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Turtle Under Ice
A teen navigates questions of grief, identity, and guilt in the wake of her sister’s mysterious disappearance in this breathtaking novel-in-verse from the author of 500 Words or Less—perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo.
Rowena feels like her family is a frayed string of lights that someone needs to fix with electrical tape. After her mother died a few years ago, she and her sister, Ariana, drifted into their own corners of the world, each figuring out in their own separate ways how to exist in a world in which their mother is no longer alive.
But then Ariana disappears under the cover of night in the middle of a snowstorm, leaving no trace or tracks. When Row wakes up to a world of snow and her sister’s empty bedroom, she is left to piece together the mystery behind where Ariana went and why, realizing along the way that she might be part of the reason Ariana is gone.
Haunting and evocative—and told in dual perspectives—Turtle Under Ice examines two sisters frozen by grief as they search for a way to unthaw.
Rowena feels like her family is a frayed string of lights that someone needs to fix with electrical tape. After her mother died a few years ago, she and her sister, Ariana, drifted into their own corners of the world, each figuring out in their own separate ways how to exist in a world in which their mother is no longer alive.
But then Ariana disappears under the cover of night in the middle of a snowstorm, leaving no trace or tracks. When Row wakes up to a world of snow and her sister’s empty bedroom, she is left to piece together the mystery behind where Ariana went and why, realizing along the way that she might be part of the reason Ariana is gone.
Haunting and evocative—and told in dual perspectives—Turtle Under Ice examines two sisters frozen by grief as they search for a way to unthaw.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published February 11, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 251 reviews
March 20, 2020
I didn't expect this book to sucker punch me in the gut with its poignant portrayal of grief and sisterhood, but alas, here I am, gut-punched.
- Follows Row and Ariana, two Filipino-Chamarro-American sisters who are still reeling from the loss of their mother six years ago. When Ariana disappears, the story explores both sister's perspectives and the ways they grapple with grief.
- This book is written in verse, and I loved it. Some of the passages contained so much... raw emotion that I had to pause my audiobook for a second to just breathe.
- I think it's also a book where you have to really engage with the themes. The book explores grief, how people deal and grapple with grief differently, and the people-shaped holes in our hearts.
- I also loved how this story explores sisterhood - how both sisters are looking for something in the wake of an absence they feel keenly - and the irrevocable effect sister relationships can have on our lives.
- I loved the ending. I actually shed a tear at the end? I was moved, and didn't expect to be. I loved it.
Trigger/content warning:
- Follows Row and Ariana, two Filipino-Chamarro-American sisters who are still reeling from the loss of their mother six years ago. When Ariana disappears, the story explores both sister's perspectives and the ways they grapple with grief.
- This book is written in verse, and I loved it. Some of the passages contained so much... raw emotion that I had to pause my audiobook for a second to just breathe.
- I think it's also a book where you have to really engage with the themes. The book explores grief, how people deal and grapple with grief differently, and the people-shaped holes in our hearts.
- I also loved how this story explores sisterhood - how both sisters are looking for something in the wake of an absence they feel keenly - and the irrevocable effect sister relationships can have on our lives.
- I loved the ending. I actually shed a tear at the end? I was moved, and didn't expect to be. I loved it.
Trigger/content warning:
August 8, 2020
CW: Loss of mother, miscarriage.
This story moved quite slowly and considering that it's a verse novel, that's really saying something. That being said I enjoyed the heartfelt tone and the portrayal of two sisters managing their grief in the aftermath of two painful losses. I understand the stresses of being the eldest sibling and the how the mantle of responsibility can weigh quite heavily during family emergencies. The ending felt believable and satisfying.
This story moved quite slowly and considering that it's a verse novel, that's really saying something. That being said I enjoyed the heartfelt tone and the portrayal of two sisters managing their grief in the aftermath of two painful losses. I understand the stresses of being the eldest sibling and the how the mantle of responsibility can weigh quite heavily during family emergencies. The ending felt believable and satisfying.
February 16, 2020
3.5/5 Stars
"We have the capacity to be cruel, if we let the pain consume us."
This book tackles themes such as grief, identity and also the overcoming of grief after a tragedy. It also talks about siblings relationships and how sometimes it's difficult to understand the people who are the closest to you. I quite enjoyed this read, but I think that there were some unresolved issues that I would have liked to see more of.
"We have the capacity to be cruel, if we let the pain consume us."
This book tackles themes such as grief, identity and also the overcoming of grief after a tragedy. It also talks about siblings relationships and how sometimes it's difficult to understand the people who are the closest to you. I quite enjoyed this read, but I think that there were some unresolved issues that I would have liked to see more of.
December 18, 2020
Told over the course of a single day, Turtles Under Ice is a lyrical novel about two sisters coping with grief, new and old. While I enjoyed parts of it, most of the book dragged and I found myself wishing that up to the art show was less than 20 parts, and what they did after was told after it. Because I was seriously bloody bored.
