Phantom's Dance

by Lesa Howard

Christine Dadey’s family uprooted their lives and moved to Houston for her to attend the prestigious Rousseau Academy of Dance. Now, two years later, Christine struggles to compete among the Academy’s finest dancers, her parents are on the brink of divorce, and she’s told no one about her debilitating performance anxiety and what she’s willing to do to cope with it. Erik was a ballet prodigy, a savant, destined to be a star on the world’s stage, but a suspicious fire left Erik’s face horribly disfigured. Now, a lonely phantom forced to keep his scars hidden, he spends his nights haunting the theater halls, mourning all he’s lost. Then, from behind the curtain he sees the lovely Christine. The moldable, malleable Christine. Drawn in by Erik’s unwavering confidence, Christine allows herself to believe Erik’s declarations that he can transform her into the dancer she longs to be. But Christine’s hope of achieving her dreams may be her undoing when she learns Erik is not everything he claims. And before long, Erik’s shadowy past jeopardizes Christine’s unstable present as his obsession with her becomes hopelessly entangled with his plans for revenge.

Genres: Young Adult, Retellings, Romance, Contemporary, Young Adult Contemporary, Fiction

340 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2014

About the author

I'm not the typical author. I didn't always enjoy reading or writing. While in school, I found it to be a chore I'd just as soon skip. I would rather have been daydreaming, my favorite past time. It wasn’t until I grew up and didn’t have to, that I realized reading was fun. I soon discovered that reading fueled my daydreaming. So, remembering a short story I'd written in high school, I began imagining expanding that story into a book. Before long I found I had loads of ideas for not just the short story but other books and stories as well. Fast forward a few years, a lot of studying about writing, practicing my writing, studying some more, taking classes from people who knew what they were doing, studying and practicing yet more, and ta-dah, author! In the same way I had learned I loved reading, I learned I loved writing, too. It’s just that writing is a lot harder than reading.

Reviews

[Magdalena · Rating 1 out of 5]

To be honest I never expected this book to be a hit. A modern YA version of The Phantom of the Opera set in the ballet world. No, I just hoped that it wouldn't be really catastrophically bad.

I was wrong. It started OK, not great, but it was acceptable. Then Eric was introduced into the story. This is when everything went straight to hell. I have loved The Phantom of the Opera since I was a teenager. I have read books, seen movies, listen to the musical. TPOTO is my favorite story. And, I have always felt sorry for Eric, always liked him. But this is the first version that I really disliked him that I felt no sympathy for him. He was a creep and a stalker and then to make everyhting worse a rapist.



I just want to purge my brain, to be the person I was before I read this story.

Don't read this book. Read Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera or Susan Kay's Phantom instead.

½ star

I received this copy from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review!

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer)]

I debated on whether or not to even post this review because honestly, how many times have I ever posted a review for a book that I just can't rate? Umm, probably never, at least not on my blog. But the fact is, this book was good and yet, it had it's bad moments as well.

Let me explain.

I love a good solid retelling of any classic as much as the next girl, which was why I was excited to start this as soon as I saw the great cover and even better blurb. And while I did like this, I have to be honest and say, I didn't love it as much as I really thought that I would.

It was a great story and the life, schedule and hard discipline that is a ballerina's world, has always fascinated me. And while I loved that whole aspect of the story, there were minor nuances that kept me from truly loving it.

A slow beginning and rushed ending were just one of them.

The idea of a young girl sneaking off to meet a creepy stranger in the middle of the night, especially after being warned by someone she trusted that he was unhinged, was just something that never sat right with me. Maybe because I would want to believe that there aren't really girls out there like that. Girls that aren't that desperate or that stupid to risk their life like she constantly did, even when the warning signs of Erik's mental stability were staring at her right in the face.

Throw in an event that happened towards the end of the story that was sort of glossed over by almost everyone in Christine's life, including herself, and by the end of the story, I found myself disgusted with everyone involved,

It is hard going into detail without spoiling anything but this book covered some serious matters and I didn't care for the way they were handled and ignored at all. What kind of message does that give young girl's that may be put in a similar situation?


I really really wanted to love this, or even like it but by the end it was hard to swallow and I think because of it, it is affecting my judgment about the whole book.

I think for now, I am leaving this one unrated, at least until I can gather myself enough to look at it differently as a whole instead of just looking at the parts I didn't like or agree with.

[Gabs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read more of my reviews at My Full Bookshelf

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Phantom's Dance is a retelling of The Phantom of the Opera, one of my favorite plays. (Sadly, I have yet to read the book, but I hope to find a copy this summer.) It also includes ballet, something else I greatly love. This book and I were practically a match made in Heaven from the beginning.

The story is a bit different from the play, but they're pretty similar. One major difference I found was that, in my opinion anyways, The Phantom in this book is a even more sinister than in the original story; I always felt a little bad for the original Phantom, but this Phantom is a horrible psychopath, and while his character was intriguing, he was never even slightly likeable.

Christine was pretty interesting. I think the author did a good job of making her character modern. Christine was given a few problems that would be more prevalent today. Raoul, however, I never really liked too much. To be fair, I didn't like him very much in the play either. I don't know, I thought he was kind of the stereotypical love interest, and I didn't find anything very special about him.

The plot, however, is the book's strong point. It's thrilling, filled with twists and turns, and I love the extra flair that the ballet aspect gave it. This book was impossible to put down once the story started to move, because of the creepy/thrilling feel I got from reading it. Even at the very end, that feeling doesn't go away from the story.

Like I said before, the fact that this had to do with ballet made me insanely happy. I actually knew all the terms that the author used for once; I can't say the same for when I read books based on ice skating or hockey or something like that.

This book was a really great read. I got sucked into it and loved it! I would definitely recommend it.

[Kierstan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recieved a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As a huge fan of Phantom of the Opera, and more recently, retellings of classic tales. I was so excited to read this book. It is a modern interpretation of the classic Phantom of the Opera. Set in present day Houston, Texas.

