House of Dance (Laura Geringer Books)

Reviewed by The Compulsive Reader for TeensReadToo.com

Rosie Keith is in for a long summer. Her friends are all scattered for the three months at various jobs and camps, and her mother is hardly ever home, preferring to spend time with her business partner, who is also the man she is having an affair with. So Rosie turns to her grandfather, who is dying of cancer.

During those long summer days, she helps Granddad clean through his multitudes of possessions, placing things to keep In Trust. It is on one of those day she discovers The House of Dance, and begins taking lessons there, hoping to put In Trust again a few of Granddad's long-ago memories before he is gone for good.

HOUSE OF DANCE is a distinct and intense look at Rosie's life, her show more losses, and how her family reacts to same. Kephart's words are lyrical and her incisive style propels the reader easily through the book. Her in-depth look at illness and foreshadowing of death are very realistic and heartfelt. You will find yourself relating easily to Rosie, and admiring her strength in this wonderfully crafted novel. show less

Merideth says: Rosie is floating through the summer before her junior year. All of her friends have scattered to jobs and other responsibilities, and her mother is consumed by her 'partner' in the window washing business, Mr. Paul. Once Rosie is told by her mother that her Grandfather is terminally ill, Rosie begins learning more about him through going through his belongings. Her discoveries lead her to take dance lessons, so that she can perform for her grandfather.

Beautifully written, and largely plotless, this book suffers from having a too mature voice. Rosie sounds like an old poet looking back on her life, not a confused teen. Two and a half stars is a little harsh, but this book suffers from too much tell and not enough show.

Though I intended to speed read this title, I ended up reading about 85% (skimming through, reading the 1st couple and last chapters). It's beautifully written and a quiet story - heartbreaking yet uplifting as well. Definitely recommend it.

House of Dance was a quick read with a lot of heart. Rosie's grandfather is dying, and it's up to her to take care of him, since her mother is practically out of the picture. Rosie learns a lot about her grandfather, and about herself as she takes care of him. I really liked Rosie's relationship with her grandfather, as well as the scenes set at his house. I felt that Rosie and her grandfather both grew a lot and that it was very sweet.

Outside of Rosie and her grandfather, there really wasn't much character development at all. Actually, there really weren't any other main characters. I felt a bit disconnected from the actual story because of this, but I was very connected to Rosie. It was odd, and I would have liked to know a bit more show more about some of the characters.

I had been hoping that the House of Dance was going to have a bigger part in the story than it did, so I was a bit disappointed. I felt that the people there could have been explored a lot more, because even though they were physically different, I never really connected their personalities.

Overall, I thought that this book was very touching and sweet. I'll be checking out more by Beth Kephart! show less

There is definitely a great deal of joy in this book; I loved the way Kephart described the dancers and their movements, and her use of colour was, as usual, quite striking – almost like a painting come to life. However...I think Kephart’s style is such that the beauty of the writing overwhelms both story and characters, and while for some plots this works well, those which require sufficient external grounding to carry the story suffer from this lack of substance. [full review on my bloghref>]

Tinged with sadness but with an overall zest for life, this one will definitely have you taking stock of those you need and those you love in life. The writing style though....to me didn't quite flow. Still, I appreciate the underlying messages and the way the author describes things through the characters eyes in such detail and color. She truly shares a story that will leave readers with much to ponder after the last page is turned.

House of Dance is a warm story about a young girl getting to know her grandfather better. Sticken with terminal cancer, she tries to make his remaining days worthwhile. He misses his wife, who loved to dance. She takes dancing lessons to recreate memories for him.

Beth Kephart is a wonderful writer. She uses language like few authors do, creating poetic prose. She is a top YA author. Give House of Dance a read.