The Melting Queen

March 15, 2019
The protagonist of Cinnamon's debut breaks the ice on the North Saskatchewan River, prompting Edmonton's annual Melting Day celebration, and takes a new name: River Runson. Unexpectedly, River is also named Melting Queen, a highly influential post. A reluctant figurehead, River finally accepts the duty in an attempt to understand the memories from previous queens that have been intruding on her thoughts. While gay and trans folks have been queen before, River is the first nonbinary Melting Queen, resistant to any label or expectations to be a spokesperson for any group. This is a novel about changing identities, both River's and Edmonton's. Through the shared memories, River learns the problematic origins of the city's Melting Day traditions and upends the status quo. At times, the novel's intriguing idea exceeds its execution; pacing and dialogue can lag. Still, it's a worthy, interesting read based in the essential idea that now is the time to unmask history and change what no longer serves us. When that ice cracks, River breaks a world that needs breaking.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)