A review by abigaillaurawriter
Astonish Me by Maggie Shipstead

3.0

This was another recommendation from "the Skimm." I seriously love that news email! Astonish Me is about ballet, or rather a group of characters whose lives intertwine because of ballet. I have always been fascinated by ballet. I took it as a 5 year old (why did I stop?!?!), went to "The Nutcracker" for many years, read and reread Ballet Shoes (and watched the movie), and then just loved it from a distance-watching the odd documentary or reading a book about it. So, quite naturally, when I heard of this novel about ballet, I was curious and wasted no time on requesting it from my library.  Unfortunately, I didn't love it. I was disappointed in how relationships turned out (yes, I get totally swept into the story and invested . . . reading is emotional, what can say?), and I found her tense difficult to get into at first. That being said, I had a hard time putting the book down-sweet irony! I really got invested in the characters and once I got reading, I got into her style of writing. Overall, I feel rather ambivalent about the book. I wouldn't read it again, but I find myself wanting to read her first book Seating Arrangements. (I'll definitely let you know what I think after I read it!) Summing it up: I didn't hate it, I didn't love it. I'd recommend it if you enjoy ballet and have gotten through your reading list. ;)