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Girl in Motion: A Novel
At the School of Ballet New York, the most prestigious ballet school in the country, aspiring ballerina Anna becomes friends with her talented roommate, Hilary, a French exchange student, Marie, a down-to-earth mid-westerner, Jen, and one of the cutest guys in school, Tyler. The competition is intense and Anna works hard to understand her famous teachers and navigate her ups and downs with her friends. Some of the dancers struggle with eating disorders, injuries, and depression. Everyone's goal is a contract with a professional ballet company, and as graduation nears, the pressure intensifies. Although Anna goes to all the ballet companies' annual auditions, she receives not a single offer. Falling for Tyler complicates things, but with the lead in the annual workshop performance, Anna gets one last chance to make her dreams come true.
(Ages 13 and up)
(Ages 13 and up)
- GenresFictionYoung Adult
252 pages, Paperback
First published August 9, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
October 5, 2013
I am disgusted by this book. And I have something important to say about it.
First of all, before I get into my personal problems with it, this novel is absolutely nothing special. The characters are one dimensional and boring. There is little-to-no character development. It's just another average YA contemporary, except this one has dancing as the background for the story. The romance is pretty much nonexistent, and none of the male characters have any personality anyway…they're just random boys that the main characters only likes because they are male ballet dancers that she has easy access to, as she doesn't get out much.
But the problem that I have with this book occurred about 60% of the way through, at which point I had to stop reading, and almost threw my Kindle across the room.
I'm going to set the scene... One of Anna's friends confesses to her that she has had trouble with eating disorders and self-harming. Let me show you the direct quotes I'm talking about, which occur right after the secret is spilled (I've removed character names to avoid spoilers...because I still somehow have an ounce of decency in me):
[Anna says,] "Look, *FRIEND*, maybe you should talk to someone about this."
"I'm talking to you," she says. "Whom else would I talk to? People outside don't understand."
I nod, sighing. Anyone who hasn't been in the dance world wouldn't understand.
And then, in the next chapter�
"We're complicit in our silence. *FRIEND* and I have not discussed the eating disorders or the cutting again, not since the day she got into *A RANDOM BALLET COMPANY*. That subject has gone back into the black box.
Now let me discuss why I have such a HUGE issue with what just happened.
Mental illness is an incredibly important, but also very touchy, subject. Any book that makes even a small statement about mental health needs to be extremely aware of how they address it, and what kind of message they're sending. This is extraordinarily important when you're dealing with YA literature, as the majority of the readers are going to be young teenagers.
So her friend confesses this giant secret and, instead of reacting in a sympathetic or empathetic manner, Anna does nothing. She even literally says (to the reader) that she "doesn't want to know," as soon as this friend opens her mouth. I understand that Anna is a character who may not be emotionally or mentally equipped to handle this situation in any other manner. She has no experience dealing with this kind of situation, so she doesn't know how to react. I'm not blaming Anna...I'm blaming the author for making her that way. If you're going to put this incredibly significant and crucial moment in your book, you need to be setting an example for all of your young readers. You need to give your characters the power to handle the situation accordingly, and show how somebody should react to a friend confessing that she has an eating disorder, or self-harms.
I'm pretty sure that the author wasn't going for this...but if, by chance, the author was trying to make some sort of artsy statement in order to "make us think" about the reality of the situation and how the unprepared character, Anna, would realistically react...this is NOT the time or place to do it. There is almost no circumstance in which you should play with morally ambiguous protagonists in YA literature. Young adult inexperienced readers are highly impressionable. They might not understand that they are being purposefully played with in order to get some sort of emotional reaction. No, you need to be straight-forward. You need to show these kids how to deal with this kind of thing, because it's something that might actually happen to them in real life. If you give them a good example, maybe they'll absorb that information and use your character's good example as a model for how they should react if a friend ever confesses something similar to them. But now, instead of being prepped with this important life lesson, they are still utterly clueless, and probably even confused.
