MARIE'S NUTCRACKER

In Klenzing’s debut YA novel, two simultaneous productions of a classic ballet unfold in a small town.

High school senior Marie is the understudy for the lead role in a local production of The Nutcracker, and she practices at her mother Barbara’s dance studio, located in a suburban shopping mall in the Northeast United States. With the ballet’s performance just weeks away, Barbara, who’s directing the production, announces that she’s casting Peter Blair, who won a New York Metropolitan Ballet competition, as the Prince. Also, a movie production company will be sharing the studio’s rehearsal spaces and filming scenes for a Nutcracker movie inside the local mall at night; in between practices for the small-town performance, local dancers will get bit parts in the film. Jasmine, the self-centered lead in Barbara’s production, tries to get closer to Peter, as well as to the film’s star, famed pop singer Whitney Smith. However, her prima-donna attitude ends up causing conflict, instead—especially after she notices that kindhearted Marie has made friends with both Peter and Whitney. Klenzing provides readers with an enthralling glimpse into the world of ballet, in which dancers face pressure to maintain a certain weight and live in constant fear of injury. Throughout, the author skillfully develops her characters; for example, a visit from Barbara’s former dance partner, Roland, brings her past as a dancer to light; meanwhile, Marie wonders if her mom gave up her ballet career because she became pregnant with her. Marie is an affable narrator, but troublesome Jasmine is a more intriguing character as she screams insults with reckless abandon. Throughout, the author provides beaucoup nods to French ballet terminology, while also offering enough context to appease readers who are unfamiliar with the techniques. Alexander’s lightly sketched but detailed grayscale illustrations sublimely depict the various ballet numbers, including the Dance of the Clowns and the Battle of the Mouse King.

A mostly low-key but compelling melodrama that spotlights a precise, graceful art form.