[Review] Audition by Stasia Ward Kehoe

Title: Audition {goodreads}

Authors: Stasia Ward Kehoe

Publication (dd/mm/yy): 31/10/11

Publisher: Penguin Australia
RRP: $19.95

Source: For review (thanks Penguin!)
Age: 15+ Sexual content, but otherwise clean.

Pages: 450 [verse novel]

My Rating:

Summary:

Once you've been chosen,
what step can you take...?

Seventeen-year-old Sara's dream of becoming a star ballerina is challenged when she falls for Remington, an older choreographer. Instead of success onstage, she becomes Rem's muse, which is a future she never considered--and one that threatens to break her heart.

My thoughts: 

I was so excited to read AUDITION! I jump to the chance to read any dancing YA novel. I admit, I was worried that my expectations wouldn't be met, but for the most part I was quite pleased with what I found.

This cover is also beautiful as anything, and I can definitely picture both models as Sara and Rem. The pose is intimate, and pretty dead-on. The cover could almost be a bit busy - if the quote wasn't blurred in like it is. The title & quote fonts are nice, and the title itself is simple yet speaks volumes, especially since Sara alludes to auditions a couple times throughout the novel. 

My Synopsis

AUDITION is the story of a budding ballerina [Sara] from the country who gets swept away into the world of the Jersey Ballet. Not only is she far away from home, from her best friend Bess and her family. She's living with her Spanish dancing instructor, an older man [Remington] is using her as a muse, she's stuck with younger girls in her class due to her country-bumpkin-ness. The girls at her new high school are pretentious and rich and look down at Sara's humble upbringing, and dreams of dancing in the future.

As Sara climbs up her ballet class ladder and develops from hunter green leotard to grey, Snowflake to Aurora, so too does her poisonous relationship with Remington.

I have to say, I LOVE the writing of this book! It's poetic and lyrical and just so easy to read. My favourite quotes are actually the ones that are on the front and back covers. Especially the front. I actually find it fitting that this book was written in verse, since the sequences and choice of words and rhythms and moves . . . it's like a different kind of dance. The writing is equal parts dancing, equal parts romance, equal parts anguish and inner-turmoil and self-discovery.

Sara is just your average girl. She gets pretty average grades, has a couple good friends back home, deals with trying to fit in with the rich and glamorous at Upton Academy, and catch up to the talented and esteemed prima ballerinas (especially Lisette) at the Jersey Ballet. She's always wanted to be a prima ballerina, but she has doubts. I liked that she doesn't just magically become amazing. There's a progression towards her improvement.

And then there's Remington. I have conflicted feelings about him and his behaviour through the course of the book. First off, Sara and him get intimate preeeeetty quickly. At the beginning, it's all really sweet, but slowly the cracks let out and we see Rem's true colours, and his true intentions. I actually love that their relationship seemed realistic, and I have no doubt that such a one exists somewhere. Their relationship is dysfunctional, and it's not all sunshine and rainbows. Sara needed this though, to finally realise what's important to her and why she got into ballet. She grows and begins to understand herself after being with Rem, and the revelations and in-betweens are what would push me to re-read this.

There isn't too much room to develop the secondary characters too much, considering AUDITION's format. I would have liked to have seen more of Julio, the Spanish dance instructor's son, who is pursuing music. He and Sara share an almost brother-sister-like bond, which I enjoyed. Also, her dancer girl friends kind of morphed together for me. None of them stood out particularly. To me, they were just names. Lisette is a different story, since she is the cause of much of Sara's distress. Even then, I would have liked more development, of at least one of them. Probably Lisette. They barely even talked, which was a shame.

That said, I did like the dancing descriptions. It's all so foreign to me, but I was able to imagine it - once I searched up the terminology. :P All in all, AUDITION is a satisfying debut novel that centralises the problems that can befall a budding ballerina, and her actions in trying to escape these problems. AUDITION is adorned with beautiful, romantic and illustrative writing, though lacking in secondary character development.

Recommended for people with an interest in dance, those looking for a dark relationship in the contemporary YA genre and fans of verse novels.

