On Thin Ice (Sweet Dreams)

"On Thin Ice" may be a teensy bit unrealistic, but even that small issue can't strip away its charm and likeability. Main Character Ellen Travers has gotten a raw deal from life; relegated to the proverbial "back seat" by her gorgeous, Olympic Gold-winning, figure-skating older sister, Paula, Ellen has lived her life in the shadows, always doing what she's told, putting up with her prima donna sister, and making do without complaint when Paula's career forces the family to make numerous sacrifices. The only real bright spot is Paula's equally gorgeous skating partner, Gene Davenport, who seems to be the only person in Ellen's world who is very interested in her life, which is trivialized by everyone else, even to the point of forgoing Ellen's Sweet 16 birthday party simply because Paula strained an ankle in training. The novel plays up the contrast between Paula and Gene's skating partnership, and the much more meaningful relationship that builds between Ellen and Gene, based on genuine respect and care and attraction. The only real distraction in the novel is the haphazard way it represents the world of competitive skating, occasionally throwing out skating jargon like "sit-spin" and "toe loop" while ignoring the glaring implausibilities like the idea that Gene and Paula would have won Gold medals when they were 14 and 15 years old respectively, that they would still be training on an outdoor rink in the Travers' backyard, and that Paula, at 18, would still be living at home anyway and sharing a bedroom with her kid sister instead of living and training at a skating facility. Nonetheless, the story is engrossing and Ellen is a perfect heroine for those of us who love to root for the underdog.