The Bone Cage

by Angie Abdou

Digger, an 85-kilo wrestler, and Sadie, a 26-year-old speed swimmer, stand on the verge of realizing every athlete’s dream – winning a gold medal at the Olympics. Both athletes are nearing the end of their careers, and are forced to confront the question: what happens to athletes when their bodies are too worn to compete? The blossoming relationship between Digger and Sadie is tested in the intense months leading up to the Olympics, which, as both of them are painfully aware, will be the realization or the end of a life’s dream.

Genres: Fiction, Canada, Sports, Book Club, Literary Fiction, Canadian Literature, Contemporary

244 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 17, 2006

About the author

Angie Abdou was born and raised in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. She received an Honours B.A. in English from the University of Regina, an M.A. from the University of Western Ontario, and a Ph.D. from the University of Calgary. She is an Associate Professor of Creative Writing at Athabasca University. She makes her home in the Canadian Rockies along the BC/Alberta border with her two children. She has published eight books: a short story collection, four novels, a collection of essays, and two memoirs. Her first novel, The Bone Cage, was a finalist for Canada Reads 2011. The Canterbury Trail was a finalist for Banff Mountain Book of the Year and won a 2012 IPPY, Gold Medal for Canada West. In Case I Go was a finalist for a Banff Mountain Book Award in the fiction and poetry category and Chatelaine magazine called it one of the most rivetting mysteries of 2017. Her memoir, Home Ice, recieved a starred review in Booklist, which called it "a first-rate memoir and a fine example of narrative nonfiction [and] also a must-read for parents with youngsters who play organized sports."

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's a difference between fact and truth, and fact doesn't matter in fiction writing, but truth does. Abdou writes something along that line in her acknowledgements, and it's clear how well that method works in this story of two Olympic hopefuls training in Calgary for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. These are fictional characters, but felt so true to read about. Every smell, sight, and sensation is described, making it so easy to believe in and empathize with Sadie and Digger and all they go through. Sometimes third person narration can't move me; I just don't connect to the characters or whatever. Not the case with The Bone Cage. It's a wonder. Even the supporting characters, like parents and fellow athletes, are perfectly fleshed out.

And, seriously, the play by play descriptions of the wrestling match and the CBC documentary are dead on perfect. I can't say anything else, except that I'm so glad Canada Reads brought this book to my attention!

[Kristene Perron · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I knew about The Bone Cage, when I picked it up, was that it had something to do with Olympic swimming. How surprised I was to find, in those pages, vivid memories of my own past brought to life, with stunning realism, and characters who embodied both the glory and tragedy of sport.

The beauty of The Bone Cage is its deceptive simplicity. This is the story of two aspiring Olympic athletes, Sadie and Digger, facing the end of their competitive journey. One last chance to try for Olympic gold, one last kick at the can. Taken on that level, the story is straightforward, though with some tension-inducing plot twists. The protagonists are underdogs and it’s hard not to cheer for them.

Take a step back, however, and you see that this is the story of us all. In our youth, we race forward, eyes on the future, filled with possibility. Then, one day, we wake up and must confront our limitations, our mortality, the painful realization that we might not even come close to reaching our dreams. Face to face with that eternal question, “What does it all mean?”, how we choose to deal with that defines us.

Abdou recreates the daily life of these elite athletes perfectly. I found myself laughing aloud at Sadie’s omnipresent chlorine scent, (having dated a competitive swimmer for several years). I admit I may be biased by my own experience with physical training but the small details of these characters' routines captivated me. When you train and compete at this level, your world narrows, and Abdou captures this wonderfully with Digger’s small, tightly-knit band of fellow wrestlers and the tiny constellation of ‘friends’ in Sadie’s world. Add to that dynamic, the sad fact that victory and defeat often arrive hand-in-hand among these friends, and you get a complex mix of pathos and camaraderie.

Success and failure, glory and obscurity, strength and weakness, The Bone Cage explores the polarities of an athlete’s life with compassion and insight.

I tore through this novel and cried buckets at the end. (Always the sign of a job well done). Kudos to Angie Abdou and I can hardly wait to dig into her latest, The Canterbury Trail!

[Emily Ferko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy moly. Angie Adbou should have a spot in every Canadian’s bookshelf. She had me at page one - the hopes, fears, routines and dreams of these characters were my own. I finished the last line, shut the book and said out loud “THAT is a novel.” Angie, I’m in awe. Thank you.

[Joanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only knew about this book through Canada Reads, and this is the third one I've read, with The Complete Essex County and The Best Laid Plans to go. Having heard the radio debates before reading this, I did keep in mind that this didn't get a very positive reception from the judges, but after reading it, that is a disappointment because like Georges Laraque said, this is quite an accessible book. And although by the end of the week that word did seem to carry a negative connotation, I don't mean to say that the writing is too simple or the book is 'dumbed down' for the masses, but that the story is relatable because it talks about the process of working towards a life's dream and the disappointment that is always lurking beneath it all. I suppose this was always the choice to take out of the race, along with the graphic novel, but both deserved better.

This story centers around Digger (Tom Stapleton), who is a wrestler preparing himself to make the Olympic trials for the 2000 Sydney Games, and Sadie, a swimmer who is doing just the same. Their stories do not intersect at all to start off with, which is all well because the peripheral characters that make up the support system for these two are worth getting to know: their coaches, fellow trainees and confidants, parents, etc. Fly, Digger's friend, was easily my character for the humour he brought to whatever situation he happened to be in.

I am about as far from an Olympian as you can be, and I still enjoyed this story very much. I was looking forward to Sadie's story because I do enjoy swimming, albeit for leisure, but Digger's training was just as gritty and real - at some points it was like a chess match, his mind furiously going through the moves he could use to gain points and take down his opponent. The descriptions for the sports never do get tiring for me, I could nearly smell the chlorine from the pool, sense the constant pressure to keep shaving time off from their swims, sweat dripping from the athletes as they grind through their practices.

I'm not sure how long this book will stay in the public's conscience - even the Vancouver Games are fading fast from our memories - but it is a worthy read. It's not often I care about both protagonists; all too often the prose will be wonderful to read but the fates of the characters don't seem to be foremost on my mind. Not with these two. I cared about Sadie and Digger's journeys, and whether or not they'll finally make it to the Olympics to give it their all.

I'd definitely recommend this book. Angie Abdou has an almost methodical prose, in a complimentary sense, because the pacing ticks along and there's never a boring moment. The story moves. Some chapters are written with a near short story flourish because she compacts everything so smartly within the boundaries, but strung together, it makes quite a visceral read.

[Elinor · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best novels educate you, and this one taught me so much about professional sport. It follows the progress of two young competitors, a female swimmer and a male wrestler, on their gruelling path to the Olympics, and the years of enormous mental and physical sacrifices involved to be a serious athlete. As someone who is not terribly competitive I don't really understand the lure of a medal, but that's exactly why this novel was so informative. Kudos to the author for exploring a subject that is largely a mystery to most people outside the sporting world. It should be recommended reading for kids who want to pursue their dreams of Olympic glory, and their parents.

[❀ Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Canada Reads approaches, I have enjoyed reading The Bone Cage which was a previous Canada Reads contender. I actually recall listening to the 2017 show while driving to a meeting. It is a story of grit, resilience, hard work and sweat. The story alternates between a swimmer and a wrestler. It demonstrates the toll that competitive sport takes on a body and makes a reader reflect on how easy things can change.

As a parent of 4 (retired) competitive swimmers, I can easily relate to the early mornings, the smell of chlorine that they sweated out their pores and the countless hours at meets. I didn't know so much about wrestling but after the descriptions of sweaty, slippery bodies striving for advantage, I am thankful to have spent so much time at the pool.

This book is real, descriptive and thought-provoking. I am not sure why it has been on my shelf for so long!!

[Pooker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having just read Trevor Cole's *Norman Bray in the Performance of His Life* and come to the shocking conclusion that I might be just as self-absorbed as Norman, I am, nevertheless, going to begin this review in just such a way.

I am a woman of a certain age, as women of a certain age are apt to say, but despite that I still harbour what some might say is an unrealistic notion that I will yet compete in the Olympics.

My siblings would not find this notion odd or unrealistic in any way, even as they too attain an age of certain-ness. That's because starting from early childhood we've all been quite confident that we could run, walk, swim, jump, throw, cycle, skate, row, ski, fight or play fast enough, far enough, high enough and well enough to get into the Olympics if we wanted to. We know this because we competed in our own Olympics every summer and have the medals to prove it. Of course in addition to the regular Olympic events such as the 100 metre dash and the long jump, we added ring toss because our Dad was good at it (and promised that who ever beat him would get a Dairy Queen chocolate malted milkshake on the next trip to town) and we added stick races in the roadside ditch for our baby brother because everyone should have a chance for at least one medal.

