Skating Over Thin Ice

In the Canadian classical music world and beyond, Imogene is a phenomenally talented young pianist who tours in a trio with her father and grandfather. Now that Pere is retiring and Genny is finishing high school, what does her future hold? Is she ready to conquer new heights in a career just getting started, or should she step off the success train and catch her breath? Although music is her true joy, the anxious prodigy needs to crash after each performance and finds postconcert socializing unbearable. When Nathan, a hockey phenom and NHL prospect, enrolls in her private school to escape publicity for a while, the two thoughtful and exhausted teens, somewhat of an unlikely pair, find solace and comfort in a supportive friendship. Genny narrates, making this feel more like her story than Nathan's, but Mills shines a harsh spotlight on the life of both young elites--expectations, grueling practice regimes, media pressure--and the tough emotional and physical toll it takes. A fairly slow-paced, psychologically probing look at what it takes to be the best.--Anne O'Malley "Booklist online" (8/13/2018 12:00:00 AM)