It follows our young narrator, Christine Dadey, as she navigates her way through classes at the Rousseau Academy of Dance. Her world is saturated with ballet, and is with all sheltered young ladies. She is naive and way too trusting when it comes to strangers. Her character development throughout the story is well done. She deals with a lot of issues at once. Between having her first boyfriend, the pressures of school, wanting her independence, and her parent's maritable issues. It is no wonder she seeks out the friendship and tutelage of Erik. The mysterious and talented young man living in the basement of her school's theatre.

This book had the perfect blend of sweet ya romance and creepy suspense. Although it is a retelling, it really is a story of it's own. The relationship between Christine and Erik, although is similar to the relationship between the original characters. Takes it a step further. By really diving into the obsession Erik/Phantom has with Christine. How she blindly trusts and cares for him. Even though it's obvious there is more to him than she is willing to see.

The other characters of the story were wonderful as well. Jenna was a breath of fresh air from the seriousness the rest of the characters exhibited. Christine's mother and instructors really show how grueling it can be. Trying to live up to expectations and making sure everyone is happy around you, even if you aren't happy yourself. Raoul, although an important character in the story, really lacked development. He was just always nice and there. Ever the gentleman. But there wasn't much to him other than nice words, and for the romance of the story.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. There were parts that were a bit angsty, and I understand some liberties were taken in regards to ballet, but the good overrode the bad in this case. It was all necessary for the story to make sense. It does deal with some heavier issues, like stalking and sexual assault. So bear that in mind when you go to read this. It's all handled very well.

I look forward to reading more books by Lesa Howard. I definitely recommend this if you are a fan of both ballet and The Phantom of the Opera!

[Farrah · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absolutely lovely retelling of The Phantom of the Opera, Phantom's Dance was a wonderful YA read. With sweet romance, compelling suspense, and some spine-chilling creepiness, this book was enjoyable from start to finish.

Christine was great. Like the original, she was kind and likable, but also naive and overly trusting, which got her into bad situations. She was easy to sympathize for, especially because she was dealing with more than one chaotic situation at once. My only issue with her was that, after something terrible happened to her involving Erik, she got over it oddly fast. Her initial reaction was believable, but then it was almost like she simply shrugged it off, which was not believable. So, that bothered me a bit. But, otherwise, I liked her character.

Raoul was very sweet. Though not the deepest character, he was likable and always there for Christine when she needed him. I liked him, as well.

The romance was light, but sweet. Though their relationship was a bit shallow, I thought Raoul and Christine were great together.

Erik was very well done. Like the original, he started off as a benign genius who sought to help Christine. But, as things went on, he slowly revealed his madness. I thought that was delightfully creepy and his character was probably my favorite part of the book.

The plot was fast paced and I was hooked the entire way through. Though I knew how the story would go, the suspense was still there, creating a tense atmosphere as Christine realized Erik's true nature. I really enjoyed the story and the ending was great.

Phantom's Dance was a wonderful YA retelling. I really liked this book. It was suspenseful, creepy, with a touch of sweet romance. YA lovers, this is a book you'll want to check out.

*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

[Stephanie (Bookfever) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not surprisingly, I loved Phantom's Dance. I'm both a huge fan of The Phantom of the Opera and retellings so this book was a hit for me. The start was a bit slow but it soon turned into one amazing story that I couldn't stop myself from reading.

Christine: She was a great character to read about. She was determined in her dancing, kind to everyone—even Erik— and on top of that she felt real to me. I really liked her voice in the book.

Raoul: He wasn't much in the book but I love how he was there for Christine when she needed him the most. Most guys would probably run the other way. So, yes, I liked him very much.

Erik: What can I say about him? At first I felt sorry for him with what he said he went through and I did like him. Just like Christine I was intrigued by him. And then I started getting quite creeped out and unsettled by his fixation on Christine. I loved the way the author pictured him, though.

So, obviously this book is based on The Phantom of the Opera and it stays pretty close to the story. I loved that. Like I said before, I'm a huge fan. But even so it's a seperate book all on its own. You don't have to be well known with The Phantom of the Opera or love it to enjoy Phantom's Dance, in my opinion.

Overall, Lesa Howard created an amazing story with realistic and intriguing characters. The writing was really good too, which is a major point for me in books. The plot was excellent and I was devouring the last ten chapters like crazy. I just had to know how it would all end—It was that exciting! And the end was pretty damn great. You won't be disappointed!

[Library Lady 📚 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received from the author for review.

I was pretty excited to read a modern take on Phantom of the Opera, and I can't say I was let down. The book was exciting without ever getting too caught up in the action at the expense of character focus. It was a nice, somewhat slow paced book with plenty of dance references.

The writing was smooth and for this nit-picky reader, almost completely absent of the grammar/proofing errors so often found in self-published novels. The only notable errors I found were some weird tense switches-- the kind of thing where the narrator describes everything in present tense while the action is in past tense. That kind of thing always confuses the flow for me and takes me out of the story, but otherwise, I didn't see so much as a missing punctuation mark.

The characters were realistic and mostly likeable, from the protagonist to the dance instructors to the villain. My only complaint here was that most of them lacked any real development, with the exception of the MC's best friend. Even her boyfriend seemed a little flat. He was one of those characters that maybe didn't have much personality to develop, or so it seemed. Just a pretty face without much substance. I never felt their relationship was very real or convincing. The glimpses of him we had were great though, and I wish he'd been a more rounded character. I loved how he wasn't the cliche of what every teenage girl wants. He was a real guy, saying stupid stuff like "You're really into this ballet stuff, huh?" and getting her a necklace that was generic and she'd gotten others like it before. But those things made me love him, because they made him real. I wish we'd gotten to see more of that.

