Alex in Winter

by Tessa Duder

Alex has swum the race of her life, but victory is hollow. Still grieving over the death of Andy, she now faces uncertainty about selection for the Olympic Games and she must decide what her... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• ISBN: 0143318063
• ISBN13: 9780143318064
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Penguin Books (NZ) Ltd
• Length: 168 Pages
• Weight: 0.44 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Great swimming novel for all ages

Alex in Winter is simply a beautiful sequel to Duder's first Alex Archer novel, appropriately titled Alex. In the second novel Alex battles her rival, Maggie Benton, for a coveted nomination to represent the Kiwis in the Rome Olympics. Even more compelling than Tessa Duder's intense descriptions of competitive swimming is the way she captures everything Alex feels, both in and out of the water. At times the pages are so wrought with emotion and loss (especially when Alex remembers Andy, her former boyfriend who died in a hit-and-run incident) that the reader will want to cry or comfort Alex. Unfortunately though Alex is merely a character on paper. I highly recommend purchasing this book in addition to its predecessor. The third and final novel in the series, Alex in Rome, does not have the same flow as the others, but it is also worth checking out.

The brilliant follow up to `Alex'

`Alex in Winter' carries on from where `Alex' left off. Alex Archer has her place in the swimming team, aling with Maggie, but events still conspire (in the shape of Mr Upjohn and Maggie's mother) to stop her from swimming at the Olympics. She is also still struggling to come to terms with Andy's death, and maintain her family relationships. This is an excellent book, and like the rest of the series, is so realistic that it makes you want to cry in parts.