Skating Over Thin Ice

July 1, 2018

Gr 9 Up-Imogen St. Pierre is a young, talented classical pianist, who is loved by many but has a difficult time understanding where she fits in. So far, her life has been fairly structured: she plays in a touring trio with her father and grandfather, she attends a private boarding school, and has her good friend Frederik to rely on. But as her last year of high school draws to an end, structure begins to give way to change, and Imogen has to decide what she wants to do with her life. Does she want to stay in town to play with a new ensemble of elite musicians or does she want to move away from home to experience college life without the structures she's traditionally relied on? This is a unique coming-of-age story perfect for readers who enjoy realistic, first-person narration with a focus on family life, friendships, and learning to accept yourself for who you are, despite the expectations of others. VERDICT A good addition to medium-to-large collections.-Tabitha Nordby, Red River College, Man.

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 15, 2018
Music and hockey are clumsily juxtaposed in an otherwise promising novel.While she is a piano prodigy, French-Canadian Imogen St. Pierre is also sensitive to noise, to crowds, to social interactions with strangers. Although she loves performing in a trio with Papa and P�re, her father and grandfather, the schmoozing and networking leave the 18-year-old Imogen silent and exhausted. During her final year of high school, surrounded by equally privileged and talented students, Imogen tries to decide what will make her happy in what's predicted to be a glittering future. Does it mean joining an up-and-coming concert music ensemble or going to university? Or is it spending time with the people she loves, her family and her friends? Imogen develops a new friendship with fellow introvert Nathan McCormick, a talented hockey player who has been suspended from playing. Nathan not only allows Imogen to discover what will make her happy, but gives her the strength to fight for her happiness. Although both Imogen and Nathan are prodigies, it is their personalities, not their talents, which connect them. This quiet novel follows Imogen's slow growth without resorting to loud emotional outbursts or jarring strife, and the relationship between Nathan and Imogen is more friendship than romance. Imogen and Nathan are white; while their school has many international students, all are seemingly white.Different and moving. (Fiction. 14-18)

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