They didn’t simply want us to be lovers. They wanted us to be so in love, we’d burn the whole world down to be together.
― Layne fargo, The Favorites
I have a backlog of reviews to write, but it took a truly bonkers story to yank me out of my holding pattern, tear open my window, and scream into the void.
The Favorites is that story.
This book has everything. Buckets of blood? Check. Violently gory injuries with ice skates? Check. Skating partners who f*** off to who knows where for years and then return with crazy skating skills ala a Jedi master? Check. Concussions (so many concussions)? Check. Sabotaged skates, costumes, and relationships for the sake of putting your competitors off their game? Check.
Welcome to the story of Kat Shaw and Heath Rocha: The most extra people to have ever extra’d.
Katerina Shaw runs away with her boyfriend and skating partner Heath Rocha to chase their ice dancing dreams under the guidance of Sheila Lin, an ice dancing Olympic gold medalist and founder of the Lin Ice Academy. Orphaned as a teenager, Kat lives under the oppressive rule of her abusive older brother in their family’s home on the shore of Lake Michigan. Together with her boyfriend Heath, who has bounced around the foster care system his entire life, they focus all of their energy and meager funds to winning local skating competitions and catching the eyes of potential sponsors who can help them achieve their (Kat’s) dream of ice dancing dominance.
At the academy, Kat and Heath must win their places among wealthy students and Sheila Lin’s teenage twins Bella and Garrett. Alliances are formed and Kat and Heath are off to the ice dancing hunger games as only an elite few will ever make it to the top of the olympic podium.
I love ridiculous and if there is one word I can use to describe this book, it’s ridiculous. The only thing this book doesn’t have is a conspiracy involving nuclear weapons, ghosts, and witches. It has pretty much everything else.
Despite my love of ridiculous things, this book had too much of everything. I was exhausted by Kat and Heath’s shenanigans before I hit the 50% mark.
I was going to give this book two stars, but dammit, it was compelling! If you don’t mind 400+ plus pages of idiots making every bad choice possible, then you might enjoy it.
Note: I’m not kidding about the gory injuries. If the idea of body parts getting cut by ice skates bothers you, avoid this book. It’s not horror but it toes the line.