I found it difficult to understand Ariana's obsession with her mother's death, even 6+ years later. I'm no stranger to grief, I lost my own mother at 16. I found it difficult to understand why she seemed to want her entire identity to be "The Girl With The Dead Mother" and I was utterly confused that it seemed to only take her one short bus ride to the city to get over this all of a sudden.
Row, Ariana's sister, seemed to only have chapters as a means to tell more of Ariana's lack of story. Ariana was a daunting presence throughout the story and it seemed pretty clear that she was the focus, but I didn't understand why. There was a lot of repetition about their mother's death, linking it bizarre pseudo-poetic sentences that felt forced. Like this:
"I didn't want to tell her that boats reminded me of islands and islands reminded me of Mom and Mom reminded me of, well, a lot of thing that I didn't want to think about."
What. Like I have no idea what the point of that sentence was. Ariana's college friend speaks pretty weirdly too, "...out of hope that the invisible threads that held us together would still be there."
Overall, nah.
I found it difficult to understand Ariana's obsession with her mother's death, even 6+ years later. I'm no stranger to grief, I lost my own mother at 16. I found it difficult to understand why she seemed to want her entire identity to be "The Girl With The Dead Mother" and I was utterly confused that it seemed to only take her one short bus ride to the city to get over this all of a sudden.
Row, Ariana's sister, seemed to only have chapters as a means to tell more of Ariana's lack of story. Ariana was a daunting presence throughout the story and it seemed pretty clear that she was the focus, but I didn't understand why. There was a lot of repetition about their mother's death, linking it bizarre pseudo-poetic sentences that felt forced. Like this:
"I didn't want to tell her that boats reminded me of islands and islands reminded me of Mom and Mom reminded me of, well, a lot of thing that I didn't want to think about."
What. Like I have no idea what the point of that sentence was. Ariana's college friend speaks pretty weirdly too, "...out of hope that the invisible threads that held us together would still be there."
Overall, nah.
March 15, 2020
I liked the dual perspectives of each grieving sister. I think, however, that the resolution at the end of this novella-length story was a little too quick.
May 25, 2021
3.5 stars!
I usually read books in verse if I’m trying to get out of a slump. However, I just picked this one up spontaneously. And I’m happy that I did! Turtle Under Ice is a story full of emotion and the will to just push on. It oozes out with sisterly love, and tells us that we should always be grateful for our parents.
The story follows sisters Ariana and Rowena. It’s told through both their perspectives and is done astonishingly well. Despite disliking Ariana, I can 100% understand where she’s coming from. Ariana wants to be an older sister Rowena can look up to, but she knows she’s failing that role. I found this to be incredibly touching and relatable. Ariana is also a creative, and uses her art to cope. She actually does her summative art project on grief. Meanwhile, Rowena, or Row, uses soccer as an escape from her heartache. What really broke me is that Row sees her mother on the field when she plays. The reason behind this is that her mom was always so busy, that she could never attend any of her soccer matches. Furthermore, I ADORED the sibling dynamic. It perfectly captured the fact that no matter what happens in life, they’ll always have each other, and it was just the sweetest thing!
In addition, through the dialogue we got to see how Ariana interacts with other people. The way she talked to people with no care in the word was quite interesting. Aside from that, there wasn’t much dialogue. Instead, there were more monologues, which brings me to the writing!
Juleah del Rosario’s writing is truly beautiful. Turtle Under Ice is written in verse, and is done exquisitely. The author creates such vivid yet depressing scenes that will make you want to read on! It’s absolutely stunning, and isn’t overly metaphorical or unclear.
Overall, Turtle Under Ice is a quick and emotional read perfect for those who are looking for a moving story on familial relationships and grief.
---Overall---
Age Rating: 14 and up
TW: Death of a parent (off page but talked about a lot), miscarriage, main character runs away from home
Final Rating: 7/10 or 3.5 stars
I usually read books in verse if I’m trying to get out of a slump. However, I just picked this one up spontaneously. And I’m happy that I did! Turtle Under Ice is a story full of emotion and the will to just push on. It oozes out with sisterly love, and tells us that we should always be grateful for our parents.
The story follows sisters Ariana and Rowena. It’s told through both their perspectives and is done astonishingly well. Despite disliking Ariana, I can 100% understand where she’s coming from. Ariana wants to be an older sister Rowena can look up to, but she knows she’s failing that role. I found this to be incredibly touching and relatable. Ariana is also a creative, and uses her art to cope. She actually does her summative art project on grief. Meanwhile, Rowena, or Row, uses soccer as an escape from her heartache. What really broke me is that Row sees her mother on the field when she plays. The reason behind this is that her mom was always so busy, that she could never attend any of her soccer matches. Furthermore, I ADORED the sibling dynamic. It perfectly captured the fact that no matter what happens in life, they’ll always have each other, and it was just the sweetest thing!