Quotes:

#1

"'No. No. Like this, ballerina.'
His chuckling words waft through
The smoke in my ears.
I let him show me
Steps I have not seen in ordinary classes,
His expression all fire
As he shares his pas de deaux. (p. 174)

#2

"I stand up slowly,
In the aftermath
Of Remington's words.
Knees weak.
Breath fast.
Furious

At Rem for thinking
This could all be so easy,
At Jane for her power,
At Lisette for her pirouettes,

At myself
For nodding again,
For decisions that are always off count,
For not knowing the question
I would want him to answer
If I ever had the courage to ask. (pp. 344-345)

Buy:

* cheapest Australian e-store price

AUSTRALIAN RESIDENTS

Fishpond | Readings | Dymocks | Angus & Robertson * | Borders | The Nile

INTERNATIONAL READERS

Amazon | The Book Depository

All links from Booko, because I'm too lazy to search each individual store anymore.

AUDITION in a song
* links to a dance

1. "Ghost" - Ingrid Michaelson (Ingrid's newest song, and is perfect for AUDITION.)
2. "Cold As You" - Taylor Swift
3. "Dancing" - Elisa *
4. "Corner of your Heart" - Ingrid Michaelson *
5. "Gravity" - Sara Bareilles (Watching this dance always gives me the chills) *
6. "You Don't Know Me" - Ben Folds Feat. Regina Spektor
7. "Foolish Games" - Jewel
8. "You Outta Know" - Alanis Morisette (Sara's INNER thoughts to Remington, especially at one point of the book, when he's with Jane.)
9. "The Silence" - Mayday Parade
10. "Stupid" - Sarah McLachlan *

But *ahem* don't get me started with SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. We'd probably be here a while. Please do comment with additions to this 'playlist' (and more dances, please!) for AUDITION.

I have received this review copy in return for an honest review.

Challenge: YA Debut 2011 Challenge

[Review] Daughter of Xanadu by Dori Jones Yang

Title: Daughter of Xanadu

Author: Dori Jones Yang

Publication (dd/mm/yy): 11/01/11

Publisher: Random House (Delacourte)
Price: $17.99 US

Source: ARC Tour (Good Golly Miss Holly Tours)
Age: 16+, violence

Pages: 320

My Rating:

Summary:

Athletic and strong willed, Princess Emmajin's determined to do what no woman has done before: become a warrior in the army of her grandfather, the Great Khan Khubilai. In the Mongol world the only way to achieve respect is to show bravery and win glory on the battlefield.
The last thing she wants is the distraction of the foreigner Marco Polo, who challenges her beliefs in the gardens of Xanadu. Marco has no skills in the "manly arts" of the Mongols: horse racing, archery, and wrestling. Still, he charms the Khan with his wit and story-telling.
Emmajin sees a different Marco as they travel across 13th-century China, hunting 'dragons' and fighting elephant-back warriors. Now she faces a different battle as she struggles with her attraction towards Marco and her incredible goal of winning fame as a soldier.

My thoughts: 

Daughter of Xanadu is the first book I have read this year that I can say with absolute honesty deserves a 5 star rating. Daughter of Xanadu was everything I had expected of it. This was one of those books that I could not wait to get my hands on, to the point of stalking the author around the blogosphere. Yang's debut YA novel was a phenomenal mix of the historical (and thus, educational) and fictional, the memorable and the entertaining.

[Review] Wereworld: Rise of the Wolf by Curtis Jobling

Title: Wereworld: Rise of the Wolf

Author: Curtis Jobling

Publication: 4th January 2011

Publisher: Penguin Australia
Price: $16.95

Source: For Review (sent by publisher)
Age: 14+

Pages: 420

My Rating:

Summary:

'YOU'RE THE LAST OF THE WEREWOLVES.
DON'T FIGHT IT, SON;
EMBRACE IT. CONQUER IT.'


When the air is clear, sixteen year-old Drew Ferran can pick up the scent of a predator.