If the author wasn't going for that kind of Gillian Flynn-type protagonist stuff (which I do actually like, when done well), then she must not understand what a horrible mess she's made out of her book. Anna has zero reaction when her friend drops this bomb on her, except to half-heartedly suggest that she "talk to someone." And then she has the nerve to declare (to the reader) that she doesn't think her friend should tell anyone else or see anybody for professional help, because "nobody would understand who isn't in the dance world." On what planet are the only people who have problems dancers? This makes NO sense. You're telling me that a psychiatrist would have no idea how to help this friend stop throwing up and cutting, just because she dances for a living? That's an incredibly unhealthy and uneducated state of mind, and literally the WORST advice ever.
I mean, I get that these dancers deal with incredible pressure, especially when they're only teenagers...but to say that this makes it impossible for anybody to understand is ridiculous and completely untrue. They are not the only people who deal with pressure, and just because a psychiatrist may not be a dancer themselves, doesn't mean that they wouldn't be able to help her, or at least direct her to somebody who could "understand."
Anna should've insisted that this friend get professional help. Because she doesn't, she's an awful friend and a horrible person. Especially when Anna knew that this friend was about to leave to go to a new ballet company, and she wouldn't be able to help her out personally very much anymore. Even a teenager would know that that is the right thing to do, especially if it's to the extreme that this chapter makes it out to be.
Even worse, Anna's only real reaction to her friend's confession and subsequent departure is to focus solely on how much better a dancer it makes her, since now that her friend is gone, she is no longer afraid to stand out and take up the front spots in class. And then she immediately gets noticed and praised by an important teacher. So, now we're rewarding the main character's horrible life decision with something she's been waiting for the entire book, and therefore showing your teenager readers that the only thing that matters in life is how to get ahead in the professional world. It doesn't matter how her friend's mental health is, as long as she's still able to rise through the ranks at her school.
Maybe this is how real dancers act in real life (and I wouldn't be shocked)…but this is NOT the kind of world that we should be showcasing and making a model of to those young teenager readers. They really don't have the capacity to fully understand these difficult adult problems. The author should've presented this awful circumstance, which is something that a teenager might realistically go through, and give them an equally realistic example of a good reaction, to show them how to actually deal with this problem, instead of just showing them exactly what NOT to do.
And, side-note, beyond Anna just doing literally anything else besides what she does in the circumstance, this friend's confession was a valuable plot moment that the author completely wasted. Anna could have grown in this moment, and showed character development that she doesn't have at all during the entire first half of the novel. She could've shown her friend (and the reader) that maybe she has trouble with dealing with her own problems as well. She could've opened up and shared her own deep, emotional problem. This would've have both been a better reaction, and a way for her to show dimension to the reader. The problem with Anna's character is that she really doesn't have any difficulties in her life, besides her constant complaining about her being really short, which isn't something she can do anything about anyway. That's not a REAL problem. Main characters should have to overcome something during the novel, otherwise readers (especially young adult readers) have trouble identifying with them.
Anyway...I'm so incredibly offended by this novel, because of how it portrays mental health. I've never been this personally upset about a book before, and let me tell you, it's not a good place to be at. When writing this book, the author had an obvious and blatant disregard for her audience and how it could potentially affect their real-life experiences.
First of all, before I get into my personal problems with it, this novel is absolutely nothing special. The characters are one dimensional and boring. There is little-to-no character development. It's just another average YA contemporary, except this one has dancing as the background for the story. The romance is pretty much nonexistent, and none of the male characters have any personality anyway…they're just random boys that the main characters only likes because they are male ballet dancers that she has easy access to, as she doesn't get out much.
But the problem that I have with this book occurred about 60% of the way through, at which point I had to stop reading, and almost threw my Kindle across the room.
I'm going to set the scene... One of Anna's friends confesses to her that she has had trouble with eating disorders and self-harming. Let me show you the direct quotes I'm talking about, which occur right after the secret is spilled (I've removed character names to avoid spoilers...because I still somehow have an ounce of decency in me):
[Anna says,] "Look, *FRIEND*, maybe you should talk to someone about this."
"I'm talking to you," she says. "Whom else would I talk to? People outside don't understand."
I nod, sighing. Anyone who hasn't been in the dance world wouldn't understand.
