Bunheads

Amazing!!

This book is perfect for all readers, including dancers and non dancers because there is just so much packed in this book. We pick up the life of Hannah, a dancer at the Manhattan Ballet Academy and a dancer in the corps de ballet. She's struggling like so many dancers are, trying to get the attention of the managers and to also keep their waif like bodies from breaking and ruining their chance at stardom. Hannah started dancing back home when she was very young and quickly she found she had a talent, enough so that she wins a scholarship to the MBA and moves out at the age of 14.
The book is littered with ballet terms and choreography and for someone who has trained and knows the life, its very dead on. For those non dancers, or pedestrians as the book calls them, you can feel very much a part of the whole scene because of the way Ms. Flack has written this book.
Hannah learns as the book goes on that there is a life outside of the ballet that she is wanting to try. It takes the surprise promotion of one girl in her group to principal dancer that makes her finally start to open her mind to the chances out there. I do love that Hannah takes that chance and does something else, but still enjoys ballet, teaching, not dancing it. But the real joy is getting to help teach girls that ballet isn't about willowy figures and stress, but about enjoying the music and expressing emotion thru dance.
A perfect book for all readers!!!

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Book Thoughts: Bunheads by Sophie Flack

Bunheads quickly immersed me into the wonderful world of dance, but through the protagonist, Hannah, the reader soon discovers that the world is far from wonderful. The constant routine and intense practicing the girls go through is compelling. As a person on the outside [of dance] it is always captivating to see the inner workings of things since it does not cross your mind until it comes up. Bunheads is a nice read that shows an individual must have a lot of dedication to pursue an avocation that he/she loves.

There are a ton of intricate dances within this book. (Duh, the character is a professional ballet dancer.) Multiple dances are repeated constantly throughout the book, but only their titles are given. Most people do not know the steps to a dance and cannot picture what the character is doing in his/her head. Like others, I am foreign to these dances and wished a few of the more common ones were explained in detail. Most of the time, I pictured random graceful moves when Hannah and her friends performed because I did not know how the moves were executed.

I found Hannah¿s relationship with one of her friends, Zoe, different. The two have a love-hate relationship which doesn¿t usually appear in YA novels between girls. Each is the other¿s main competitor, which is the main cause of their confusing friendship. I¿m glad stress is put on their relationship in their novel; if it happens in reality, why shouldn¿t it happen in fiction?

Hannah¿s thoughts and decisions confused me. They vacillate frequently, and left me unsure of which way the story would go. I am still not sure if I see that a positive of negative part of the story. I know I switch my decisions multiple times and think things over and over again but for some reason it really bothered me when it came to the story. I also had no idea where her relationship with Matt or Jacob would go. The whole novel felt like a giant mental battle and the reader doesn¿t find out her final decision until the very end. I wished the ending hadn¿t been so sudden and the story had carried on for a few pages more after the solution of the main conflict so I could have seen the aftermath.

Still, the protagonist¿s voice is effortless to fall into. One of the colleges I would like to attend is NYU and Jacob , the cute NYU student, made me want to go even more. Bunheads is a nice read. If dancing is your thing, I definitely suggest it (I already have two friends who want to read it).

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Live To Read

was surprised how much I liked this novel. The main character certainly wasn't the nicest, smartest, or best overall I have read, but that was part of what made her so likable. I really enjoyed following Hannah's point of view and getting glimpses into her thought processes throughout the novel. She is determined, extremely hardworking, and manages to persevere through the pain and disappointment that comes with being a dancer.



The story starts with all of the ballet dancers working hard to get a promotion-the coveted soloist positions that could make them "real ballerinas." The reader will be introduced to several dynamic secondary characters. They are all hardworking, many are very obsessed with weight. I think the author did a wonderful job of capturing the "typical ballet dancer" mentality.



Jacob, Hannah's potential love interest, added an extra bonus to the book. He provided Hannah a view into normal, everyday life. That small snippet will come back to haunt Hannah, increasing her desire for other things-beyond dancing. Overall, the author was a great writer, there were no awkward scenes and the dancers' emotions came across as genuine. This book is recommended to young adult/teen readers.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Amazing!

This is the first ballet-related book I have read and I loved it! I definitely could relate to the passion for ballet that Hannah had and I adore this book!!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Great book!

I loved this book! As a dancer in high school, I totally related to this book. Everything about the dancing world is right to the T, and I loved the characters.

What I liked most about this book, is the great plot line. Filled with aspiring dancers yearning for the spot light, to get to that place it takes really hard work. I loved all the dancers in the book, the competitions and the drama. The feeling of the rush of adrenaline while on stage filled my veins as I read this book. I haven't danced for years, but to fill the dance, the music, and the to see the audience watching gave me the feeling I haven't felt in years.

The characters in this book were great.I loved the development of them and the way they saw things. A whole new perspective is brought to the readers eyes and it held them there. The characters make some sacrifices, some good and others bad. The love interest captivated me. I loved how he made it easy for Hannah to be herself. What caught me about him, was her never ending of giving up.

