Astonish Me

very well written story of dancers through 3 decades with a sort of fictionalized account of the arrival of baryshnikov in the USA. for ballet fans only, due to *gory* details of a pro dancer's life (starving, fat shaming, perfectionism, bloody feet). PS: didn't astonish me, but kept me very well entertained.

I enjoyed this book. It was pretty easy to read and I liked the story. However, I didn't like the main character, Joan. She was very boring to me. I think this book was really well written. I only gave it three stars because I didn't find it moving in any way, and I didn't learn anything or change my perspective based on this book. It was simply a nice read. I do think the ending was abrupt, but I still liked it.

I was really excited about this book but in the end it left me a little disappointed. I felt that I knew the ending after the first chapter. Throughout the book I wanted the author to trick me, make me second guess the ending, or surprise me in not ending it the way it did. Since I predicted the ending so soon it made it difficult to complete the book.

Wow. Review to come. Tight and compact as a ballet dancer's body, but just as full of power, grace, and movement. Astonish Me was simply a delight to read. As a non-dancer, I felt drawn into the world of ballet, and could easily visualize each movement and gesture. Highly recommend.