Bookaniastas Review: AUDITION

mood: smiley
pandora/ipod: "sing" from sesame street

AUDITION by Stasia Ward Kehoe

From Goodreads:

When high school junior Sara wins a coveted scholarship to study ballet, she must sacrifice everything for her new life as a professional dancer-in-training. Living in a strange city with a host family, she's deeply lonely-until she falls into the arms of Remington, a choreographer in his early twenties. At first, she loves being Rem's muse, but as she discovers a surprising passion for writing, she begins to question whether she's chosen the right path. Is Rem using her, or is it the other way around? And is dancing still her dream, or does she need something more? This debut novel in verse is as intense and romantic as it is eloquent.

I first heard about AUDITION when Stasia and I toured together with Stages on Pages. After listening to Stasia speak so eloquently and passionately about dance (she's been a dancer since about the time she learned how to walk) I knew I needed to read this novel.

Still, I'm not going to lie: reading a novel in verse kind of scared the hell out of me.

But I was surprised. After about four of five pages, my brain had adapted to the style and the cadence of the verse (kind of like how when I read books in first person present and think, "I'll never get used to this!" and then about two pages into it I'm not even noticing what tense it's in anymore...) I think a huge reason for the easy adaptability to the style is Stasia's mastery with it. There's a cadence to the words, to the scenes, to the dialogue, and that consistency really helped me get into the groove. There's also a particular intensity in the verse style that added so much to this story, mimicking the unreal stress faced by an aspiring artist living in a high-pressure environment far from home.

It's impressive when any author can establish a strong character voice, and the fact that Stasia does so with so fewer words than most of us kind of blew my mind. Sara is a fierce heroine: smart and driven, fearless and unsure at the same time. I totally internalized Sara's struggles with fitting in, establishing her presence at a new school both socially and as a dancer, and of course the central romance of the novel, her relationship with an older choreographer.

Remington is the kind of bad boy I'd have fallen for myself (er, or did fall for...several times...) He's a brilliant artist, and his medium compliments her own which gives their romance a passionate spark. And yet the romance isn't all-consuming and in the end, serves as a catalyst for Sara to figure out what it is she really, truly wants.

As a performing artist, I fell hard for this book. But I believe it speaks to the inner "confused teen" in all of us. Don't let the verse scare you - AUDITION is a must read.

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Want to see what the rest of the Bookanistas are recommending this week?

Elana Johnson roars for FURY

Shannon Whitney Messenger marvels at A MILLION SUNS plus a preorder giveaway

Carolina Valdez Miller is all about HERE with giveaway

Gretchen McNeil twirls for AUDITION

Corrine Jackson hails THE CATASTROPHIC HISTORY OF ME AND YOU

Stasia Ward Kehoe is wild for DON’T BREATHE A WORD

Katy Upperman gets in the spirit with ELF ON A SHELF

Nikki Katz dishes on WHY WE BROKE UP