Bunheads

Bunheads

On-stage beauty. Backstage drama.
As a dancer with the ultra-prestigious Manhattan Ballet Company, nineteen-year-old Hannah Ward juggles intense rehearsals, dazzling performances and complicated backstage relationships.

Up until now, Hannah has happily devoted her entire life to ballet. But when she meets a handsome musician named Jacob, Hannah's universe begins to change and she must decide if she wants to compete against the other 'bunheads' in the company for a star soloist spot or strike out on her own in the real world.

Does she dare give up the gilded confines of the ballet for the freedoms of everyday life?

Sophie Flack danced with the New York City Ballet from 2000 until 2009. She is currently studying English at Columbia University. Bunheads is her first novel.

Verdict: Bunheads tells the story of Hannah Ward, a full time Dancer at the Manhattan Ballet Company. Dancing a solo in the Manhattan Ballet has been Hannah's dream her whole life; she has spent her whole life with the Ballet Company and every waking moment is spent rehearsing, performing and breathing ballet. When Hannah's given the chance to understudy a soloist, she can finally see her dreams coming true. But when Hannah meets a sexy musician named Jacob, she suddenly realises that there might be more to life than ballet.

Hannah is suddenly faced with a massive decision: should she keep working harder than ever to realise her full potential as a dancer, possibly ruining her relationship with her friends and family in the meantime? Or should she move on and try to find what else there is in the world besides dancing in the Manhattan Ballet Company?

Bunheads is a story of a girl realising that the dreams she had as a child may not be the same dreams she has now that she has grown into a young woman. While many of us may wonder how a young woman could put herself through the traumas of missing meals and working out constantly to stay in the ultimate shape, others of us will ask why Hannah is questioning her choice to be a ballerina at all. Because, let's face it, who didn't dream of being a ballerina as a child?

Bunheads is a great book for Young Adults. It teaches us about relationships with our friends and family, and that dreams really can come true, with a little (or a lot) of hard work! I really enjoyed Bunheads and would recommend it to any young girl or boy out there who has ever dreamed of being a ballerina.
Fiona Tew

Bunheads
Hachette Australia
Author: Sophie Flack
ISBN: 9781907411274
Price: $17.99