Dance is life for every character in this book, and they are all excited about the studio's upcoming production of Peter Pan. However, Diamond disappears from the mall with a strange man. This is a kidnapping story, but Diamond was stupid enough to get into a vehicle with a man who promised her a role in a movie. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her stupidity.
And then....
Layla is involved in an abusive relationship with her boyfriend Donovan. He leaves bruises on her and is jealous of her dancing. She allows him to take topless photos of her and, of course, he texts them to everyone when they break up.
The combination of these storylines is what didn't work with me. Either one could have filled a YA book, but the combination led me to compare them. Was Draper really comparing two types of kiddie porn--online sex videos with drugged teen girls and topless photos distributed by ex-boyfriends?
For some reason, I wanted more Layla and Justin (the only male dancer) and less Diamond and Donovan. The Ds weren't fleshed out--I didn't know enough about them to care, even if one was kidnapped and one became a loser when he started hanging out with the wrong crowd.
However, I have a feeling that some reluctant readers will enjoy this one--lots of action and no character development.
No comments:
Post a Comment