A well-constructed coming-of-age story about a youngster at a prestigious dance school in the city, who flirts with her instructor and causes the end of his career. It's a tragic tale of a young person realising the power she wields with her gender. I found it totally real and genuine, as if it were a real account, instead of out of the imagination of author Martha Schabas (yet another talented product of the East Anglia University creative writing department). Any author who can generate such reality from her mind is magnificently talented, and I await a new novel from her with excitement. This is a story of a young girl whose life revolves around ballet. Georgia has loved ballet since her parents took her to a show as a young child. Now she is a teenager and professional ballet is becoming far more serious. She auditions for a prestigious ballet school and is ecstatic when she is accepted. Sadly the happiness is short lived as she realises that ballet school is very different to what she envisioned. Slowly things start looking up again when she realises that her strict male teacher is repeatedly singling her out for extra attention. Georgia is flattered however her mis-interpretation of his actions threatens not only to ruin her dreams, but the drams of many others.
Raw, detailed and honest - which begs me to ask was it auto biographical? An act of redemption?
—hk147
I couldn't put this one down. Need time to process to write a review.
—avigil
An interesting take on ballet life, it was pretty good.
—kaymay123
Ballet! Crazy parents! Overwritten!
—Katniss
