Pointe by Brandy Colbert

 

I finished reading the paperback edition of Pointe by Brandy Colbert. I've had this young adult novel since before the pandemic and I am happy I finally read it.

It was the storyline that initially attracted me the most when it came to reading Pointe. I'd read an excerpt from Pointe and was hooked, so I decided I wanted to read the entire novel. There are some pretty deep topics discussed within Pointe, which made for interesting reading. Some of the topics touched upon are eating disorders, rape, kidnapping, child molestation, and PTSD. All heavy topics, but presented in a way that was different and engaging.

The main character is Theo (short for Theodora) Cartwright. She's 17 years old and a high school student who is into ballet big time. In fact, Theo is on her way to becoming an elite dancer. Although ballet is a part of this novel, ballet isn't the main focus of Pointe. At the start of the novel, we learn of Theo's best friend, Donovan, returns home after four years from being kidnapped/abducted. It later turns out that Donovan was kidnapped by Theo's former boyfriend and Theo is left wondering if Donovan willingly went with his abductor or if he was forced into being with his abductor. 

There's so much more to divulge about Pointe's storyline, but doing so would create many spoilers and I don't know how to share more information without spoiling it for potential readers... Yet leaving my review the way it is, doesn't highlight what a great read this novel is.

All I can say is that the writing is good/solid. I found Pointe to be different than expected in many ways. I also felt like the first 80-90% of the novel was the slow burn/build up to the final finale as the last forty pages of Pointe were the most riveting and engaging part of the entire novel.

Below is the plot summary for Pointe by Brandy Colbert I discovered through Goodreads:

Theo is better now.

She's eating again, dating guys who are almost appropriate, and well on her way to becoming an elite ballet dancer. But when her oldest friend, Donovan, returns home after spending four long years with his kidnapper, Theo starts reliving memories about his abduction—and his abductor.

Donovan isn't talking about what happened, and even though Theo knows she didn't do anything wrong, telling the truth would put everything she's been living for at risk. But keeping quiet might be worse.

I am giving Pointe by Brandy Colbert a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Life In Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland

I love ballet!! I enjoy seeing ballet performed, even if I don't see it performed as often as I would like to. 

I'd always wanted to attend an American Ballet Theatre (ABT) performance, which became a dream come true for me in 2012 when my husband and l saw them perform at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, Califorinia. It was during this performance that I saw Misty Copeland perform as a soloist. In 2015, Misty Copeland become the first African American Principal Ballerina in ABT's history.

When Misty Copeland's memoir, Life In Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina, was published in March 2014, I knew I definitely had to read her memoir. This year, I finally read Life In Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland.

I had known some of the major bullet points of Misty Copeland's life, but her memoir filled in the gaps regarding the details of her life that I didn't know previously. Ms. Copeland demonstrates perseverance over adversity, dedication, poise, and grace through both good and bad times throughout her life. 

In her memoir, Ms. Copeland outlines her home life growing up, school life, her ballet career from age 13 onward (including injuries, dealing with racism within the professional world of ballet, finding mentors, and eventually finding her groove/confidence within the professional world of ballet), and her personal life and professional adventures outside of ABT.

Below is a YouTube video of Misty Copeland talking about her memoir.

I really enjoyed reading Life In Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland and am giving it a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Black History Month - Misty Copeland - Principal Dancer American Ballet Company

I was blessed to see Misty Copeland dance with the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) in late March or early April 2012 at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California. She gave a fabulous performance that night!! At the time I saw Ms. Copeland dance, she was still a soloist for ABT. "On June 30, 2015, Copeland became the first African American woman to be promoted to principal dancer in ABT's 75-year history." (Wikipedia)

I still want to read Misty Copeland's memoir titled, Life In Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina.