The Art Of Falling by Kathryn Craft

On Monday, I read Wintergirls (link leads to review), and now, I read The Art OF Falling. The Art of Falling also touches on eating disorders, but unlike Wintergirls, the protagonists refuses to admit she has a disorder - she sees herself as eating healthily.

The book starts off when Penelope falls forteen stories and survives. She ended up blocking the fall from her memory. The book, really, is how she copes with having to leave the dance world, and the events leading up to the fall.

Personally, I found the story interesting, but I didn't like Penelope very much. Yes, I can understand why she's closed off and slightly bitter about things, but she comes across as very self-centered to me. She does change for the better within the book, but first impressions don't leave so easily.

I guess for some reason, I just didn't connect with this book. That's a bit strange to me, because I do like dance (watching that is, I did do ballet before and well, I can't dance at all). But somehow, I never felt fully drawn into the world of ballet. I suppose Penelope's refusal to talk about how she was different made the story less compelling to me. Plus, the novel is on her journey, so not that much emphasis is placed on ballet itself. It's a pity, because I really could have loved this novel.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.