hkrenzer's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-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
4.5
luholt's review
5.0
Ana on the Edge is an excellent introduction to themes of gender for people of any age. A.J. Sass' diverse characters, well thought out dialogue, simple explanations- as well as a gripping story made this a book I couldn't put down! Even with limited figure skating knowledge, I uderstood Ana's world, and was cheering her on from begining to end. More books like this in children's libraries, because every child deserves representation.
mirareadsalot's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-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
4.0
jenner33's review against another edition
DNF. 15% This is written from a 12 year olds perspective. It seems like a fine story but I am just not that interested in continuing it at this time.
i_will_papercut_a_bish's review against another edition
5.0
This book is perfectly paced, friendship- and character-driven in a way that's just right for MG readers, and handles a sometimes tricky-to-explain topic with so much finesse.
Ana's character sorts through the pressure of being a gifted skater, an increasing awareness of a single mother's financial sacrifices, and what it might mean to be non-binary, including all the layered ways these things affect family and friend relationships. The author pulls us into Ana's journey skillfully, handling the complex emotions of changing relationships and gender identity with care.
On a personal note, this is exactly the sort of book I could have benefitted from as a young reader, and I found the author's personal note at the end particularly touching. 5/5, wholeheartedly recommend.
Ana's character sorts through the pressure of being a gifted skater, an increasing awareness of a single mother's financial sacrifices, and what it might mean to be non-binary, including all the layered ways these things affect family and friend relationships. The author pulls us into Ana's journey skillfully, handling the complex emotions of changing relationships and gender identity with care.
On a personal note, this is exactly the sort of book I could have benefitted from as a young reader, and I found the author's personal note at the end particularly touching. 5/5, wholeheartedly recommend.
amaruuk's review
3.0
i liked it! i'm not sure i would have read it when i was 12 simply because i wasn't super into sports books, but the gender identity stuff is great
loverbboyy's review against another edition
emotional
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
no notes. sweet and beautiful. clearly made with inclusion in mind. i wish i had this boom when i was a teenager, let alone Ana’s age. :,)
thereadingchallengechallenge's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
5.0
A beautiful story about a pre-teen figure skater discovering she's nonbinary.
_lizzyslibrary_'s review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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? No
3.5
Very good! Wouldn’t reread or necessarily recommend (except if they’re looking for a book exploring gender queerness).
liralen's review against another edition
4.0
Nice—there's a lot of skating detail without being overly technical (that is: it's clear that the author has the skating knowledge to back the characters' experience up), but there are also a lot more layers built into the story. Intersectionality! Hurrah! There's skating, and there's gender identity, and there's also race and class and friendship and family dynamics. (It's a small thing, but I love the acknowledgement of how ridiculously expensive San Francisco is, and skating is—that even though Ana's mother has what sounds like a very good day job and also takes extra work as a tutor, affording a studio apartment plus skating expenses is a stretch for them.)
The other nice thing is that this isn't a book about finding all the answers. Ana starts to figure out what questions to ask—at least as a starting point—but they're big questions, and ones that will probably take trial and error and time, and it's enough to have a starting point here.
The other nice thing is that this isn't a book about finding all the answers. Ana starts to figure out what questions to ask—at least as a starting point—but they're big questions, and ones that will probably take trial and error and time, and it's enough to have a starting point here.