At first I gave this book four stars, but after thinking about it for a few days, I downgraded to three because of the way the author treated the subject of rape. That's a very sensitive issue for me, and if it's not handled well, I tend to lower my opinion of the book. Although I will not say that the character's immediate reactions were unrealistic in any way (actually, they were very much true-to-life, unfortunately), I didn't like that the author seemed to downplay it's importance. The character who deals with this situation hardly seems bothered for more than a few days. I found that disheartening after really liking the rest of the book, but I can't ignore the light-handed treatment given to such a sensitive issue, especially after reading things on the news recently about girls committing suicide after such incidents. For someone so young, and in the situation that this character was in, I think it would have a huge impact on all of her life, not just for a short time.

I did enjoy the book, and it kept me engaged throughout. I was anxious to see how the 'phantom' turned out, if he would be evil in this book or if he'd end up being a good guy. I appreciated the author's including the MC's parents in the plot, making their relationship a big part of her life. It wasn't a book I felt I couldn't put down, but I never lost interest and found it a chore to pick up, either. It was a very mellow read, despite the mysteries. I would probably recommend it to someone, with a warning about the author's dismissive treatment of rape. Other than that, which may go along with the characters not being fleshed out enough, I liked the book a lot. I think for once I can say a book would have benefited from being longer, with the additional scenes dedicated to rounding out just about every character in the book.

Content: a rape, not explicit or graphic in detail. PG13.

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book comes with trigger warnings for assault. Read the review on my blog here.

Phantom’s Dance is a retelling of The Phantom of the Opera, but I can’t attest to its accuracy to the original storyline—because I don’t know it. I know, I know, what am I doing with my life. But this book was certainly enjoyable—and it did surprise me as well.

The story starts off quite sweetly. Christine is a likeable, if a little naïve, ballerina in training. She has an audition for her academy’s company, but she’s secretly terrified that she won’t make it, or that the ballet life isn’t for her—or worse things. Even so, there’s a cute boy and a cute romance, and a best friend that I really, really appreciated—and some street-dancing that helps Christine think about her focus on technique rather than letting loose. Though there are strange occurrences in the academy where Christine is studying, all seems well. Until a mysterious male dancer starts giving Christine tips on how to dance better—tips that seem to work.

I had few problems with this book. Christine and her best friend felt the most fleshed-out of all the characters, and I wish the others had been too. I particularly liked that the love interest, Raoul, was more realistic than the beautiful, poetic YA male lead who’s basically about 0.1% of the male population. I also liked that her parents were around so much! Good job for non-absentee parents.

On the other hand, I felt like Phantom’s Dance could’ve used length and at the same time coherence. Length, so that characters and plot points could’ve been developed better and the resolution sorted out better. I liked the conclusion, yes, but I wish the last few chapters had been less hurried. Coherence, because I felt like several plot points that were interesting seemed to lead to nowhere. The story didn’t feel like it had much direction, or that it led to a particular goal. To give one example, Christine’s glimpses of the street dancers didn’t seem very relevant to the story. I kept thinking it would come back somewhere, but…it didn’t. I get that the fluidity and the laidback-ness of street dancing helped Christine let her ballet flow better, but I wish the connection had been more properly defined rather than an inference I had to make. There are some places where I like subtlety. Not here so much.

The ending I’m a bit dicey about (while I liked the final conclusion) because I think it could have been handled better and more at length—again, if it had been longer. But overall, I’d say I did like this read!

This free book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Nemo · Rating 3 out of 5]

For more reviews visit: Blame it on the Book

Phantom of the Opera is one of my favorite shows, and it’s the only show I’ve seen on Broadway so a retelling of this classic story with teenagers and in Texas? Sure! Why not?

The life of a Ballerina is never just glamorous, its full of hard work, dieting, and stress. It wasn’t any different for Christine Dadey who uprooted her whole life and moved to Houston, Texas to be in a better school. Even with all the effort Christine put into her dance, she couldn’t get over her performance anxiety and she couldn’t put emotion into her Giselle dance (Black Swan anyone?).

Realizing that she wants more from life than just ballet, she starts working on her social life. First move is getting a boyfriend, Raoul Chaney. He’s a football player and she’s a ballerina and they make it work after Christine is forced to help teach the football team plies with her best friend Jenna. She keeps her life together until she finds out that her parents are getting a divorce and her teacher Ms.Hahn wont let her audition for the second company she decides to just quit ballet. Then she mets him.

When a hidden male voice starts talking to me from behind a curtain in an empty theater I would run. Forget asking for his name or who he is, you just run, especially if there’s a rumor of a phantom and robberies to prove it. Yet Christine takes the bait, he promises that he can make her a better dancer and tells her he used to dance with all the great ballet companies. As soon as she thinks meeting some random guy in an empty theater isn’t a good idea he tells her his heartbreaking story making it impossible for her to leave him.
This is when things start getting tricky, so far nothing had happened in this story was getting bland. I was just about to give up when lo and behold someone snooping around the school ended up with a broken leg. Things go downhill from there but it also starts to pick up as more of Eriks personality is revealed.

I’m not 100% sure how I feel about the ending, there was some information left out about Erik. Christine never got it together throughout the book, it would have been nice to see her get over her issues. The one thing I loved about this story is that the relationship between Christine and Erik was never romanticized, it was completely seen as it should be: An Abusive Relationship

Overall it was a great retelling but wouldn’t work as a standalone, or for someone who doesn’t completely love the Phantom.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a modern day retelling of The Phantom of the Opera. I loved it when I saw it as the theatre, so I knew I would enjoy this book. I liked the first half of the book, but it was the second half that really gripped me. For me, Erik was the most interesting and it was his character that kept me reading. He was not all he appeared to be, and as things went on his madness was slowly revealed. I can't condone some of the things he did, but I couldn't bring myself to dislike him either.