In addition, through the dialogue we got to see how Ariana interacts with other people. The way she talked to people with no care in the word was quite interesting. Aside from that, there wasn’t much dialogue. Instead, there were more monologues, which brings me to the writing!
Juleah del Rosario’s writing is truly beautiful. Turtle Under Ice is written in verse, and is done exquisitely. The author creates such vivid yet depressing scenes that will make you want to read on! It’s absolutely stunning, and isn’t overly metaphorical or unclear.
Overall, Turtle Under Ice is a quick and emotional read perfect for those who are looking for a moving story on familial relationships and grief.
---Overall---
Age Rating: 14 and up
TW: Death of a parent (off page but talked about a lot), miscarriage, main character runs away from home
Final Rating: 7/10 or 3.5 stars
April 8, 2024
“Like snowstorms and earthquakes and death, your future will happen regardless of whether you planned for it.”
1 Sentence Summary: Ever since their mother died, Rowena and her older sister Ariana have been drifting further and further apart, until one morning, Row wakes up after a snowstorm, and Ariana is gone.
My Thoughts: This was absolutely lovely. It’s written in verse so it is a pretty quick read, but there is so much emotion packed in!
I loved the writing style, I loved the characters and their growth throughout the book, I enjoyed the explorations of grief and how it affects different people in different ways, and I loved the focus on sisters. Books that focus on the relationship of sisters are one of my greatest weaknesses.
I did get a little confused with the flashbacks and what was happening in the present vs. the past, but I do think that could be because I listened to it as an audiobook.
Overall, it was beautifully written, both heartbreaking yet hopeful at the same time.
“Maybe hope is like a turtle under ice
breathing through its shell
through its biochemistry, still alive.
Maybe hope waits for spring to come, for the ice to thaw
for the weight of the pond that encapsulates us to melt into nothing.
But maybe we are not meant to wait for springtime.
Maybe, instead, we are meant
to break the ice
and be free.”
Recommend to: people who enjoy books about sisters.
(Warnings: swearing; mentions of death; loss of a parent; miscarriage)
January 31, 2020
(Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
I finished Turtle Under Ice in a few hours. I couldn't stop reading. Sure it's in verse which certainly makes it easy. However, Turtle Under Ice is lyrical, poignant, and moving. This dual POV verse novel is stunning. It's a lyrical portrayal of grief, sisterhood, and moving on. Turtle Under Ice is obviously lyrical, but it's also haunting. Like the chilling breeze in a winter forest blanketed in snow. There's beauty to its words, surrounded by a setting that is both gorgeous with a hint of something deeper. A stillness of the forest. I adored 500 Words Or Less and del Rosario maintains that same commitment to characters in Turtle Under Ice.
And Turtle Under Ice is moving. Telling us a story about grief, Rowena and Ariana demonstrate the ways grief can push us away, further from ourselves. It changes the molecules of our body. We each process the piercing cold differently. How can we still be the same sisters we were before when we don't even know who we are anymore? I could deeply empathize with the ways the sisters drift away from each other in Turtle Under the Ice. It isn't a conscious departure. It's that steady drifting away of ice pulled away by different currents.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
I finished Turtle Under Ice in a few hours. I couldn't stop reading. Sure it's in verse which certainly makes it easy. However, Turtle Under Ice is lyrical, poignant, and moving. This dual POV verse novel is stunning. It's a lyrical portrayal of grief, sisterhood, and moving on. Turtle Under Ice is obviously lyrical, but it's also haunting. Like the chilling breeze in a winter forest blanketed in snow. There's beauty to its words, surrounded by a setting that is both gorgeous with a hint of something deeper. A stillness of the forest. I adored 500 Words Or Less and del Rosario maintains that same commitment to characters in Turtle Under Ice.
And Turtle Under Ice is moving. Telling us a story about grief, Rowena and Ariana demonstrate the ways grief can push us away, further from ourselves. It changes the molecules of our body. We each process the piercing cold differently. How can we still be the same sisters we were before when we don't even know who we are anymore? I could deeply empathize with the ways the sisters drift away from each other in Turtle Under the Ice. It isn't a conscious departure. It's that steady drifting away of ice pulled away by different currents.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
April 11, 2020
Once again, in the middle of a pandemic, I'm reading a book about death. This one also focuses on the bonds of sisterhood and the need for connection. Oh, and it's a novel-in-verse. This is the second book I've read by Juleah del Rosario; she does an excellent job in capturing the older teen world.
February 13, 2020
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight .
I confess that every time I see this cover, I can only see that this girl is stabbing herself in the eye with ice. And then my mind goes to her stabbing herself with a turtle, and honestly none of this tells you anything about the book whatsoever, but I needed to get this off my chest and/or find someone to commiserate.
