March 25, 2013
A tumultuous week in the lives of students at the Crystal Pointe Dance Academy is told through a variety of viewpoints. Justin, the academy's principal male dancer, must continually defend himself against homophobic taunts while he pines for Layla, whose low self-esteem keeps her locked in an abusive relationship. Zizi is an airhead, and Mercedes lives under the thumb of her oppressively rigid mother. Then there is Diamond, who goes to the mall for dance tights and leaves with a handsome older man who has promised her a film audition. As readers will likely predict, the film Thane is making will not be rated G. Diamond is drugged, tied to a bed, and raped repeatedly in the presence of some burly cameramen, who post the film online and rake in money. Diamond's chapters are brutal but, perhaps mercifully, they are few and far between; the story sidetracks frequently to other characters' less urgent dramas. Draper writes about the lives of teenagers with authority and believable dialogue, but the juxtaposition of banal moments with Diamond's nightmare makes the sexual violence feel uncomfortably trivialized. Ages 14âup.
July 1, 2014
Gr 9 Up-Fifteen-year-old Diamond is a dancer who feels destined for more than her role as Smee the pirate in the Crystal Pointe Dance Academy presentation of "Peter Pan". When she meets a man at the mall food court who promises her a chance to star in a Hollywood movie, Diamond is certain her time for fame has arrived. But instead of stardom, she finds herself facing unspeakable horrors. Though this is Diamond's story, most of it is told through the perspectives of her friends and fellow dancers, Mercedes, Layla, and Justin, as they face their own struggles and wonder what could have happened to Diamond. This story is suspenseful and engaging, even though the author tries to tackle too many intense subjects at one time. Teens who like gritty realistic fiction should enjoy this work. Narrator Cherise Boothe's performance of Draper's novel doesn't miss a beat.-"Amanda Rollins, Northwest Village School, Plainville, CT"
Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
May 1, 2013
Gr 9 Up-Draper has created a nurturing setting for her characters in the Crystal Pointe Dance Academy where students have been dancing and working together for years. Miss Ginger, their instructor, provides support and challenge in endeavors like the spring showcase or the upcoming production of Peter Pan. Diamond, 15, is swept off her feet by a stranger's promise of an audition for a movie when he finds her alone at the mall. Her BFF, Mercedes, gets a cryptic text before they are to meet at the food court to go to the academy for a performance. Through drugs and restraints, villainous Thane and his henchmen cameramen, as well as other paying participants, abuse Diamond as the unwilling star in Internet pornography for days. Meanwhile, with only intermittent plot coverage of Diamond's ordeal, the dance academy and school hold vigils and worry about their classmate. Most chapters actually deal with Layla: she doesn't acknowledge fellow dancer Justin's crush because she is more concerned about boyfriend, Donny, who gets dangerous and abuses her when he feels jealous or insecure. Layla suffers from some bad judgment, a mostly absentee mother, and the challenge of her father being released after six years in prison. This realistic novel takes on too many characters and plotlines, and the scattershot approach may leave readers less engaged and invested. Dance enthusiasts should enjoy the depictions of costumes, jitters, daunting roles, and therapeutic workouts. However, multiple issues-bullying, kidnapping, sexual enslavement by a predator-pedophile, abusive teen relationships, and sexting-result in hot-button overload.-Suzanne Gordon, Lanier High School, Sugar Hill, GA
Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.