This book was very pretty and I enjoyed the story. I felt the pacing was a little weird here and there, but overall a quick and pleasing read!

The eARC was difficult to read, it wouldn't open on my phone and the text was blurry on my computer. I thought it was an interesting story, but there wasn't a real focus in the narrative. I thought it brought up relevant concepts for teens, especially those exploring their sexuality.

I didn't realize that this was a comic style book when I requested the galley. Since I did not finish the book, I do not intend to publish a review.

I was drawn to this graphic novel because of the skating element. I've always loved books, movies, and media about ice skating and it's a pretty unique topic in YA collections. This book delivered with glimpses of practices, skating moves, and competitions. I loved getting to know Tillie as a skater and as a girl who didn't connect with skating anymore. I'll give this book to teens who are looking for sports books with girl characters and to reluctant teen readers. The unique figure skating plot will draw them in and they'll stay once they get to know Tillie and find that they can relate to her struggles on and off the ice. This lesbian, feminine representation is demanded by readers and will be appreciated.

Solid coming of age story for girls as well as LGBT. Slightly dark, but quite realistic in tone and content. Definitely recommend for high school libraries.

Raw and poignant. My heart ached for Tillie and I couldn't stop reading.

I didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did. The world of competitive ice skating comes to the graphic novel genre. The illustrations really told the story with the narrative in the supporting role.

I was provided with a copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this story. It was a very personal tale and one that really made me ache for the best for Tillie. I didn’t know going into it that it is a graphic memoir, and so that was a pleasant surprise.

My main qualm with this story was the pacing. I didn’t get enough time in any one event of Tillie’s life, and we moved onto the next part of her story sometimes after only like 2 frames had been spent on something that happened to her. It was very confusing and made it hard to fully connect with her because I was feeling like I was being thrown all over the place. I would have liked to spend more time with her and her brother, because she says at one point that her relationship with him is a very important one to her, but we only see them together just the two of them maybe twice. And then both the incident with her SAT tutor and the almost crash she got into happened so fast, they were over before I figured out what was going on.

I did like the story of her struggles to understand who she is as a person. Her figuring out how to come out, how to pursue her true passion, and how to feel self-worth and self-love were all very personal. I just wanted the best for her, and for all good things to come to Tillie and for her to have a happy ending.

I also enjoyed the skating elements included in this story. I don’t read many books about skaters, and I didn’t even know there was such a thing as synchronized skating. So that made me learn a lot in this book!

It was a lovely journey to read about. Her journey is simple yet somehow complex at the same time. It was emotional and I can see certain readers connecting to Tillie’s many identity crises. I just wish she had explored certain parts of the story more instead of doing a sweeping biography spanning more years.

A moving and thoughtful autobiographical graphic novel centring on the world of competitive figure skating. The book also deals with anxiety, bullying, friendship, family, and coming out. The artwork is a lovely complement to the themes of the story.

A touching coming of age memoir, told in graphic format. One to share with teen readers even if they are not interested in skating.

Wow. Some books just leave you still and quiet and thinking. That's definitely where I'm at with Spinning. More than about skating, and more than about a girl coming out, the central theme of Spinning deals with a persons own agency, the power to control one's one life. Walden's halftone artwork works well with the quiet, introverted character for a great story.

This is a graphic memoir about a young figure skater. I have a skater daughter, so I related to that part of the book. The author/illustrator did a beautiful job describing her youth years, all the insecurities and doubts of her teenage years. It's about identity, growing up and taking charge of one's own life. The art is simple, elegant (both the colouring and the drawing itself), which I loved.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy.

As someone who grew up idolizing ice skaters, this book caught my attention immediately. There's plenty of backstory establishment and character introduction to go hand in hand with the heavy hitting issues included. The main character's (and author's!) world is put into a tailspin when her family moves unexpectedly. Tillie has to leave her sports team for another one and finds that she experiences some growing pains as she gets used to the new coach and dynamics. In addition, we get to see her deal with school bullies and her family's upheaval. The gem of this story is Tillie's coming out. It's slow at first and then bam! - very true to how most real life experiences are.

What I particularly enjoyed is the pacing of the book. It all felt very true to Tillie's voice. The art also highlighted the tone of the story and was a beautiful complement. This will be a powerful story to the right readers - those looking to find their voice and those searching to support them.

I have to admit that as someone who grew up skating that I was already partial to this book. This graphic novel is the author's coming of age story as she struggles with the sport of figure skating, school yard bullies, her family and coming out. There's a lot going on in this book (and it may have been better stretched out between two books), but the story is compelling and well complemented by the art. The artwork is beautiful--the panels are never overcrowded, and the simplicity works well with the plot.

The only issue I have (and this might be a misprint since I had an ARC of the book) is that the classification online of this story is YA/Teen, but the story didn't read that way to me. It's certainly about being young/being a teenager, but it's more autobiographical than a story meant solely for a young adult audience.

A thoughtful and moving autobiographical coming-of-age novel about a young figure-skater who also happens to be gay. It's really more about growing up and learning to make your own decisions than it is about either gayness or figure-skating, although I liked the way she divided the narrative into sections each one highlighted by a particular skating move. Readers who want a tell-all about the cut-throat world of figure skating might be disappointed, but I really enjoyed this portrait of a lonely, introverted young girl. I will add a longer review in my blog closer to the publication date.

After a few failed attempts, and many hours of trying, I can't get the file to work on any device, so not reviewing for now!

While I did not figure skate, many of my friends growing up did. It was one of the few sports options for kids in Northern Ontario and it continues to be extremely popular. Rarely do you find anything depicting the rougher, darker side of figure skating. The trying coaches, the nerve wracking tests, unapologetic judges, and the general pressures to achieve something that should not be expected of such young children.

Walden captured the world of figure skating exceedingly well, and she didn't pull any punches. Having it paired with her story of growing up knowing she was homosexual, makes the risks taken on the ice seem almost minimal compared to her off the ice life. Seeing how each side of her life affects the other is at once powerful and painful.

While the electronic version of this book was difficult for me to read as the text was sometimes choppy (more to do with the age of my computer than anything else, most likely), her story was coming through loud and clear. Her art style could be labelled simplistic, since her colour palette is limited but the confidence in her work is apparent. The details she chooses to exhibit are chosen carefully, adding depth and focus to the work. She is exceedingly talented and I hope to see more of her work in the future.