When the moon breaks through the clouds, a terrifying fever grips him.
And when a vicious beast invades his home, his gums begin to tear, his fingers become claws, and Drew transforms . . .


Forced to flee the family he loves, Drew seeks refuge in the most godforsaken parts of Lyssia. But when he is captured by Lord Bergan's men, Drew must prove he is not the enemy.

Can Drew battle the werecreatures determined to destroy him – and master the animal within?

My thoughts: 

I really did not know what to expect when I received this one for review. For one, I'd never heard anything about it, as well as the fact that this featured werewolves. I am not a stickler for paranormal/fantasy, but I was pleasantly surprised with this one. It was engaging, vividly described, action-packed and dark but whimsical at the best of times. Wereworld is the beginning to a great new series, and what I find so amazing is that this novel is the work from the mastermind behind Bob the Builder™. All throughout I kept that fact at the fore of my mind, conscientiously aware that this was Jobling's first YA novel.

We begin Wereworld with Drew, the main character, as he lives out a typical day in the life within his safe farmland home. Someone attacks and Drew discovers a side of him he's never known before as he fights off the mysterious creature of the night. As circumstances would have it, his father walks in on Drew in his new form, holding the now-deceased body of his beloved mother. And so begins Drew's new life, as he is thrown out of his own home, out to venture in the wild Dyrewood.

Firstly I have to say I like how much effort Penguin put into the makings of this book. There is a map, so you know exactly where you are, and it really helped me to visualise the places that were described. The cover is also designed with such careful details that I was only able to fully appreciate after I'd finished reading the book. In the general sense, I like the whole reflective, two-people mirror shot for covers. In this case, with a werewolf, the effect worked rather nicely. The colours used also helped set up what kind of book I was getting into.

The story is full of action and adventure, mystery and suspense. There were lots of moments that I believe could have been cut, as some of the descriptions run for far too long, and I'd already know what was happening before I'd read what was happening. The same goes for predictability and believability--there were a lot of near-misses and close-calls, many of which I found impossible to comprehend. That said, I was on the edge of my seat (or bed, since I read most of this while in sleep-mode, which figures why it's taken me so long to finish this book) during most of these moments.

Characters are always a big factor for me. I didn't particularly connect with any of the characters, nor did I really care much for them. I liked the gang. I just had nothing to associate myself with them. It was as though I was still just reading a book. I wasn't one of the civilians, or running along with them in their adventures. Much of this, I believe, was because this book was written in the third-person. However, that said, I did feel particular a warming-up to Gretchen, the "spoiled" rich princess, as the novel progressed and we learn a little bit about her. Even so, I wish there had been a little more character development, and less characters in the general sense. It was hard to keep track of names at times, and even at the end I had trouble associating some names with the different areas and lands. I think this is because of the genre, so I'll leave that part alone now.

Writing style is really where Jobling shines. His words were detailed and descriptive. His paragraphs were long, but it was very easy to read. There were a few sentences where I had to keep going back to, but I bring that back to the fact that I was already half-asleep during most of the sessions when I read this.

A great read, a solid start to a fresh new series by a world-renowned author.
 

Quotes:

First Line

"Drew knew that there was a predator out there."

Favourite Quote

'Why do you work for him? What on earth possesses you to stay in his service?' Drew craned his head so he could secure eye contact with the boy, but Hector was doing his best to avoid his gaze. Drew realised he had hit a nerve, and now had to see this through and get some questions of his own answered.

'I have no say in the matter. The king ordered me into Vankaskan's service. Believe me, this brings me no pleasure whatsoever. However, I'm bound to my master now, and must do his bidding regardless of how unsavoury it sounds.

'Why you, Hector? Why does he need you? And please don't say, "I was only obeying orders." You have free will. No man should be a slave.'

(pg. 108)

Buy:

Live in Australia?

Fishpond | Readings | Dymocks | Angus & Robertson | Borders | The Nile

Live elsewhere?

Amazon | The Book Depository

Links:

Official Site
Goodreads Page


I have received this review copy in return for an honest review. 

Challenge: Debut Author Challenge 2011 (UK/AU)