Sophie Flack

Hannah Ward, nineteen, revels in the competition, intense rehearsals, and dazzling performances that come with being a member of Manhattan Ballet Company's corps de ballet, but after meeting handsome musician Jacob she begins to realize there could be more to her life.

Bunheads

Hannah Yang

Ooooh, I like.

The ballet world is a tough enough, but throw in all sorts of drama like backstabby, ultra-competitive classmates, hardcore dieting, working out or doing yoga when you aren't dancing, forever being insecure about your body or wondering if you'll get promoted.. yikes. A lot of ballet novels use these dramatic plot points: the threat of career-ending injuries permanently haunting dancers, unrealistically terrible competitors for solo / company spots, and whatnot. Bunheads doesn't do this, and I think that is its strength.

Bunheads is more about the relationship between the ballet world and the rest of the world. Nineteen year old Hannah Ward has dedicated her life to becoming a ballet dancer. She's happy to work hard, cutting down her weight, training in the studio, etc. if it means a chance at promotion. In other words.. she's a bunhead. When she gets her first taste of life outside of ballet, she starts to wonder if ballet is all she wants in life, and what else she's ready to give up for it.

I think one of the best parts of Bunheads was how it was realistic. Rather than trying to create unnecessary drama, Sophie Flack creates relatable, convincing, authentic personalities in Hannah, her fellow bunheads, and Jacob. While there are many conflicts between the characters, they are all believable conflicts and are resolved in an reasonable manner.

The story itself is a simple one that primarily focuses on life as a ballet dancer. That's all there is to it. I'm glad there were so many fine details included because it was those little things (yoga classes, backstage moments, etc.) that made the book better.

I really liked the characters in Bunheads:

Hannah is the protagonist. She's a good dancer, very devoted to her job, and although she may not have the perfect ballet body or the same determination as her biggest competitor, Zoe, ballet is her life. I mean, she can't even make a grilled cheese sandwich. I thought her voice was like that of an average person's (except ballet-ified). She was normally a pretty empathetic, nice person, but still got jealous or irritable at times. 

Some might say she's a boring character, but (perhaps because she's a dancer and her name is Hannah) I could relate to her feelings at some points and I liked her.

  I look at Zoe's empty seat, and for a moment I indulge in the guilty feeling of triumph. The fact that she feels so threatened is a sign that my star is ascending. We've been neck and neck for years. And yes, it was sheer luck that I was in the wings, instead of Zoe - but it wasn't luck that I danced well and got written up in the Times.
See? She sounds human. Admit it. There are times when you secretly rejoice that you've done better than a friend.

Zoe (can I just say that recently I read another book with the main characters Hannah and Zoe. They had similar personalities to this Hannah and this Zoe. What is it with Hannahs and Zoes?) is Hannah's friend and her biggest competitor. She has the better body, and probably a bit more dedication, but not as nice of a personality. 

I liked her slightly snarkier - can I say it? bitchier - personality and I thought her complicated friendship with Hannah was well written and dynamic. Their relationship was probably the most unpredictable, since they are friends but they don't get along very well due to their competitiveness and personality differences.

  "She's like an overcooked noodle, all floppy."
I smile. "She's better than that and you know it."
Zoe sighs. "I know. I'm just jealous she gets to dance that part."
Bea is the sweet one in their group and I thought she made a nice balance between Hannah and Zoe. She doesn't exactly aspire to be a star soloist, but she works hard as well. Although she doesn't have any huge roles in Bunheads, I thought she was worth a mention because I enjoyed the parts with her. Plus, she and Hannah have a great friendship.

  "Oh, I wish you would have taken me," Bea moans. "I can't believe you met a real, live nondancer."
These girls. *shakes head*

So: the characters were all great (there are plenty I haven't mentioned, but none of them bothered me and even minor supporting characters like Jonathan had their quirks). Most importantly, they all felt like real people to me. The story was one that interested me and I really liked how all of the characters progressed throughout it. The writing was strong. What was the weak link? The romance.

First of all, Matt. Ugh. I just feel like his role was completely unnecessary in this book (he isn't even mentioned in the blurb! Come on!) and the pages about him could easily be shed off without making the story lose any of its sparkle. Although Jacob and Hannah were much better and I liked how they struggled so hard to make their relationship work, I didn't find the romance all that believable. It was sweet, it was cute, sure, but I thought that in general the romance took away from the story rather than adding to it.

One redeeming factor about the romance: it took a backseat. It wasn't the focus of the story. Plus, other than kisses, there aren't any physical aspects (aka, there's nothing a normal tween/teen can't read). Thankfully.

