i probably would have given this book a little higher rating if I understood all the ballet terminology or there wasn't so much of it. If you enjoy ballet you will probably enjoy this book more than I did.
Sara gets a scholarship to a ballet school where she will be living with a host family, be away from family and friends and catches the eye of an older student. ( )

Sara leaves small town life behind when she earns a scholarship to study dance with an exclusive company in the city. Now living in a host family’s home, she has to re-learn all she knew about ballet as she enters this new competitive world. She begins an addictive relationship with Remington, an older aspiring choreographer looking for a muse. But Rem inspires Sara as well to question her own path. Being a dancer is all Sara has ever known, but as her dreams become reality she starts to see a new potential future that she never envisioned.

Audition is Stasia Ward Kehoe’s debut and is a novel in verse. This is only the second novel I’ve read in this writing style, after Lisa Schroeder’s The Day Before. I really like this poetic style of writing; it is to the point and quickly gets to the heart of the story. The writing says so much with such few words and is emotionally satisfying and fast to read. Audition gives an interesting glimpse into the life of a dancer, and shows how unglamorous and challenging things are behind the scenes. Though there is a lot of dancer terminology of interest to those knowledgeable of this life or have always wanted to learn more, the story is more of a coming of age that anyone can relate to.

Sara struggles with keeping up with the more experienced dancers as she juggles her daily dance classes with the demands of high school and college prep. She seems more mature than other girls her age since she is living away from home and living her dream while embarking on her first relationship. But she does have insecurities and has some errors in judgments along the way as she tries to find her path. I liked her strength and perseverance and found her an engaging main character. Her relationship with the elusive Rem is more mature and pushed more boundaries than usually found in YA books.

In the background of the world of competitive dance we see the dark side including eating disorders, competition, jealousy, dancing through injuries and the demand to always put dance first in your life. It is interesting to see the dedication to this life and what it takes to succeed, and the normal everyday high school experiences you must leave behind.

Audition is an intriguing coming of age about finding your way and gaining the courage to make choices in life. The creative backdrop of ballet gives a new fascinating dimension to the story that sets it apart. I highly recommend this contemporary debut. ( )

Maybe it's just me, but verse writing is not helping this book.
Hard time getting into it, and easy to put this one down.

Novel in verse telling the story of Sara as she is accepted at the New Jersey Ballet. She leaves her small town home to persue her dream, only she is unsure that it really is her dream. She is on her own, struggling to fit in at the ballet school and her college prep high school, and she feels better when Remington, student and choreographer starts noticiing her. But at what cost? ( )

Imagine my surprise when I settled down to read a novel and open up the cover to discover its written in verse! This was the first book that I've read that has been written completely in verse, and I have to say, it was a complete delight. I'm quite happy that the book didn't rhyme, as I think that would have been to much, but the flow of the verse was extremely natural and very beautiful. I am amazed at how well Sara's emotions show through the verse - I really felt for her and wished for good things to happen to her.

The one big surprise I had over this story is that I really expected a romance story, especially because the jacket of the book seemed to be pushing for this. Yet the book is not just about her relationship with another dancer, but it is so much more than that. There is her dancing and schooling and friendships. Sara goes through some really tough moments in this book, and it achieves far greater depth than I could have hoped for.

I think that the verse suited this story perfectly, as it really seemed to embody the grace and power of dance through the beauty of is language. Don't be intimidated by the fact that the book is written in verse - it is definitely a must read! ( )