Audition by Stasia Ward Kehoe

So I just want to say, sorry for the lack of posts! I had midterms this whole week, so I was busy studying. :)

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆ [4]
Release date: Oct. 13, 2011
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Format: ebook
Source: library
Pages: 458
Series: --
Challenge: --
Summary: 

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?

I was pretty surprised when I opened this book on my Kindle to find that it was written in verse. Now I've seen books written in verse before, but I never really thought about actually reading one. Having read this, I'm pretty amazed at how Kehoe can say so much using so little words. I mean, this book practically gives you the bare minimum in words, yet Sara's feelings and thoughts are still projected clearly to the reader.

Sara was a relatable character. The whole time she was doubting herself reminded me of my own times of self-doubt. I really understood how she felt all those times where she compared herself to the much more accomplished dancers. Honestly, I really felt like I was going through the struggle with her.

Audition isn't a light book about dancing; in fact, it actually has a lot of heavy themes in it. As mentioned, there's Sara's struggle with figuring out what she really wants to do. Plus, there's her relationship with Remington, which I thought was rather creepy. The book also delves into the tough and busy life of professional dancers. It shows the beauty of dancing yet it also reveals just how hard a career like this can be. Sara's not the only dancer who suffers because of the sport.

All in all, for my first verse novel, I really enjoyed this. Although I don't have any experience in ballet, I still thought that the ballet terms weren't too confusing and that the book was easy enough to read.