Reviews with content warning for Mental illness - Spinning

I was surprised by this darker and often grim graphic memoir. My library copy indicates it’s aimed at a teen audience, and with its bright pastel cover, I was not expecting what it held. I’d describe this more as a memoir from the author’s teen years (12-17) and their struggle with mental health, coming of age, and trauma as it coincided with their competitive skating career. It’s not light at all, though it’s not as if teen-level books should avoid grappling with very serious topics.

It was beautifully illustrated and written, just very sad. It reminded me of The Discomfort of Evening in the family dynamics and parental treatment of a rather unloved child. I was a little dismayed not to see some sort of epilogue; I guess I was just hoping the author was doing better now, or had found help in dealing with what she went through. I know that’s not required, but she’d done such a good job with getting me to care deeply about herself as the protagonist in this narrative that I wanted that.

Content Warnings