Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra & Dhonielle Clayton

Gigi, Bette, and June, three top students at an exclusive Manhattan ballet school, have seen their fair share of drama. Free-spirited new girl Gigi just wants to dance—but the very act might kill her. Privileged New Yorker Bette's desire to escape the shadow of her ballet-star sister brings out a dangerous edge in her. And perfectionist June needs to land a lead role this year or her controlling mother will put an end to her dancing dreams forever.

When every dancer is both friend and foe, the girls will sacrifice, manipulate, and backstab to be the best of the best.

REVIEW: I was a (not very good but enthusiastic) student of ballet for 14 years so I'm a sucker for dance-related stories; after watching a few episodes of the accompanying Netflix series, I was hooked and had to read the book. Let me start by saying that the book and the tv series are only loosely related -- similar underlying themes and soapy teen drama but highly divergent plot action. The novel is told from three alternating girls' points of view: Gigi, the new girl whose talent has caught the eye of the dance masters; Bette, a lifer with a family legacy who has long been considered the best dancer in the school; and June, who works hard but always finds herself in second place. These three are supported by a cast of fellow students, teachers, parents, and partners, all of whom play a role in the story's dramatic ups and downs. The main characters each have their own struggles, personal and professional, and are fiercely motivated to be the best, no matter what (or who) they have to beat to get to the top. I really enjoyed this book. The authors didn't shy away from  engaging with serious issues critical to teens in the competitive world of ballet, including diversity, eating disorders, addiction, and sexual orientation. At the same time, the book had enough elements of standard teen drama (parents, mean girls, romantic entanglements, rule breaking) to keep the action moving and the characters from becoming too dark. I'm definitely going to read the sequel! 4 stars.