Customer Reviews

House of Dance (Laura Geringer Books)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've been taking ballroom dancing lessons the past few years and so I read HOUSE OF DANCE with interest. I was surprised by how well this novel captures the world of dance, and I was moved by Rosie's story.

I highly recommend this book.

Rosie Keith is in for a long summer. Her friends are all scattered for the three months at various jobs and camps, and her mother is hardly ever home, preferring to spend time with her business partner, who is also the man she is having an affair with. So Rosie turns to her grandfather, who is dying of cancer. During those long summer days, she helps Granddad clean through his multitudes of possessions, placing things to keep In Trust. It is on one of those day she discovers The House of Dance, and begins taking lessons there, hoping to put In Trust again a few of Granddad's long-ago memories before he is gone for good.

House of Dance is a distinct and intense look at Rosie's life, her losses, and how her family reacts. Kephart's words are lyrical and her incisive style propels the reader easily through the book. Her in-depth look at illness and foreshadowing of death are very realistic and heartfelt. You will find yourself relating easily to Rosie, and admiring her strength in this wonderfully crafted novel.

You cannot buy a man who is dying a single meaningful thing. You can only give him back the life he loved and awaken the memories.

Rosie's father left when she was quite young. His only interaction with her comes in the mail: a weekly twenty-dollar bill. She has saved his money in a shoebox in the back of her closet as proof "that love cannot be bought."

Shortly after Rosie's father took off, her mother took a new job washing windows and eventually took up with her (married) boss. (She'd been taken from, that was her thinking, and now it was her turn for taking.) Instead of feeling left behind, Rosie learned how to take care of herself and never complained, a quiet strength building inside of her.

Now Rosie is fifteen years old and the grandfather she barely knows is dying. She is sent to check on him by her mother, who is too busy and too stubborn to visit him herself. Luckily, Granddad and his cat Riot are only a twenty-minute walk away. With her friends gone for the summer and her mother always at work, Rosie begins to fill her days with visits to her grandfather. As she helps him sort his belongings, they grow closer. She learns about the grandmother she never knew and the trips her grandparents never took. She also gains an appreciation for jazz music.

On one of her walks through town, Rosie discovers the House of Dance. Once she finally summons up the courage to enter the ballroom studio, her mother's heeled sandals dangling from her hand, she is rewarded with new friends and new routines. An idea starts to form in the back of her mind. As her grandfather's condition worsens, she works hard to make that idea into a reality. There are many supporting players - the other dancers, the instructors, Granddad's nurse, Rosie's friends, the local shopkeepers - who are instrumental to Rosie's plan, and they all chip in.

House of Dance captures the slow-quick-quick movement of life and loss. As with Kephart's previous young adult novel, Undercover, the narrator tells her story at the speed of thought, revealing things to readers that she would never say out loud. She considers happy and sad memories in turn, blending her past with the present day. Detailed in emotions and colors, the characters come to life. Recommended.

Beth Kephart, author of YA novel "Undercover" and now the latest "House of Dance" has gifted us all with yet another beautiful, poignant and engaging work of fiction.

These YA books from Kephart are such a fresh and much-needed change from the Queen bees, mean girls and paint-by-number YA novels that one sees everywhere on shelves in brick and mortar stores today.

The "House of Dance" is meant to sweep your off your feet and dance you effortlessly across the floor of love, devotion, memory and music.

Title: House of Dance
Author: Beth Kephart
Genre: YA fiction

Where I got it: E-library

One sentence: Rosie tries to cope with her absentee mother and her grandfather's impending death and holding onto his memories through learning how to dance.

Themes: Loss, dance, coming-of-age

Main character: Rosie is an insightful fifteen year old trying to deal with the sickness and impending loss of her grandfather as her mother has an affair with a married man. I thought Rosie's character was well-developed and strong; she was very mature for her age and worked through the process of death through learning the waltz, like her grandmother used to dance.

Secondary characters: Kephart tried to bring in the secondary character of Nate, but he seemed too conspicuously absent to even be a minor character. I thought the character of Rosie's mother was particularly intriguing in how she was both absent (but very much a presence) and how she was the other woman.

Writing style: Kephart actually had a very mature and fluid writing style that I found compelling and beautiful, especially in a young adult novel, where I feel too often, writing focuses on action and not on description or style in the writing itself.

Plot: I thought there would be more actually dance involved in the novel; instead it seemed to focus on the relationship between Rosie and the other characters: her grandfather, her mother, and how she used dance as a gift to her grandfather. Ultimately, I wished there was some more depth to the plot.

