As a dancer with the ultra-prestigious Manhattan Ballet Company, nineteen-year-old Hannah Ward juggles intense rehearsals, dazzling performances and complicated backstage relationships. Up until now, Hannah has happily devoted her entire life to ballet.
But when she meets a handsome musician named Jacob, Hannah's universe begins to change, and she must decide if she wants to compete against the other "bunheads" in the company for a star soloist spot or strike out on her own in the real world. Does she dare give up the gilded confines of the ballet for the freedoms of everyday life?
Summary from Goodreads.
Bunheads follows Hannah, a dancer in the Manhattan Ballet corps. It is a fast paced and light read. Hannah is a good mc. She is relatable, and hardworking. She is also trying to find out what she really wants to do with her life. This is the main conflict of the story. She wavers between two opposing desires, stay in the corps which is all she has known, or try and live on the outside. This conflict is well presented. Another well done aspect of the book is that the world of ballet is made accessible. It is very different from anything in my experience, but I felt right at home there. It is told in a straight forward manner and that helps keep the different terms from becoming mixed up. The pacing also makes it easy to digest all of the different aspects of life in the Manhattan Ballet. The only issues that Bunheads has are that the timeline is jumpy, and all of the secondary characters felt 2-D. It is a solid first effort. That is good for relaxing on a lazy summer day.
I give this book a B- Slightly above average.
I really loved this book, but I think your criticisms are valid. Especially about the secondary characters. I loved the ballet parts.
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