Tiny Pretty Things

While there will surely be many suspenseful and scandalous young adult books debuted this summer, Tiny Pretty Things is already at the top of my list. From page one, I was thrown into the captivating world of competitive ballet where girls psychologically torture each other in order to attain the title of prima ballerina.

Three competitive ballerinas (perfectionist June, icy Bette, and newcomer Gigi) seem almost stereotypical and one-sided periodically, but I guess as much is to be expected with a novel aimed for young adults. Bette’s stunted character development and Gigi’s “goody-two-shoes” persona annoyed me for most of the book, until the rushed revelation at the end. June seems to struggle the most internally, yet her character is captured perfectly, which is why I feel I can relate to her so well. There are also a few sensitive topics discussed in the novel, but I feel that they lend to the character development and are handled with respect and honesty.

The ending was quite abrupt, so I hope that there is a sequel in the making. Overall, the suspense was enough to keep me turning the pages,but only when the drama wasn’t too much of a schoolgirl cat-fight.