Positives: Rosie's character, the writing style

Negatives: Not a lot of plot, some minor characters underdeveloped, slow start

Ending: I wish Kephart would have actually included the party at the end! I felt like the novel needed, and was working up to some sort of climax, and I was left wanting to know what the party was like.

Verdict: Cute and refreshing in writing style and character portrayal, but ultimately unsatisfying.

Rating: 5.5/10

Rosie isn't having the greatest summer and the worst thing is it just started. First of all her and her mom don't have the greatest relationship, all her friends are away and the worst thing is her grandpa is dying of cancer. Wanting to spend as much time as possible with him Rosie goes to his house, which is just across town, everyday. During the days with her grandpa not only does she talk with him, but she helps him clean out his cluttered house. As she is going through old things she starts to learn more about the life her grandpa, and for that fact her dead grandma, lived. On her way home one night Rosie hears music wafting through the air. As she looks up she sees magnificent dancers through the large windows. Now every time Rosie passes by The House of Dance she looks up to see the light steps of the dancers. One day Rosie plucks up the courage to go see for herself what the House of Dance is like and takes them up on their offer of one free lesson. Rosie falls in love with ballroom dancing and decides to keep it up. Through dance Rosie learns more about her grandpa's life and decides to give him the best gift she can.

The way I felt after reading this book is really hard to describe with words, it was just that amazing and fantabulous! Everything about it was just awesome. First I must start with the writing style. It was what I loved most about the book. Beth Kephart's words flowed so well together and they almost seemed to be lyrical. Also the description was great. I felt like I was walking right alongside Rosie, looking into the shop windows and smelling the breads at the bakery. Then the story itself was great. I loved how Rosie really came to find herself and learn to deal with difficult situations. I also loved Rosie's emotions in the book. They were really raw and heartfelt and made me just fall in love with Rosie herself. I highly recommend this book to everyone and I guarantee you will fall in love with it. One last thing that is barely book related but I want to talk about - the bookcover - Don't you think it is so cute? It represents the book perfectly in my opinion and just makes the whole book sparkle!

This is one of those books that is worth heading over to the bookstore to get instead of waiting for the library to get it. It will grab you with the first chapter and have you reading until the end.

Rosie's emotions are real in this story. They don't seem fake at all. Also, the descriptions are really nice. I felt like I was there with Rosie as she traveled, as she cleaned out her grandfather's house, and when she was with Nick.

One thing that I liked a lot about this book was that it didn't focus solely on romance. Don't get me wrong, I love reading romance books, but it was nice to read a book where you don't hear about the guy sucking off the girl's face all the time. The romance in this book was really subtle - the author didn't mention it much, but it was inferred, so that you knew it was happening.

The book has really good meaning to it. It is definitely something that I will read again in my future.

After reading Undercover by Beth Kephart, I couldn't wait to read her latest book, House of Dance. I was not disappointed. She has the ability to create magical moments and stories out of everyday life. House of Dance is the simple story of Rosie, who takes care of her dying grandfather for the summer. It also delves into the complicated relationships between parents and children. The words are so lyrical that I felt what Rosie felt, saw what she saw, smelled what she smelled. Kephart's books are always very visual and symbolic. It makes the story that much more rewarding. As long as she keeps writing books, I will keep reading!

Rosie Keith is in for a long summer. Her friends are all scattered for the three months at various jobs and camps, and her mother is hardly ever home, preferring to spend time with her business partner, who is also the man she is having an affair with. So Rosie turns to her grandfather, who is dying of cancer.

During those long summer days, she helps Granddad clean through his multitudes of possessions, placing things to keep In Trust. It is on one of those day she discovers The House of Dance, and begins taking lessons there, hoping to put In Trust again a few of Granddad's long-ago memories before he is gone for good.

HOUSE OF DANCE is a distinct and intense look at Rosie's life, her losses, and how her family reacts to same. Kephart's words are lyrical and her incisive style propels the reader easily through the book. Her in-depth look at illness and foreshadowing of death are very realistic and heartfelt. You will find yourself relating easily to Rosie, and admiring her strength in this wonderfully crafted novel.

Reviewed by: The Compulsive Reader

In what could be a "typical" teen plot, Rosie is often raising herself as her mother is distracted by other things. HOUSE OF DANCE rises above many other choices, in Kephart's realistic turn of phrase and not-too-brusque presentation. Rosie is a strong-minded young lady, from a neighborly town, who starts spending time with her grandfather, sorting through years of "stuff" as his health declines. The dance aspect is interesting but by no means overpowers the tender and delightful characters that Kephart created for us. Teen-aged dancers and non-dancers alike, in pursuit of an enjoyable, zombie-free read, should consider this book.