my_circe4's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
I like that the book was about ice skating ⛸️. But the pacing was too slow for 2/3 of the book. The last couple of chapters were when most of the plot happened. It wasn't enough pages to wrap up the book. Leaving the last 1/3 of the book feeling rushed. It also skipped over her gold medal winning free skate program in the finale! IMO that scene would have been the climax of the MC's journey, but it starts and ends in one sentence.
heisereads's review against another edition
4.0
Another cute Olympic sports-centric story from Donna Freitas. I enjoyed reading [b:Gold Medal Summer|12972637| Gold Medal Summer|Donna Freitas|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1319821198s/12972637.jpg|18131030] and Gold Medal Winter was just as much fun. Definitely got me psyched up for the Olympics, especially with the behind-the-scenes aspects to being an athlete at as part of Team USA. Donna's stories are of strong girls who have worked hard to be elite level athletes, and as they deal with all that comes with that, they reach out to their family and friends. And, of course, there's a bit of romance involved as well. Give this one to fans of figure skating, fans of real characters, and fans of sweet romances.
yapha's review against another edition
4.0
Esperanza Flores has been training as a figure skater since she was 10 and now has the opportunity to skate for Team USA at the Winter Olympics. With the support of her mother and her coach (a formed gold medal skater), Esperanza hopes to become the first Latina-American to medal in figure skating. In addition to the pressure of the skating, there is the drama that lurks behind the scenes with both boys and other skaters. It is a great deal for a high school sophomore to handle. Follow Esperanza on her journey towards the gold. A fun read, especially for those dreaming of skating in the Olympics. Recommended for grades 4-8.
krizhia04's review against another edition
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
miamcmillan's review
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
reread. ok say what u want but it’s such a good book for young girls in terms of messaging and i reread it every time i’m sad bc it’s so sweet
shelley_pearson's review against another edition
3.0
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway and I was so excited, but it ended up taking me a long time to read it. It's about a teenage girl named Esperanza who gets added to the US Olympic figure skating team at the last minute, so it follows the few weeks leading up to the Olympics, and the Olympics itself. I thought it was a sweet book, with just some light mean girl and crush/possible love triangle action, but the focus was mainly on Esperanza's preparations and feelings leading up to the Olympics. I would recommend it to a young teenager.
merfi's review against another edition
4.0
Really good to see a book of this type discuss feminism, gender roles etc, which I didn't expect! I definitely enjoyed reading this
kellyhager's review against another edition
3.0
This is sort of a complementary piece to her earlier novel Gold Medal Summer, although both are standalones.
I'm not a huge fan of sports (understatement of the year) but I do love The Cutting Edge, and so I was a huge fan of this novel.
Espi is a figure skater and an unusual one. She's Latina and, as Espi points out, figure skating tends to not be on the radar for most of her people. (She saw a routine once and fell completely in love with it, managed to teach herself the basics and then---through a major coincidence---got a former Olympian to coach her.)
This has been her life for essentially as long as she's been alive and finally the hard work pays off and she's headed to the Olympics!
But of course it can't be that easy. (Assuming that "competing in the Olympics" could ever be considered easy.)
Her teammates aren't pleased that she's there and they aren't shy about letting her know. It ranges from the silent treatment to cutting remarks and, eventually, even worse measures. Typical high school stuff, but instead of it simply leading to hurt feelings, it could literally be the difference between winning a medal or not.
I very much enjoyed this story and it's a perfect, sweet read for tweens or young teens. Recommended.
I'm not a huge fan of sports (understatement of the year) but I do love The Cutting Edge, and so I was a huge fan of this novel.
Espi is a figure skater and an unusual one. She's Latina and, as Espi points out, figure skating tends to not be on the radar for most of her people. (She saw a routine once and fell completely in love with it, managed to teach herself the basics and then---through a major coincidence---got a former Olympian to coach her.)
This has been her life for essentially as long as she's been alive and finally the hard work pays off and she's headed to the Olympics!
But of course it can't be that easy. (Assuming that "competing in the Olympics" could ever be considered easy.)
Her teammates aren't pleased that she's there and they aren't shy about letting her know. It ranges from the silent treatment to cutting remarks and, eventually, even worse measures. Typical high school stuff, but instead of it simply leading to hurt feelings, it could literally be the difference between winning a medal or not.
I very much enjoyed this story and it's a perfect, sweet read for tweens or young teens. Recommended.
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