Review by Booklist Review
While most teens don't begin seriously thinking about careers before their junior year of high school, Alina Keeler is entering eleventh grade with her carefully laid plans obliterated. The ballet career she'd been training for was snatched away a few months ago when she shattered her ankle, making dancing en pointe again impossible. This is how she's come to be at her school's auditions for Singin' in the Rain with her friend Margo instead of training for the American Ballet Theatre's summer intensive with ballet bestie, Colleen. Debut novelist Turk writes with a great deal of nuance as she teases out the emotional knots behind Alina's moody exterior. Cast as "The Vamp," originally played by dancer Cyd Charisse, Alina gets initiated into the weird world of musical theater, while still grappling with the grief and pain left by her injury. Turk also draws attention to the racism embedded in classical ballet culture, forcing Japanese American Alina to reckon with the ugly side of her beloved art form. A well-choreographed story of hope, resilience, and personal growth.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Debut author Turk draws readers into the contrasting worlds of classical ballet and musical theater in this insightful story about a half-white, half-Japanese high school junior whose dreams of becoming a professional ballerina are shattered. After a bad break results in "sixteen screws and two plates" in her leg and a life without dancing en pointe, Alina faces what feels like a dismal future. Previously devoted entirely to perfecting her dance technique, she now feels distanced from her schoolmates; her former dance friend, Colleen; as well as her younger sister, who traded in ballet for modern dance a long time ago. Now, Alina's only friend is classmate Margot, who prods Alina to audition for the upcoming musical. Becoming a lead dancer in Singin' in the Rain doesn't erase all of Alina's pain, but it does open the door to new possibilities as it causes her to reflect on ballet's limitations, and introduces her to dance partner Jude, who literally and figuratively sweeps her off her feet. In addition to critiquing ballet's narrow traditions and bringing to life the energy of performing on stage, Turk details a teen's adjustments through a persuasive and winning first-person narrative. Ages 12--up. Agent: Alexandra Levick, Writers House. (May)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up--Alina Keeler, who is half white and half Japanese, was born to be a professional ballerina and that is the only life she has ever known, until a devastating accident forces her out of the ballet world and back into normal high school. Dealing with her anger is only half the battle as she decides to branch out and make new friends and audition for the school musical Singin' in the Rain. Alina's new best friend Margot, who is half Mexican, is outspoken and just the right amount of pushy and it's enough to help Alina consider leaving the past behind. Central to the story is Alina and her sister, Josie's, relationship and the cultural discrimination in the ballet industry. Josie helps Alina see that Asian and Black dancers are represented falsely in traditional ballet narratives, and Josie's dance school challenges this destructive history by providing a new look at characters in The Nutcracker. During this shift in worlds for Alina, she discovers love and heartbreak, how to reach out to her former ballet best friend, and how to tackle resentment with other emotions instead of anger. VERDICT A strong portrayal of musical theater, ballet, the arts, and culture all merged into a coming-of-age story that will resonate with teens.--Stephanie Wilkes, Good Hope M.S., West Monroe, LA
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
An injured teenage ballerina falls in love while reexamining the cultural and racial context of her beloved art. The decade Alina spent honing her ballet artistry is demolished in a split second when her leg is shattered in an accident. Struggling with depression, anxiety, and jealousy, she hides away from the world. When Alina is cast in the high school production of Singin' in the Rain, she finds herself on a roller coaster of emotions as she navigates new friendships; a potential boyfriend in the charmingly tanned, black-haired star; and the prospect of dancing again. Can Alina find the internal strength and external support to confront the systemic racism of ballet and look to the future? Rom-com elements create a familiar framework for a fresh story exploring the tension between racist traditions and culturally authentic representation in the arts. Half Japanese and half White, Alina works through her complex feelings about being gaslit into dancing the problematic Chinese Tea solo in The Nutcracker for so many years while her best friend, Colleen, who is Black, was repeatedly given the Arabian Coffee role--and less talented White dancers got better parts. Alina's compelling, realistic journey focuses on strategies to manage trauma and mental health with the goal of moving forward even when there are setbacks. The writing is engaging, sentimental moments will please romance lovers, and the hopeful, yet realistic, ending is satisfying. A love story with a refreshing focus on confronting systemic racism. (Fiction. 12-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