And then, in the next chapter�
"We're complicit in our silence. *FRIEND* and I have not discussed the eating disorders or the cutting again, not since the day she got into *A RANDOM BALLET COMPANY*. That subject has gone back into the black box.
Now let me discuss why I have such a HUGE issue with what just happened.
Mental illness is an incredibly important, but also very touchy, subject. Any book that makes even a small statement about mental health needs to be extremely aware of how they address it, and what kind of message they're sending. This is extraordinarily important when you're dealing with YA literature, as the majority of the readers are going to be young teenagers.
So her friend confesses this giant secret and, instead of reacting in a sympathetic or empathetic manner, Anna does nothing. She even literally says (to the reader) that she "doesn't want to know," as soon as this friend opens her mouth. I understand that Anna is a character who may not be emotionally or mentally equipped to handle this situation in any other manner. She has no experience dealing with this kind of situation, so she doesn't know how to react. I'm not blaming Anna...I'm blaming the author for making her that way. If you're going to put this incredibly significant and crucial moment in your book, you need to be setting an example for all of your young readers. You need to give your characters the power to handle the situation accordingly, and show how somebody should react to a friend confessing that she has an eating disorder, or self-harms.
I'm pretty sure that the author wasn't going for this...but if, by chance, the author was trying to make some sort of artsy statement in order to "make us think" about the reality of the situation and how the unprepared character, Anna, would realistically react...this is NOT the time or place to do it. There is almost no circumstance in which you should play with morally ambiguous protagonists in YA literature. Young adult inexperienced readers are highly impressionable. They might not understand that they are being purposefully played with in order to get some sort of emotional reaction. No, you need to be straight-forward. You need to show these kids how to deal with this kind of thing, because it's something that might actually happen to them in real life. If you give them a good example, maybe they'll absorb that information and use your character's good example as a model for how they should react if a friend ever confesses something similar to them. But now, instead of being prepped with this important life lesson, they are still utterly clueless, and probably even confused.
If the author wasn't going for that kind of Gillian Flynn-type protagonist stuff (which I do actually like, when done well), then she must not understand what a horrible mess she's made out of her book. Anna has zero reaction when her friend drops this bomb on her, except to half-heartedly suggest that she "talk to someone." And then she has the nerve to declare (to the reader) that she doesn't think her friend should tell anyone else or see anybody for professional help, because "nobody would understand who isn't in the dance world." On what planet are the only people who have problems dancers? This makes NO sense. You're telling me that a psychiatrist would have no idea how to help this friend stop throwing up and cutting, just because she dances for a living? That's an incredibly unhealthy and uneducated state of mind, and literally the WORST advice ever.
I mean, I get that these dancers deal with incredible pressure, especially when they're only teenagers...but to say that this makes it impossible for anybody to understand is ridiculous and completely untrue. They are not the only people who deal with pressure, and just because a psychiatrist may not be a dancer themselves, doesn't mean that they wouldn't be able to help her, or at least direct her to somebody who could "understand."
Anna should've insisted that this friend get professional help. Because she doesn't, she's an awful friend and a horrible person. Especially when Anna knew that this friend was about to leave to go to a new ballet company, and she wouldn't be able to help her out personally very much anymore. Even a teenager would know that that is the right thing to do, especially if it's to the extreme that this chapter makes it out to be.
Even worse, Anna's only real reaction to her friend's confession and subsequent departure is to focus solely on how much better a dancer it makes her, since now that her friend is gone, she is no longer afraid to stand out and take up the front spots in class. And then she immediately gets noticed and praised by an important teacher. So, now we're rewarding the main character's horrible life decision with something she's been waiting for the entire book, and therefore showing your teenager readers that the only thing that matters in life is how to get ahead in the professional world. It doesn't matter how her friend's mental health is, as long as she's still able to rise through the ranks at her school.
Maybe this is how real dancers act in real life (and I wouldn't be shocked)…but this is NOT the kind of world that we should be showcasing and making a model of to those young teenager readers. They really don't have the capacity to fully understand these difficult adult problems. The author should've presented this awful circumstance, which is something that a teenager might realistically go through, and give them an equally realistic example of a good reaction, to show them how to actually deal with this problem, instead of just showing them exactly what NOT to do.