Overall, Bunheads was a really enjoyable read for me and I would definitely recommend it to ballet enthusiasts, ballet dancers, and even you pedestrians (nondancers). You don't have to know anything about ballet to be completely immersed in this novel. It's simple: it tells a nice story, without being soaked up in crazy lyrical prose or overdramatic action-packed-ness. That simplicity is what makes it great.

Hannah Ward revels in the competition, intense rehearsals, and dazzling performances that come with being a member of the corps de ballet, but after meeting musician Jacob she begins to realize there could be more to her life.

harper fitzpatrick

** spoiler alert **
           my sister and i decided to read this together, as she picked it out i knew going into this i wouldn't be a huge fan. but i never thought it would be this bad. it has a cliched storyline, with heavily underdeveloped characters. the books i have reviewed previously always just had flaws, but this was poorly written.

it's an easy sell for a ballet fan (my sister), it purports to mix the authors real-life ballet experience with the usual teen drama (boys, looks, mean girls) of the ya genre. although from its opening it dragged. i'm still not entirely sure what the central story arc was supposed to be, because the novel is so unfocused. it's as if she was trying to write the main character hannah in code. i could not tell you a single thing about her character apart from the fact that she "liked" ballet.

i found even the simplest of scenes genuinely hard to follow because the writing was so flowery. she would also just throw in all these characters and not give you any backstory whatsoever, which made it hard to distinguish between characters. but then she would go and write a full page about a chandelier that wasn't necessary to the storyline at all. i found it ridiculous. there are also no distinct voices in the dialogue, and nothing anyone says sounds like a real conversation. 

in one scene, the "main characters" are talking about project runway, which was such a waste of a scene. how about having them talk about something that might inform my knowledge of the characters and their situations? in another scene, where the characters flit around the dressing room meaninglessly, flack waits until the end of the scene before describing the particulars of the dressing room. because god forbid the reader might want to picture the characters' surroundings during the scene.

also could someone please tell me what the fuck this ending is. why does she battle with herself and everyone else around her the entire book, so that she can become a wonderful famous ballerina, to then just throw it all down the drain? just to become a boring nobody in new york. someone explain that to me, please. 

this novel is bad because nothing works, nothing comes together. i don't need perfect characterisations, stunningly imaginative plots or lovingly constructed objective correlatives. but i do need some sense of writing as a craft; writing as something complicated and difficult that takes years of diligence to master. 

don’t read this book it is just a waste of time.

Lauren hughes 

I finished this book in 3 hours!!Great,addictive debut novel by Sophie Flack!!

Reyna Wren

Subtle yet riveting, with just enough language specific to ballet to get the point across without drowning in terminology. The story may be about a dancer, but the emotional arc applies to most every serious pursuit of an activity. The characters were generally well written, though there were a few too many outfit descriptions for my taste. Hannah's emotions and turmoil are heartfelt and genuine, and I found myself immersed in her world, holding my breath as she made her choice between life and dance. The ending even made me shed a few happy and proud tears! :')

Dani Pesayco

"Bunheads" by Sophie Flack: Book Review

Rating: 3.75 stars

Recently, I've been pretty interested in ballet. To be honest, for a long time, ballet has always piqued some kind of interest in me, but only now have I gotten to actually looking into it. I've watched two docu-series about ballet: Teen Vogue's "Strictly Ballet" which focuses on life in the School of American Ballet, and "city.ballet" which, on the other hand, focuses on life in the New York City Ballet, and was produced by Sarah Jessica Parker. Along with that, I watched other ballet videos on YouTube and did some readings and surfed on the Internet about ballet. 

I first encountered this book when I was alone in a bookstore (where else?) and, naturally, I was just browsing the shelves. I saw this book and I thought, "Hey, this might be good." But since I had no money at that time, I had to leave it in the shelf. Now, after my recent musings about ballet, my mind went back to this particular book. I looked for it EVERYWHERE and when I finally found it, I gave a sigh of relief. It wasn't actually on my list of books to be read before I started college but eh, what the heck.

I guess the best thing about this book for me was that it helped pique my interest in ballet even more. The whole story gave me more insight into the life of a ballet dancer. It made me feel like I was Hannah Ward, a member of the Manhattan Ballet corps de ballet. With the author being a former member of NYCB, it was almost as if Hannah's experiences were her own. All the hardships and stress that came with looking beautiful on stage en pointe as if they were floating on it. I'm not entirely sure how much of Hannah's story was Sophie Flack's, but it was pretty cool of her to impart her story to people like me, frustrated ballet dancers and people just waiting for the opportunity to peek into the life of ballet.

But for me, It was the whole experience of the book that made me like it. Of course, when I had to look into the critical details of the book, it kind of disappointed me. I DIDN'T WANT TO BE DISAPPOINTED but, alas, I was. So let's just get right to it.