And we "trained" daily, both purposely (as when my brother and I worked up a sweat and sunstroke by each taking an oar in our wooden barge of a rowboat and rowing as hard as we could in an effort to create a wake and waves sufficiently large to make it to shore) and despite ourselves (as when we road our bikes as hard as we could to make it up the townhall hill without dismounting - just because to get off would be so "feeb").

My siblings and I were/are blessed with good genes. We're healthy, mean and lean - as indeed, are all of our children. We are all fiercely competitive. Yet none of us have been to the Olympics or even tried to get there(despite the belief that we could and even still will) and none of us have entered into any serious formal training to that end. Why I wonder? It is not for lack of talent. Nor was it for want of opportunity. Nor was it a case of lack of discipline. So what is the difference between me, my siblings, and every other reasonably talented athlete out there and the Olympian?

I approached Angie Abdou's book with the hope that I'd find the answer to that question.

Meet Digger (Thomas Stapleton), a wrestler in his early thirties and Sadie Jorgenson, a twenty-six year-old swimmer, each about to realize a life-long dream of competing in the Olympics. Both have qualified to represent Calgary (as the Calgary media is quick to say) and Canada in the 2000 Bejing Olympics. Both realize this is likely to be their last chance for the "big show" and both are anxious not to let this opportunity slip away.

My first thought about this situation was, "Twenty-six and thirty? Cripes, when I was that age I was spending time at a skating rink, yes every day, starting at 5:30 a.m. But not for me." No, I was there watching my own young Olympic hopefuls twirl around the ice. I had (looking back on it anyway) a marvelously full life - a husband, two children, an education, a job, three meals a day to shop for and prepare, umpteen loads of laundry, friends and relatives to visit and entertain, songs to sing and open roads to travel. Who would choose a life like Sadie's - living in one's parents' home with each day, after day, after day, unfolding in the same way, "swim, eat, work, eat, sleep, eat, weights, eat, swim, eat, sleep."

Sadie does it because since she was fourteen she believed (or had instilled in her) she has "the burning desire to be a champion". Digger, because wrestling was the right sport for his body. Um, there must be more to Digger's story. Why else?

When I think about the dream that my brothers and sisters and I had to be in the Olympics, a dream that we all still crazily have, I think the difference is that it is just one of many dreams. It is not the be-all and end-all. It does not define us. We did have the "burning desire" to beat each other. We did have the "burning desire" to beat the person in the blocks beside us. We did not have the all- consuming desire to be champion of the world or to allow the pursuit of that to interfere with our other dreams or to define who we were.

Sadie and Digger intrigued me. I worried about them. I can't say I loved them; I suspect, because no love was being reflected back at me. I don't think they were really capable of loving anyone, not themselves, each other or anyone. They didn't have time for that; it was conditioned out of them. They did sometimes feel guilty about being selfish, but as Digger put it, the Olympic motto is "swifter, higher, stronger"; it does not include "kinder".

I worried about the them because I wanted them to keep the "kinder". Yet I saw them losing that human quality, Digger in particular when he erupts in anger far too often, even going so far as to slug his best friend (yet Fly accepts that) and when he avoids contact with Sadie (yet Sadie accepts that). They were, as would be Olympic athletes, becoming less than human - like machines, like animals. And, the author provides us with lots of fuel to make that comparison.

I found it interesting that they dated and hung around only with each other, much like police officers do, because nobody but other Olympian wanna-bes could understand what they go through. But their relationships were tenuous at best. They were, after all, in competition with each other. Katie was being groomed for Sadie's spot in the same way that Sadie was for Lucinda's.

I have no doubt that Sadie was fond of her Grandmother. That relationship was a good one: grandchild/grandparent relationships frequently are. And yet even so, Sadie felt the need to legitimize herself to even her grandma (who I doubt required anything of the sort)by winning a medal.

Even by the end of the story I remained worried for Sadie and Digger and wondered if there really was any hope for a "normal" loving relationship between them after the big show. Or was it true, as Sadie quotes Mark Tewksbury as saying, "The Olympics leaves its athletes broken souls."

