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3.42 AVERAGE
3.42 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It is a YA contemporary about two friends in the most prestigious ballet school in Paris. While best friends and roommates they are in competition for the one open slot into the company the school feeds into. Very Center Stage vibes but darker.
⠀
Each young woman has her own demons to process. Kate is a brilliant dancer who is suffering from her mother’s abandonment and therefore desperately seeks love in the various men that she dances with. Marine who has the best ear for rhythm in the whole school doesn’t have the “ideal” body type so she struggles with anorexia.
⠀
I think that I appreciated the book for bringing to light the terrifying world of ballet. It is a pretty disturbing world, when I was 7 or 8 I took ballet and my ballet teacher told me not to get my hopes up because I was too fat to be a ballet dancer. This book didn’t hide any of what it’s like, bloody toes, constantly watching what you eat, painful joints, desperate desire to be perfect. The author A.K. Small is a former ballerina so she was able to tell it like it is.
⠀
But I felt for a book it didn’t really talk about consequences or healing very well. Kate for instance thinks if a man says hello to her it means they are in love and will get married. She often discusses this and no one does anything to help her. Her obsession is scary and she never gets help. Marine is obsessed with losing weight, counts how many ribs are visible on her and even after she collapses no one talks about counseling.
⠀
I will say that it was, as the cover blurb says, compulsively readable. About 10 pages in I was gonna DNF but I couldn’t stop reading. I think A.K. Small did a great job of making it hard to put down and she really brought to life that world. But I can’t recommend this one. If there was more of a healing journey or something I might have felt better.
⠀
TW/CW: anorexia, obsession, sex, abandonment by a mother, pregnancy, abortion talk, desire to lose a baby, taking of herbs to induce a miscarriage, smoking, fat shaming, body obsession
⠀
Each young woman has her own demons to process. Kate is a brilliant dancer who is suffering from her mother’s abandonment and therefore desperately seeks love in the various men that she dances with. Marine who has the best ear for rhythm in the whole school doesn’t have the “ideal” body type so she struggles with anorexia.
⠀
I think that I appreciated the book for bringing to light the terrifying world of ballet. It is a pretty disturbing world, when I was 7 or 8 I took ballet and my ballet teacher told me not to get my hopes up because I was too fat to be a ballet dancer. This book didn’t hide any of what it’s like, bloody toes, constantly watching what you eat, painful joints, desperate desire to be perfect. The author A.K. Small is a former ballerina so she was able to tell it like it is.
⠀
But I felt for a book it didn’t really talk about consequences or healing very well. Kate for instance thinks if a man says hello to her it means they are in love and will get married. She often discusses this and no one does anything to help her. Her obsession is scary and she never gets help. Marine is obsessed with losing weight, counts how many ribs are visible on her and even after she collapses no one talks about counseling.
⠀
I will say that it was, as the cover blurb says, compulsively readable. About 10 pages in I was gonna DNF but I couldn’t stop reading. I think A.K. Small did a great job of making it hard to put down and she really brought to life that world. But I can’t recommend this one. If there was more of a healing journey or something I might have felt better.
⠀
TW/CW: anorexia, obsession, sex, abandonment by a mother, pregnancy, abortion talk, desire to lose a baby, taking of herbs to induce a miscarriage, smoking, fat shaming, body obsession
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion
Moderate: Sexual content
"Nothing shadows the art of dance. It's a union of body, mind, and music. Classical dance is known for being ruthless. So commit to yourself and fight for your destiny."
Bright Burning Stars takes us into the highly competitive and intense world of classical ballet training in the Paris Opera Ballet School. We meet Kate and Marine, two girls in the top division, where only one girl and one boy will receive the final prize: an invitation to dance with the Opera Company.
They've dedicated years to learning the art of ballet, pushing their bodies and minds to be the instruments they need them to be all while holding on to their friendship. But as the competition rises and time runs out, each girl must decide what they would do in order to win.
"Would you die for The Prize?"
Even if you aren't familiar with the world of classical ballet, AK Small brings the school to life in a very relatable way. We get the details of the school, from the clothing they wear, to the tiny nooks and crannies where each student finds their own escape from the rigors of study. More importantly thought, we get an intimate examination of what this intense focus does to the body and mind of two teenage girl.
