Audition [Hardcover]

Stasia Ward Kehoe (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 13, 2011

When high school junior Sara wins a coveted scholarship to study ballet, she must sacrifice everything for her new life as a professional dancer-in-training. Living in a strange city with a host family, she's deeply lonely-until she falls into the arms of Remington, a choreographer in his early twenties. At first, she loves being Rem's muse, but as she discovers a surprising passion for writing, she begins to question whether she's chosen the right path. Is Rem using her, or is it the other way around? And is dancing still her dream, or does she need something more? This debut novel in verse is as intense and romantic as it is eloquent.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Sara's coming-of-age tale is one of passion and romance, colliding with her vision of whom she ultimately hopes to be. Her confused feelings are believably expressed and her attitudes toward her friends and the adults in her life will ring true, especially to...readers who are also involved in the performing arts."-School Library Journal

"The author, who has a performing and choreography background, stages Sara's dance world clearly through her spare verse, from ballet moves and body aches to studio drama... readers will empathize as she struggles with everything from sore shins to Rem's fickleness and whether she wants to continue dancing." - Publisher's Weekly

"Fans of Ellen Hopkins and Sonya Sones will enjoy this cautionary, detail-oriented look at the backstage world of the ballet and cheer for Sara as she finally makes her own decisions about her commitment to dance and her future." - Booklist

"...the pages turn quickly once the reader gets into the rhythm of the words and Sara's story. Kehoe can turn an evocative phrase, like the way she describes the "encrusted hairspray" of the dancer, or the minimalist way in which she describes a dancer's eating disorder..." -Huffington Post

About the Author

Stasia Ward Kehoe has freelanced for several publishing companies. A former dancer and co-founder of a children's theater company, she continues to choreograph and teach writing and theatre arts to young people. She lives in Washington.  Visit her online at stasiawardkehoe.com.

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 458 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile (October 13, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670013196
• ISBN-13: 978-0670013197
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 1.5 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,079,131 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful novel in verse! December 20, 2011

By Nicole's YA Book Haven

Format:Kindle Edition

"My rating: 4 of 5 stars
In bed at night
When I can't sleep,
I think of Rodya dreaming of horses,
Sonya's pale face,
The misdirected loves of the Bennet sisters.
Wish my life were inside a book
So I could turn to the ending,
See if it is a love story
Or a gothic disaster."

"Audition" is only the second novel told in verse that I've read, although I doubt it'll be my last. The story is about Sara, a high school junior, who receives a scholarship to study dance at the Jersey Ballet. Given her `small town' training, Sara has a hard time finding her place in with the other students who have been studying with the Jersey Ballet from a young age. And it only gets worse when she starts her school year at Upton, a private prep school. Having attended public school her entire life, Sara finds herself overwhelmed and alone.

Watching as others find company in the arms of another, and hearing about her best friends relationship back at home, Sara finds herself more alone than ever. Until she meets Remington - who is not only older at twenty-two years old - but an aspiring choreographer at the Jersey Ballet. As Sara finds herself falling deeper for Remington, she rids herself of the girl she used to be. Allowing Rem to take her, believing that what they are, what they are doing is much more - that they are creating a dance.

"Dare I tell them that since I came here to dance
I have been giving pieces of my body away
To ridiculous diets,
To repeated injuries,
To Remington?"

And that maybe I think With each bit of my body
I lose a little piece of my soul.

When Sara's English teacher pulls her aside, to inform her that he feels she's an excellent writer. Sara begins to see a potential future outside of dance, something she never once bothered to consider before. Is dance really the future she wants for herself? Is Rem's bed the place she wishes to seek comfort? It takes some time to realize what she wants, but when Sara finally decides what exactly it is that she wants - she transforms into a whole other person, someone with a sort of confidence, someone who is able to let go of her mistakes, in hopes of new beginnings.

"Audition" is a stunning story about self discovery and finding the courage to believe in more.

Given the relationship between Sara and Rem, I would not recommend "Audition" for younger readers.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Novel in Verse June 3, 2012

By C. Lee McKenzie

Format:Hardcover

I couldn't stop reading. I believe that's about the best review anyone can give a book. From the moment Sara wins her ballet scholarship, through her rocky entry into a new world of competition and romance, to her choice of a new path in life, Stasia Kehoe's prose dazzled me.

"Today he will lift me into the air,
Hold my hand,
Support my back,
And make more beautiful
Than I could ever be alone."

The story is fast paced and exciting--the characters full and captivating.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Lyrical and Lovely! May 10, 2012

By ShiningStar

Format:Hardcover

Before Audition, I had never read a novel written entirely in verse. To be honest, I was a bit confused as to how an entire story could be woven out of poetry, but once I decided to pick it up, I could not put it down.

Sara is a sixteen-year-old dancer from a small town. Against all odds, she is offered a scholarship to attend a ballet school. Though this is what Sara has always dreamed about, the real experience is not quite what she expected. She is put into a strange town, living in an unfamiliar house, and terribly lonely. Cue Remington--the much older dancer/choreographer whom Sara cannot resist. However, Rem is not quite as perfect as he seems, and in the end, Sara will have to make a choice that will determine the course of her life.

Since I personally have two left feet, my admiration for any and all types of dancers skyrocketed as I read Audition. Sara may not be the most technically skillful as some of her classmates, but she has an amount of soul and eloquence that makes her stand out above all. Like I previously stated, this was my first reading of a novel in verse, and despite my doubts, the words were so beautifully written that I could picture Sara's dances in my mind. As for Remington, I couldn't stand him, but I understood why Sara was so intensely attracted to him.

I've never been a big fan of contemporary novels, but Audition was entirely different from many others out there. I was amazed by how pure simplicity could capture detail and the deepest essence of the story. To me, it seems that writing in verse is even more difficult than writing in typical book format, but when done right, the result is just beyond words. My only issue was the ending, as it left much to the imagination and didn't give me much sense of closure. Overall, the novel was quite like a breath of fresh air--soft, sweet, and delightful.