The love between Christine and Raoul was sweet. This being a YA book there are no sex scenes. Raoul was a good guy but I didn't really feel the love between them, maybe because his character wasn't really explored enough. To me he felt like more of a side character. Erik and Christine were the stars of this show. Christine's friend Jenna was a great character too.

The story touched on the pressures ballet dancers face to be perfect and to watch their weight.

Although I guessed parts of the ending, I wanted to keep reading to find out exactly how it would all play out. I wasn't disappointed, the ending was suitably chilling.

I was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[ѦѺ™ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera is one of my favorite classic horror-romance stories and i loved it even more when i saw the London production in San Francisco. of course, the movie adaptation was excellent as well.

having mentioned the above, i commend author Lesa Howard for doing an excellent job in shying away from and/or focusing so much on Leroux's masterpiece. the essentials were there but she made Phantom's Dance truly her own . instead of musical ingenues and divas, she turned to the world of ballet for her novel.

although it started out slow and easy, the story soon sped up with a few twists and surprises that even i did not consider.

this had been another great read that i would gladly add to my Phantom-related literature.

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A most enjoyable retelling with a twist
A retelling of the famous story of the disfigured phantom praying on a young singer (a young dancer, in this case), Phantom’s Dance has all the mystery and suspense of the original and a modern cast of characters that makes it so much more enjoyable.
The characters are well drawn, including the parents, usually neglected in YA novels and Jenna’s struggles with her fears and insecurities makes her sympathetic and highly relatable.
I was enthralled and surprised by the plot twists. Given that I knew, or thought I knew, the story, that is not small feat on the part of the author.

[Colette]

The idea of this book intrigued me. I think people who enjoy dance would really be able to get into this modern retelling of The Phantom of the Opera. While the ending seemed rushed, the main character's story was conclusive.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful book, I loved reading it. I will highly recommend it to anyone. When I finished the book, I was depressed, and didn't want to have to put it down.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Full review can be found at Part of that World.

Can I be honest here? I've watched The Phantom of the Opera movie once but don't remember much about it. I don't even think I liked it. Haven't seen the musical either. *gasps* I know, I know. Probably shouldn't have decided to read this (since it is a retelling), but I really enjoyed it even without knowing practically anything about the Phantom.


Actual rating: 3.5 Stars!

So I guess I can't really judge the retelling of the story. *looks it up on Wikipedia quick* Haha, but I enjoyed the modern setting and how it wasn't opera but ballet that centered around the characters' lives. And I liked how she kept the characters' names the same as the original, and even a little bit of who they were. Again, I can't judge the retelling of it, because I'm not an expert on The Phantom of the Opera.

I enjoyed the main character's voice! Christine was a likable protagonist who is seemingly a great dancer, though she doesn't feel like it. She constantly wonders if she's good enough to have a career in ballet and often thinks of quitting it. She feels pressured to be at her best and to work as hard as she can while sacrificing friends, a social life, and other hobbies. Pretty much, ballet is her world. I kind of wish that she'd stepped away from it a bit, kept up with the hip-hop that she learned through street dancers. Maybe even decided to quit. I don't know; I just felt like she had zero development as a character. I liked her enough; she was sweet but God, she was so naive and oblivious to everyone around her. I wanted to smack some common sense into her most of the time! Things happen in this book that push Christine to the limits, that make her question her life, and steal away her innocence. It's believable that she would fall into easy traps, though I can't help but wish she'd been just a bit more careful in everything. But Christine's character made me realize that mistakes happen, trust can be lost easily, and that thinking the world and the people in it are good isn't always a bad thing. I liked the strong woman who came out of everything in the end, but it sure took a long time for her to get there.

The secondary characters weren't much more fleshed-out than Christine, but many of them were important to the story. I loved the relationship Christine had with her parents, even if they were having problems and she was caught up in them. They truly loved her and only wanted the best for her. I loved Jenna! I thought she was funny, sweet, and a great best friend to Christine. Raoul was a pretty flat character. I thought he was a good boyfriend, but he just didn't have any true personality. Their romance was sweet but a little too quickly developed.

The plot was pretty fast-paced and filled with an underlying mystery revolving around the theater and Erik. He was a very complex character, and I never knew what to think of him. (Should have known he wasn't so good). But the author wrote him in such a way that you never knew what he was going to do, say, or how he felt toward Christine. He was shrouded in mystery, and his obsession turns him into a madmen who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. I think the balance of Christine's life, the romance, and her secret meetings with Erik was good. I just wish there'd been a bit more than that, though. I would have loved more interactions with Magdalena's dance crew! Oh, and that ending? Genius.

Phantom's Dance was a modern retelling of The Phantom of the Opera with ballet instead. It was shrouded in mystery and the creepy sense that something bad would happen. It kept me turning the pages, and I really enjoyed it!

[J. Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phantom's Dance is, without a doubt, the most beautifully haunting novel that I've read this year. It grasps complete attention from the beginning and refuses to let go, building suspense and even a creeping terror. I completely devoured the book, and whether you are a fan of dance, horror, YA retellings or none of the above, I'm sure that you'll devour it too.
I've always loved the story of The Phantom of the Opera and Howard does a wonderful job in this modern adaptation. The change of professional opera to a well-reputed dance school was flawless, and made for an engaging setting. I don't know much about ballet, but it was very intriguing as a reader to get a glimpse inside the world of this art form. Despite the transition in setting and story, all of the fantastical darkness found in the original phantom remains - and it is captivating.

All of the characters were beautifully developed, whether based from the original story or sprung from the imagination of the author. Christine had an excellent voice and stayed true to her character. It's wonderful to see characters that have a passion like she does for the ballet. Despite this, she still sounds like a normal teenager and has a great personality. Raoul is charming and heroic, and has so many great qualities that I thoroughly wanted to hate him, but was unable to do so. But to me, the real star of the story was Erik. I love scarred, complex characters, and he was developed so wonderfully. I loved every single second of his scenes.