Through Marine and Kate, told through alternate narratives, we see the pressure of perfection and how it can translate to different personalities. I think this alone makes the novel highly relatable to teens, as no matter what school you attend, or where you live, the desire to fit in, to come to terms with blossoming crushes and changing friendships, these are all issues every teenager the world over faces.
Small also unflinchingly tackles much deeper and larger issues that many teenagers face. The beauty in this story isn't in the issues she raises, but in how beautifully she showcases their onset and the lingering consequences these issues leave. It isn't simply how the desire for perfection can trigger an eating disorder, but how difficult it can be to reverse the physical changes starving yourself causes. Small shows us how depression can feel. How it can grip every decision, even minor ones, so that its hold continues to lead down a spiral of negative emotions. She gives us an unflinching and raw view of grief, abandonment, hope, fear, desire, and how tricky the path of truly finding yourself is.
"I didn't want to explain. I didn't want to say that grief was like a recurring injury that erupted instinctively. People who'd never grieved didn't know."
Perhaps not every teenager will find themselves in a highly competitive world, but the issues of mental health, wanting to fit in, feeling left behind and not good enough, are all themes that will resonate on different levels with a diverse group of teens. The way Small brings these relatable emotions and struggles into a world that is foreign makes our glimpse all the more intimate and fascinating. I was hypnotized by the prose and captivated by the characters. Even when facing the blunt, ugly truth that propels the enigmatic beauty of ballet on the stage, Small makes sure that the entire experience remains firmly rooted in emotion. We feel for these girls. We understand them. We are them.
This debut is a stunning achievement, where we come to love the two girls, even when we disagree with their choices and don't understand their behavior. They become relatable even as the world they choose to live in remains mystifying. Kate and Marine could be any teen where failing is unthinkable and the emotional stakes are even higher. This is not a novel where issues are only looked at on the surface. Instead we go deep into the heart and psyche of these girls. We go through their highs and lows, and in the end, are left reeling from an experience that is entirely human. Any reader who wants an emotional journey told through mesmerizing prose, will quickly fall in love with Bright Burning Stars.
Thank you Algonquin Young Readers for my copy and for including me on this blog tour! Highly, highly recommend.
"And besides, wasn't there a difference, between splendor and intimacy?"
Bright Burning Stars takes us into the highly competitive and intense world of classical ballet training in the Paris Opera Ballet School. We meet Kate and Marine, two girls in the top division, where only one girl and one boy will receive the final prize: an invitation to dance with the Opera Company.
They've dedicated years to learning the art of ballet, pushing their bodies and minds to be the instruments they need them to be all while holding on to their friendship. But as the competition rises and time runs out, each girl must decide what they would do in order to win.
"Would you die for The Prize?"
Even if you aren't familiar with the world of classical ballet, AK Small brings the school to life in a very relatable way. We get the details of the school, from the clothing they wear, to the tiny nooks and crannies where each student finds their own escape from the rigors of study. More importantly thought, we get an intimate examination of what this intense focus does to the body and mind of two teenage girl.
Through Marine and Kate, told through alternate narratives, we see the pressure of perfection and how it can translate to different personalities. I think this alone makes the novel highly relatable to teens, as no matter what school you attend, or where you live, the desire to fit in, to come to terms with blossoming crushes and changing friendships, these are all issues every teenager the world over faces.
Small also unflinchingly tackles much deeper and larger issues that many teenagers face. The beauty in this story isn't in the issues she raises, but in how beautifully she showcases their onset and the lingering consequences these issues leave. It isn't simply how the desire for perfection can trigger an eating disorder, but how difficult it can be to reverse the physical changes starving yourself causes. Small shows us how depression can feel. How it can grip every decision, even minor ones, so that its hold continues to lead down a spiral of negative emotions. She gives us an unflinching and raw view of grief, abandonment, hope, fear, desire, and how tricky the path of truly finding yourself is.
"I didn't want to explain. I didn't want to say that grief was like a recurring injury that erupted instinctively. People who'd never grieved didn't know."
