Sophie Flack

I did a theatre summer camp as a kid. In the morning, we’d have acting lessons, In the afternoon, we’d have dance lessons. And they WERE hard dance lessons then. And no fun So reading Bunheads just left me in total AWE of how hard ballet dancers really work and how freaking dedicated they are.

First off – I absolutely loved how the story started. “Don’t call me a ballerina.” It’s a brilliant first line. It intrigued me and made wonder…”well, isn’t this story about show more ballerines? What’s your deal, Hannah?” and then she explains. And tells me her story. And I love her. I loved her character, especially because she’s indecisive and unsure.

Okay, Bunheads isn’t exactly action packed. I felt like, rather than a typical story (with the rise, climax, fall, etc.) Bunheads goes a bit more…subtle and slowly. It’s more of a window into a girl’s life – a rather normal life, with the exception of her spending every waking moment doing ballet things. Interesting ballet things and also boy kissing.

And it was really relatable. Sure, I don’t have to decide between a life and ballet, but I’ve had to decide between two really important things before, and I have a lot of issues with not enough time, just like Hannah.

I know this wasn’t a very cohesive review, so let me say flat out – I enjoyed Bunheads immensely. I thought it was a wonderful contemporary with interesting characters in an interesting setting. I don’t recommend it to anyone looking for a lot of action, but I do recommend it for anyone interested in a thoughtful contemp. Plus, boys and kissing. show less

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

I love when authors write about what they know as it tends to be the most realistic way to learn about a topic. Sophie Flack is particularly qualified to write this book and it would not be nearly as realistic if the author did not have Sophie’s ballet background. While the complaint of many reviews I read was that the book was littered with too many French, dance-specific terms, to the extent that it detracted from the story, I disagree – this is an exceptional and show more unique look into the lives of young professional dancers.

Hannah reminds me a great deal of one of my own protagonists, Natalie, my goalie girl. Hannah debates the merits of dedicating her life to ballet, a career that will last a decade, if she’s lucky, or following the path of most nineteen-year-olds in New York City and enrolling in college. My character, Natalie, debates following the seemingly impossible dream of becoming a professional goalie or going to college like most girls her age. In addition, the themes of Bunheads are marvelously true to life – so true that I found myself often wondering if Bunheads is semi-autobiographical. Hannah’s relationship with Jacob is completely recognizable as it is filled with confusion and muddled emotions and feelings – common identifying aspects of most relationships of actual young adults.

There’s a thought that crosses most young adults’ minds more than once during their college years, “Did I make the right choices so far in my life or is it time for a change?” While I found Bunheads in the young adult section of Barnes and Noble, it really embodies the new “New Adult” genre and fuels my dream to see more books about actual young adults and college-age girls trying to figure their lives out on the book shelves of my local book store. show less

