Pointe by Brandy Colbert

Title: Pointe
Author: Brandy Colbert
Publisher: Penguin
Release Date: April 10, 2014
Rating: 5/5

The Gist: Theo is better now.

She's eating again, dating guys who are almost appropriate, and well on her way to becoming an elite ballet dancer. But when her oldest friend, Donovan, returns home after spending four long years with his kidnapper, Theo starts reliving memories about his abduction—and his abductor.

Donovan isn't talking about what happened, and even though Theo knows she didn't do anything wrong, telling the truth would put everything she's been living for at risk. But keeping quiet might be worse.

Review:

Just after I read Pointe I had a family emergency that took me away from home for a few weeks.  As a result, this particular review got left by the wayside.  I normally write my reviews within a few days of finishing a book, and since several weeks have now passed, this will be a little different from most of my reviews.

 

First of all, I LOVED Pointe.  I am usually drawn to books that feature the darker side of ballet (a sort of gritty, behind the scenes look) and that is what I was hoping for in Pointe.  It is not what I got, but I wasn't actually disappointed.  Our main character, Theo is terribly broken.  She has suffered an eating disorder, the disappearance of her best friend and horrible guilt over her involvement.  She creates falsities that she convinces herself are true and makes terrible decisions.  When Donovan suddenly reappears, she is forced to confront her role in his disappearance and the awful circumstances that led to it.  There is a great deal of internal struggle as Theo tries to decide not only whether she will tell her side of the story but also come to terms with what happened to her as a child.  Looking back through more mature eyes, she is able to see things she never realized as a young girl and finally confront the past that has haunted her.

 

Pointe covers A LOT of ground.  We have a ballet competition, an eating disorder, a missing friend, rape, drugs, and a cheating boyfriend.  In the beginning, things are a little slow as the plot appears to concentrate mainly on Theo's burgeoning love interest, which is pretty boring.  Things pick up once we get into the meat of the story and we learn more and more about what happened to Theo and Donovan.  Through flashbacks we learn more about the circumstances of the disappearance.  Theo doesn't seem to have any idea how horrific this thing that happened to her is and we watch in silent horror and pity ans she self destructs under the weight of her story.  The plot continues at a slow burn until the climax.  

Bottom Line: I loved the pacing and character development in Pointe and will definitely be picking up Brandy Colbert's next book.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 16 and up
Sex:  Sex between teens
Violence:  Kidnapping
Inappropriate Language: Asshole, Pussy, Shit, Bitch, Fuck
Substance Use/Abuse: Underage Drinking, Smoking, Marijuana Use

Other Issues: Stuatory Rape