Fist Program: The Favorites by Layne Fargo

fiction | literary (LIT)

Jaw-dropping, page-turning drama that makes you root for the underdogs.

tech box

Final Score: 206.07
≈ 5 stars

GOE: +3
PCS: 10.0

Zero deductions. A gold medal finish!

Grade of Execution (GOE)

This book was written in a way that makes you want to devour every word. At 437 pages, it's on the longer side of the books I read, but not once did I feel it was slowing down. I read this book at every chance I got, ready to devour every word. Not only that, but the plot was crafted so well that there were no places where I felt there were holes, and the story's flow was immaculate. And the interview/documentary style is a favorite of mine ever since reading Daisy Jones and The Six, so I was excited to see it here too.

For the actual skating portion, I felt like it was very accurate to the world of skating. It was clear Fargo did her research, or maybe she's just a figure skating fan herself. The actual skating was accurate, down to the moves, but I was even more impressed with the accuracy of the nature of the sport. It's messy, it's toxic at times, and especially in ice dance, it's dramatic as hell.

Program Components (PCS) - Vibe Check!

Not only was this book written wonderfully, the vibes were OFF THE CHARTS. I mean, the drama? Iconic, if you ask me. The obsession with each other, Kat's obsession with winning, it was so insane I couldn't look away. And, for me, this book automatically scored high on my list when I opened it up and saw that they were ice dancers. In my opinion, ice dance is the most dramatic of the disciplines (also my favorite!), so this was definitely the best choice for Kat and Heath. I literally finished this book and thought about it for months and months after. Like, it was insane, and I mean that in a good way.

Final Notes

Total control, sustained edges, and a partnership that makes the obsession feel inevitable.

and that's the scores!

back to the boards,

gab <3

rinkside