I found Bunheads by Sophie Flack to be a delightful novel. It shows what it’s like to be a ballet dancer in the Manhattan Ballet-one of the best companies in the world. The dancers endure long hours, grueling workouts, and a lot of drama between performances. Flack’s voice is full of fluidity and beauty. She engaged me from the first line.
“My name is Hannah Ward. I am not a Ballerina”
Hannah Ward is nineteen years old. When she was fourteen, she gave up her life to follow her passion. show more Dance. And when I say she gave up her life, she really did give up everything. She left her family, friends, and education behind. As Hannah continued her training, her schedules became even more packed. She began to regret that she didn’t have time to see more of the beautiful New York. She also wished she could have a relationship, friendly and romantic, with people outside the MBA Theatre. Hannah is not a ballerina. Ballerinas are the soloists and principals. Hannah is still on her way. She is young and determined, and has a bright future.
Hannah’s sole dream is to be promoted to soloist. For this to happen, she has to be recognized by her disciplined and unapproachable instructor Otto. When readers meet Hannah, she is incredibly ambitious. She takes extra classes to get in better shape and works harder than anyone in class. Flack’s writing has you rooting for Hannah throughout the entire novel-even when she begins to doubt herself and her career. Flack writes are Hannah perfectly-because she knew what it was like to dance in a premier ballet company. The dance terminology really brings the novel together. We are thrown into Hannah’s life headfirst. Rehearsal after class after workout after rehearsal.
Dance is Hannah’s life. She spends every single day at the MBA Theatre. Good thing she has such entertaining friends. In Hannah’s dressing room, we have Zoe, Daisy, Bea and Leni. The novel mainly focuses on the first three. Zoe is antagonistic. She was born and raised rich, and walks with a haughty attitude that no one enjoys. Because of their similar looks and bodies, Zoe and Hannah are often pitted against each other for parts. No matter how rude or careless Zoe gets, Hannah still loves her. Zoe was Hannah’s first friends at MBA-back when she was barely a teenager. She had no family with her. Zoe invited her over constantly and the two became fast friends. Zoe shows her soft side occasionally, and has some really sweet moments with Hannah.
Bea is Hannah’s closest friend. Bea is very flamboyant and funny. She teases Hannah and helps with her relationship (Which I will get to in a moment). I really love Bea and Hannah’s friendship. It is incredibly genuine. When Hannah is tired of never getting good parts in the new Ballets and wants to quit, Bea is constantly by her side giving her praise and encouragement. Everyone needs a friend like that. Our last roommate is Daisy. Daisy is the youngest of the group. At only sixteen years old, Daisy is constantly looked over. The rest of the group bashes her when she thinks she deserved a role. I think that was pretty low of them. If Daisy deserved the role, her friends should be happy, regardless of her age.
Hannah’s life at the Manhattan Ballet is monotonous. However, I loved reading about it. Dance has always interested me. Whether it’s modern or ballet. I love watching, learning and reading about it. Especially all the behind the scenes looks we get. A personal connection for me is The Nutcracker. MY dad and I have gone to the Nutcracker at the Pacific Northwest Ballet for almost 15 years. I love the show and the dancers-even the background ones like Hannah. In Bunheads, Flack takes us behind the scenes of The Nutcracker. Truth is, the dancers hate Nutcracker season. Almost all of them –especially the corps de ballet members who are always cast as dancing as a snowflake and a flower. They hate dancing the same dance every night. They hate the fake snow-which in Bea’s case gets everywhere. I mean everywhere. Even in her silverware drawer at her apartment. I think information like this is so interesting. Who would have thought that the dancers hate the most popular holiday performance?
Now we have Jacob. Funny, persistent, Jacob. When Hannah meet’s Jacob they have a quick connection. HE is fascinated by her dancing credentials and she is impressed by his skills on the guitar. They remain in touch and have a cute, yet stressful relationship. For Hannah, it is incredibly hard. She only has one night off a week and she usually spends it at the gym. She now has to make a choice about the relationship. At first, she chooses dance-which is what I would’ve done. She has worked so hard for her career and the title of soloist is so close. When Hannah becomes less and less available, Jacob has had enough. And honestly, I don’t blame him. He only got to see her a little bit every could weeks. I’d be disappointed too. They have a pretty messy breakup. Hannah rededicates herself to dance, but doesn’t forget the time she shared with Jacob. HE introduced her to entire world outside the theatre.
In her limited free time, Hannah also spends some time with Matt. A super rich teen who spends a lot of time at the Ballet. He does many nice things for Hannah, like buying her clothes and food, but it’s not a love connection. So Hannah- semi-politely- tells him to back off.
Hannah is trying her best to stay optimistic about her future at the MBA. People are being promoted to soloists at every turn-including Zoe. IT dawns on Hannah that life isn’t going to get easier. She wasn’t truly happy in her shoes. People around her notice she doesn’t smile. Hannah realizes that if she is promoted to soloist, than she would have even less time outside the theatre-which is now her…obsession?
Hannah does something totally unexpected. She leaves the Manhattan Ballet Company. Quits. Out. Afterwards, she resumes her relationship with Jacob. Hannah doesn’t give up dancing altogether, though, she is now a dance instructor to children who are just learning ballet and dance. I know Hannah will make a great teacher.
The only thing I didn’t particularly like was the ending. I really thought that Hannah would consider chasing her dreams. And her dreams have always been dance. Hannah is a great example of how dreams can change, though. She grew out of the hard life of a Dancer. It just wasn’t for her, and it took an insurmountable amount of courage to do what she did.
Bunheads is a hidden gem of contemporary fiction. Flacks knowledge of the dance world really shows in her writing. Readers were transported into the wings while Hannah dances. WE feel the sweat pour down our backs as the rest of the class practices at the barre. Bunheads is a candid look at the world of dance, and a fast paced read that was surprisingly enjoyable.

Review originally posted on Goodreads.com
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1391416307?book_show_action=false show less

This is a book I've known about before it was released. I've seen it multiple times in my library back in New York but never picked it up because I figured I'd never forget about it and someday I'd eventually get on to reading it. And now I'm regretting it, because this book is like looking out my window and seeing a completely different world. I read this book in one whole sitting- I didn't get up even once- because I didn't want this beautiful and realistic story to end.

Reading about show more Hannah's life in the Manhattan Ballet Company is so exhilarating, especially since like other young girls I dreamed of being a ballerina once. I'd come home from Nutcracker rehearsals and practice Marie's dance sequence when all I was was a toy soldier. I was so drawn into everything about this book- not just because of the glamour that you imagine, but because this really showed how difficult it is to be a dancer. You see the aching pains, the hard work, how you have to devote every single waking moment of your life to it. And then you read about Hannah, who isn't sure if she wants this anymore, and it just resonates so deeply with the hopes and dreams and worries you have inside that you feel inclined to root for her.

After I read this, my eyes were sparkling, I had a smile on my face, and I was just so inspired. If Bunheads was a dessert, I would eat it so fast you wouldn't even see me move. The dialogue was natural and perfectly fitting, the setting was so descriptive but not too lengthy, and the theme of the story was so well planted. If you see this book in your library or in a bookstore, pick it up. Don't wait. You won't be anywhere near disappointed.

http://misinterpretedunrepresented.blogspot.com/2013/11/bunheads-by-sophie-flack... show less