The plot was relevant, but lacking a bit. Of course our heroine of a ballet dancer had to create monumental decisions about her life and love and her dedication to ballet. I think I was just looking for a little more from the story. I couldn't describe it exactly. Or maybe it's just me idk haha.

As I've said, I've watch docu-series about ballet. Don't judge me on this but though they may not be a huge basis as to what I actually know about ballet, I don't think ballet dancers diet like that IN REAL LIFE. Ballet dancers have even said that they have to eat just like any other athlete and they stock up to build their energy. Of course they have to keep their figures in check but really? STICK THIN?? And boobs?? I understand the lines in dance and all but gah idk it seems surreal.

The characters were very nice as well. I feel like they represented the lives of ballet dancers pretty good. We have Zoe, the ultimately dedicated one who seeks out to be the best and, of course, establishes competition in every way. Next is Bea and Leni, dancers who love nothing else but to dance, whatever the fate of their career may be. There is also Daisy, the newbie at sixteen years old who is also working hard for her way to the top and also idolizes those who are senior to her. And we have Hannah, the dancer who is torn about her future in the ballet career and actually having a real life besides ballet. Though they may all be members of the corps, I like how they were all represented as different beings all on their own. I feel like everyone in a ballet company is one of these representations so we get to see how they really feel about their life dedicated to such an art.

The problem with that was not much concentration was given to the other dancers. There were a few principals and soloists Hannah and the others talked about, but that's about it. Variety was what I was looking for. I guess if they had more dimension it would work perfectly.

About Jacob and Matt, if they were given a bit more dimension as well other than the fact that Jacob's a college student and Matt's a rich bachelor, they would be great guys in a book. Of all the love triangles I've read, this may be saddest and the poorest sigh. This may or may not be affected by Hannah's complicated love affair with ballet we may never know.

Another problem I had was how the author used all the complicated ballet terms. Like, WHAT?? How am I, an average person who just happens to be really fascinated about ballet, will be able to understand all the piqués and glissades and chassés and all that? I am no balletomane AT ALL. If you're gonna write a book with such technical jargon, at least try your best to make it reach a broader audience. Maybe instead of using these terms, they can actually be described in a way a person like me will be able to visualize it properly, not words that will just make people confused. 

All in all, it was a light read. It was pretty refreshing. It's some sort of crash course to the world of ballet and how ballet really is behind all the tutus and stage makeup and pointe shoes. Though I'm not saying it's an exact representation of the life, it still gives a whole lot of insight. Now, to close this off, let me leave it with a quote:

“Just when you think you can’t go on, somewhere a little light comes on.”

As a dancer with the Manhattan Ballet Company, nineteen-year-old Hannah Ward is living her childhood dream. She gets to be up on stage in front of adoring crowds every night. And while she might not be a prima ballerina yet, she's moving up the ranks and surely if she works hard enough she can make it happen. But devoting her whole life to ballet leaves very little time for anything else: friends, family, school have all fallen by the wayside. Hannah doesn't mind, until a chance encounter in a restaurant brings Jacob into her life. He's cute, he plays guitar and he's offering a whole future that Hannah never considered. And now she must choose between her lifelong dream or what could be the love of her life. . .

Siobhán

Review post: http://totallybookalicious.blogspot.c...

Bunheads was a really nice quick read. Following Hannah as she pushes herself to the best. She has always wanted to be a Ballet dancer giving up her life at fourteen to move to New York to be part of the Manhatten Ballet Company. This is her life it's what she wants, until she meets Jacob. She soon realises everything that she has given up for Ballet and soon she has to decided what she really wants from life.

Hannah is a very driven young woman. And I found that very refreshing, usually YA books are all about getting the boy and love triangle but this isn't. Well it is to a certain point but the love interests take a back seat to Hannah's career. I think readers will really like her and I really felt for her because she has given up so much. When she meets Jacob there is an instant attraction but with Hannah's crazy dancer life she just doesn't have the time to see him alot. My heart went out to Jacob, he was alway coming second.

Bunheads isn't a gripping read, there is no big lead up to dramatic scene like most books. It's just a quick read that it perfect if you want a nice change from heavier books. However, I didn't like was that everyone seemed to be seriously two faced and bitching way too much. I hate that, in real life and in books.

I have never read a novel about Ballet. I honestly have no idea about anything to do with ballet but reading this book I can see that its not what I expected it to. I always thought it looked glamorous and elegant and even though performing it does. There is alot of blood, sweat and tears from the dancer pushing themself to be the best and sacrificing their personal lifes to get to the top!

Bunheads

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