Book Review: Bunheads by Sophie Flack

As a (hobbyist) tango dancer, Im no stranger to the aches and pains that come with being on ones feet in ridiculous heels all night, but having zipped through Sophie Flacks Bunheads, where hours of en pointe'dancing on a daily basis is the norm for her protagonist, Ill never whine about my bunions again.

Bunheads'takes place at the prestigious Manhattan Ballet Company, and follows nineteen-year-old Hannah Ward as she undergoes gruelling training and endless performances as she seeks to be promoted to a soloist with the company. The demands of Hannahs career are astonishingly rigorous: each moment spent doing something other than dancing has flow-on consequences, and in order to manage the demands of her dancing, Hannah finds herself pulling back from anything resembling a normal life. Her'experience of New York is limited to the few blocks around the dance studio; her social life is limited to extra yoga classes; her food indulgence is a banana. Shes been reading Frankenstein'for nine months.

But despite her dedication, Hannah is not a ballerina, but merely a ballet dancera member of the corps. Hannah is also at an age that is typically a crossroads for many people. What would it be like, she cant help but wonder, to attend university? To go out late and sleep in the next day? To eat a plate of pasta without having to atone for it? To be in a relationship?

But turning her attention to any of these things means sacrificing the career that has consumed her life since entering the company some five years ago. The career of a dancer, after all, is fleeting (unless youre a tango dancerwe apparently get better with age), and even a momentary lapse could spell the end of everything that Hannah has worked so hard to achieve.

Bunheads'revolves around this conflict, which is very much a be careful what you wish for scenario. As Hannah begins to slowly explore life beyond ballet, she begins to wonder whether shes made the right decision in giving up her youth in favour of her career. And when the possibility of a promotion to solo dancer arises, she becomes even more conflicted. If such a thing were to happen, she would have achieved her dream, but would things really change? After all, a promotion would entail more hours of training, more hours of performances, and the complete forfeiture of her youth. Its a telling (if perhaps contrived) moment when her love interest likens her to Captain Ahab from Moby Dick and Hannah notes down'the title of the book in the hopes of one day reading it.

The plot of Bunheads'isnt exactly unpredictable, but theres a painful sense of realism and anguish to it all, and Flack does a good job of detailing Hannahs puzzlement over whether shes simply career-driven or self-absorbed to the point of cruelty. Unfortunately the other characters arent as well-rounded as Hannah: her friends simply come across as snide and bitchy, and the main love interest seems a little too kind and forgiving for a teen. (And, oh, dear, that title makes me giggle every time. A bunhead sounds like some sort of plush toast-shaped Japanese toy.)

What really does intrigue about Bunheads'is how very real it seems, and the sometimes surprising insight into the dancing world were given. Given Flacks background, one can only assume that the world she depicts is quite accurate indeed. Props, too, for the romantic subplot being just that, rather than taking over the main narrative.

Rating: (good)

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With thanks to Hachette Australia for the review copy