Lisa's Dance

by Brett Galen

Overview

Dive into a heartwarming tale swimming with love and unexpected moments. Cole Douglas and Lisa Mathers live completely different lives. When an accident leads to an unexpected kiss, Cole begins to question his feelings and his desire to explore a newfound connection. But, as they navigate their awkward situation, the charming and attractive school actor Grayson asks Lisa to the school dance, testing the strength of their bond. Will Cole miss his opportunity to discover love? Or will he overcome his own insecurity and learn to join Lisa's Dance?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798218153410
Publisher:	Brett Galen
Publication date:	02/10/2023
Pages:	76
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.18(d)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

Editorial Reviews

2023-10-18
Galen’s YA novella, part of his Young Romance series, shares a growing romance between two teens.

Cole Douglas, an exceptional swimmer, and Lisa Mathers, a popular volleyball player,accidentally collide, ending up with their lips pressed together in front of all their friends because fellow student Clayton Durst’s ball-bearing science experiment spilled onto the floor of the main hallway. Cole offers a rambling apology which gets a puzzling reply from Lisa: “You big dummy,” she says, and then said under her breath, “I can’t believe you were my first kiss.” Lisa shows up at Cole’s house that evening and kisses him again, trying to decide if she really likes him; when they first kissed, she explains, she “felt scared and excited and surprised and a million other things.” His reaction to second kiss is unexpected: “I’m sorry. This isn’t right.” Later, though, he reconsiders his feelings. This back and forth continues, as they both try to determine their true emotions. After Cole nearly drowns while swimming in a lake, he’s hospitalized with dehydration and exhaustion; when he returns home, Lisa shows up to keep an eye on him. She makes him pancakes; he makes her crêpes. They get to know each other better. She makes Cole promise to go to the school dance—where it appears that she’s already in a relationship with someone else, but things may not be what they seem. Young love blooms in Galen’s story, which accurately reflects teenagers’ propensity to misinterpret events. However, it’s somewhat predictable, and readers may feel that lacks convincing drama, aside from Cole’s near-tragedy, and the initial accidental run-in seems farfetched and unbelievable. The work appears to be geared toward younger teens, but the bland dialogue and vague descriptions (of such things as Lisa’s “beautiful green eyes”) are unlikely to keep their interest. Overall, there’s too much dialogue and enough narrative to make this a compelling read.

An earnest but pedestrian tale of a teen relationship.

Kirkus Reviews