Pretty Dancer by Cora Graham

Title: Pretty Dancer

Author: Cora Graham

Release Date: February 17th, 2015

Standalone

Rating:


Review:

Lilly and her overprotective brother Luke have had a tough time growing up and now only have each other to rely on. Lilly has a tough exterior but inside she is scared and hurting. Instead of losing control and becoming a wayward teenager, she throws all her energy and pain into dancing. Her dream is to get accepted to The Elite Academy of Dance and refuses to let anything get in the way of her dream. But then she meets Carter who steals her heart and she is made to question whether she can open up and trust.

I think the dancing was a fresh element to add to a YA contemporary. It's something different. I think you'll be able to appreciate that element even more if you're a dancer yourself or have an interest in dance. Some of the heavy descriptions of the dances were lost on me but only because of my lack of knowledge of contemporary dance and not through fault of the writing.

I also enjoyed the mysteries that were woven throughout the story. There are two plot twists to keep you on your toes. They aren't obvious but they also don't feel so far out there that you can't comprehend the why or how. They are both believable and very well written.

The character development throughout the book is very well done. The characters are memorable and well thought out with even the side characters being easy to remember. It was also nice to see a genuine friendship between Lilly and Andrea as there is a tendency to have some tension in a female-female friendship. Carter was intriguing and actually feels a bit older than a high-schooler but I liked his relationship with Lilly. He was caring and genuine and their chemistry comes across very well.

Overall I enjoyed the story and I think the author has a talent for bringing a mix of different characters to life.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.