For all my worrying though the book was pure pleasure to read, a fully immersing experience. I could see, hear, feel,and smell this book. It is, as I've read the author say somewhere, a "sweaty" book. I was reminded, more than once, of the first time in high school I had walked into the boy's gym and experienced the pungent eye-stinging stench of male sweat. I remember thinking then, "Good grief! Do they never take their gym clothes home to be washed!" and I often wrinkled my nose while reading the wrestling scenes in this book. Abdou's description of a wrestling match was superb. I could see and hear the grunts and squeaks and the grappling and bodies slapping on the mats as if I were present in the arena. It was fast paced and exciting.

I could feel how Sadie's body craved the water, much in the same way a smoker craves the next cigarette. I could hear the rush of water past her ears and, almost as if I was doing it myself, I could feel the feet over head, feet over head, feet over head somersaults of her entry into the pool.

For all that immersion in the life of an athlete though I have no desire to hit the gym or the pool. I do, however, have the burning desire to challenge my Dad to a game of ring toss. I have the burning desire for a chocolate malted milkshake.

[Heather(Gibby) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great novel that really got to the highs and lows of dedicating your life to your sport to the detriment of everything in your life.

The writing is superb

[Stephanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh my, this book was so bad on so many levels. I chose to read it b/c it was nominated for the Canada Reads debates, but it didn't come into library in time anyway, yet I continued to read it. The Canadian author was just trying way too hard to do a Canadian novel that it is almost a parody. Also, the story is about two Calgary athletes training for the Olympics, but the training and descriptions are just way too detailed for the average reader, and I found myself not caring at all. The characters are so cliche as to make them uninteresting and in some ways annoying. The story is also largely predictable. The writing style is horrible, too cliche, trying too hard and just nothing unique or creative whatsoever. And it's not even one of those good, fluffy reads with a story "delicious" enough to excuse the bad writing. Dare I go on? I cannot believe that someone nominated this book for Canada Reads.

[brian dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chased the Olympic Dream when I was younger and really, l now, in reading this book, realized how mildly I did so. The characters in this book are all working to prepare for the Olympics and struggling with training injuries, family crises and the rest. Yet, the book is not melodramatic. The problems the athletes face are not over-the-top and they don't solve all of them, either. Good luck at the Olympics, Digger.

[Peachyteachy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I read it last year and it still resonates with me, particularly right now during the Olympics. I love the way you smell the pool and feel the pain and sweat of the athletes during training - all because Abdou writes so sensuously. Pick this quick read up if you haven't already read it.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this such an interesting look at the lives of these two athletes - their goals, daily schedules, relationships with their families, and how they see themselves (and are seen by others). I agree with L that there is a lot to talk about with the ending....

[Dennis Moore · Rating 1 out of 5]

Warning spoilers ahead!

I’m not sure why this book is held in high regards. It’s boring and doesn’t really have a plot. There’s no discernible climax, and the in the end nothing is addressed by the characters. There are some speeches made by the characters criticizing the nature of athletes training their lives away, and these are interesting, but also feel very out of place for the character. It is like the author was thinking, “ok, now it’s time for this epic speech!” And just picks a character at random to deliver it. Also, who is this book for? It’s written like a YA novel, but the characters are too old for that to be the target audience. The material is a little too mature at times for that as well. Do not read this unless you want to read a book about training with no real payoff.

[Ali Funk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good writing, nice Canadian content! Never been more glad not to be an Olympian! Kind of hated the twist that happened 2/3 through.

[Magdelanye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Libraries, like most stores, usually have a row of temptations close by the check out. It is here that even those who have managed to be disciplined whilst browsing for the items on their list, sometimes succumb.
So I plucked this book from the shelf, the Canada Reads certificate on the cover giving me some kind of endorsement to add to my pile which now exceeded my self imposed limit of 6 books per visit.
The cover itself is lovely, an undulating blue revealing a swimmer underwater, and the title resonated with one of my favorite books this year.
so there I was, unpacking my acquisitions to place on the shelf I reserve for library books. I opened it for the first time. What had I done? This was a tale of Olympic aspirants! Not my cup of tea!

