Leaping at Shadows

The Dario Quincy Academy of Dance #1

by Megan Atwood

Madeleine's the newest arrival at the famed Dario Quincy Academy of Dance. She's worked hard to gain admission, and she's determined not to lose her scholarship. That means not asking too many questions when her antique necklace goes missing, and certainly not breaking curfew. So how does she find herself exploring the creepy tunnels that run underneath the school?

As if rivals at dance practice weren't bad enough, Madeleine begins to suspect that there's an ancient evil on the academy grounds. And when Madeleine and her rivals join together, sneaking out at night to explore the school's depths, the evil might just follow them back upstairs.

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Fiction

112 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Megan Atwood lives and works in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she teaches creative writing at a local college and the Loft Literary Center. She has an M.F.A. in writing for children and young adults and was a 2009 Artist Initiative grant recipient through the Minnesota State Arts Board. She has been published in literary and academic journals and has the best cat that has ever lived.

Reviews

[Bianca Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leaping at the shadows!

Man, another good read! Mystery and ballet wrapped into one story! I am hooked. I can't wait to read the next one.

[Makenzie Muñoz · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was one that I always shelved when I was younger and volunteered at my local library. I never actually read it even though I was intrigued every time I saw the cover. Recently, I saw this book series at the library's book sale and had to buy them. They hold the memory of working there every summer with my best friend.
As I was reading the first book, it was obvious the book series is made for a younger audience. Knowing this, I was surprised to see a handful of curse words and some other questionable content. If I was a parent, I don't think I'd want my younger children to read this.
All that aside, this was a cute, fast paced mystery.

[Lizzy Seitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0 out of 5 stars

The pacing on this was a bit quick and therefore made it less scary then intended. I felt like more details and time could have made it scarier instead of the mediocre “murderous cult/but is it something more ooooooooooooo” 100 page short story that it was. It just had the chance to be more and I felt like it was a bit of a let down.

[Jen Hossack · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very fast, spooky read with a ballet background. The prose is easy and quick and the plot has just enough to keep the reader wondering. It's the first in a series. A good read for 5th and up. Give it to your kids that don't like horror but want just a little bit of spooky fun during the Halloween season. Give it also to your dancers at any time of the year.

[Jenn N · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t realize this was only 100 pages. I read it start to finish on my lunch break in about 30 minutes. The story was interesting but progressed far too quickly. The mystery was over before it really began. The “mean girl” was a good friend within minutes.

[Natalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cant' wait to find out more in the second book

[Sierra Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will be reading the nex- oh wait scratch that... I’ve already started. ;)

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid beginning to a this series!

[Sol · Rating 2 out of 5]

maybe if i had read it at 12, i would’ve loved it. alas, at 24 i am a bit disappointed.

[Pop Bop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cheerful, "Girls' Own" Creepiness, With Giggles

This starts with a mean girls vibe, and it looks like it may just play itself out as a "scholarship-student-tormented-by-the-less-talented-rich-girls" drama set in a ritzy ballet school. Wrong. That gets turned around very quickly and the book morphs into a "school-girl-besties-chase-the-ghost" romp that's just right for a middle grader who likes a little bit of creepiness with her girlfriend bonding.

No plot spoilers here. Anyway, the plot hardly matters. It starts as a mystery and takes a sharp turn into "eeevil", but it's evil the way "Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy" was evil. That's O.K. by me; how creepy do you want your middle graders' books to be?

What we do get is a nice cast of BFF's. Madeleine is the super talented ballet student who is a new scholarship student at a prestigious residential ballet school. Right off the bat she crosses Ophelia, the reigning prima donna. Ophelia has a sidekick who is pretty independent, and there are two twins who are secondary sidekicks. Madeleine proves her mettle in a skirmish with the head mistress, and the fearless five are formed. Now, I'm being a bit of a wiseguy, but actually it is very nice and entertaining to have a book where the new girl is nervous, has a bumpy start, shows the right stuff, and forms a bond with some people who will be her real friends. I know that's a little out of fashion, currently, in middle grade books, but I'm happy to find it when I can. It helps that all of the girls have a sense of humor, a little vinegar, and engage in good-natured and rather clever banter.

So, it's cheerful, high energy, deeply implausible, and zips right along. A nice middle grade find.

Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.

[Paula · Rating 2 out of 5]

Something unsettling is afoot at the Dario Quincy Academy of Dance. Scholarship student Madeleine feels it as soon as she enters the front door. And after a bumpy welcome and a few unfriendly encounters with some of the established dancers at the academy, Madeleine discovers that her necklace is missing. Spurred on by the fact that some of the other girls have had a sentimental piece of jewelry stolen from their rooms, she and her new-found friends start to explore the nooks and crannies and secret passageways of the old ballet boarding school. They discover some of their teachers involved in a plot to get the girls’ blood in an effort to ward off the evil presence in the school. The headmistress doesn’t but it and has the teachers arrested. But even after recovering their missing jewelry, the girls have more questions than answers, leaving the door open for subsequent books in the series. The story might be mildly scary for ten-to-twelve-year-olds, but it lacks any real suspense. The secondary characters are weak, and the plot is implausible. Still, tween and teen readers and dancers looking for a quick read might be drawn to this title. The accessible text will appeal to reluctant readers; there are a few mild expletives scattered throughout. Ballet terms are kept to a minimum for wider audience appeal. Order if needed.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here is an excerpt from my review: "This was a fun little mystery that, at only 100 pages, was a very quick read. Because of its short length, the action happens very fast and the characters change very quickly, so for kids who are looking for something a little more in-depth and developed, this may not be the book for them. It's perfect, however, for kids between the ages of 13 and 16 who are looking to progress out of middle-grade books but who don't want to commit to a longer YA novel. Because the subject matter deals with dancing, this book will most likely appeal to girls who also take ballet or who like dance."

You can read my full review here: http://cookscrapcraft.blogspot.com/20...

[Liralen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. Girl of undetermined age from an undetermined part of an undetermined country (for what it's worth, she reads as about twelve or thirteen and the setting is presumably Canada or the US) goes off to a highly prestigious dance school that...does nothing to prove that it deserves that prestige, basically. The focus of the story isn't dance, though—it's a mystery (something about ghosts or a cult or both; it's not fleshed out well enough for me to understand). There's not really enough space for the characters to develop much or the mystery to be fully explained (and the entire book takes place over what, less than a week?). I suppose the author wanted to leave space to explore the 'haunted' aspect in future books, but it just didn't do much for me.

[Brooklynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was just going to be an o.k reading but i needed something to read. And it turned out more than that, I really liked this!
I thought the writing turned out really well also. The mystery wasn't as childish as I though it would be so that was pleasant.

Overall, I would recommend this is you want a quick read or something that isn't overly challenging.

[Holli · Rating 3 out of 5]

really enjoyed it
can't wait 4 next in series.
recommended it to teen in dance class.

[Elsie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, but interesting premise. I look forward to more of this series.

[Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Scooby Dooby Doo.

[Tasha Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this was a short book, it was pretty good

Can't wait to read the next one