What I Liked:
Obviously family is a huge focus of this book. It isn't either of the girls' only focus, mind, which it shouldn't be. But I think that especially considering the past circumstances of both young women, it was clear that family was their central focus. And the family was just so authentic. They loved each other so fiercely, but were having difficulty coming to terms individually with all the really crappy stuff they'd been dealt. Which is really fair, how many other families find themselves in similar situations, you know? They're all just doing the best they can, and life is just hard.
The writing was positively gorgeous. I could absolutely feel the pain radiating from the pages. The author did an amazing job setting the tone for the story, and it was sad but with specks of hope dotted, which is kind of perfect, considering the subject matter.
Packs a big emotional punch in a very quick story. I'd be lying through my teeth if I said I didn't love reading a super quick book from time to time. I do, I love it. This one somehow makes the reader feel all the emotions during a fairly short time period, which is impressive.
What I Didn't:
This may be a "me" thing, but I have a ton of trouble connecting to characters in verse novels. Seriously, is this just me? Like I said, the writing was lovely and emotionally provocative without a doubt. I just wanted to feel a little more immersed in the characters themselves, but maybe I need to just let go of that expectation in verse books?
Bottom Line: It's got beautiful writing, and a sister duo who have gone through more than they should have had to. But they go on, as we must, and this story illustrates it brilliantly.
I confess that every time I see this cover, I can only see that this girl is stabbing herself in the eye with ice. And then my mind goes to her stabbing herself with a turtle, and honestly none of this tells you anything about the book whatsoever, but I needed to get this off my chest and/or find someone to commiserate.
What I Liked:
Obviously family is a huge focus of this book. It isn't either of the girls' only focus, mind, which it shouldn't be. But I think that especially considering the past circumstances of both young women, it was clear that family was their central focus. And the family was just so authentic. They loved each other so fiercely, but were having difficulty coming to terms individually with all the really crappy stuff they'd been dealt. Which is really fair, how many other families find themselves in similar situations, you know? They're all just doing the best they can, and life is just hard.
The writing was positively gorgeous. I could absolutely feel the pain radiating from the pages. The author did an amazing job setting the tone for the story, and it was sad but with specks of hope dotted, which is kind of perfect, considering the subject matter.
Packs a big emotional punch in a very quick story. I'd be lying through my teeth if I said I didn't love reading a super quick book from time to time. I do, I love it. This one somehow makes the reader feel all the emotions during a fairly short time period, which is impressive.
What I Didn't:
This may be a "me" thing, but I have a ton of trouble connecting to characters in verse novels. Seriously, is this just me? Like I said, the writing was lovely and emotionally provocative without a doubt. I just wanted to feel a little more immersed in the characters themselves, but maybe I need to just let go of that expectation in verse books?
Bottom Line: It's got beautiful writing, and a sister duo who have gone through more than they should have had to. But they go on, as we must, and this story illustrates it brilliantly.
April 23, 2020
This was such a beautiful story about grief and family. I loved the writing ✨
May 15, 2020
These two young women have been soaking in their grief since their mother's death. For years, Rowena's grief fueled her soccer prowess, and Ariana retreated, more and more, within herself. Fresh off another loss, Ariana disappears, in the middle of the night. The story alternated between both Ariana and Rowena as they work through their grief and loss. I think I shed a tear or two almost every time we flipped back to Ariana. Her pain was palpable, and my heart really ached for her. The whole time, they really needed each other, but neither was emotionally prepared to be there for the other. However, it was satisfying to see them make enough headway to begin to reconnect in a meaningful way. I found this a rather beautiful story of sisterhood in the face of great losses, which was both painful and touching.
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July 17, 2020
3.5 stars
A quick read (the story is told in verse) but not an easy one. This book goes back and forth between two sisters who are still dealing with the unexpected death of their mother six years early. The prose is lovely and there were quite a few paragraphs that punched me right in the heart so 5 stars for that. However because this book takes place in one day I felt like everything happened too fast and the happy resolution of the relationship between Row and Ariana didn't feel long lasting.
That said, I'd read more by this author. She knows emotions well.
A quick read (the story is told in verse) but not an easy one. This book goes back and forth between two sisters who are still dealing with the unexpected death of their mother six years early. The prose is lovely and there were quite a few paragraphs that punched me right in the heart so 5 stars for that. However because this book takes place in one day I felt like everything happened too fast and the happy resolution of the relationship between Row and Ariana didn't feel long lasting.
That said, I'd read more by this author. She knows emotions well.
April 23, 2023
Good, short read.
Perhaps if this were longer I would have had more of a chance to connect with the characters. The reason I’m giving it only 4 stars is because I didn’t connect with them on a deep enough level to really feel the book. There are some good words in this book. It has a good message. Even though I haven’t gone through the kind of grief the sisters have, I could relate to Ariana. I felt that her character really grew, and I could appreciate that.