And, side-note, beyond Anna just doing literally anything else besides what she does in the circumstance, this friend's confession was a valuable plot moment that the author completely wasted. Anna could have grown in this moment, and showed character development that she doesn't have at all during the entire first half of the novel. She could've shown her friend (and the reader) that maybe she has trouble with dealing with her own problems as well. She could've opened up and shared her own deep, emotional problem. This would've have both been a better reaction, and a way for her to show dimension to the reader. The problem with Anna's character is that she really doesn't have any difficulties in her life, besides her constant complaining about her being really short, which isn't something she can do anything about anyway. That's not a REAL problem. Main characters should have to overcome something during the novel, otherwise readers (especially young adult readers) have trouble identifying with them.
Anyway...I'm so incredibly offended by this novel, because of how it portrays mental health. I've never been this personally upset about a book before, and let me tell you, it's not a good place to be at. When writing this book, the author had an obvious and blatant disregard for her audience and how it could potentially affect their real-life experiences.
January 21, 2014
I bought this book in an omnibus of ballet novels, and I really enjoyed it. As someone who took ballet for 12 years and wished that she would have continued with it, I found the insider view of the professional ballet world to be very fascinating. I am kind of glad that I didn't end up pursuing a professional career as a ballerina, although there are reasons I am pretty sure I wouldn't have even gotten that far. However, Ms. Wenger-Landis's novel really delves deep into the psychology of professional ballet, through the eyes of a teenage girl who is trying to get into a professional ballet troupe by her 18th birthday.
The sacrifices that Anna makes for ballet, the jealousies, the eating disorders, the striving to look perfect, the desire to be taller (Anna is only 5'3'' and throughout the novel she is distressed because the troupe in which she so desperately wants to be only takes dancers that are 5'6'' and taller) - all of that makes me realize just what a cutthroat world professional ballet can be.
Anna was a very likeable heroine, although I did have some trouble connecting with her emotionally. I'm not sure if this was on purpose, since Anna is pretty disconnected from her emotions throughout the novel, except when she's dancing, but either way, it was a good story. I am considering getting the next book in the series, about Anna's journey after she lands a job as a professional ballerina. I also am looking forward to see what the other novels in the omnibus are going to be about. :)
The sacrifices that Anna makes for ballet, the jealousies, the eating disorders, the striving to look perfect, the desire to be taller (Anna is only 5'3'' and throughout the novel she is distressed because the troupe in which she so desperately wants to be only takes dancers that are 5'6'' and taller) - all of that makes me realize just what a cutthroat world professional ballet can be.
Anna was a very likeable heroine, although I did have some trouble connecting with her emotionally. I'm not sure if this was on purpose, since Anna is pretty disconnected from her emotions throughout the novel, except when she's dancing, but either way, it was a good story. I am considering getting the next book in the series, about Anna's journey after she lands a job as a professional ballerina. I also am looking forward to see what the other novels in the omnibus are going to be about. :)
August 6, 2016
The best part of this book, to me, was how clear it was (even without reading the author bio) that the author knows the ballet world and the pressure to excel, to be shaped a certain way, to land a certain part. Anna's focus throughout the book remains on ballet: she wants to dance, preferably at Ballet New York, but definitely in a top (American) company. There's a clash between the way BNY and National Ballet Theatre do things -- I assume these companies are stand-ins for American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet -- and an endless quest to improve, improve, improve. It's not enough to be good, and one good performance doesn't guarantee anything. There's romance, and there are endless interpersonal difficulties, but when it comes down to it, all Anna wants to do is dance.
All that said, the book has some problems. Too much telling rather than showing, for one; lots of places where ideas and events were summarized. I suspect that part of it is just that the author was trying to cover a fairly significant chunk of time in a limited amount of space, but it didn't work nearly as well as it could have.
The other big problem, which may tie in with the first: Major problems are brushed over like it's nothing. Multiple characters have eating disorders, and at least one character self-injures. A character experiences a career-ending injury. The latter, I think, is supposed to draw our attention to some of the harsh realities of ballet, but it ends up being little more than a blip in Anna's dream. As for the former...well, I've never been in the ballet world, or even close to it. I can't say how eating disorders and self-injury and the like are treated there. But it's so completely brushed under the carpet here that it doesn't even pay lip service. The book introduces the problem and then effectively ignores it. Is Anna equipped to fix those problems? No, of course not. But I'm disappointed in the way they were handled.