When the games were held in my town, I was part of a coalition formed to oppose the negative effects that event catalyzed: the displacement of the elderly and vulnerable from their homes, the residential hotels that were gentrified for Olympic tourists, the extravagant Olympic village, the disruption of traffic and regular commerce etc. Needless to say I boycotted the event.
So this book about jocks training for an event I disapproved of was the perfect thing to practice what I am learning about aversion and compassion.
Even so, If the book had been poorly written, I'm not sure I would have carried on. But in fact the characters were actually more lively than the POV that each represented: the winner, the loser, the one who never really had much of a chance. So even though the world of competitive sport is still a bit repugnant to me, I feel I did gain heaps more understanding of that world. The issues raised here are relevant and actually pertinent in a more general way.
the writing is skillfull. A lot of attention is given the visceral, and I could smell the trace of chlorine and funky towels wafting from the pages. Ugh! I still don't understand how anyone could bear to dedicate their life to sport, and the discipline required is incomprehensible to me. thanks to this modest book, I will not need to sneer at those who have dedicated themselves to its pursuit.

[Sharon Stoneman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every so many years the Olympics rolls around and we cheer on our athletes, moaning when they don't perform to expectations, celebrating their successes. And when the games are over we return to our lives and, for the most part, don't think about those athletes until the next round of competition. We all love the hard luck story, the competitor who overcomes incredible odds to compete and even win. But we really don't have any idea of what it actually takes to compete at that level.

Angie Abdou gives us two Olympic level competitors - one a swimmer, the other a wrestler. They are both late in their careers, and have both qualified for the 2000 Olympics. We follow their training in the run up to those games. We see the discipline, the dedication, the boredom, the commitment that is an athlete's life. We also meet their families, their coaches and team mates - and see what the Olympic quest asks of all of them.

Both athletes compete in singular sports - one swims, the other wrestles - no skates, bikes, kayaks, volleyballs, no team sports. Their bodies are their instruments and Abdou creates the world of the body - the aches and pains, the exhilaration, the sounds the smells the sensations. These athletes live in a world of sensation, one that Abdou helps us feel.

Whatever the physical talent, high level athletic competition is a mental game and Abdou shows us the mind set of these competitors.

I really enjoyed a peek into this world, and my respect for these competitors, for their talent, their discipline and commitment is increased.

[Johnna · Rating 5 out of 5]

couldn't put this book down. It's the first time in ages I've stayed up all night reading. Finally, there's a book where we actually care about the characters -- where they come alive as real flawed (yet loveable) humanbeings. The Bone Cage is set in the context of elite athletics and captures the physicality, sensuality, and euphoric highs of amateur sport, as well the darker, cruel side of sport programs. With realism and humour, author Angie Abdou captures athletes on the brink of that transition—the lead-up to that looming redefinition of self—and explores how people deal with the loss of their dream. I would highly recommend this book to anyone (old, young, man, woman). It's a very quick and lively read with a great deal of humour. Although the characters are athletes, the book's relevance extends far beyond the sporting world. Abdou hits on universal themes related to aging. Our bodies define who we are and as our bodies change with age, so too must the way in which we are viewed by ourselves and others. This experience may be intensified in the athletic world, but it is something we all face. Abdou also captures the heart-wrenching experience of letting go of a dream -- another theme that extends far beyond the athletic world that she conveys so beautifully. Definitely recommend this book to anyone who has competed in sports (especially wrestling and swimming) but it is also a great peek into a new world for those unfamiliar with high-level athletics.

[Steven Langdon · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Bone Cage" was chosen as one of the CBC's Canada Reads selections for 2011, underlining how fine a novel it is. Set in the competitive world of high-performance sports, the book focuses on Digger, a wrestler, and Sadie, a swimmer, both preparing for the Olympics. The search for success drives both, yet their lives, and the novel, become charged by their relationship with each other -- each are drawn to the other by physical desire that is deepened further by their recognition of their common battle to achieve sports excellence.

Yet dreams cannot always be realized, and the depth of this novel comes from the struggles that both its main characters must endure to accept that reality. This is Angie Aboud's first novel, and she writes with sensitivity and skill -- about the intensity of sport and how games ultimately collide with life.

[LibraryCin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sadie is a swimmer; Digger is a wrestler. They are both training in Calgary for the Sydney Olympics in 2000. They are both at the end of their careers, so this Olympics will be their last shot. In addition to the training, they have things going on in their personal lives and about half-way through the book, they do meet.

This was probably good timing to be reading this, just after the Rio Olympics. I'm not that much “into” sports, so I wasn't sure how much I'd like this one, but I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it so much. The author is a swimmer, so she could go into behind-the-scenes details most of us wouldn't know. The chapters are told from alternating viewpoints and I enjoyed the personal stories of Sadie and Digger, particularly Sadie. Since the book was mostly set in the city I live, it's always fun to read about places you know, as well.

