SHE CAME BACK DIFFERENT

A school takes in girls and spits them out as polished ballet dancers—but how?

Twelve-year-old Gemma Craylor’s mother signed her up for the Stadler Ballet Conservatory, not because of any particular skill but rather because she believes that Gemma needs refining. And that’s what Stadler, whose motto is “Simul perfecti sumus. In unity, perfection,” is known for: transforming “average” girls. Genevieve “Neve” Corbin, meanwhile, isn’t interested in any of Stadler’s promises of reinvention. She just wants to find her older sister and get out, because something isn’t right at the school—it’s turned Bex into someone bland and devoid of personality. Behind Stadler’s walls, Gemma and Neve encounter rules, mystery, and menace and, despite their differences, come to rely on each other and their classmates to survive the lurking dangers. While readers who are dancers will have to summon some mild suspension of belief regarding the caliber of ballet training that the girls receive, ballet quickly becomes the backdrop for an exploration of individuality, collective power, and the conflict—or alliance—between humans and nature. The white-presenting leads’ alternating viewpoints add suspense and bring the characters and their motivations to life while touching on topics such as body positivity and social alienation. Interspersed retellings of classic ballets add interest for ballet enthusiasts, while the mystery and horror elements are thrilling yet still tame enough for more sensitive readers.

An appealing blend of ballet, camaraderie, mystery, and frights.