I like that Anna is devoted but not the best; I like that this is a YA book where romance plays a relatively minor role (though I dislike the resolution there -- feels quite rushed, as though it's in there just because it's 'supposed' to be). But this needed more to make the characters come to life and the scenes pop, and it just fell kind of flat.
Two and a half stars.
All that said, the book has some problems. Too much telling rather than showing, for one; lots of places where ideas and events were summarized. I suspect that part of it is just that the author was trying to cover a fairly significant chunk of time in a limited amount of space, but it didn't work nearly as well as it could have.
The other big problem, which may tie in with the first: Major problems are brushed over like it's nothing. Multiple characters have eating disorders, and at least one character self-injures. A character experiences a career-ending injury. The latter, I think, is supposed to draw our attention to some of the harsh realities of ballet, but it ends up being little more than a blip in Anna's dream. As for the former...well, I've never been in the ballet world, or even close to it. I can't say how eating disorders and self-injury and the like are treated there. But it's so completely brushed under the carpet here that it doesn't even pay lip service. The book introduces the problem and then effectively ignores it. Is Anna equipped to fix those problems? No, of course not. But I'm disappointed in the way they were handled.
I like that Anna is devoted but not the best; I like that this is a YA book where romance plays a relatively minor role (though I dislike the resolution there -- feels quite rushed, as though it's in there just because it's 'supposed' to be). But this needed more to make the characters come to life and the scenes pop, and it just fell kind of flat.
Two and a half stars.
December 26, 2011
This is a fast paced book about a dancer that I thoroughly enjoyed. There are many twists and turns that keep the reader on edge. Every time I thought I knew how the book was going to end, there was a change in plot. What disappointed me about was that it was written so that anyone could read it, meaning that no, or very few, technical terms were employed. Because it was told from the perspective of a dancer in the School of Ballet New York (SBNY), I thought this was unrealistic. I do not have a problem with an explanation of the different steps, as long as proper jargon is also used.
January 18, 2014
I was looking for something light to read and stumbled on this, so I gave it a try. It wasn't exactly light, but it was the distraction I needed and I finished it quickly. It's very reminiscent of Center Stage (which I love) but it's actually more harsh about the realities of how difficult and unforgiving the ballet world is. The author writes as if she's familiar with it, so it rang true, though I don't know enough to say if it is or isn't. It definitely seems set up for a sequel, so I hope there will be one!
I generally don't like books written in the present tense, but I actually quickly forgot about it as I got wrapped up in the story.
The kindle version has some major formatting issues and I caught a couple typos (one "you're" instead of "your").
But if you like ballet, I'd recommend it!
I generally don't like books written in the present tense, but I actually quickly forgot about it as I got wrapped up in the story.
The kindle version has some major formatting issues and I caught a couple typos (one "you're" instead of "your").
But if you like ballet, I'd recommend it!
June 2, 2017
This book was very closely based off of NYCB and ABT which was kind of cool! The writing style was not original but wasn't boring at all! I would recommend this to any dancer, dance fanatic, or if you have been interested in Shiny, Pretty, Things. So brief summary, a teenager who loves to dance auditions for Summer Intensives at the ballet school and she is later asked to stay the whole year. We then follow her through her friendships, constant struggles, schoolwork, and the fight for making it to the top. This book took a ballerina's passion and mixed it with drama and it resulted in a great book for a ballerina(o), dance lovers, or even someone who just wants an interesting book to read.
June 12, 2012
A very enjoyable read! This is a book version of the "artist makes good" type of movies... Center Stage being a clear parallel. I liked looking through Anna's eyes, experiencing her point of view as she danced. Some familiarity with the ballet world is probably a help for this book -- there are a lot of ballet terms, and while they're explained, you have a much better mental picture if you've had ballet classes yourself.
October 27, 2015
pretty rad.