Although, I did find it a bit odd that The Phantom of the Opera was mentioned in the story, so all of the characters know of the plot and it's existence and no one (no one!) seems the similarities...? I mean, come on. Raoul isn't exactly the most popular names for American boys, and he's into a girl named Christine? Who also happens to be bettering herself in her craft through the secret lessons of a masked man with a disfigured face who hides himself in an opera house/ballet stage? I get that not everyone is a fan of musicals or French literature, but one of them had to have seen the Gerard Butler movie or something.

Still, as much as the characters, I enjoyed the relationships behind them. There is an excellent friendship between Christine and Jenna. It felt natural, and they worked well together, and it added a lot of lightheartedness to the story. Plus, Jenna acted as a bit of a voice of reason, which is always nice to see. Contrasting, I thought that the relationship between Christine and Erik was wonderfully down. To see it escalate and morph was not only interesting, but absolutely exciting, to the point where I would crave their next scene together. Even now, having finished the beautiful ending, I can still get chills from envisioning the enchanting description of their first dance together - on the magic of a dark and otherwise empty stage.

From the very first chapter to the very last word, Phantom's Dance is a wonderful read that will be over before you know it, leaving a definite book hangover and a probable craving to immediately watch The Phantom of the Opera on Netflix. I highly recommend it.

[Kyra · Rating 4 out of 5]

For more reviews, please visit my site.

Phantom's Dance is an extremely contemporary take on the classic tale of The Phantom of the Opera, where opera singing has been replaced by the challenging world of ballet as the main focus. Christine is still a teenage girl, but instead of being an orphan, she has a dysfunctional family. Only the title character and the two lovers are instantly recognisable from the original, and even then, the characters are altered; instead of Raoul being a Count, he is now a quarterback on a football team, for example. Just a tiny bit cliche, but I let it slide because he slotted into the story really nicely that way.

I don't want to talk about how appropriate the content was to the audience, the way that dancing was used very nicely in conjunction with the original theatre setting or the way in which the story goes off at a few teen-relevant tangents which makes it much more than what the original was. No. I want to talk about a few things that really jumped out at me when I finished the book.

It is amazing how something as simple as a change of time and place in a story can change the way you look at it, and nothing is more true than in the depiction of the phantom. The stark truth of my favourite romantic anti-hero is that he is a psychopathic stalker. My opinion of him in this book greatly and disturbingly differed to the opinion I had formed both in reading the original and in watching his portrayal on screen, where his acts are entirely more heinous. Maybe the fact that this could easily happen in reality was lost on me until the story became more realistic to me. Maybe the eerie scenery of the opera and the glamour of the musical masked (pun completely intended) the horror of the man himself, or maybe it was the fact that this particular Phantom had not been born with his disfigurement, and therefore this made him worse in my book. I don't know, but it did really hit home for me.

This book raises some serious issues about strangers, stalkers, harassment, drugs and rape, and is everything that I could have hoped for. The strange quality of the story seeps through the veneer of teen self-obsessiveness and right into the mind of the reader, no matter what their age is. Although some of the scenes are shocking, teen readers need to read it, if only to understand what kind of dangers they are faced with if they are not careful and keep too many secrets. However, it is not just a lesson, the book is a nicely written and well-considered teen read, with plenty of aspects that give it that contemporary feel.

A great introduction to the world of the Phantom, very relevant and very suitable for YA and older teens.

[Jenea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love The Phantom of the Opera so it was a given that I had to read this one be a retelling of it. Instead of it surrounding the opera, it is about ballet and the prestigious Rousseau Academy of Dance where Christine has been attending for the past couple of years. She has been working so hard to get the part of Giselle for some time, but she has a hard time dealing with the pressure of auditioning. There have been break-ins and strange things happening and the rumor of a phantom haunting the theater. She doesn’t believe the rumors, that is until she meets Erik who stays in the shadows. He helps her with her dance, but she finds out there is something very wrong with him.

The cast of characters were great. Our main girl, Christine, is just like every other girl at the Academy. She wants to be the best and she is a strong ballerina and does her best. She and her best friend Jenna are always together and Jenna is spunky and has a wild side, and what can I say I liked her. She had me laughing at things that she said. Raoul is the football player that stuck having to take some lessons at the studio and was genuinely a good guy and I liked to see Christine and him spending time together. Now, Erik was something else entirely. He was creepy but an amazing and talented dancer. The other characters like the dance teachers and a few of the other students were wonderful and I enjoyed them, especially “Van” who was one the of the boys who attended dance classes.

This is fast paced from the start and even though I know the original story well, the few twists that Howard put in were sooo good. The setting in the dance studio was just how I remember it from when I took ballet when I was younger from the same drama between dancers down to the “strict (mean) teacher”. The creepiness level of the phantom was there is creating an eerie atmosphere that you would expect and want. Christine’s time dancing with Erik was gorgeous but the danger she was in increased more and more as the story progressed and I kept turning the pages faster. There was something that happened that is a serious and delicate subject and it was glossed over and not dealt with the way it should have been and that kinda hit a nerve with me. But that would have to be my only complaint about this book. The suspense level was high and all the events that lead up to the ending while they might have been on the predictable side, I was in no way prepared for the very last sentence. Shock and goosebumps was what I left with and it was awesome!

Phantom’s Dance was suspenseful, with a sweet romance, an eerily engrossing phantom makes this present day twist to Phantom of the Opera is one not one to be missed.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given a copy of this from the author in return for a review.

I'm kind of a big fan of The Phantom of the Opera, so I jumped at the chance to read this. A modern twist on the story? Sign me up!

