Turtle under Ice by Juleah del Rosario

Turtle under Ice

by Juleah del Rosario

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.

Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on

4 of 5 stars

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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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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 15 May, 2020: Finished reading
  • 15 May, 2020: Reviewed