Review – Bunheads by Sophie Flack (3/5 stars)

Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Length: 320 pages
Publisher: Poppy
Release Date: October 9, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0316126540
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Swapped through Paperbackswap.com
Rating: 3/5 stars

“As a dancer with the ultra-prestigious Manhattan Ballet company, nineteen-year-old Hannah Ward juggles intense rehearsals, dazzling performances, and complicated backstage relationships. But when she meets a spontaneous and irresistibly cute musician named Jacob, her universe begins to change.

Until now, Hannah has happily followed the company’s unofficial mantra, “Don’t think, just dance.” But as Jacob opens her eyes to the world beyond the theater, Hannah must decide whether to compete against the other “bunheads” for a star soloist spot or to strike out on her own.”

This book has been on my TBR pile for some time. This was an okay read, the story is pretty typical YA contemporary fiction and the writing is okay but could have flowed better.

This was a quick read about a girl named Hannah who dances at the Met as a ballet dancer. It was an interesting look into the grueling and rigorous career of a ballet dancer.

Even though Hannah is older (19) this is very much a coming of age story and is YA appropriate. When Hannah meets a young musician named Jacob she starts to question her dedication to ballet and begins to wonder what other things she is missing by being trapped in rehearsals and productions all day and night.

It is an interesting look at how total dedication to be great at one thing can completely strip away everything else in your life. While this does provide some food for thought I thought the book was a bit bland and predictable.

The writing is okay but not great. It doesn’t flow as well as it could and I had some trouble picturing the settings. The characters are engaging if somewhat stereotypical.

Overall it was an okay read and an interesting look into the world of dance. However, it’s pretty predictable and was a bit boring at points.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– Mount TBR Reading Challenge
– You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge
– YA Reading Challenge