Kirkus Reviews

Can a pair of enchanted shoes save a ballerina's career?As a child, Miriam was pushed to be the best. Now, as an adult principal dancer, her ambition leads her to overwork her body to the point of injury. Refusing to believe she'll never dance again, Miriam pushes herself, her attempts to dance ending in devastating pain until she uncovers a magical door to the wings of a shadowy theater. There, a childlike shadow spirit entices Miriam with an enchanted pair of pointe shoes that will allow her to dance again. Will Miriam's jealousy and ambition lead to tragedy, or will she find the courage to fight back and take steps toward a healthier, happier life? Done in a palette dominated by gray-blue and soft yellow, the illustrations use a variety of perspectives to show the movement of the dancers. Speech-bubble dialogue and wordless sequences move the serviceable plot along at a brisk pace. Miriam is drawn as a tall, blond White woman; the company as a whole is diverse. Balletomanes will notice that, oddly, the dancers often wear their hair loose. Although there are parallels to Hans Christian Andersen's classic "The Red Shoes," this moralistic story avoids a sinister or tragic conclusion. Instead, Miriam is forgiven by most for her overweening ambition, and the tidy, bland resolution allows her the opportunity to lead a meaningful life.A ballet story with a slight surreal twist for dance lovers. (glossary) (Graphic fiction. 8-12)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

An ominous monochromatic dark-blue and gray palette sets the mood for this exploration of ambition set in the world of ballet, where single-minded principal dancer Miriam is determined to preserve her stature at any price. After an ankle fracture costs Miriam her role, she-s pushed back into the corps-the -back-up dancers,- in her view. But when she encounters a mysterious spirit shadow, she makes a deal, that, unsurprisingly, she comes to regret. In her graphic novel debut, Schroy highlights emotions and reactions in pointed, wordless renderings of facial expressions, while equally close, detailed views of Miriam-s injured foot and crutches emphasize her injury and continuing pain. Unfortunately, ethnically diverse secondary characters fall flat, serving primarily to propel Miriam-s downward trajectory and eventual transformation. Echoing classic, more complex ballet stories depicted in films, such as The Red Shoes and Black Swan, Schroy-s graphic novel layers a

School Library Journal (Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)

Gr 4-6 A career-ending injury leaves Miriam, a white teen prima ballerina, desperate to regain her former glory. After her release from the hospital and a failed attempt to dance on her injured leg, she discovers a hidden room behind the studio's mirrored wallsand a shadowy spirit who offers to help Miriam regain her abilities and gives her a pair of ballet shoes that heal her injury, in exchange for a price ("For years I've watched ballerinas through this room. I wish to join them through you."). But Miriam is now a mere company dancer; newcomer Lorelei, who is brown-skinned, is chosen as the prima ballerina. The shadow spirit assures an enraged Miriam that it will help her reclaim her former role. However, it becomes apparent that the spirit is drawing the power to heal Miriam from Lorelei and from another ballerina, Suzanne, who is Black, and Miriam must choose between her friendships and her ambitions. Using loose, fluid lines, Schroy creates beautiful dance sequences and captivating images of traditional ballet poses entwined with musical notes and, in some cases, the spirit's shadows and the ribbons from the enchanted shoes. There is also a glossary of ballet terms at the back of the book. However, aside from Miriam, none of the other characters are fully developed. Also, it's hard to ignore that white Miriam enthusiastically endangers two dancers of color to achieve her own goals. VERDICT Light on horror, heavy on personal responsibility in the cutthroat world of ballet. Jennie Law, Georgia State Univ., Atlanta