For what did I know?

I won this book from a Goodreads First Reads giveaway, and I was very impressed with the story. This is Martha Schabas’s first book, and it did not disappoint. At first, I thought that it was going to be dry, but it was nothing of the sort. For a story about something as simple as a young ballerina striving to be the best that she can be it was a very good read with never a dull moment.

The book follows the events of a class of grade nine students at the Royal Toronto Ballet Academy, centering around Georgia Slade. Georgia has become something of a star in the eyes of the academy’s artistic director, Roderick Allen. Georgia misinterprets these attentions for those of someone who is romantically interested in her. This leads to all sorts of problems, that combined with other events, leads to the closure of the academy for a brief period, and the resignation of Allen.

While this book is mainly about ballet, and featured some technical terms that I did not understand, it was about much more. It is about the coming of age of a young girl living in a hyper-critical world. About the challenges she faces, and the pressures put on her and her peers by the image-obsessed world of ballet. Even for someone who is not keen on the idea of ballet, I think that this book would be a worthwhile read.