And the updates were pretty cool, I'll give it that. Instead of about the opera, it's about ballet in Houston, Texas. All of the main players have the same name as they do in the original book. Erik, Christine, Raoul. (Though I have to admit, it was a little weird hearing the name Raoul in a modern setting. I never hear that name, ever.) Christine and Erik are dancers, while Raoul is a football player and a nephew of a trustee at the ballet. So modern, but still with ties back to the original. I can respect that.

What's kind of weird, though, is that the characters are aware of the original Phantom story. But the similarities between the story and their lives never seems to occur to them. Maybe that's just something I would think of. Because I guarantee I'd point it out.

I thought the characters were great, especially some that I never expected. Christine is sweet and a bit naive, which makes it believable that she'd fall into the situations she does. Raoul is a sweetheart, with a heart of gold. Erik is...well, he's Erik. He's terrifyingly creepy and genius. But I think it's Jenna, Christine's best friend, who really steals the scenes. That girl cracked me up and made me wish she was my best friend.

The one thing I think could have been improved was the love story between Christine and Raoul. It seemed to move too fast. Like their relationship was something that had to be established before the rest of the plot could move forward. It was rushed, and I didn't really feel much for it until I was well into the story. The original story has the benefit of Christine and Raoul being childhood friends and affection growing from that, but these two do not. It came off slightly weird after that. Rushed and realistic, but just a hint of creepy, like "Um, should they really be moving that fast?" creepy. Totally not Erik creepy. That's a whole 'nother level. I feel like I'm not explaining myself well. For me, when relationships move quickly, I feel like they're either trying to compensate for something/make up for lost time or it's not real. I start questioning motives, so I'm suspicious. Does that make more sense?

Overall, I thought it was a very lovely modernization of an old classic. I'm definitely a fan of the ballet in this, even though I couldn't tell you a plie from a pirouette. (And I'm just hoping I spelled those right.)

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this modern YA Phantom of the Opera retelling! Ms. Howard did a great job of bringing the story into present-day Houston, setting it at a prestigious ballet school and utilizing current technology to help the story along. (Erik especially uses it to his benefit. Chillingly so...I get the shivers even now, thinking about it.)

Christine is a likable heroine. She's sweet and earnest and very naive, much like the character she is patterned after. The pressures she's under--going to an exclusive school, needing to progress in ballet and do so soon, taking high school courses via the computer at night, having family drama going on in the background yet still wanting to have a "normal" teenage life on top of it all--makes her willingness to get help from a somewhat questionable source (a guy hiding behind a curtain and later a mask? You know that can't be a good idea!) believable.

Raoul's not in the book nearly enough, but I love that he's a quarterback on his high school football team. He's a stellar hero, even though his page time is brief.

Erik is everything that a modern Phantom should be. Watching him slowly ingratiate himself into Christine's life is very, very creepy. When she--and the reader--realize just what he's done, it's every bit as dramatic and scary a scene as you could want.

The chapters are very short, and the story moves along quickly--which was good, because I didn't want to stop reading once I got started!

I totally found myself humming the musical soundtrack like a lunatic the entire time I read Phantom's Dance. Please tell me it wasn't just me? I absolutely need to dig out my old CDs. That will get the unending loop of "the Phantom of the Opera is there, inside your mind..." out of my head, right? Right??

(It's not totally my fault--at one point, a secondary character even alludes to their school having "its own Phantom of the Opera" in their theater--right in front of Christine. Her BFF Jenna even responded with a "Whoa, wait a minute there, Andrew Llyod Webber. There is no ghost"--yet none of them realized at any point in the novel that Christine, Raoul, and Erik are also the names of the main characters of the classic novel and musical. It would have saved Christine a lot of heartbreak and grief if she'd figured that out--but then there wouldn't have been a story, so... ;))

Whether you're a fan of the original (or the musical) or not, if you like creepily suspenseful YA, this book is a must read!

Rating: 4 stars / A-

I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Tiffany Do · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the author who provided me with an e-copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

Ballet dancer Christine Dadey is working towards her goal of becoming the best ballet dancer possible and to join a great ballet company later on. She attends the Rousseau Academy in order to do just this. However, something had occured to her during her audition for the Rousseau Academy professional company and many people are doubting her ability to become more than she is. She soon doubts everything about dance; however, Eric, a former ballet dancer who lives in the shadows wants to help her achieve her dream. There is more to Eric though than meets the eye (this is a bit ironic) and Christine may find herself in a more dangerous situation than she ever though possible.

This was such a different read from previous books that I have already read and I really didn't know what to expect. I was extremely ecstatic though that the book was great. I really like the premise of the story and now I want to watch the Phantom of the Opera. The characters were all likable except for a few who were questionable. Christine was a bit shy, but she didn't hesitate to speak her mind when necessary which was good and I like Jenna because she didn't judge Christine for her actions and was there for her every step of the way; now that is true friendship. I liked Ms. Z as well surprisingly because she did want to help Christine become the best that she could be unlike other teachers.

This was my reaction for what happened between Christine and Eric.

Random, but in honor of Robin Williams:



I was a bit scared as well for Christine. WOW. Just Oh my goodness! I can't believe what happened to Christine. I was in total shock. Eric was such an obsessed creepy. I got the chills just reading about the things he did. He was an obsessed stalker who truly was disillusioned by everything that had happened to him in the past. I'm getting the chills just by sitting at my desk right now and typing this review. Anyways, beyond that point, I sort of felt sorry for him at one point, but after finding out who he truly was, I was a bit mindblown. I was truly shocked and just wanted him gone. He was truly disillusioned though.

Sometimes getting revenge isn't the best way to satisfy yourself and it isn't right to use it to try to relive the past. It's better to let it go and find happiness for yourself.

Eric really needed to do that, but he let his anger and all of his emotions get the better of him and make him do things that were just horrible. All in all, this was a different read that I did like.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a review of a book with a curious blend and a special essence. This charming book is a YA but anyone can read it I enjoyed the romance and likes adding mystery as well as moments of surprise and you never expected.

