This is a story about a swimmer, a daughter, a sister and a friend--but most of all it is a journey of Skye accepting and learning who she is. I connected with aSkye, and even if I haven't been in some of her unique roles as a caretaker to her brother with Down's, and I've never had any experience with competitive swimming, her struggle to find her place, and really appreciate what life has to offer even in the midst of hard times makes for a wonderful story. The way she handles things that life throws at her is understandable. She has real emotions and we get to experience them with her. What I really appreciate though is how she ultimately learns from it, and though she's not perfect, the next time she's faced with similar, she is better able to respond. I know that in my own life I've refused to learn and grow, but Skye wasn't like that and we got to see her progress and hopefully learn from it. This is an older book, but I think that it definitely deserves a chance to shine again with new readers.