Perhaps not every teenager will find themselves in a highly competitive world, but the issues of mental health, wanting to fit in, feeling left behind and not good enough, are all themes that will resonate on different levels with a diverse group of teens. The way Small brings these relatable emotions and struggles into a world that is foreign makes our glimpse all the more intimate and fascinating. I was hypnotized by the prose and captivated by the characters. Even when facing the blunt, ugly truth that propels the enigmatic beauty of ballet on the stage, Small makes sure that the entire experience remains firmly rooted in emotion. We feel for these girls. We understand them. We are them.
This debut is a stunning achievement, where we come to love the two girls, even when we disagree with their choices and don't understand their behavior. They become relatable even as the world they choose to live in remains mystifying. Kate and Marine could be any teen where failing is unthinkable and the emotional stakes are even higher. This is not a novel where issues are only looked at on the surface. Instead we go deep into the heart and psyche of these girls. We go through their highs and lows, and in the end, are left reeling from an experience that is entirely human. Any reader who wants an emotional journey told through mesmerizing prose, will quickly fall in love with Bright Burning Stars.
Thank you Algonquin Young Readers for my copy and for including me on this blog tour! Highly, highly recommend.
"And besides, wasn't there a difference, between splendor and intimacy?"
I received a copy of Bright Burning Stars in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Bright Burning Stars is the debut novel by A.J. Small. The novel is a tale set in a French ballet school, and understandably it has a lot of the plot devices we’d hope and expect for it. But it’s more than that as well. It’s a coming of age story, a story where one has to learn what is best for them, and of course the story of the hardship dancers can come across while in training.
This novel was an interesting read, though understandable it was difficult at times. It’s so easy to forget that teenagers can be put through situations like this, for the sake of their art, but that doesn’t change the truth.
Warnings: This novel deals with a lot of the heavier elements associated with any field that is highly competitive, but especially the dance field. There’s a lot of pressure about weights shone in this novel, which understandably develops into eating problems and disorders. Likewise there’s drug use, and even a scene where one of the girls has to end her pregnancy or get dropped from the program. If these subjects are upsetting to you, consider yourself warned.
Bright Burning Stars was an enchanting yet disturbing tale of two girls in their journey to be the best. This novel may not have hit me so hard had it not been the first ballet novel I truly read (I know the synopsis of many, but I’ve never actually taken the time to read one before now), or maybe it would have. I can’t honestly say. I can say that there were points where it did hit me hard.
The juxtaposition between Marine and Kate it what really made this novel powerful, in my mind. Here we have two girls, from very different paths in life, trying to succeed in something they love: ballet. They have their own struggles with the art, and different elements where they truly shine.
The difference between how they handle the stress is where things really shine. One girl took her stress outward, while the other suppressed it. One kept making the same mistakes again and again, while the other learned from her mistakes and took action to prevent it happening again.
Seeing their stories spiral out of control, both together and apart, was truly fascinating. I don’t think the story would have been nearly so compelling had only one of them been included here. The conclusion did a great job of driving their different plots home, while also tying them back together in an unexpected manner.
Despite all of this, I do wish that I had more of a chance to know them. That sounds weird, I know. But something about everything made it feel like their emotions were muted. Likely the trauma and stress, and if so that means it was well written. Or maybe it’s the pace in which I read the novel – all in one sitting one Sunday morning.
I’m looking forward to seeing what else A.K. Small will write in the future. I absolutely loved the writing style as well as the unique perspective used for storytelling in Bright Burning Stars. For that reason I think that A.K. Small will be an author worth watching out for.
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Bright Burning Stars is the debut novel by A.J. Small. The novel is a tale set in a French ballet school, and understandably it has a lot of the plot devices we’d hope and expect for it. But it’s more than that as well. It’s a coming of age story, a story where one has to learn what is best for them, and of course the story of the hardship dancers can come across while in training.
This novel was an interesting read, though understandable it was difficult at times. It’s so easy to forget that teenagers can be put through situations like this, for the sake of their art, but that doesn’t change the truth.
Warnings: This novel deals with a lot of the heavier elements associated with any field that is highly competitive, but especially the dance field. There’s a lot of pressure about weights shone in this novel, which understandably develops into eating problems and disorders. Likewise there’s drug use, and even a scene where one of the girls has to end her pregnancy or get dropped from the program. If these subjects are upsetting to you, consider yourself warned.