When I take this tour, I noticed that your abstract was accompanied by the striking cover. And it was a big surprise start to read it and see it was the essence of The Phantom of the Opera, but the author gave his own way and his particular stamp.

Phantom’s Dance is the story of Christine and the way to act on the set of ballet Giselle, and the path that leads to it to relate to a mysterious arrival of Erik and sweet love with Raoul.

If you’ve seen a movie, read the story or gone to see the staging of Phantom’s Dance, you know how they can become these characters, but as I said the author makes own Christine is adorable, sweet, naive and fulfilling her dream . As it should be, it’s adapted the character at that time very well, has personal conflicts as any girl but she tries to see the bright side of life until it reaches Erik and could change all that .. but there is always a light, in this case there is a light of love called Raoul, he was very sweet to Christine. And that was really love at first sight sweet and romantic, and we see the innocence of love.

If there is something that I like in a character’s psychological development of these and
Erik not without that rule. I love it and I must say it was my favorite character. Achieve wrap from the initiated and achieved the attention of your curiosity to know that path will end this character. And it is something I like too, such as it is malleable and unpredictable characters that can reach any point unimaginable.

I enjoyed this book and it was a big surprise. It is naturally sweet, and fantastic twists in the story that we hope that the author presented. It endorsed a history that is known by many and loved by others. And if you want to enter the story this book is a very good option. Or if you’ve already seen the story will love this book.

I received a ecopy in exchange for an honest review

BLOG: ALL THINGS IN THE CLOUD SWEET

[books are love · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a interesting and good book. Many see this as a retelling of Phantom of the Opera. I don't not really. I see a struggling dancer because she hasn't found her passion who meets a damaged boy who wants revenge on the one who caused him the most pain through dance. This boy helps her and becomes obsessed, this obsession leads to danger but also sadly helps the girl find what is missing in her dance. The boy becomes more dangerous and finally snaps and this puts everyone at risk. Finally he is no longer in the picture and she goes on to become the dancer she is meant to be. That's the gist of the book.

Let's break this down:

The plot: I enjoyed the main theme that is listed above but I also enjoyed the several subplots. Christine the main character is on many journeys in this book. She is trying to find her way back to dancing and does with the help of the mysterious Erik. She also starts to join the world of dating and her family has issues.

Erik is obsessed with showing Mrs. Hahn what he can do and causing pain to others. He helps Christine with finding her way and being a better dancer but along the way snaps and this puts everyone in danger.

ON top of these two plots we have a young lady Jena trying to find her passion for ballet again and also find herself. Questioning where she belongs.

the characters: loved them. I love Van and his quirky and egotistic way. He was the comic relief.
Christine at times got on my nerves but when you are lost and have so many things pulling at you her emotions and her actions are expected.

The hip hop dancers were great and helped Christine see a new light to dancing and helped Jena

All the side characters helped to build the story and helped us understand the world of dance and living in the bubble trying to find your way out.

The writing: Flowed well and really kept your attention and kept you reading. It wasn't too wordy but the descriptions and emotions that were written held you in the moment.

A wonderful story that will capture your attention and keep you until the end. I hope Erik gets help an finds peace someday though.

[Stephanie (Bookfever) · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, I don't usually listen to a lot of audiobooks but I do like to listen to them when they're favorite books of mine that I have read before. I don't think this review will be as long as my normal reviews because it's an audiobook and I have reviewed the story before but as far as audiobooks go, I personally think that this one was fantastic. And I'm not saying this because I loved the book when I read it. I really mean it. So, I still love the story. Still love this Christine that Lesa Howard has created, as well as Raoul. He's so adorable, isn't he? And so supportive of Christine. Going through the story again, made it stand out even more. I also ended up liking her parents more than I originally did. They do have their flaws but they were also really supportive of Christine in the end when she had horrible things happening to her.

The thing with reading or in this case listening to a story you've read before is that the details are more clear. And also, with audiobooks they're even more clear and intense because you're listening to the story, to a voice telling it, which I love. Which brings me to the narrator. I loved all the voices she did with the story. They were all different from one another, so I think she did a fantastic job. Her voice as Christine and Van were probably my favorites. And Erik... Wowza. I was warned that his voice was creepy but I didn't realize how creepy until I actually heard his more intense scenes. I loved it and it impressed me because I've listened to audiobooks before where the narrator didn't do the voices as good as Kai Kennicott did. Oh and the music was brilliant. I loved the sweet music when it was a scene between Christine and Raoul. And of course the creepier music when it was a scene between Christine and Erik. That was brilliant!

So did I love the audiobook of Phantom's Dance? Of course I did! I'd recommend it to all audiobook fans, whether or not you have read the book before. I enjoyed it immensely and am even more in love with this dark Phantom of the Opera retelling.

[Chris Torretta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very curious about this! The synopsis shows that it is similar to The Phantom of the Opera but obviously there are some differences. I wanted to delve in and I hoped to enjoy every word!

The cool thing about this is that Lesa Howard is able to take a theme that we have all read or seen many times and put a completely new twist on it. The basis of the theme is the same even if the reasons behind the theme is not. As the reader we don’t see these differences come alive until later in the book (that character arc part) but I felt like it really matched the world that Lesa Howard was trying to create.

The characters were pretty easy to understand. Christine has a lot going on in her life with ballet and her family and it’s amazing that this girl can keep her life together. There’s just so much but not so much that I didn’t feel that it reflected real life.

Then we meet Erik. There’s some secrets surrounding him, some of which I was able to discern but not until over halfway through the book. I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to like him. There’s so much that I had to turn off when thinking about their relationship and other stories that I have read, and believe me this story is very, very different from the rest! And of course, that left me curious.

The character arc was great! I think it really brought about some character strengths, and flaws that are necessary for growth. It was amazing! The only downside was that it took a while to get there and I think maybe it was the fact that I knew the story that kept me curious how this one was going to be different but overall I really enjoyed it.

