I first found Tillie Walden through her online comic On a Sunbeam (which is also really
good). I knew that she had recently finished a memoir graphic novel about
growing up as a competitive figure skater. I thought that I’d be into it
because I grew up as a ballet dancer, and never thought that any of those
ballet movies really captured what I found that sport to be like. She described
this book as her telling her own story, for similar reasons.
It’s a hefty story, with a lot of interweaving lines throughout
it. There’s how her family moved from New Jersey to Texas, her coming out as
gay, picking up art, being harassed by her SAT tutor, and being bullied. It
never quite feels like too much though. If anything, the immense amount of
side-plots make it more realistic. A lot happens in middle and high school.
I really like her art style as well. The characters are
portrayed simply, but with defining characteristics. The panels aren’t all
crazy shapes, making it a pretty easy read. The dynamics of figure skating
aren’t overdone with swirls and lines, but you can still make out the action
inherent in the panels.
I would highly recommend it! It is a graphic novel so it is
a relatively quick read, but the drawings are graceful and the story is wonderful.
And do check out On a Sunbeam as
well, that one’s online for free!
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