DNF 41%

I don't think the main character is very likeable. Just gonna gracefully pirouette away from this one.

I am a sucker for novels that involve dancing, especially ballet, and this was better than most. I picked it up after reading a very enthusiastic review from a Year 10 student. "The Other Side of Perfect" was an emotional read with wonderful characters, important themes, a sweet romance and fabulous friendships.

Alina could be annoying at times but I was impressed with her growth and enjoyed following her journey after a serious injury, putting an end to her professional dancing career. She was real and so were her emotions - bitterness, pain, grief, jealousy and rage - but she was completely relatable and I was rooting for her as she tried to reinvent herself.

I also loved how the novel was set around musical theatre and shone a light on the racism that is prevalent in ballet and other performing arts. An impressive debut. ( )

There are times in the middle of this book where I wanted to close it and move on because Alina was so mired in self pity and self-loathing. I very glad I read on because she redeems herself in spades by the end of the book, making amends with all the people she hurt or shut out of her life. In fact, those are done so well that you can't help but cheer for her and what her future will bring. When she and Colleen confront her old ballet teacher, it's a shining moment. Her journey reminds me of something I heard many years ago at an AA meeting that fits Alina's journey perfectly. An old timer said: "I have good news and bad news. The bad news is you grew up with lousy tapes. The good news is that your tape player isn't broken, so you can record healthier ones." ( )