Lesa Howard

To be honest I never expected this book to be a hit. A modern YA version of The Phantom of the Opera set in the ballet world. No, I just hoped that it wouldn't be really catastrophically bad.

I was wrong. It started OK, not great, but it was acceptable. Then Eric was introduced into the story. This is when everything went straight to hell. I have loved The Phantom of the Opera since I was a teenager. I have read books, seen movies, listen to the musical. TPOTO is my favorite story. And, I have always felt sorry for Eric, always liked him. But this is the first version that I really disliked him that I felt no sympathy for him. He was a creep and a stalker and then to make everyhting worse a rapist.



I just want to purge my brain, to be the person I was before I read this story.

Don't read this book. Read Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera or Susan Kay's Phantom instead.

½ star

I received this copy from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review!… (mehr)

A most enjoyable retelling with a twist
A retelling of the famous story of the disfigured phantom praying on a young singer (a young dancer, in this case), Phantom’s Dance has all the mystery and suspense of the original and a modern cast of characters that makes it so much more enjoyable.
The characters are well drawn, including the parents, usually neglected in YA novels and Jenna’s struggles with her fears and insecurities makes her sympathetic and highly relatable.
I was enthralled and surprised by the plot twists. Given that I knew, or thought I knew, the story, that is not small feat on the part of the author.… (mehr)

This modern re-telling of the Phantom of the Opera brings the classic story into a modern setting for a YA audience, or for anyone who loves re-tellings. Set in Houston, TX at a prestigious ballet school, Christine attends the competitive Rousseau Academy of Dance. In order to attend, her family had to uproot and move, Christine also had to go through a rigorous audition. The move and audition caused a rift between her parents. Christine loves ballet though, despite a trauma that happened right before a performance when she was a child. Added to Christine's personal issues, one of her teachers has asked her to teach ballet to a football team, and Christine begins her first relationship with the charming Raoul. As rumors of a 'phantom' start going around the school, a mysterious man who hides behind the theatre curtain takes an interest in Christine and wants to help her improve her performance. Then, things start to take a strange and dangerous turn.

As a former dancer, this book is very true to a dancers experience. It's evident that Lesa Howard researched the world of performance ballet. I had many of the same experiences Christine went through as a dancer. The first part of the book discussed many teen issues in general, dating, eating disorders, juggling friendships and schoolwork, peer pressure and stress which will make it easy for a younger audience to relate to. Some of this first part seemed to move a little slow, but set the scene well and then, Christine and Raoul's relationship seemed to move a little fast. The book really picked up for me when Erik, the 'phantom', began disassembling. This added a high-intensity thriller aspect to the story, not to mention some very real issues for Christine that any teen may have to deal with.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.… (mehr)