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TEARS TO DANCING: A Middle Grade Review by Guest Reviewer Mara Scudder

carolbaldwin

REVIEW

Tears to Dancing (Dancing Bear Publishing: 2012) by Laura Thomas is an intimate book tracing one young ballerina’s struggle with losing both her parents and her ability to dance in a traumatic car crash. The protagonist, Bethany, takes center stage in this character-driven novel. Few outside forces (aside from the car crash) affected the protagonist or much of the cast at all. Instead, the author explored their inner dialogue and struggle with grief through slow-paced, intimate chapters that echo character-centered classics.

One of the biggest drawbacks of the work was the fact that it opened with the death of Bethany’s parents. As a result, it was difficult to mourn with or even understand what she had lost throughout most of the novel. The first time the readers heard of her parents was when they learned that they had died, and this made it more difficult to relate to Bethany’s grief, which was the biggest element of the work.

Another issue I found was that several of the characters played the strawman — Bethany’s best friend is very much the one-dimensional “rich girl” cliche, while her “church friend” is a teenager with a heart of gold. This was a detriment to the dialogue, as well as Bethany’s relationships.

Aside from that, there were definitely some very heartwarming scenes and powerful themes that came from the protagonist’s discovery of the gospel. Although it was certainly not perfect, the work had some powerful ideas to share. Bethany developed dramatically over the work, and I am looking forward to reading the next two parts of the trilogy.


GUEST BLOGGER


Hi! My name is Mara, and I’m a Christian artist, violinist, and blogger. I remember the day that I decided that I would learn something new about what makes a good story from every book I picked up — whether it was good, bad, or a mixture of both. I use my blog as a way of sharing some of the tips and tricks I’ve learned and highlighting which books, cartoons, and movies have taught me the most about writing an awesome story. I’m in tenth grade and live in Philadelphia.  

Published by carolbaldwin

Carol enjoys teaching writing and has presented at many educators' and writing conferences. She has published widely in newspapers and magazines and along with Rebecca Wheeler, co-publishes Talking Story, a newsletter for educators and media specialists. When she isn’t reading, writing, or blogging, you’ll find her walking with friends, golfing, or gardening.

28 thoughts on “TEARS TO DANCING: A Middle Grade Review by Guest Reviewer Mara Scudder”

  9. Excellent views on this book, Mara. I've not seen many books with ballet as a backdrop so the cover will appeal to many young readers. Thanks for your honest thoughts and keep on reviewing!

    Reply

  13. Great review, Mara – I get a good feel for the book, it's a strong premise for a story but sounds quite a mature topic for middle grade? Have a very happy Christmas!

    Reply

  23. Excellent views on this book, Mara. I've not seen many books with ballet as a backdrop so the cover will appeal to many young readers. Thanks for your honest thoughts and keep on reviewing!

    Reply

  27. Great review, Mara – I get a good feel for the book, it's a strong premise for a story but sounds quite a mature topic for middle grade? Have a very happy Christmas!

    Reply

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