Scan barcode
bobblegom's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Es fällt sehr leicht, sich in Alina hineinzuversetzen. Ihre Gedanken, Gefühle, Hintergründe und Intentionen werden klar und dennoch malerisch dargestellt. Das Buch war mitreisend und ich freute mich bei jedem Kapitel, Alinas Geschichte weiter zu folgen.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
stories's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Yes yes yes. I loved this.
The emotional agony of injury and losing your dreams.
The social confusion of starting again and navigating family and school relationships when your world has been upended.
The joy of art and dance: ballet or music theatre.
Making mistakes and owning mistakes and making amends.
Intersectionality and societal racism and sexism and hopes and dreams for a better tomorrow.
Finding connections and finding identity with all the messy honesty of high school and a side of balletic passion.
I loved it.
The emotional agony of injury and losing your dreams.
The social confusion of starting again and navigating family and school relationships when your world has been upended.
The joy of art and dance: ballet or music theatre.
Making mistakes and owning mistakes and making amends.
Intersectionality and societal racism and sexism and hopes and dreams for a better tomorrow.
Finding connections and finding identity with all the messy honesty of high school and a side of balletic passion.
I loved it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Grief
Minor: Racism and Panic attacks/disorders
wordswitwonder's review
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This book at its core is about learning how to move forward after losing the ability to do something you love and how to make the broken into something worthwhile. The author does a great job of showcasing the various emotions someone might face in this kind of situation from anger at the world to depression to finding hope. This book also did a great job of introducing the idea of racism in the ballet world, which I will be educating myself more on.
My biggest complaints about this book are I think the pacing was somewhat inconsistent and there were times the author was a little heavy handed with explaining the point of the story instead of trusting the audience to figure it out.
My biggest complaints about this book are I think the pacing was somewhat inconsistent and there were times the author was a little heavy handed with explaining the point of the story instead of trusting the audience to figure it out.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia and Racism
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Medical trauma
allie_schick's review
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, and Toxic friendship
bookishcb_21's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Alina becomes a star in this book! From being sidelined because of a injury, Alina must learn to do other things that don’t involve ballet, so she decides to join her school musical. She meets new friends, stands up to racism, and finds love on her journey through high school.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Racism
melaniereadsbooks's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I thought this book was very good and an enjoyable contemporary read. Alina is a great character and goes through so much growth throughout the book, which I really loved. I loved the side characters and the way they interacted with Alina and each other. I quite enjoyed the plot, especially the musical part of it! Really great book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Grief
Moderate: Racism
thenovelmaura's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thanks so much to NOVL for the ARC of this incredible book, which was the perfect read for AAPI Heritage Month. You know I love a good contemporary about a dancer, and this was no exception!
This book was so charming and heartfelt and gripping that I almost don't have the words to describe it. One thing that took me by surprise was how deeply I related to Alina. A half-Japanese teen growing up in Central Pennsylvania and slowly realizing that that microaggressions she's experienced her whole life are unacceptable? Well, despite being 50% Korean and 100% not a dancer, this book made me feel incredibly seen. I'm also a sucker for a sensitive male love interest, so Jude won me over with his love of musicals, knitting, video games, and bubble baths. These two were adorable together, especially as Jude tried to convince Alina that she can still love ballet even if she'll never dance professionally.
Alina wasn't a perfect sister, or girlfriend, or friend. Her grief caused her to lash out at others and withdraw into herself. But the magic of this book is that you get to watch her heal and root for her to do better. It's so hard to be open and vulnerable enough to make amends when you've hurt other people, but Alina inspires me to take that risk. I recommend that you read it so that you can feel the same!
This book was so charming and heartfelt and gripping that I almost don't have the words to describe it. One thing that took me by surprise was how deeply I related to Alina. A half-Japanese teen growing up in Central Pennsylvania and slowly realizing that that microaggressions she's experienced her whole life are unacceptable? Well, despite being 50% Korean and 100% not a dancer, this book made me feel incredibly seen. I'm also a sucker for a sensitive male love interest, so Jude won me over with his love of musicals, knitting, video games, and bubble baths. These two were adorable together, especially as Jude tried to convince Alina that she can still love ballet even if she'll never dance professionally.
Alina wasn't a perfect sister, or girlfriend, or friend. Her grief caused her to lash out at others and withdraw into herself. But the magic of this book is that you get to watch her heal and root for her to do better. It's so hard to be open and vulnerable enough to make amends when you've hurt other people, but Alina inspires me to take that risk. I recommend that you read it so that you can feel the same!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Sexism
Moderate: Grief
More...