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A Dance of Sisters by Tracey Porter
By Allie Costa
“A Dance of Sisters” is a poignant look at one girl's somewhat estranged family and her newfound passion for ballet. After the death of their mother, two sisters become closer, with the younger sister looking up to her older sister more than words can express. Their father, though he loves his daughters, becomes more distant as he grieves for his wife, removes her pictures from the house walls, and throws himself into his thriving business.
Fast-forward years later: The younger sister, Delia, is in middle school. She's a good girl, but doesn't have any notable hobbies - except for dancing. Suddenly, the local mainstream dance school with its yearly corny recitals are not satisfying enough for her, and she decides to pursue ballet exclusively. She enrolls at a prestigious school taught by a Madame who strictly adheres to the classic type of ballet instruction. As Delia's love for ballet deepens, she starts having her own life - and her own secrets.
Meanwhile, Delia's older sister is getting kicked out of school after school due to her behavior. She is not a felon or a threat to anyone, simply a free spirit who does not want to conform. She dresses in dark clothes that she reshapes and redesigns. She dyes her blonde hair black. She truly cares for her little sister, and still loves her father, but she too has distanced herself from her family, feeling as if she is the only one who truly remembers her mother. Sent off to a new school, she expects nothing, but surprises herself and everyone else when she ends up with a new interest - taming a horse that was said to be untamable.
I recommend this book to a wide audience. This book is not just about ballet, nor solely about parents and children grieving over a loss, but rather about honoring those memories while making new ones. Each character finds something he or she is passionate about. The dynamic between the characters is realistic and the plot is interesting and familiar without being cliché. You will root for this family to come back together, and you will want each person to become stronger in his or her own way.
In a Dark Wood by Amanda Craig
By Allie Costa
A man nearing 40 is getting a div-orce from his wife and has to re-evaluate his life. He discovers a dark fairy tale book written by his mother, who killed herself when he was 6, and he has very little recollection of her. Tracking down his mother's friends and reading the stories help him learn about his past, his family and himself.
The writing style is very smart, and topics include England, America, divorce, fairy tales, and skeletons in the family closet. The dark fairy stories within the book are killer and they neatly parallel what happened in the mother's past as well as the protagonist's present. The story starts off right in the middle of his moving out of his house, and then continues on a steady pace, building and spiraling until the end.
Just Like That by Marsha Qualey
By Allie Costa
Just Like That expl-ores the story of a teenage girl named Hanna. After breaking up with her boyfriend, she thinks she'll have a quiet moment to herself, sitting near the frozen-over lake late at night. She sees a slightly older couple, who urge her to come with them to be safe. She stays put. They warn her about the thin ice and depart. Shortly thereafter, a couple about her age drives by on an ATV, loud and giddy, teasing her. Lonely and cranky, she doesn't pass on the warning about the ice.
The next morning, she hears about their deaths on the news. She realizes she was the last person to see them alive - and that she might have been able to prevent their deaths. But she doesn't tell anyone that she was there, not even her mother, and not even her two best friends.
And things start to change.
Soon, Hanna meets Will, someone else tied in with that night's events. She gets involved with him rather quickly. Just as quickly, she finds herself drawn into a family with hearts on their sleeves and skeletons in their closet.
Just Like That is highly realistic dramatic fiction in the vein of Sarah Dessen - and that is a high compliment coming from me. It is a must-read book for anyone looking for a poignant story with true-to-life, flawed characters.