Leap [Paperback]

Jodi Lundgren (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 1, 2011

Finally, Natalie's turned fifteen.  She's officially a grown-up (just tell her mother that) and ready for anything.  School is out, and she and her best friend Sasha are going to be practicing with their dance team all summer.

Dancing is Natalie's passion -- it's what got her through the break-up of her parents' marriage, and her father's move halfway across the country. Now she needs it more than ever as she tries to navigate the unpredictable world of older boys -- specifically Kevin, Sasha's older brother -- and learn the difference between love and lust.

When her friendship with Sasha goes on the rocks, her relationship with Kevin goes too far, and her mother reveals a shocking truth, Natalie finds strength in her dancing. Will it be enough? And what will happen when a new teacher introduces her to the world of modern dance--will she find the confidence to take it on?

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Natalie persuasively develops from naive and resentful after Kevin spurns her to hypercritical about others' transgressions...and, finally, to poised." (Publishers Weekly 20110131)

"Lundgren has written a sometimes startlingly realistic and heart-wrenching novel in Leap. Readers will alternately be cheering Natalie on while, at other moments, they will be wanting to shake some sense into her. The overwhelming confusion and loneliness of navigating first loves and first sexual encounters ring true in this book as do the grim realities of unprotected sex...Leap would make an excellent addition to libraries whose teens hunger for those realistic, problem novels where main characters struggle against all odds. Recommended." (CM Magazine 20110225)

"This novel, with its luminous descriptions of dance and frank discussions of sexuality and relationships, will captivate teens looking for a story they can relate to." (School Library Journal 20110501)

"Natalie [is] a relatable and realistic character...Readers who like a healthy dose of problems with their introspection will appreciate Natalie's bumpy journey." (VOYA 20110401)

"Leap covers a lot of territory that teen girls will identify with." (Quill & Quire 20110501)

"Satisfyingly complex, and likely to please many teen readers...This is a book to challenge and please girls who are growing out of more predictable forms of teen chick-lit." (Resource Links 20110401)

About the Author

Jodi Lundgren grew up in Victoria dancing and writing. Later on, she trained and performed as a dancer while pursuing a Ph.D. in English in Seattle. She has published one other novel, Touched (2009) and her short stories and creative non-fiction have appeared in numerous magazines. She now teaches English and Creative Writing at Camosun College in Victoria, British Columbia.

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Second Story Press (March 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1897187858
• ISBN-13: 978-1897187852
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 0.6 x 5.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,630,067 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars dance, teens and life April 15, 2011

By LauraS

Format:Paperback

Can dance - or any activity we love - help us through difficult times? Lundgren's engaging narrator Natalie is faced with an overwhelming series of challenges, but finds her own way with a little help from her art.

Teens will relate to the tough questions, and readers of all ages (especially dancers) will love the way Natalie's dancing mirrors the events in her life. The dance scenes are vividly drawn, and the characters, especially Natalie and her mother, realistic and memorable.

I am not a dancer or a teen, but this book had me up late waiting to find out what happened next.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great YA novel! March 31, 2011

By Darlene

Format:Paperback

Leap by Jodi Lundgren is a startlingly realistic look into fifteen year old Natalie Ferguson's life. It's the end of the school year and Natalie is looking forward to working on her dancing and spending time with her friends. Written in diary style we share in the journey Natalie takes as she discovers what growing up really means.

Having just turned fifteen Natalie feels she is now officially grown up and while her mother, who almost never takes her nose out of a book seems to have missed that; Kevin, her best friend Sasha's brother, hasn't. When he takes notice of Natalie she's thrilled. An older boy is paying attention to her - could he really like her? Big problem though - her friend Sasha will not like her having anything to do with her brother at all!

Natalie can't resist the thrill of having Kevin interested in her though and things quickly become more involved than Natalie is completely comfortable with. To top it off Sasha hates her now and is bad mouthing her all over the place. The only thing going well for Natalie is her dancing. She finds she truly has talent In modern dance and with a teacher who encourages her she becomes more confident in herself. The one things she's not confident in is Kevin. He leads her into many situations she's just not comfortable with and the more time she spends with him, the more she realizes he may not be as great as she originally thought.

One of the huge issues Natalie has is the one with her parents. On the one hand she has a mother who acts like more of a friend than a mother and is always reading some book to the point of not paying proper attention to her children. To add insult to injury she finds out her mother has been secretly dating a woman and failed to share that with her. Then there's her father who left when Natalie was young. He has pretty much been an absent father and Natalie has so much resentment towards him and more building when she finds he plans on remarrying.

This summer is a time of decisions for Natalie. Should she take that drink or try those drugs? Should she have sex and deal with all that it involves? Should she continue to see Kevin? Is it worth losing a best friend for a guy? Or should she just focus on her dancing? And what about her parents - will things change? The only thing Natalie knows for sure is she loves to dance. It takes her to a place where she feels peace and she wants to pass that on to others. Leap is the story of one girl's coming of age to a time where she takes her own leap of faith into maturity and being a grown up.

Leap by Jodi Lundgren is a terrific story for teen girls and within its pages there are many lessons to be learned. It is told in a frank and straightforward style and that was something I really enjoyed about it and something I also think that teen girls could relate to - someone understanding the multitude of emotions they are going through at that age. Natalie is a great character who at times I wanted to just hug and at others give her a bit of a shake. I loved how she went from not so smart to realizing her worth and going forward.

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable August 18, 2011

By ODell @ Book Twirps

Format:Paperback

Natalie Ferguson just turned fifteen. Things are going to change, because, according to her, she's a grown up now. To top things off, Kevin, her best friend Sasha's brother, is suddenly interested in her and Natalie is thrilled. She jumps into the relationship with full force, but the honeymoon period can only last so long. While some days with Kevin are wild and amazing, others are awful. The biggest issue is she's lost Sasha and has no one to turn to, not even her divorcee mother, who has decided she is now in love with a woman.
The only place Natalie has to turn is to her dance classes. She throws herself into them, despite the fact that her dance teacher appears to dislike her. That all changes when Petra, Ms. Kelly's new assistant, sees something special in Natalie's dancing. Through Petra's choreography, Natalie is able to lose herself in this new (to her) style of dance, which helps her work out the other issues in her life.
Leap was a very nice read. I felt Ms. Lundgren accurately depicts the life of a young dancer. I loved the imagery invoked by her descriptions. I could practically see the dance unfolding before me. On the other hand, readers without a dance background or at least an understanding of various dance terms may be lost and confused over what is happening. Though I didn't feel strongly about Natalie, I did feel she was a realistic character, dealing with realistic issues - divorced parents, absent father, distant mother who reads all the time and finds herself falling for another woman, a destructive friendship and a semi-abusive relationship - the list of issues is long and seemed to be almost a little too much. Still, the book is enjoyable and I would recommend it to anyone who loves the art of dance.