Review: The Next Competitor

Title: The Next Competitor
Author: K.P. Kincaid
Publisher: Prizm Books
Publication Date: 13 January 2010
Reviewed Format: ebook
Length: 237 pages

Rating: 4 out of 5

Review: Alex has trained his entire life for an Olympic gold in figure skating. He's focused, he's driven, he's not looking for anything like love--it's too much of a distraction. Matt trains with his partner Mylene at the same rink, a low-key figure that blends into the background. So why is Alex suddenly noticing him so much? When tragedy strikes, Alex is there for Matt and support and sympathy soon grow into something more. There's still the quest for gold to contend with, though, and Alex must decide what he truly wants--and what he's willing to give up.

I have to confess that I don't usually read YA, but if this book is representative I may need to start.

Alex is a bit of a brat, outspoken, inconsiderate, and blunt. It's easy to dislike him at the start, actually. Throughout the course of the story, though, he definitely grows, so that I went from wanting him to stop whining to rooting for him in all he did. The story is told from Alex's point of view, so as he grows, so too do the other characters, evolving from the caricatures he originally views them as into their own people.

Matt is sweet enough to begin with, but does his own growing, too. He develops from a fairly cardboard background character (again, viewed from Alex's point of view) into the kind of person I would love to know. His upset over Mylene is heart-breaking, and I couldn't help but smile the next time he skated.

Alex and Matt as a couple were adorable, when Alex wasn't being a dick. I loved their relationship overall, seeing how they fit and how they fought. Matt provided stability that Alex desperately needed, while Alex was Matt's kick in the pants. I could believe their relationship, and see it continue to develop and grow after the story ended. I wish there was a sequel following more of their development as a couple, actually, as the way they worked together was addictively appealing.

Given that this is a YA story, there was no graphic sex in it, which is a refreshing change from the blow-by-blow most stories written for adults offer. Not to say that they didn't have sex--there's no mistake about that--but it's shown in what's not said, nicely glossed over and alluded to rather than blatant.

The story itself was interesting, too, even if the first person present tense point of view took some getting used to. The author's knowledge of and love for the subject of figure skating was impossible to miss but not overwhelming, explained just enough to be understood by one not as familiar with the subject but not quite drowning them in it. I'm still not entirely sure I'm keeping all the organizations and events straight, but that didn't impact my enjoyment of the story; if I wanted to know all the ins and outs, I'd find some non-fiction, so turning my brain off and just enjoying the story was fine.

One quick note, though: it's harakiri, not hari-kari. A (very) minor quibble, but it made me sigh.

For all that I wasn't quite certain I really wanted to delve into a story on men's figure skating, I'm glad in the end that I did. I'm happy to have met Alex and Matt, and look forward to revisiting their story some day.