January 3, 2017
{3.75 stars} Quite a simple writing style, but I enjoyed it through sheer virtue of it's danceyness and will be putting the sequel on my wish list!
April 21, 2025
3.5 ⭐️ interesting story, not the best writing 🤷♀� but i couldn’t put it down, finished in 2 days
April 5, 2024
This is the third book I've read/listened to by Miriam Landis. It's the third because I accidentally listened to GIRL ON POINTE (book two of series?) first. So I can say that this can be read as a standalone, but highly recommend the next book! I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and how ballet works in the real world. It's actually heartbreaking. What these children have to learn and deal with at such a crucial age blows me away. This is coming from a person who enjoys watching various dancing...styles. See! I don't even know the proper language to use! But I was completely invested in the characters lives and how everything would work out. It was a nice diversion from my normal reads/listens.
Teralyn Davis is an excellent narrator. She brought this book to life with emotional performances that had it rolling like a movie in my head. Perfection.
GIRL IN MOTION did have a wrong chapter. I can't tell if the correct chapter was skipped? I think it was, but it definitely has the 8th chapter for GIRL ON POINTE. I noticed since I accidentally listened to GIRL ON POINTE first.
#TheFlockonTour
Teralyn Davis is an excellent narrator. She brought this book to life with emotional performances that had it rolling like a movie in my head. Perfection.
GIRL IN MOTION did have a wrong chapter. I can't tell if the correct chapter was skipped? I think it was, but it definitely has the 8th chapter for GIRL ON POINTE. I noticed since I accidentally listened to GIRL ON POINTE first.
#TheFlockonTour
February 26, 2021
If you've never been in the dance world, especially ballet, or if you're not a serious balletomane, I wouldn't recommend this book. There will be a lot of things taken out of context and you will probably dislike this because of the issues covered (and which were not particularly described well). It's sort of a ballerinas journal, but not a very insightful one; just one where she jots down her frustrations and insecurities. Light reading specifically for those who are into novels on ballet, or have danced it.
January 7, 2024
I received this as a ŷ giveaway. This is an inspiring story of Anna who is a teenager following her dream of being a professional ballerina. Anyone who has taken ballet can relate to the physical, mental, and social struggles Anna faces on her journey at SYB school. The ballet world is fierce and not always fair and that is represented here in this book. The book is very easy to read and quite short. I was able to read it in one afternoon. It was very entertaining and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the dancers journeyed to becoming professional dancers.
April 1, 2024
This was overall an interesting listen—while the author did seem to favor a more ‘telling� than ‘showing� style of writing, I still found myself intrigued, which is impressive. (Usually too much telling just puts me to sleep.)
I found myself rooting for the female lead and caught up in the drama—well done! It reminded me quite a bit of the old movie ‘Center Stage�.
4 stars.
🎧 Audio:
This sounded SO GOOD! Performance, narrator’s voice, attitude and overall sound quality were all flawless.
I found myself rooting for the female lead and caught up in the drama—well done! It reminded me quite a bit of the old movie ‘Center Stage�.
4 stars.
🎧 Audio:
This sounded SO GOOD! Performance, narrator’s voice, attitude and overall sound quality were all flawless.
December 21, 2023
Girl in motion is an escapist read for anyone who had or has ballerina dreams or who has an interest in the ballet lifestyle. It follows the fledgling development of Anna and a few core friends , shoved together in an intense environment with jealousy drama and late teenage angst adding to the spice. There are no shockers in the plot trajectory, but a good read nevertheless.
January 5, 2024
A read especially for ballet lovers. It centers in the experiences of a young dancer with starsin her eyes, living and breathing for the art of dance. The story examines female friendships, talent and competition , with the tension provided by power money and ambition. For anyone who has spent a moment in a dance studio it is a good choice �
October 29, 2024
Superb YA novel of teen girl at a world-class ballet school
Audiobook version: 5 stars overall, 5 stars story, 5 stars narration
I highly recommend this sweet, realistic, and nuanced YA book that portrays the difficulties and triumphs of a teen ballerina. It is Book 1 of a 2-book series. Excellent narration raises this to a must-listen audiobook for anyone who likes ballet. The angst level is mild to medium. It is told in first person perspective. The school has hardly any bullying. There is no swearing or sexual content, so I think the book is suitable for ages 12 and up. The ballet terminology and dancing seem very accurate. The names of the ballet companies and schools were slightly changed. Also, they keep talking about the “Roisman style�, which I discovered must actually be the “Balanchine method� of ballet.
