Taylor Swift’s “22” at first listen sounds like a total celebration of a 22nd birthday. Released as part of her fourth studio album, “Red,” the track captures the heartache of the past while focusing on future possibilities. “22” is a mix of musical genres including elements of dance-pop, ’90s rock, and disco and is often described as Swift’s “most blatantly “pop song” up to its release in 2013.
Did you know that in a Billboard interview Swift said “22” captures the “possibilities of how you’re still learning, but you know enough. […] that brings about a carefree feeling that is sort of based on indecision and fear and the same time letting loose”. Critics remarked on the depiction of conflicting emotions of early adulthood and found the track to be escapist and carefree in direct contrast to the rest of the album.
The song is a catchy tune that describes the possibilities and indecision of new adults looking to dress up and hang out. Are you ready to dive into book that encompasses “We’re happy, free, confused and lonely at the same time” ?
22 Book Recommendation
Icebreaker by Hannah Grace is the first book in the UCMH series which follows the athletes at a California university. Originally self-published Icebreaker grew in popularity that it was picked up a few months later by Atria books and published as a paperback in 2022.
Icebreaker follows Anastasia Allen a competitive ibeskater with a focused olympic dream and Nathan Hawkins the captain of the hockey team. A misunderstanding with the schools hockey rink forces the two to work together. Grace finds a way to highlight the stress of competitive sports in an academic environment and hits on the mental and physical toughness required. She also drives home the point that athletes are prone to extracurricular activities and this book showcases such a wide variety.
The book is admittedly not my favorite! I thought there was a lot going on while simultaneously having nothing going on. The plot is all over the place while relaying heavily on smut to further a relationship between two characters that remind me of Wuthering Heights and not in a good way. I found Anastasia or Stassie to be a conceited adolescent who did not develop enough through out the book to be redeemable. Honestly I felt bad for Nate and his insta love plot line. BUT just because it’s super easy for me to hate on this book it doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy it. It honestly is the first book that comes to mind when I think of “22”.
The book fits the theme of the song because it shows how two driven athletes can really get caught up in the here for a good time mentality. Both Stassie and Nathan are trying to balance demanding sports, college, and their development into adulthood. The book reflects the essence of the song’s lyrics, such as:
- “Yeah, We’re happy, free confused and lonely at the same time/ It’s miserable and magical, oh yeah/ Tonight’s the night when we forget about the deadlines”
- I think this perfectly captures the mentality of Stassie as she navigates her situationship with Nathan and her iceskating.
- “I don’t know about you But I’m feeling 22/ Everything will be alright if / You keep me next to you”
- Nate is a total golden retriever personality chasing after Stassie. There are a number of times he expresses his belief that everything will be all righ as he tries to get closer to her.
- “It seems like one of those nights/ This place is too crowded/ Too many cool kids […]/ we ditch the whole scene”
- There are a number of party scene throughout the book. The parties and drinking often serve as the springboard for Stassie and Nate’s physical relationship.
- “You look like bad news/ I gotta have you”
- I can’t actually tell you how many times they ditched the whole scene but I know for a fact there was a time they should have waited. If you have read the book you know I’m talking about the backseat of the uber.
If you are looking for a hockey/ ice skating romance with all of the college vibes, you should definitely check out Icebreaker by Hannah Grace. You can find it on Amazon, Goodreads, or your local bookstore. Happy reading! 😊
Don’t forget to check out another blog and follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube! Where Chantelle has posted her video review of Icebreaker!
Show & Tell Book Nook Rating:
Genre: Romance
Category: New Adult
Stars: ⭐⭐ /5
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 /10
Books with excessive and explicitly descriptive sex scenes. This would likely be a “R” rating within a movie rating system.
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