
Reach for this book when your teenager is struggling with the heavy, silent isolation of grief, or when siblings are drifting apart after a family loss. It is a vital resource for the 'quiet' griever who may be internalizing their pain rather than acting out. Through sparse and beautiful verse, the story follows Rowena and Ariana, two sisters navigating life several years after their mother's death. While Rowena suppresses her pain through the discipline of ice skating, Ariana eventually disappears, forcing both to confront the frozen emotions they have ignored. It is an emotionally honest exploration of bereavement that offers a path toward thawing and reconnection for readers aged 12 and up.
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Sign in to write a reviewThe mother's death occurred in the past but is the central emotional vacuum.
The book deals directly with death and maternal loss. It is a secular approach that focuses on the psychological reality of depression and sibling estrangement. The resolution is realistic and hopeful, emphasizing that healing is a process rather than a destination.
A thoughtful 14-year-old who feels like they have to be the 'strong one' in the family and is exhausted by the effort of keeping their emotions under wraps.
Read cold. The verse format makes it a quick but deep read. Parents should be prepared for themes of running away and teen depression. A parent might notice their child becoming increasingly withdrawn, focusing obsessively on a single hobby (like sports or academics) to avoid social interaction, or exhibiting a 'flat' affect after a loss.
Middle schoolers will focus on the tension of the sisterly relationship and the 'mystery' of the disappearance. High schoolers will better grasp the nuance of the 'turtle under ice' metaphor: the survival mechanism of shutting down to endure the cold.
Unlike many grief novels that focus on the immediate aftermath of death, this explores the long-term, 'permafrost' stage of grief where the family has survived but stopped thriving.
Told in alternating perspectives through verse, the story centers on sisters Rowena and Ariana. Years after their mother's death, their grief remains unresolved. Rowena focuses on ice skating to stay numb, while Ariana's depression leads her to run away to their aunt's house in the middle of a cold winter. The narrative follows Rowena's search for her sister and their eventual emotional confrontation.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.