Dina and her brothers are spending time at their Aunt JJ's in Sheffield. It's a far cry from their life in Wales and things are tense from the start. Desperate to avoid the tension, Dina heads to the nearby ice rink to escape in the only way she knows how: skating. Although she makes friends, it quickly becomes apparent that there are also people there who are out to sabotage her at any cost.
There is so much going on in Dina's life, not least of which is the death of her big sister Sasha. As the story develops, you discover more about Sasha and why Dina feels the need to be close to her. This part of the story really highlights what it must be like for families to lose a child (I can only begin to imagine the heart-break and impact). Dina's love of skating is what saves her when tension at JJ's becomes too great. And whilst she makes friends and discovers her confidence, it is also clear that not everyone wants to see her skating with Rosie - someone is out to get her. The clues are drip fed but, I have to admit, that I didn't guess who it was!
This is a book about healing, about finding yourself and finding inner-strength. It's about coming to terms with the past and looking to the future. It's about having the courage to break the rules for the right reasons and to show people what is possible when you look beyond the norm.
Out now, Ice Dancer is a wonderful book to curl up with and I can already think of several children in school who will be desperate to get their hands on this.
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