A love story with a refreshing focus on confronting systemic racism.
An injured teenage ballerina falls in love while reexamining the cultural and racial context of her beloved art.
The decade Alina spent honing her ballet artistry is demolished in a split second when her leg is shattered in an accident. Struggling with depression, anxiety, and jealousy, she hides away from the world. When Alina is cast in the high school production of Singin’ in the Rain, she finds herself on a roller coaster of emotions as she navigates new friendships; a potential boyfriend in the charmingly tanned, black-haired star; and the prospect of dancing again. Can Alina find the internal strength and external support to confront the systemic racism of ballet and look to the future? Rom-com elements create a familiar framework for a fresh story exploring the tension between racist traditions and culturally authentic representation in the arts. Half Japanese and half White, Alina works through her complex feelings about being gaslit into dancing the problematic Chinese Tea solo in The Nutcracker for so many years while her best friend, Colleen, who is Black, was repeatedly given the Arabian Coffee role—and less talented White dancers got better parts. Alina’s compelling, realistic journey focuses on strategies to manage trauma and mental health with the goal of moving forward even when there are setbacks. The writing is engaging, sentimental moments will please romance lovers, and the hopeful, yet realistic, ending is satisfying.
A love story with a refreshing focus on confronting systemic racism. (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: May 11, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-316-70340-6
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Poppy/Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2021
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
Exactly what the title promises.
A grieving teen’s devotion to romance films might ruin her chances at actual romance.
Liz Buxbaum has always adored rom-coms, not least for helping her still feel close to her screenwriter mother, who died when she was little. Liz hopes that her senior year might turn into a real-life romantic fantasy, as an old crush has moved back to town, cuter and nicer than ever. Surely she can get Michael to ask her to prom. If only Wes, the annoying boy next door, would help her with her scheming! This charming, fluffy concoction manages to pack into one goofy plot every conceivable trope, from fake dating to the makeover to the big misunderstanding. Creative, quirky, daydreaming Liz is just shy of an annoying stereotype, saved by a dry wit and unresolved grief and anger. Wes makes for a delightful bad boy with a good heart, and supporting characters—including a sassy best friend, a perfect popular rival, even a (not really) evil stepmother—all get the opportunity to transcend their roles. The only villain here is Liz’s lovelorn imagination, provoking her into foolish lies that cause actual hurt feelings; but she is sufficiently self-aware to make amends just in time for the most important trope of all: a blissfully happy ending. All characters seem to be White by default.
Exactly what the title promises. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6762-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
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