Life on the Edge by Jennifer Comeaux

Title: Life on the Edge
Author: Jennifer Comeaux
Release Date: January 3, 2012
Published By: Astraea Press

Nineteen-year-old Emily is new to pairs skating, but she and her partner Chris have a big dream–to be the first American team to win Olympic gold. Their young coach Sergei, who left Russia after a mysterious end to his skating career, believes they can break through and make history.

Emily and Chris are on track to be top contenders at the 2002 Winter Games. But when forbidden feelings spark between Emily and Sergei, broken trust and an unexpected enemy threaten to derail Emily's dreams of gold.

THOUGHTS:

I don't know about any of you guys, but YA books that spotlight the lives of female athletes have always piqued my interest (case and point - Catching Jordan, the Pretty Tough series, etc.). One day, I chanced upon a list on goodreads that listed these kinds of books, and this was how I came to find out about Life on the Edge. Upon reading the blurb, I was at once intrigued - I immediately wondered how Comeaux will go about the forbidden relationship, and whether she can actually make the said relationship feel right. I also wondered if she would be able to give both aspects of the book - the sports part and the romance part - equal attention, or whether one aspect would just eat the other up.

Let me start with this - both the sports part and the romance part of the book were done perfectly.

Nowadays, we see interpretations of forbidden relationships everywhere - in TV shows, movies, and even books - but Comeaux's story is unique in the way that it tugs at your heartstrings and makes you root for the couple to end up together. I often roll my eyes at the portrayal of teacher/student relationships in media (sorry, Aria and Ezra), but Emily and Sergei's relationship felt... real. Their relationship was gradual - they didn't fall in love with each other overnight - and feelings blossomed between them not because of the 'thrill' of an illicit affair, but rather because of the fact that they liked each other as people, first and foremost. This was the deciding factor that really made me love the book and root for Emily and Sergei.

Because this is a book about figure skating, expect to see some skating terms thrown in here and there, but they're easy enough to understand. Comeaux wrote the story in such a way that even if you don't follow skating as a sport, you would feel the passion the skaters in the book exhibit during trainings and competitions. In fact, the passion and zest Emily displayed when she skated had my heart pounding - I got overly anxious whenever Emily and Chris signal the beginning of their routine, and my heart rate would only slow down once I realize that Emily and Chris in fact nail the routine. Comeaux's writing was also detailed - not only could I feel what Emily was feeling during her performance, I could also practically see Emily and Chris' routines in my head! Moreover, all the characters - not just Emily and Sergei - had their own stories to tell, and these stories in turn play an important part in Emily and Sergei's journey not only as two people in love but also as an athlete and a coach.

All in all, I loved this book. I've read this book twice now, and I bet I would read it again soon. I cannot wait for the sequel and to read more about Emily and Sergei! Oh, and I DEFINITELY have to get this in paperback one of these days!

Rating: 5 Stars

PS. Thank you so much to Astraea Press for agreeing to send me another copy of this ebook after my laptop conked out and took my paid copy with it!