Spinning Away

text by Joelle Wisler

by Jake Maddox

Yet another ghost writer. And another book about ice skating. I find I can relate to it a bit, even though ice skating has differences from roller skating, and I’m not anywhere near the level of skill to do the types of moves, leaps and spins these girls do in competition. This one is about a pair of sisters, twins. Different in personality though. Beatrice is compliant and happy to work on the traditional, classical figure skating dances with the rest of class. Maggie feels rebellious. She is starting to loose interest in skating, wants to do something else but not sure what. She dyes her hair on a whim, shocking and angering her mother, but very pleased with her new look. Everyone is surprised when their skating coach moves to another rink. The replacement coach has an attitude and style opposite anything classical or traditional. He encourages the girls to have fun, to skate what they intuitively feel in response to the music. Maggie loves it, enjoying herself on the ice like she hasn’t in a long time. She even starts teaching herself unique spins, inventing new ways of doing things. But their mother is upset, and starts making them get up super early in the mornings to drive to the other rink- an hour away- where the previous coach is now teaching. Maggie hates it. Beatrice is happy to be with their old coach. How can Maggie convince her mother to let her train with the new coach? to make her see that she’s an individual, not just like her sister.

I liked this one better than most of the others in the series. The storyline was a lot more interesting, and I appreciated Maggie’s need to skate in her own style. The only part I didn’t like was the ending. The mother seemed to change her attitude too abruptly. I could understand if she left it at being tired of the long drive, and acquised for that reason. Instead she flips everything, suddenly appreciating Maggie, accepting the hairstyle, happy to let her work with the new coach. That one part didn’t feel real.

Borrowed from the public library.

Rating: 3/5
96 pages, 2018

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All books reviewed on this site are owned by me, or borrowed from the public library. Exceptions are a very occasional review copy sent to me by a publisher or author, as noted. Receiving a book does not influence my opinion or evaluation of it

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