Intended Audience: Teens and Mature Tweens; reluctant readers
Genre: Real life / Dance / Hi-Lo
Notes for Parents: None.
The Back Cover
Jasmine used to love dance. She struggles to
hold on to that love as her dance team starts to fall apart. At a particularly
rough practice, she channels her anger into her moves, surprising everyone,
including herself, with how well she dances. But the team is still at odds, and
it’s up to Jasmine to figure out a way to get her teammates to work together
and celebrate the joy of dance.
What the cover doesn’t tell
you:
This book is part of a new Orca series called Limelights, that focuses on stories
about the arts.
What’s good?
Tension,
drama, and hard work power this short novel about a competitive dance team.
Although it’s written for reluctant readers, the story dynamics are complex
enough that it can be enjoyed by all. The plot realistically portrays the
competitiveness found at this level, the intensity of the training, and the
power struggle that goes on within a team. The chapters are short, and for the
most part the plot is simple. The characters are well-drawn and believable. Best Part: Nothing stood out.
What isn’t good?
There are lots of technical terms that only
dancers will understand (e.g. chainés, backrolls), and much of the story is
taken up by descriptions of the dance the team is working on, which may only be
appreciated by dancers. Worst part: Nothing is terrible.
Recommendation þþþoo
Readers who love dance should love this story.
It’s a quick and easy read. For me, who knows nothing about dance beyond what I
learned from watching Center Stage, the endless descriptions of the dance
became a bit of a bore. However, there was enough conflict, drama, even a
little romance, that I was entertained. Recommended, but only for those who
enjoy dance. Leach, Sara. Warm Up. Victoria, B.C.: Orca Book Publishers, 2014.
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