Bunheads is a perfect book for those who want a whole other experience. A dance life is something different and a great experience. I loved my dance life in high school. It was something that steadied me and LOVED to do. You should most definitely read Bunheads. With an amazing view of a dance, you too will be dancing!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Great book!

At first I thought it was going to be boring, but after reading it for awhile it got really interesting. I couldn't stop reading it and the plot was really interesting. A great read I reccommand it to anybody, especially ballerinas.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

So excited!!

I read a sample of the book already in the october issue of teen vogue and its soooo good! Im a dancer and have been for 10 years and i read lots of dance books and this has to be the best. The author writes about her pwn experiences as a dancer in the New York City Ballet through the main cahracter, Hannah Ward. Overall, im super excited for his book to come out and will definitely get it as soon as it does! :)

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

I cant wait

Im soo ready for this book!

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Cant wait

Iam so ready for this book

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Wonderful!

This fiction novel was really great! People who know about ballet and the meaning of the jumps and turns they do will L-O-V-E it! It shows how a girl who gave her life into ballet gets the pressure & expecations of the academy on her shoulders.
Whatever you are commited to it takes mental toughness & extra effect.

Amazibg Amazing!

I wrote something before but it got earased on accident! Although i will not write it that long, i must say that i recomend this book to all even as a dancer! :)

Not all that

I didn't think this book was all that great. Hannah was catty, mean, and a workoutaholic. I think the book had a good ending but my overall impression of this book was "eh, so so"

I luv this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Awsome book if u dance u should totaly read it !!

.....

Yes

Amazing

I am a 14 year old dancer and this book really appealed to me. I loved the way that it described the ballet world- too many people think of it as easy. It was extremely well-written and I would reccomend it to anyone, even if you're not a dancer.

Great book, would highly recommend

A really grest book, ballet you see on stage is pretty, but this reveals the hidden world of what goes on to create it. The characters are all so real and relateable, it makes you feel as if, just by reading about them, they've become your best friend or frienemy and like Jacob, the main charactors love interest, could also be your boyfriend.

The book is also very thought provoking. Even though few people have been in Hannah's shoes, every one faces the problems she does in some way. Bunheads truely makes one wonder about what he or she want to do with his or her life and if the suffering is really worth it.

Where 'Bunheads' really shines is in setting the scene for Hannah and her world.

Nineteen-year-old Hannah Ward is not a ballerina, not yet anyway. A dancer with the Manhattan Ballet Company, Hannah knows this is her year to finally land a coveted promotion from corps dancer to soloist. It has to be. Recruited by the Company when she was fourteen, Hannah has been working toward this singular goal for her entire life.

On a rare night off, Hannah meets a pedestrian--a non-dancer--named Jacob. A free-spirited musician, Jacob's life is everything Hannah's is not, filled with freedom from the regimen and commitments being a professional dancer entails.

As Hannah spends more time with Jacob and moves closer to her ballerina dream, she starts to wonder if ballet really is enough. It always had been before, but now Hannah isn't so sure. Ballerinas are supposed to dedicate themselves to dance, but Hannah might be ready to dedicate her life to other pursuits in Bunheads (2011) by Sophie Flack.

Bunheads is Flack's first novel. It was also a finalist for the 2011 Cybils in Young Adult Fiction.

As a novel, 'Bunheads' falls short in several areas. Informed by her own experiences as a professional dancer (Flack danced with the New York City Ballet from 2000 to 2009) much of the novel feels indulgent and more like an exercise in wish-fulfillment on the author's part than an actual story.

Hannah and Jacob's immediate connection never feels authentic which raises questions about both character's behavior throughout. Combined with a meandering, slow-paced plot the book often lacks the verve to keep things interesting.

With Hannah and her friends being wholly consumed by dance, there is little room for character development. There are even fewer opportunities to make the characters distinguishable from each other as all of the dancers, Hannah included, feel interchangeable for much of the novel.

Where 'Bunheads' really shines is in setting the scene for Hannah and her world. Flack brings a professional eye to the story, expertly conjuring the narrow world of a corps dancer that is filled both with grueling monotony and brief moments of wonder found on the stage.

'Bunheads' is a moderately entertaining reminder of both the passion 'and 'the commitment that being a professional dancer demands. It is easy to admire the glitter and tutus of a ballet. This book reminds readers to remember the stamina and strength that makes every ballet look effortless on stage.

Finally, and perhaps unexpectedly, 'Bunheads' is a beautiful example of the bravery it takes to dedicate years to a specific plan only to choose a completely different path leading into uncharted territory. A must read for ballet enthusiasts, athletes, and anyone trying to strike out on their own--even if they don't know exactly where they will be striking just yet.

Possible Pairings: So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti, The Year My Sister Got Lucky by Aimee Friedman, 'Lola and the Boy Next Door' by Stephanie Perkins, 'The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers' by Lynn Weingarten, 'Absolutely Maybe' by Lisa Yee

Awesome

Great book

Great boook!!!

Reallly good book. (:

The best

Bunheads is a really amazing book. I recommend it