The short: Creative read! Ignore your thoughts and comparisons to older versions of The Phantom of the Opera. This one is completely different but still really good!

Received from the author for an honest review.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This modern re-telling of the Phantom of the Opera brings the classic story into a modern setting for a YA audience, or for anyone who loves re-tellings. Set in Houston, TX at a prestigious ballet school, Christine attends the competitive Rousseau Academy of Dance. In order to attend, her family had to uproot and move, Christine also had to go through a rigorous audition. The move and audition caused a rift between her parents. Christine loves ballet though, despite a trauma that happened right before a performance when she was a child. Added to Christine's personal issues, one of her teachers has asked her to teach ballet to a football team, and Christine begins her first relationship with the charming Raoul. As rumors of a 'phantom' start going around the school, a mysterious man who hides behind the theatre curtain takes an interest in Christine and wants to help her improve her performance. Then, things start to take a strange and dangerous turn.

As a former dancer, this book is very true to a dancers experience. It's evident that Lesa Howard researched the world of performance ballet. I had many of the same experiences Christine went through as a dancer. The first part of the book discussed many teen issues in general, dating, eating disorders, juggling friendships and schoolwork, peer pressure and stress which will make it easy for a younger audience to relate to. Some of this first part seemed to move a little slow, but set the scene well and then, Christine and Raoul's relationship seemed to move a little fast. The book really picked up for me when Erik, the 'phantom', began disassembling. This added a high-intensity thriller aspect to the story, not to mention some very real issues for Christine that any teen may have to deal with.

[Gabic Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original review at Gabic Reads as part of the Phantom's Dance Blog Tour.

Phantom's Dance is an awesome retelling of Phantom of the Opera. It takes place in the world of dance rather than the one of opera. The detail of the life of a dancer was incredible. Lesa made an effort to show how much time and effort goes into being a ballerina. Christine gave up her whole life to be on stage. But throughout the novel she learns to be a little play to her work. Phantom's Dance is creepy and suspenseful. The ending left me satisfied and wanting more at the same time!! I'm looking forward to getting more from Lesa.

Christine has dedicated her life to dance. Her family moved from El Paso to Houston and now her father is living in Norway. Christine feels distant from her mother and only talks to her dad once a week. The dancers are too competetive to form friendships with. Christine's only has Jenna, a fellow dancer, and Marisol, her best friend from El Paso. Christine is independent and not sure she wants to continue with her career. She starts to break away from her rigorous schedule when she meets Raoul, a football player.

I love this retelling and it makes me really want to read the original Phantom of the Opera. Phantom's Dance is perfect for those looking for a retelling of the tale or for people who are looking for a book with an insight to the dancing world.

[Kariny · Rating 5 out of 5]

find more of my reviews at http://karinysteenbooxfrenz.blogspot....

WOW! A few months back i went to see the play of the Phantom of the Opera so when i got an email asking if i was interested in reviewing this retelling i couldn't have been happier! I absolutely loved the originality of that play and have never heard of anyone doing a YA retelling on it but this book does not disappoint!!

Christine is a passionate dancer and i loved learning about her life in the dancing industry. She has an amazingly strong determination to keep working hard and reach her dreams. She had a goal and everything she did was to accomplish it. She was kind but too trusting! WAY too trusting! But i guess that's the motive of the play and she manages to produce a perfect representation of the character she's supposed to be.

I felt so sorry for Erik at times and i understand why Christine keeps going to meet him. He was a complex character and you couldn't help but feel suspicious yet drawn to him. I loved the romance between Raoul and Christine, they were so sweet together! I loved her friends especially Jenna!

The plot is extremely well written and there is a flow that will definitely keep you hooked especially when we feel the transition from the pity we feel for Erik to the the apprehension that he's really not stable and has a a dark past full of secrets! Highly recommended read!

*The author requested an honest review in exchange for a free copy*

[Paula Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are you a fan of rendition stories ? Love remakes and modern variations of old tales from the past ? Lesa Howard brings the story of "The Phantom of the Opera" into the 21st Century as we meet ballet dancer Christine. She has always dreamt of dancing on stage in a production such as Giselle , but the thing is she gets performance anxiety but with a little bit of help she may just learn to dance a lot better and improve her ballet techniques. The story starts with the idea of a "phantom" hiding in the school as strange things have been happening from missing items to "accidents" . Soon though, Christine will learn the truth as she meets Erik - he lives behind the stage and Christine learns that he was hurt in a fire and therefore can never show his face and so the tale begins of The Phantom of the Opera. What starts out innocent though, will soon turn deadly as people get injured, and threats are made ? Can Christine exit stage left before she too falls prey to what the "phantom" is capable of ?

Find out in The "Phantom's Dance", without giving too much of the storyline away, this book was amazing and the perfect read for fans of "The Phantom of the Opera" . After reading this book , it has now made me want to go and re-watch the movie which I loved the 2004 version which starred Emmy Rossum.

[Namrata Ganti · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful retake on the Phantom of the Opera, this story is well written and has the right amount of suspense to keep the reader hooked. The story follows Christine as she works hard to be ready for an audition and her encounter with the "phantom". The "phantom" seeks Christine out and starts helping her with her dancing.

The beauty of the story lies in the way it is written. We are given a glimpse into the world of ballet and the amount of effort and work that goes into it. It is an art, a form of dance that relies not only on the person's ability to balance but also to emote and be the character. All the characters in this story are talented but we are shown that each has some reservations and decisions to make. Christine's decision regarding her love for ballet and the relationship with her boyfriend and her parents form the crux of the story.

A well written story, this will send chills down the reader's spine and also shows how circumstances and incidents can change a person. It also portrays how a person's decision in some situation can affect his/her life and the lives of the people around. This is definitely worth a read for those who enjoy suspense coupled with romance.