Book Review: “I Felt Myself Slipping” by Ray Nadine

“I Felt Myself Slipping” by Ray Nadine (2024)

Genre: YA, Contemporary Fiction, Graphic Novel, Sports

Page Length: 208 pages (electronic review edition)

Synopsis:

When level-ten gymnast Riley Glass joins the team at Station Six Gymnastics, she finds unexpected friendship in fellow gymnast Kota Iwamoto as the pair strive toward their Olympian dreams together.

After losing her dad in a car accident, Riley moves to Stephon, Illinois, where she struggles to fit in with the other gymnasts. She misses her friends back home and is cautious of making new friendships at Station Six, which is made all the more difficult as she’s hard of hearing and none of her new teammates know ASL. When she meets Kota, Riley is surprised by Kota’s effort in learning ASL in order to communicate with her. Kota is determined to make Riley feel more at home, even though she struggles with her own fears and anxieties. Kota wants to be the best gymnast and make it all the way to the Olympics, but her fears of getting injured could stand in the way of achieving her goals. As they make their way to the prestigious U.S. Classic gymnastics event, their future as friends and as gymnasts will be put to the test.

Review:

After becoming a fan of graphic novels such as Check, Please! I’ve been trying to delve into more sports themed stories. I Felt Myself Slipping not only focuses on the sport of gymnastics which is one of my favorite Olympics sports to watch during the games, so I was immediately interested in the story. The story follows two gymnasts from different backgrounds who meet and discover that they have a lot in common. Their new friendship will be put to the test, however, as they enter a competition at the U.S. Classic gymnastics event.

Nadine created this novel because of a lack of gymnastics novels and wanted to see more representation of stories in a sport they competed in. I appreciated how the graphic novel showcases the beauty of sport and many of the challenges (physical and mental) that each gymnast has. Though minimal in color scheme I didn’t feel it took away from the story but rather let the reader focus more on the overall narrative and relationships in the story. The artwork scenes where they would break down the moves of routines were the coolest!

On top of the graphic novel’s focus on gymnastics, there is also a theme of disability as Riley is hard of hearing and uses a hearing aid along with ASL to communicate with others. It was great to see how ASL was incorporated into many parts of the story! Both Riley and Kota, once past their communication differences learn to not only be friends, but to also be source of support for each other. They are both struggling with issues such as anxiety and loss, which are often difficult to overcome. They have many candid conversations that allow them to open up, recognize what’s wrong, and then try to find a solution to work through it.

This graphic novel felt inspiring, but the overarching theme of coming-of-age felt relatable to its YA audience. There is no easy way to balance it all in life and the best thing we can do is navigate it step by step. This is a solid graphic novel about friendship that’s full of heart!

Final Verdict: