I Am Reading: Ice Dancer by Alex Cotter
Ice Dancer by Alex Cotter 👉
| Publisher: | Nosy Crow |
|---|---|
| Publish date: | 09 October 2025 |
Ice Dancer is a story about many things: grief, loss, family secrets, friendships, jealousy, joy, and – of course! – ice skating. Dina and her younger brothers are sent to stay with grim Aunt JJ in unfamiliar Sheffield, far from the Welsh countryside they're used to. The family is strained, twisted by the loss of Dina's older sister Sasha some years before, and the ghost of Sasha seems to follow Dina as she explores Sheffield, and particularly the ice skating rink – for Dina, like Sasha and generations of women before them in their family, loves to skate.
But as Dina tentatively makes new friends, particularly with another skater Rosie, a mystery starts to unfold. Family history secrets come to light, and a mysterious saboteur seems determined to wreck Dina's dreams…
How do you talk about the loss of a sibling in a children's book? Ice Dancer shows how this loss has distorted the family dynamics even after years. They each carry tokens of Sasha, from a pair of skates to a set of BMX handles. Dina is now the older sister, and finds it sometimes stifling. At school and with other people she is awkward and shy, finding release only on the ice skating rink, where she can be truly happy. But even there, she has become cautious and careful. Is it better to risk everything for what you believe, or play it safe in the hope of winning something? Gradually, Dina learns how to honour the spirit of her sister in her own way. And the mystery driving the story shows how everyone can suffer under the weight of expectation and history.
A warm, sensitive story of grief, loss, remembrance and joy.
Many thanks to Nosy Crow for sending me a copy of this book