1st Date of Publication: October 10, 2011
ISBN: 9780316126540
# of Pages: 300
Genre: YA Contemporary
Age Rating: 15+ (Some language)
Buy it on Amazon
Book Description: As a dancer with the ultra-prestigious Manhattan Ballet Company, nineteen-year-old Hannah Ward juggles intense rehearsals, dazzling performances and complicated backstage relationships. Up until now, Hannah has happily devoted her entire life to ballet. But when she meets a handsome musician named Jacob, Hannah's universe begins to change, and she must decide if she wants to compete against the other "bunheads" in the company for a star soloist spot or strike out on her own in the real world. Does she dare give up the gilded confines of the ballet for the freedoms of everyday life?
Setting: Manhattan, New York in the 21st Century
Point of View: First Person- Hannah Ward
Goodreads Rating: 3.73
My Rating: 4
Part of the Book that Caught My Attention: Cover
View on the Cover: It shows the beauty of the ballerinas' dresses as a whole group.
View on the Title: It made me a little unsure because it seemed like an odd word and did not know what it meant, but I figured it was some sort of ballet lingo.
Pros:
- The beauty and hard work of performing ballets through the viewpoint of a corps dancer, Hannah Ward. You could tell the author, Sophie Flack, was a ballet dancer herself.
- It represents real questions and problems that older teenagers/early 20s have to deal with.
- Should she hope for solos, which means harder work and less of a life, or get out of the comfort zone and learn about the world outside of ballet?
- Should she follow her heart or continue only what she knows?
- Several arts are recognized. Ballet, or course, is an art of dance, but Jacob (the main male character) is a musician/poet. There are also a few visits to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Jacob is an attractive college student at NYU who is humorous and brings out the best in Hannah.
Cons:
- Hannah is a little frustrating sometimes when it comes to the two men in her life, Jacob and Matt. She knows that she has feelings for Jacob but turns him down several times. Whenever Matt asks her out, she does not follow through with her "no." Although, I think part of that had to do with the fact that he is a wealthy sponsor of the ballet.
- She compares herself to others based on their success. At one point in the novel, she develops a little cleavage and she is told that she has gained too much which means she has to lose the chest. Competition is healthy until a certain point is reached.
Critics' Reviews:
"Readers, both dancers and 'pedestrians' (the corps' term for nondancers), will find Hannah's struggle a gripping read." -Publishers Weekly
"Ballet's gritty inside story...[The novel] depicts a world where the characters' most intimate friends are also their greatest obstacles to success." -The Wall Street Journal
"A glimpse into the life of a professional dancer." -Teen Vogue
Sophie Flack's Website:
Other Recommendations:
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
Somebody Everybody Listens To by Suzanne Supplee
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