A delightful drama with well-done supernatural elements that heighten the themes of anger and forgiveness.
In this YA novel from Swanson (Perilous: A Ripple Novel, 2015, etc), a ballet-obsessed teenager in Oregon confronts dangerous sirens, her family’s mysterious history, and, most frightening of all, the need to forgive her mom.
Foulweather, Oregon, is “bucolic without being idyllic,” the sort of town Portlanders visit only if they take a wrong turn. But Foulweather is where Giselle Chekhov and her ballet-fixated family live—despite the danger presented by the enigmatic (and rarely seen) sirens. Giselle’s mother runs the ballet studio there. A star dancer, Giselle seems on track for the title role in a story ballet about menacing spirits, the very piece that she is named after. (And, according to her grandmother, the reason why the sirens are being seen again.) The students in levels four and five at the studio “would all kill to dance the part of Giselle. Giselle Chekhov, however, wouldn’t have to. The role had always been hers,” Giselle muses. But when her mom declares that Giselle is too tall for ballet, she is forced to attend the drama class at her performing arts high school. Fortunately, there’s a sexy boy in the class who makes her feel like she matters. Unfortunately, she has to process her mother’s ballet betrayal, her aching for her dancing life, and the maybe supernatural sirens who visit her in her dreams. Swanson sensitively captures a particular teen experience, detailing Giselle’s occasional bafflement over her immigrant grandmother and mother’s Russian ways, and her drive to succeed at ballet. But while Giselle may face quintessential (or, depending on the reader’s point of view, clichéd) teen dilemmas like getting into romantic trouble, she remains an engaging character, with her love for her younger sister especially well drawn. Swanson’s prose is strong and insightful. (And funny too at times: those who spent time in high school drama class may recognize the truth in Giselle’s arch remark, “Drama students in tears, thought Giselle. What a surprise.”) The author doesn’t offer many reasons to fear for Giselle—for instance, the audition she feels nervous about ends in a standing ovation. But there’s such a strong voice to the characters that it’s a pleasure to spend time with them.
A delightful drama with well-done supernatural elements that heighten the themes of anger and forgiveness.Pub Date: Nov. 14, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-939543-36-3
Page Count: 388
Publisher: Williams Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
An outstanding intergenerational tale that captures a slice of life in contemporary China. Mei-Mei and her grandfather get up early, breakfast together, board a bicycle, and travel congested streets to a local park. There they hang the cage of their song bird in a tree, amid dozens of others, so the birds can sing together. They greet their friends, practice tai-chi, have a jar of tea, and then ride home through the market, where they get four crisp pancakes wrapped in a sheet of newspaper. The soft watercolor illustrations capture the loving relationship between grandfather and granddaughter, and provide a glimpse of a busy Chinese town, where ancient terra-cotta roofed buildings are juxtaposed with farm animals on the way to market, and details from the family kitchen are contrasted with streets bustling with cars, trucks, bicycles, and vendors. The book is useful for multicultural studies, but shines as a warm family story. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-8075-5039-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Whitman
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1999
With the help of shrewd, patient grandmother, Patrick scores a victory for all bedtime foot-draggers in this energetic debut of two children’s book newcomers. With the sun on the horizon, Patrick points out that he has no bed; springing into action, Granny chops down a tree, hauls out her toolbox and presents him with a fine new bed. Unfortunately, as a poker-faced Patrick complains in succession, he has no pillow, blanket, or teddy; by the time Granny—quietly, relentlessly toiling on despite her Herculean tasks—has finished gathering chicken feathers, weaving wool, and converting the curtains into a huge purple bear, morning sunlight is flooding in. Johnson gives his illustrations a 1960s retro look, with canted perspectives, long slanted borders, and a color scheme involving turquoise, orange-reds, and pastel greens; these colors, evenly applied in large background fields, cool off as sunset deepens into night, then warm to signal the approaching day, slyly preparing viewers for the concluding punchline. Children will snuggle down with smiles on their faces after this comic spin on the paraphernalia associated with a common ritual. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: April 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-8037-2382-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1999
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