Audition- Stasia Ward Kehoe

Title: Audition
Author: Stasia Ward Kehoe
Source: Borrowed from the library
Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5















Goodreads Summary:

When high school junior Sara wins a coveted scholarship to study ballet, she must sacrifice everything for her new life as a professional dancer-in-training. Living in a strange city with a host family, she's deeply lonely-until she falls into the arms of Remington, a choreographer in his early twenties. At first, she loves being Rem's muse, but as she discovers a surprising passion for writing, she begins to question whether she's chosen the right path. Is Rem using her, or is it the other way around? And is dancing still her dream, or does she need something more? This debut novel in verse is as intense and romantic as it is eloquent.

Thoughts:

I love books about dance and I love books in verse. A book in verse and dance? yes please. This book does take at least 100 pages to get into, I felt a little lost in the beginning and it took me awhile to get into the story and want to care for these characters.

The story follows Sara who wins a scholarship to study ballet. She gives up her friends and living with her family to move to the school to become a professional dancer. Sara struggles to become apart of the school, the girls at the school have been together since the beginning and she feels out of place, she soon falls for Remington who is a choreographer at the school. Sara feels special with Remington, he calls her his muse. The relationship between Sara and Remington starts out as a slow burning passion, Remington is dating the school's physiotherapist Jane but he loses interest in her and takes an interest in Sara instead. Jane still stays in the background, making Sara about her relationship with Remington. I was not a fan of Remington, he seemed so sweet in the beginning but he soon started to lose his charm. Sara starts to feel different about dance. She starts contemplating a life outside of dance, Remington keeps her close so he can take ideas for his dance from her.

Sara feels torn between her life at the school and a life outside of school.  Sara's family is trying to provide her with a life outside of dance while Remington tries to keep her close.  This story was really sad and also very hopeful. I really enjoyed this novel, I loved the personal growth that Sara goes through and how she did not let anyone make any decisions for her. She made her own choices.

I adored this book, I picked it at random after reading a really good review on Goodreads regarding it. I gave it a 4/5, I wanted to give it a higher rating but the slowness in the beginning is keeps me from giving it a higher rating.