Anna is a nice girl, smart, a little shy, introspective, and determined to pursue her dream of becoming a ballerina at America’s finest ballet company. She gets a little anxious and insecure sometimes. This is her story from ages 16 to 18, when she manages to get a chance to learn ballet at the NYC school connected to the ballet company she dreams of joining. Living in a dorm far away from her parents at only age 16 is quite an experience, and I found it very compelling.
The narrator Teralyn Davis gave an excellent performance. From her first words I believed she was Anna, giving voice to the character’s thoughts and insecurities. She really sounded like a teen girl, as well as making all the characters sound distinctive and believable. She is a perfect choice for this audiobook.
I requested and received a free audio copy, and I voluntarily wrote this honest review. #TheFlockVIPReviewTeam
Audiobook version: 5 stars overall, 5 stars story, 5 stars narration
I highly recommend this sweet, realistic, and nuanced YA book that portrays the difficulties and triumphs of a teen ballerina. It is Book 1 of a 2-book series. Excellent narration raises this to a must-listen audiobook for anyone who likes ballet. The angst level is mild to medium. It is told in first person perspective. The school has hardly any bullying. There is no swearing or sexual content, so I think the book is suitable for ages 12 and up. The ballet terminology and dancing seem very accurate. The names of the ballet companies and schools were slightly changed. Also, they keep talking about the “Roisman style�, which I discovered must actually be the “Balanchine method� of ballet.
Anna is a nice girl, smart, a little shy, introspective, and determined to pursue her dream of becoming a ballerina at America’s finest ballet company. She gets a little anxious and insecure sometimes. This is her story from ages 16 to 18, when she manages to get a chance to learn ballet at the NYC school connected to the ballet company she dreams of joining. Living in a dorm far away from her parents at only age 16 is quite an experience, and I found it very compelling.
The narrator Teralyn Davis gave an excellent performance. From her first words I believed she was Anna, giving voice to the character’s thoughts and insecurities. She really sounded like a teen girl, as well as making all the characters sound distinctive and believable. She is a perfect choice for this audiobook.
I requested and received a free audio copy, and I voluntarily wrote this honest review. #TheFlockVIPReviewTeam
October 13, 2024
This was like reading a reality TV show.
September 17, 2013
I would like to start off by thanking NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book! It is a part of a trilogy titled “Behind Barres� and I am hoping to get through the next two books soon.
Girl in Motion is an interesting read, It was not my favourite, although I really wanted to like it. I felt like it had a very scattered timeline, and jumped all over the place. It was hard to tell sometimes what was happening in the span of a year of the school.
As well, the writing would have served better as a journal than a novel. In a lot of ways the writing and characterization was flat and rambling, and the reader had to assume a lot of things. For instance, all ballet terminology was rarely and barely explained, and if you didn’t know French or if you haven’t taken ballet you will experience a lot of gaps in your reading journey.
I feel like this book would have taken me on a more interesting journey if ballet could have been talked about in a more successful way, and if the storyline was conveyed in third person instead of first person, for the sake of more detail.
I thought that this book was cute, and I did get lost in it a couple of times, but it is not something I will pursue again. I will give this book a 2/5.
Girl in Motion is an interesting read, It was not my favourite, although I really wanted to like it. I felt like it had a very scattered timeline, and jumped all over the place. It was hard to tell sometimes what was happening in the span of a year of the school.
As well, the writing would have served better as a journal than a novel. In a lot of ways the writing and characterization was flat and rambling, and the reader had to assume a lot of things. For instance, all ballet terminology was rarely and barely explained, and if you didn’t know French or if you haven’t taken ballet you will experience a lot of gaps in your reading journey.
I feel like this book would have taken me on a more interesting journey if ballet could have been talked about in a more successful way, and if the storyline was conveyed in third person instead of first person, for the sake of more detail.
