which will have reflective readers turning pages to see what happens next.-Kelly Jo Lasher

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