Skating Over Thin Ice by Jean Mills - OPTIONAL

Skating Over Thin Ice by Jean Mills, 421 pages.  Red Deer Press, 2018.  $15.  

Content: Language: R (21 swears; 2 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG.  

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – OPTIONAL  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE  

At seventeen, Genny is a piano phenom and is part of a trio with her grandfather and father.  Genny goes to a boarding school with kids whose parents are diplomats or celebrities and although she has a few friends, she feels her first real connection with an up-and-coming hockey star named Nathan.  Nathan has his own problems, including the fact that he got in a brutal fight on the ice and is currently suspended without knowing if he will be allowed to continue to play hockey.  Genny and Nathan are put on a project together with Genny’s best friend and they display their love of their instrument and sport while growing closer together.  

I enjoyed the character development of Genny.  Although she has a lot of insecurities and anxieties, it was fun to watch her grow and become more comfortable in her own skin.  This isn’t a fast-paced novel, and it also isn’t just about the chemistry between the two characters.  It’s more of a look into the life of someone who specializes early and what that might feel like.  I enjoyed it and would put it at advisable if not for the two “f” words.  

Reviewer, C. Peterson.