Silhouette (Thalia Kalkipsakis, Hardie Grant Egmont)

Seventeen-year-old Scarlett loves being the centre of attention. A ballet dancer at the National Academy of Performing Arts, Scarlett works hard to be the best and is sure to make it in the ruthlessly competitive world of professional dance. Desperate to prove her skills, she risks everything to gatecrash an audition—which she nails. But as she becomes drawn into a new world free from rules, responsibilities and restrictions, Scarlett’s big break quickly becomes an unexpected downfall. Going against the grain, this is a YA dance book which looks at the dark side of ambition, desire and success—a tale of caution and redemption, about losing everything in order to find your true self. The blurb describes it as ‘gritty’, and while it certainly delves into an adult world of sex, drugs and celebrity, it’s grit with a very high-gloss sheen. Kalkipsakis, who’s written for ‘Go Girl’ and ‘Girlfriend Fiction’, knows what teenage girls want to read and delivers with this slick, energetic and highly commercial take on the intense pressures of life at this age. The balance between realworld issues and escapist melodrama is enjoyably spot on, backed up by strong characterisation, some unexpected turns, and a satisfyingly bittersweet ending.

Meredith Tate is a freelance proofreader and book reviewer who has worked for a children’s publisher

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Category: Reviews