Perhaps if this were longer I would have had more of a chance to connect with the characters. The reason I’m giving it only 4 stars is because I didn’t connect with them on a deep enough level to really feel the book. There are some good words in this book. It has a good message. Even though I haven’t gone through the kind of grief the sisters have, I could relate to Ariana. I felt that her character really grew, and I could appreciate that.
January 7, 2021
Narrator: 4 stars 🌟
*listened via Overdrive app *
*listened via Overdrive app *
March 6, 2020
3.5 ⭐️
March 12, 2020
"I am a human with grief. Just like we all will be someday. Because there is only one universal truth in the world.
That we and everyone around us will someday die, and grief is all that remains in the aftermath."
Turtle Under Ice is a story about two sisters who are trying to move on six years after the loss their mother. Rowena, a soccer star, basically wants life to stay the same and struggles to deal with the fact that it will inevitably change. Ariana, the sister who was with her mom when she collapsed, struggles to find an identity outside of "the girl with the dead mom". Ultimately, the story is about their relationship with each other as much as it's about them moving past their mother's death.
MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!
I felt like this was a little clumsy. There were a lot of side plots that were hastily introduced and went nowhere. For example, there's one about their stepmother suffering a miscarriage. But you barely interact with the stepmother or the father and they don't really talk about the miscarriage other than to say they were excited for a new sister and sad they didn't get to meet her. It felt shoehorned in to add a more recent grief since they lost their mom six years ago. I honestly didn't know why it was there.
There's a side plot about Ariana's friend, Alex, who's in a band and lost her brother. This also basically went nowhere. Ariana "grows" as a character after confronting this character, but if it wasn't in there, I think she could have come to the same conclusion without this taking up so much of the plot.
There's a plot about Rowena having a misunderstanding with a friend because she didn't tell her friend that the stepmom was pregnant. That lasts about two poems before it's "resolved", so I'm unsure why it was there.
I just felt like this was a lot of filler for half-baked characters who don't really have personalities aside from "grief" (and "soccer" in the case of Rowena).
I liked Rowena more because she had more of a personality. Ariana is kind of unlikable. She does something late in the book that is pretty unacceptable, even if you have lost someone.
Reading this reminded me of that line from Guardians of the Galaxy: "Everybody's got dead people." It sounds mean, but it's true. Experiencing grief doesn't make them special nor does it make them fully formed characters. It just felt like they were aimlessly going from plot line to plot line for 250 pages. I didn't sense motivation or purpose. It's just a boring day in the life of two girls whose only trait is "melancholy".
I'm sure there is SOMEONE who will really appreciate this book. I was not the target audience, so I feel like it's a case of "not the book for me". It's a short read about a heavy topic that is kind of fumbled along the way. It wasn't the worst book I've ever read. It's just middle of the road, mediocre as a book. For that reason, I gave it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
That we and everyone around us will someday die, and grief is all that remains in the aftermath."
Turtle Under Ice is a story about two sisters who are trying to move on six years after the loss their mother. Rowena, a soccer star, basically wants life to stay the same and struggles to deal with the fact that it will inevitably change. Ariana, the sister who was with her mom when she collapsed, struggles to find an identity outside of "the girl with the dead mom". Ultimately, the story is about their relationship with each other as much as it's about them moving past their mother's death.
MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!
I felt like this was a little clumsy. There were a lot of side plots that were hastily introduced and went nowhere. For example, there's one about their stepmother suffering a miscarriage. But you barely interact with the stepmother or the father and they don't really talk about the miscarriage other than to say they were excited for a new sister and sad they didn't get to meet her. It felt shoehorned in to add a more recent grief since they lost their mom six years ago. I honestly didn't know why it was there.
There's a side plot about Ariana's friend, Alex, who's in a band and lost her brother. This also basically went nowhere. Ariana "grows" as a character after confronting this character, but if it wasn't in there, I think she could have come to the same conclusion without this taking up so much of the plot.
There's a plot about Rowena having a misunderstanding with a friend because she didn't tell her friend that the stepmom was pregnant. That lasts about two poems before it's "resolved", so I'm unsure why it was there.
I just felt like this was a lot of filler for half-baked characters who don't really have personalities aside from "grief" (and "soccer" in the case of Rowena).
I liked Rowena more because she had more of a personality. Ariana is kind of unlikable. She does something late in the book that is pretty unacceptable, even if you have lost someone.
Reading this reminded me of that line from Guardians of the Galaxy: "Everybody's got dead people." It sounds mean, but it's true. Experiencing grief doesn't make them special nor does it make them fully formed characters. It just felt like they were aimlessly going from plot line to plot line for 250 pages. I didn't sense motivation or purpose. It's just a boring day in the life of two girls whose only trait is "melancholy".
