Reviews with content warning for Racism - Tiny Pretty Things

I'm BUMMED.

When I think of the plot the first word that comes to mind is repetitive. While this novel is relatively easy to read, it took me a lot longer to finish it than I anticipated going into it. After I read the description I thought this was going to be a new favorite, but I'm so disappointed. This entire book was just so over the top, which is fine and great escapism, but I just did not care about what happened/what was happening at all. Our main conflict between the three girls had so much promise, but it just fell flat - it all just felt as though the intense hatred they had for one another had no real reason behind it other than "the new girl is getting all the attention because she's a great dancer OMG so horrible" ... come on. It's as though it didn't dawn on anybody that hey, maybe people get the parts that they get because they're talented.

The characters... YIKES. I love character-driven stories. Even if I'm not enjoying the novel at all, I can always find at least ONE character that I care about. YA'LL I STRUGGLED TO FIND ONE IN THIS (and still haven't if I'm being honest). I wasn't sure which character I was meant to root for, and can confidently say I didn't enjoy any of their storylines 100%. Gigi, the new girl, was way too naive for my liking. June's chip on her shoulder got really repetitive to read about. Bette's constant denial of her being a bully made her a really terrible "villain". I appreciated how the authors attempted to share the good and bad sides of each character but they were so underdeveloped and I simply did not care about any of them. The romances were jarring, the girls' scenes with each other were so lackluster, and ultimately I think the three POVs hurt the novel more than it helped, not because it was confusing, but because it made all of our experiences with each character very surface-level. Every time I felt as though I was finally peeling back the layers of each character the chapter would end and immediately jump into the next POV.

All that being said, I am VERY interested to check out the series once it comes out on Netflix! I think this story would translate way better on film than it did on paper. I will say that I can see why it is described as a hybrid between Black Swan and Pretty Little Liars (but I'd recommend those two works WAY before I recommended this novel unfortunately :/).

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leahmaslin's review

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challenging dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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andreiaoh's review

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dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

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kbergsten's review

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challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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texassizedreads's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

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leahsbooks's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

After watching the series on Netflix, I wanted to read the books. There's always a difference between books and shows, and this one was no exception.

While the main characters were familiar, the story was very different. I still had the feeling that I couldn't quite figure out who was behind all the events of the story, although I did have my suspicions. It also made my heart break for these kids who are placed into such tough and competitive situations that set them up for major issues, including eating disorders, unhealthy relationships, bullying, and physical injuries. I think it also handled how racism rears its ugly head in ballet.

The characters do clearly display their love for the art of ballet, as well as their talent, although they place their physical and mental health in jeopardy to achieve their goals in so many cases. I don't know anything about ballet (aside from how beautiful it is to watch), so I don't know how realistic some of the material is.

But I do know that the authors have created a story and characters who completely engrossed me. Even the antagonists of the story earned some degree of empathy. Every character in the story has their strengths and flaws, and a range of influences that make them into who they are. I may not have agreed with what they did, but I could understand what was forcing their hand and leading them to do the things they did.

I'm eagerly anticipating the second book, since I have GOT to find out what happens next!

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booksbutmakeitgay's review

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medium-paced

Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

2.0

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