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book much more than I expected to. I felt that the descriptions I'd heard of it were not an accurate representation of the main story. This was advantageous to me since I felt I could relate to it more this way. I thought that the author chose to include specific aspects and end the story at an interesting place. This, for me tied in with one of the points the book was making. I read this for Canada Reads this year, and I would recommend this book to others. Don't be deterred by the fact that you think that you can't relate to the subject, I didn't find this to be a problem. Its not that long and is quite a quick read, but enjoyable none the less.

[Hayley Dube · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read. Book was very interesting. Digger is a wrestler striving to become an Olympian and go to the Olympics in Sidney. Sadie is a swimmer who practices two times a day for two hours every time, on her spare time she works at the cage and lifts weights. That's where she meets Digger another fellow Olympian from Calgary. My favorite part was when Digger and Sadie were together. This book is full of hardships an athlete has to deal with.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

The characters in The Bone Cage jump off the page at you. I read this book in one sitting right before the Beijing olympics - it's addictive, engrossing and even informative. The theme is obviously sports, but there's a great human dynamic too that would fit in with lots of genres, makes it an easy fit nomatter what you like to read. Really enjoyed it.

[Kiley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A visceral book that almost makes you sweat along with the two athletes as they train for the Olympics. I enjoyed its non-Can-litness and almost masculine tone/style; definitely different from what I normally read. I found it really grew on me and that I appreciate it more after finishing than at certain points in the book.

[Alison DeLory · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took my a while to become immersed, but once that happened I speed read to the end. The timing of my reading this book, in the weeks leading up to the Olympics, helped me enjoy it more since it is about two athletes training for the Games. What I enjoyed the most was learning about the rigours of training, both physically and mentally.

[Linda Godsoe Ewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this little book and find myself still thinking of it (always a good sign it's made an impression on me). The writing is direct and spare and the story is one that makes one think about those things that drive us, and perhaps more importantly WHY they do.

[Johanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love books that open another world to me and this one did. I could relate to the reinventing yourself. A passion is a passion and we are often driven by them and lost when they come to naught.

[Rach · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliantly insightful novel about what makes one's life meaningful, and how to pick up the pieces of your life when all your dreams have been shattered.

Elite athletes live a different life than most of us - many years spent so intensely focused on very particular goals, at the expense of their lives, their families, their bodies. So what happens when their bodies give out and their competitive days are over? What if they fought as hard as they could, and it still wasn't enpugh to reach their goals? What if a twist of fate sent them down a radically different path? It's just. It's so sad. How do you get past the feeling of things being left so incomplete, of never knowing if you were good enough to win? What next?

Those are the issues that Sadie, Digger, and their friends are wrestling with through out this book. In the end, I'm not sure anyone has it figured out, but all you can do is try: try to let go of the way things were, and try to build a new sense of self worth, one that is not tied to competition and your identity as an athlete. I want to give Sadie a big hug. Her journey is so rough and raw and real. It's entirely relatable, to see her look back at her team and suddenly feel like she doesn't belong.

Every athlete has to move on eventually, but it's how you do it that shapes the rest of your life. I like that there is no firm resolution in the story about that, because for everyone, that's going to look different.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging novel about two athletes preparing for the Olympics. The chapters flip between the wrestler and swimmer, and of course their stories connect about half way. At that point the book was a bit nature YA romance-y for my taste, but the theme of dedicating one's life to a short-lived profession and what life will or won't be afterwards was poignant. It is also a good look at high-level amateur sports in Canada, so anyone thinking about that life might be interested in this novel.
Well written enough, too.

[Katelynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had this book on my shelf but have never been able to get into it. I think I got it in a little free library. As I try to make my way through my shelf, I wasn’t super excited to read this one. But. It’s not a book about swimming. It’s a book about the end of things, of the things that we end that we think define us. A book about when other people don’t have to make hard decisions to end.

I really, really liked it. Knocked it down one star for some of the repetition but it was a solid read.

[Alison Jacques · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Short chapters that alternate between the viewpoints of two characters: swimmer Sadie and wrestler Digger, both elite athletes at the top of their game but also the end of their careers, headed to the Olympics. The author was a competitive swimmer and does a very good job, I think, of portraying what it's like for a sport to be one's whole life — until it isn't. I found it fascinating.