I'm sure there is SOMEONE who will really appreciate this book. I was not the target audience, so I feel like it's a case of "not the book for me". It's a short read about a heavy topic that is kind of fumbled along the way. It wasn't the worst book I've ever read. It's just middle of the road, mediocre as a book. For that reason, I gave it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Read
January 19, 2020Ariana has disappeared. Her sister Row is first to discover this, but she can’t find any clues as to where she might be. Told in two voices in verse, this is a heart-felt story about grief and the ways it can manifest and emerge so differently for everyone.
When Row and Ariana’s stepmother loses her 12-week pregnancy, Ariana spirals into grief as the wounds of losing her mother six years prior -- and being the person with her as she died. Row, too, finds sadness welling up inside her again, but she takes it out by turning deep into her love of soccer. For her, whenever she’s on the field, her mother is right there with her.
With the help of her friend Kennedy, Row begins to look for her sister, and it’s here we see the wells of her sadness emerge, particularly as Kennedy gets overbearing in relation to why it was she didn’t know Row’s stepmother had been pregnant.
Ariana’s voice is present in this story, though it’s told primarily through flashbacks. She’s hopped on a bus, and we know there’s a piece of artwork in her lap. A few stops in, a former best friend gets on the bus, and she begins to share the story of the dissolution of their once-close connection. Ariana wanted to be so mired in her grief she couldn’t understand that other people, including this friend named Alex, deal with their personal losses in different means.
Row finds Ariana, and the end of the book is a beautiful reflection of friendship, sisterhood, and the ways that loss and sadness can tie and unite people, as much as hurt and divide them. Rosario nails grief so perfectly, offering up the ways we can be cruel and isolating toward others, as much as the ways we can seek the comfort of a loved one through the things we cherish. For Ariana, it turns out, art is therapeutic in a way that she never anticipated until Row shares how much pouring herself into soccer has meant her mother is with her always.
The verse is well written and the story is tightly told over a period of less than a single day. But within that day, we see a large expanse of life for both Row and Ariana. Both are girls of color who are part Filipino, and their ethnicity is something that furthers the power of exploring grief here -- it’s not something palatable, clean, easy, and consumable like the white media and “research” suggests it should be.
This one hit me in some tender places, as I deal with a big loss in my own life. I felt both girls’ pains deeply and saw their methods of working through it as part of my own, too. This is a quick read, but it is in no way a slight one.
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
February 15, 2020dnf @ p. 45
Sadly, this one really didn't work for me. The premise is very appealing to me, which is why I requested a review copy, it's exploring grief and guilt and the disappearance of our main character's sister. But, it's written in dual perspective and both perspectives are written in verse, and for me that was kind of the breaking point of this story for me. The stylistic differences between the two sisters was not significant enough for me to easily grasp onto which sister was experiencing which emotions. I would have much rather one perspective (probably Row's) in verse while Ariana's could have been in traditional prose. I think that would have been a very quick way to distinguish between characters and have a firmer grasp on the actual story.
Sadly, this one really didn't work for me. The premise is very appealing to me, which is why I requested a review copy, it's exploring grief and guilt and the disappearance of our main character's sister. But, it's written in dual perspective and both perspectives are written in verse, and for me that was kind of the breaking point of this story for me. The stylistic differences between the two sisters was not significant enough for me to easily grasp onto which sister was experiencing which emotions. I would have much rather one perspective (probably Row's) in verse while Ariana's could have been in traditional prose. I think that would have been a very quick way to distinguish between characters and have a firmer grasp on the actual story.
February 14, 2020
3’5
“The thing about death is that you can never fight it.
Be it bacterial or viral,
addiction or cancer, natural causes or accidents,
something is destined to kill us.
Because in the natural order of things, dying happens.”
“But without the lights turned on,
does anyone even notice
that we are broken?”
“I’m just here. The product of a failed backstory.
In German there is a word for experience, Erlebnis,
which comes from the verb erleben,
and translates as living through something.
In English, we have no succinct word
for living through something.”
“I could learn from the internet the difference
between menstrual cups, tampons, and pads.
I could learn from a Google search home remedies
on how to relieve cramps, and my questions about sex?
There were plenty of sources for that.
But what the internet lacked were any real lessons
on how to navigate this world as a young woman
who felt solely defined by her grief.”
“This young woman is productively
applying a coping strategy to manage
her feelings of sadness.”
“Maybe hope is like a turtle under ice
breathing through its shell,
through its biochemistry, still alive.
Maybe hope waits for spring to come, for the ice to thaw
for the weight of the pond that encapsulates us
to melt into nothing.
But maybe we are not meant to wait for springtime.
Maybe, instead, we are meant
to break the ice
and be free.”
“The thing about death is that you can never fight it.
Be it bacterial or viral,
addiction or cancer, natural causes or accidents,
something is destined to kill us.
Because in the natural order of things, dying happens.”
“But without the lights turned on,
does anyone even notice
that we are broken?”
“I’m just here. The product of a failed backstory.
In German there is a word for experience, Erlebnis,
which comes from the verb erleben,
and translates as living through something.