Bright Burning Stars was an enchanting yet disturbing tale of two girls in their journey to be the best. This novel may not have hit me so hard had it not been the first ballet novel I truly read (I know the synopsis of many, but I’ve never actually taken the time to read one before now), or maybe it would have. I can’t honestly say. I can say that there were points where it did hit me hard.
The juxtaposition between Marine and Kate it what really made this novel powerful, in my mind. Here we have two girls, from very different paths in life, trying to succeed in something they love: ballet. They have their own struggles with the art, and different elements where they truly shine.
The difference between how they handle the stress is where things really shine. One girl took her stress outward, while the other suppressed it. One kept making the same mistakes again and again, while the other learned from her mistakes and took action to prevent it happening again.
Seeing their stories spiral out of control, both together and apart, was truly fascinating. I don’t think the story would have been nearly so compelling had only one of them been included here. The conclusion did a great job of driving their different plots home, while also tying them back together in an unexpected manner.
Despite all of this, I do wish that I had more of a chance to know them. That sounds weird, I know. But something about everything made it feel like their emotions were muted. Likely the trauma and stress, and if so that means it was well written. Or maybe it’s the pace in which I read the novel – all in one sitting one Sunday morning.
I’m looking forward to seeing what else A.K. Small will write in the future. I absolutely loved the writing style as well as the unique perspective used for storytelling in Bright Burning Stars. For that reason I think that A.K. Small will be an author worth watching out for.
For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Ballet, more specifically ballet schools is one of my favorite niches to read about so I was really excited to read this book despite its not so high ratings.
Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me. None of the characters really had any depth to them and their personalities felt very shallow to me. This lead to me have a hard time differentiating between the two POVs and I even caught myself getting confused with whose POV I was reading because they just really muddled together.
The book was pretty fast paced which made it easy to get through. I don't know how to explain the book's structure but it felt like a series of events leading up to one thing and the whole outcome was very predictable to me. The resolution was kind of disappointing because it seems like Marine and Kate's mental health issues were solved almost instantly and I would have liked it if the author spent more time on further exploring their issues/recovery.
Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me. None of the characters really had any depth to them and their personalities felt very shallow to me. This lead to me have a hard time differentiating between the two POVs and I even caught myself getting confused with whose POV I was reading because they just really muddled together.
The book was pretty fast paced which made it easy to get through. I don't know how to explain the book's structure but it felt like a series of events leading up to one thing and the whole outcome was very predictable to me. The resolution was kind of disappointing because it seems like Marine and Kate's mental health issues were solved almost instantly and I would have liked it if the author spent more time on further exploring their issues/recovery.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder
I received an arc from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
I want to find a good YA ballet book. All that I have read (about 8) are too sexualized, too catty, too over the top, and overall lacking.
This book started off with a rarity: 2 dear friends. Main and secondary characters aren’t really fleshed out. Marine is vaguely haunted by guilt
Of her dead twin brother and that’s why she wants to dance. Kate’s mother walked out on her as a child and that is why she dances. Only not really. Language and phrasings are unnecessarily flowery and odd. Typically big plots are quick and swept under the rug.
Spoilers:
Kate gets pregnant early in the book, she takes some tea, gets sick, is counseled to seek therapy, and then returns to class and dance. Only a few mentions of it later.
Kate becomes addicted to pills. Only she does initially, then it is ignored for a month or so when she understudies, then she needs them again.
Overall the ending and partner switching didn’t make sense.
Still searching for a good ballet YA that is well written and doesn’t go off the rails.
I want to find a good YA ballet book. All that I have read (about 8) are too sexualized, too catty, too over the top, and overall lacking.
This book started off with a rarity: 2 dear friends. Main and secondary characters aren’t really fleshed out. Marine is vaguely haunted by guilt
Of her dead twin brother and that’s why she wants to dance. Kate’s mother walked out on her as a child and that is why she dances. Only not really. Language and phrasings are unnecessarily flowery and odd. Typically big plots are quick and swept under the rug.
Spoilers:
Kate gets pregnant early in the book, she takes some tea, gets sick, is counseled to seek therapy, and then returns to class and dance. Only a few mentions of it later.
Kate becomes addicted to pills. Only she does initially, then it is ignored for a month or so when she understudies, then she needs them again.
Overall the ending and partner switching didn’t make sense.
Still searching for a good ballet YA that is well written and doesn’t go off the rails.