I thought that this book was cute, and I did get lost in it a couple of times, but it is not something I will pursue again. I will give this book a 2/5.
September 4, 2014
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to attend the top ballet school in the country? In Girl in Motion, Miriam Wenger-Landis creates a novel around that very premise. 15 year old Anna is accepted to the NYC dance academy (which is loosely based on the School of American Ballet), and spends the next two years training to become a professional ballet dancer.
I would consider this book a young adult novel. It us also a bit flat, lacking the prose and use of rhetorical devices you'd find from more seasoned authors. If you are interested life at dance school, however, it will not disappoint. Wenger-Landis is very accurate on that score. She focuses on all the challenges -emotional and physical - that young dancers face. Unfortunately, with all the negative information, she makes you wonder why anyone would bother pursuing the path of a dancer at all. In truth, dancers are extremely passionate about their art form. They need it, just as you and I need air. The author should have fleshed out that theme, in order to more accurately depict the protagonist, Anna. 2 1/2 stars.
I would consider this book a young adult novel. It us also a bit flat, lacking the prose and use of rhetorical devices you'd find from more seasoned authors. If you are interested life at dance school, however, it will not disappoint. Wenger-Landis is very accurate on that score. She focuses on all the challenges -emotional and physical - that young dancers face. Unfortunately, with all the negative information, she makes you wonder why anyone would bother pursuing the path of a dancer at all. In truth, dancers are extremely passionate about their art form. They need it, just as you and I need air. The author should have fleshed out that theme, in order to more accurately depict the protagonist, Anna. 2 1/2 stars.
September 8, 2012
Since I am never going to be a ballet dancer I read about them instead. This was a very realistic story about Anna who goes to New York to study ballet at the most prestigious ballet school in the country. There is the usual drama and boys. The author was a dancer so I suspect that this is highly autobiographical. I found the narration interesting because it seemed like a diary even though it wasn't. A lot of the beginning of the book was Anna's feelings about being in New York. The harsh realities of life as a ballet student are depicted. Crushed dreams and despair at failure and the real possibility that you won't make it.
September 4, 2013
Flat. Mechanical. Utterly lacking in characterization.
Girl In Motion literally reads like a summary of what might become a novel one day. I'll give you a taste of the style. Paraphrased, but only just:
"I go to New York. I've read about it in novels and seen it on TV. I can't believe I'm here. I take lessons in ballet. The teachers are scary but amazing. My roommate is called Bland. She is nice. She talks about her boyfriend sometimes. I don't have a boyfriend. The dorms have blue carpet. They are clean."
Like... ?!?!?
To quote , this is not how you book!
Girl In Motion literally reads like a summary of what might become a novel one day. I'll give you a taste of the style. Paraphrased, but only just:
"I go to New York. I've read about it in novels and seen it on TV. I can't believe I'm here. I take lessons in ballet. The teachers are scary but amazing. My roommate is called Bland. She is nice. She talks about her boyfriend sometimes. I don't have a boyfriend. The dorms have blue carpet. They are clean."
Like... ?!?!?
To quote , this is not how you book!
March 22, 2013
I really enjoyed Girl in Motion. It is very descriptive and informative. Its fast pace and scarce dialogue might make it appear sloppy, but it actually works well here and accentuates the dynamic world of the ballet. I'm not a fan of first person narration/present tense, but those too work well in this book, as the reader experiences everything that Anna does in real time. It's taken me a while to get into the plot and care for Anna, but overall I liked it a lot and I can't wait to see what awaits for Anna next in Breaking Pointe.
May 6, 2011
This was an interesting, quick read about a girl who leaves home at 16 to join a prestigious New York ballet school. Very similar to the movie Center Stage, there are plenty of interesting details about the life of a ballerina that rang true. Like in the world of professional sports, there are many talented people and a very limited number of jobs, so competition is intense.
April 12, 2014
I thought that this book was very good. The author really knows ballet, and the fast paced world of it. The ony thing was how it was written in the beginning. I felt it was hard to get into the characters perspective of things. All in all though, it was wonderful!
January 28, 2016
More like reading someone's daily log than like reading a story. Good ballet details but the characters were very flat.
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