In English, we have no succinct word
for living through something.”
“I could learn from the internet the difference
between menstrual cups, tampons, and pads.
I could learn from a Google search home remedies
on how to relieve cramps, and my questions about sex?
There were plenty of sources for that.
But what the internet lacked were any real lessons
on how to navigate this world as a young woman
who felt solely defined by her grief.”
“This young woman is productively
applying a coping strategy to manage
her feelings of sadness.”
“Maybe hope is like a turtle under ice
breathing through its shell,
through its biochemistry, still alive.
Maybe hope waits for spring to come, for the ice to thaw
for the weight of the pond that encapsulates us
to melt into nothing.
But maybe we are not meant to wait for springtime.
Maybe, instead, we are meant
to break the ice
and be free.”
March 2, 2020
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! I’ll post a review shortly in advance of publication!
***Updated on 3/2/20 in accordance with publication...
3.75 stars
This is a moving verse novel written from the perspectives of two sisters, both of whom are dealing with the aftermath of their mother's death, father's remarriage, and another source of more recent familial loss.
I wish I had gotten to know the characters a bit better, but I did enjoy learning about their relationship, their independent processing of their mother's death, and their evolving sense that there could be some kind of healing on the horizon. The final scene did a lot for me in ramping up the overall quality of the work. I love the symbolism, find it totally appropriate for the audience, and think this is a great representation of how grief comes in many forms.
Overall, this is a pain-filled but hopeful work -
***Updated on 3/2/20 in accordance with publication...
3.75 stars
This is a moving verse novel written from the perspectives of two sisters, both of whom are dealing with the aftermath of their mother's death, father's remarriage, and another source of more recent familial loss.
I wish I had gotten to know the characters a bit better, but I did enjoy learning about their relationship, their independent processing of their mother's death, and their evolving sense that there could be some kind of healing on the horizon. The final scene did a lot for me in ramping up the overall quality of the work. I love the symbolism, find it totally appropriate for the audience, and think this is a great representation of how grief comes in many forms.
Overall, this is a pain-filled but hopeful work -
April 17, 2020
There was so much about this book that was done brilliantly! I love the way this book looks at grief, specifically how it shows that people grieve very differently. There are the two sisters, Ariana and Row, and they both have very different experiences of grief. There are also others in the book who are grieving and they process their grief different from the two protagonists.
I also loved the way sisterhood was portrayed. Ariana's feelings of not being enough of a sister, of feeling like she should be more simply because she is the older sister. Row's feeling of wanting the two of them to be the same, her confusion about Ariana and feeling like she doesn't know her. These were all done brilliantly.
I liked a lot of the poetry in this book but a lot of it also didn't really work for me. I also found it really difficult to distinguish between the voices of Ariana and Row. Poetry can be such a specific thing, and the way we express ourselves through poetry can be really personal so I was disappointed that there was very little separating Ariana's poetry from Row's.
I also felt that the emotional themes of the book weren't explored as deeply as I would have liked. I think this book would have benefited from being a little bit longer, or from teasing out Ariana and Row's emotional resolutions a little bit more.
I also just really hated Row's friend, Kennedy. I think she was demanding so much of Row and the narrative kind of suggests that Row should have been more open with her. Which...maybe, but Kennedy shouldn't have demanded it in the way that she did. It didn't feel like the sign of a particularly good friend and it felt like the narrative wanted us to believe that Kennedy was a really great friend to Row.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a powerful portrayal of grief, or those looking for a book exploring the complexity of sisterhood.
I also loved the way sisterhood was portrayed. Ariana's feelings of not being enough of a sister, of feeling like she should be more simply because she is the older sister. Row's feeling of wanting the two of them to be the same, her confusion about Ariana and feeling like she doesn't know her. These were all done brilliantly.
I liked a lot of the poetry in this book but a lot of it also didn't really work for me. I also found it really difficult to distinguish between the voices of Ariana and Row. Poetry can be such a specific thing, and the way we express ourselves through poetry can be really personal so I was disappointed that there was very little separating Ariana's poetry from Row's.
I also felt that the emotional themes of the book weren't explored as deeply as I would have liked. I think this book would have benefited from being a little bit longer, or from teasing out Ariana and Row's emotional resolutions a little bit more.
I also just really hated Row's friend, Kennedy. I think she was demanding so much of Row and the narrative kind of suggests that Row should have been more open with her. Which...maybe, but Kennedy shouldn't have demanded it in the way that she did. It didn't feel like the sign of a particularly good friend and it felt like the narrative wanted us to believe that Kennedy was a really great friend to Row.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a powerful portrayal of grief, or those looking for a book exploring the complexity of sisterhood.
June 30, 2020
Turtle Under Ice is such a truly moving story.
Dealing with family, friendship, identity, and the many different ways of grief, Turtle Under Ice is the type of in verse book that you know couldn't possibly be told any other way. It's heavy and poetic and sad and hopeful and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants an introspective look into what it means to lose someone and how/why/when it can be okay again to move on.
