The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
ogbill's review against another edition
5.0
It was magical, like a fairytale however a boy is not her saviour but her love of dance, i could see a film adaptation of this.
lynnietakalele's review against another edition
4.0
Took me a minute to get into it, but then I was hooked and loved it, THEN it had no ending! I wondered if Shiva ended up being friends with or perhaps marrying the raja's son.  Sooooo unsatisfying at the end!  I should give it three stars but the middle was so good. Loved the details about the village. Loved how the magic was subtle and believable. Loved Shiva and her family. What a sweetie her mom and uncle were, and how nice she got a sister in law!
amkago2008's review against another edition
3.0
This book was very different from what I normally read. It felt very drawn out and the "action/tense" parts did not seem nearly as exciting as they should. The concept was creative and I felt the last 50 pages were the most interesting. I wish the author would have introduced the "elusive boy" earlier in the book. He was only in the last 50 pages and he made the book much more compelling. Several of the story plots seemed very disjointed and the ending was rushed.
bunbobabe's review against another edition
2.0
An interesting chronicle of a young Indian girl's life as she comes to terms with her incredible dance abilities. The compelling descriptions and cultural references greatly enhance the reading experience, but the ending was totally disappointing. It provided no closure for the readers, left many questions unanswered, and just dropped a bunch of central ideas and characters. You could probable pass on this book.
mslibrarynerd's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book, the setting was lovely, the descriptions grand. The character was a little too unreal without a lot of grounding forces. The conflict at the end a bit forced, expected, and too easily resolved.
libkatem's review against another edition
4.0
I don't remember a lot, but I remember I liked it, and I wanted to *see* the dancing. I'd be interested in rereading it, now that I've studied a little about the Hindu religion. It's a young adult book, but well worth it.
ifthebook's review against another edition
5.0
A book that toes the line between fantasy and reality, detailing the story of one special girl called to a life of dancing. Before I knew anything about Bharatanatyam, I liked this book a lot, and now that I've learned more about the dance form and India in general, I enjoy every re-read even more.
dandelionfluff's review against another edition
3.0
Alright, so, this is a very generous 3 stars.
One on hand, this feels like a good novel for a child wanting to learn about the culture of southern India. It gets them interested in a culture not their own, and does so in what I would deem a respectable way. There is the problem of it combining modern-day, post-Independence India and the mystic era of days long past, but with guidance a young reader can come to realize what's accurately represented and what's not.
Now, getting past the nittygritty of cultural representations, we get into the character of Parvati herself. She's not really a three-dimensional character. She exists to be special, and her uniqueness is what governs her character almost entirely. There are moments where she expresses herself with dignity and is able to show how independent she really is, but I wouldn't say there are moments of true personality.
The plot is slow, only to pick up quickly in a few places. Conflicts are either resolved on their own or become non-issues, as other reviewers have said. And, the disappearance of her friend Nalini is never, ever resolved. She exists as an enigmatic figure who serves as a warning against running away with a man you hardly know, but that is it.
Rama, too, has so much potential as a fantastic character (this whole story could easily develop into a heartbreaking romance), but again, it just drops off. The entire ending just... ends.
Structurally, there are a lot of issues. Or maybe it's just that I'm not used to stories told like this--where we are no longer allowed to see what happens without being eased into the idea of walking away. Still, it didn't ever feel like there was a steady flow. We read like Parvati lives; day by day, slow, agonizing crawl towards actually dancing, but we aren't given the catharsis she is. It just... never feels complete.
Spoiler
One on hand, this feels like a good novel for a child wanting to learn about the culture of southern India. It gets them interested in a culture not their own, and does so in what I would deem a respectable way. There is the problem of it combining modern-day, post-Independence India and the mystic era of days long past, but with guidance a young reader can come to realize what's accurately represented and what's not.
Now, getting past the nittygritty of cultural representations, we get into the character of Parvati herself. She's not really a three-dimensional character. She exists to be special, and her uniqueness is what governs her character almost entirely. There are moments where she expresses herself with dignity and is able to show how independent she really is, but I wouldn't say there are moments of true personality.
The plot is slow, only to pick up quickly in a few places. Conflicts are either resolved on their own or become non-issues, as other reviewers have said. And, the disappearance of her friend Nalini is never, ever resolved. She exists as an enigmatic figure who serves as a warning against running away with a man you hardly know, but that is it.
Rama, too, has so much potential as a fantastic character (this whole story could easily develop into a heartbreaking romance), but again, it just drops off. The entire ending just... ends.
Structurally, there are a lot of issues. Or maybe it's just that I'm not used to stories told like this--where we are no longer allowed to see what happens without being eased into the idea of walking away. Still, it didn't ever feel like there was a steady flow. We read like Parvati lives; day by day, slow, agonizing crawl towards actually dancing, but we aren't given the catharsis she is. It just... never feels complete.