It's also fairly short so if you're trying to get into books in verse (which you always should be) it's a really good starting place.
Dealing with family, friendship, identity, and the many different ways of grief, Turtle Under Ice is the type of in verse book that you know couldn't possibly be told any other way. It's heavy and poetic and sad and hopeful and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants an introspective look into what it means to lose someone and how/why/when it can be okay again to move on.
It's also fairly short so if you're trying to get into books in verse (which you always should be) it's a really good starting place.
April 21, 2020
We follow two sisters, the one who ran away and the one who was left behind. Years ago, they were also both inadvertently left behind by their mother, who died of a heart attack in a Starbucks. One thing to remember: things are not always as they seem.
Unfortunately the book spans only a single day. I think I would have liked to see more to really understand the emotional progressions of Rowena and Ariana.
Unfortunately the book spans only a single day. I think I would have liked to see more to really understand the emotional progressions of Rowena and Ariana.
March 22, 2021
4 stars *may change
i find that i quite enjoy stories about grief...it’s very interesting.
i find that i quite enjoy stories about grief...it’s very interesting.
May 4, 2021
Left without words...
So it’s been over a day since I’ve finished this and I have no idea what to say! The characters, the development, the rawness of this all.
Depressing as heck and hard to read, but so worth it by the end. ❤️🧊🐢
So it’s been over a day since I’ve finished this and I have no idea what to say! The characters, the development, the rawness of this all.
Depressing as heck and hard to read, but so worth it by the end. ❤️🧊🐢
May 11, 2021
not rating but just putting 5 stars
March 10, 2023
heartbreaking
February 28, 2020
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for this novel in verse!
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Rowena and Ariana are sisters of Filipino heritage who are both deeply affected by the loss of their mother years ago and their stepmother’s recent miscarriage. The sisters are very different; Row is a talented soccer player with tons of friends and Ariana is quiet to the point of nearly being invisible and without hobbies or interests. One snowy morning, Row wakes to find her sister gone. Ariana has left their town on a bus to the city with an unknown destination in mind. .
.
.
Told in first person alternating free verse from each sister, the entire book takes place in one day. The girls’ grief is front and center almost as if it were a character in the book itself. While somewhat slow moving, the book is introspective on the nature of grief. The girls both speak in plain language making this novel in verse accessible for all readers. Recommended for all middle school and high school collections. .
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#middleschoollibrarian #middleschoollibrary #library #librarian #futurereadylibs #iteachlibrary #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #librariesofinstagram #librariansofinstagram #librariesfollowlibraries #librarylife #librarianlife #schoollibrarian #middlegrade #middlegradebooks #iteach #librarylove #booksbooksbooks #amreading #bibliophile #schoollibrariansrock #bookreview #bookrecommendation #igreads #malibrary #msla #mediaspecialist
.
.
.
Rowena and Ariana are sisters of Filipino heritage who are both deeply affected by the loss of their mother years ago and their stepmother’s recent miscarriage. The sisters are very different; Row is a talented soccer player with tons of friends and Ariana is quiet to the point of nearly being invisible and without hobbies or interests. One snowy morning, Row wakes to find her sister gone. Ariana has left their town on a bus to the city with an unknown destination in mind. .
.
.
Told in first person alternating free verse from each sister, the entire book takes place in one day. The girls’ grief is front and center almost as if it were a character in the book itself. While somewhat slow moving, the book is introspective on the nature of grief. The girls both speak in plain language making this novel in verse accessible for all readers. Recommended for all middle school and high school collections. .
.
.
#middleschoollibrarian #middleschoollibrary #library #librarian #futurereadylibs #iteachlibrary #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #librariesofinstagram #librariansofinstagram #librariesfollowlibraries #librarylife #librarianlife #schoollibrarian #middlegrade #middlegradebooks #iteach #librarylove #booksbooksbooks #amreading #bibliophile #schoollibrariansrock #bookreview #bookrecommendation #igreads #malibrary #msla #mediaspecialist
August 20, 2023
This is an unexpected gem of a book that I highly recommend. This is a moving and poignant novel in verse from the perspective of two sisters. Having lost their mother a few years ago, both struggle with their grief, longing for the guidance and love of their mother as they navigate life growing up. Yet, both are unable to express their shared grief and yearning for that deep sibling connection they both clearly have for each other, as told from each perspective. Top this with the regular yet tumultuous insecurities of growing up and forming close relationships, this book in verse is raw, powerful, and evocative. The two sisters’ personalities are different, yet each evoked empathy, understanding, and cheering on. I loved the depth of insight to life that this book offers its readers. While this book is classified for the YA audience, probably for targeting purposes, its themes, content, and writing are definitely applicable for a universal audience - it is beautiful and haunting, insightful and searing. Do check it out.
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