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Last Dance
“For years I’ve watched ballerinas from this room. I want what you want. I wish to join them.”
Miriam has trained her whole life to fulfill her dreams and it’s finally paid off now that she’s the prima ballerina of the Lulli Dance Company, but she’s been keeping a secret from them. The years of sprains, fractures, and bruises have been taking their toll, and a catastrophic ankle injury now means one terrible thing: she has to give it all up forever. Distraught beyond consolation, Miriam runs from the studio and discovers a secret room she’s never seen before. Inside she finds a pair of gleaming white and gold slippers, and a mysterious voice whispering to her in the dark. If she tries on the slippers, it says, she’ll regain the strength to raise en pointe. It speaks the truth! Soon, Miriam is back, but each achievement on her journey back means more negotiation with the spirit who claims it wants just one harmless thing in return . . . to join the ballerinas and dance, just like her.
Miriam has trained her whole life to fulfill her dreams and it’s finally paid off now that she’s the prima ballerina of the Lulli Dance Company, but she’s been keeping a secret from them. The years of sprains, fractures, and bruises have been taking their toll, and a catastrophic ankle injury now means one terrible thing: she has to give it all up forever. Distraught beyond consolation, Miriam runs from the studio and discovers a secret room she’s never seen before. Inside she finds a pair of gleaming white and gold slippers, and a mysterious voice whispering to her in the dark. If she tries on the slippers, it says, she’ll regain the strength to raise en pointe. It speaks the truth! Soon, Miriam is back, but each achievement on her journey back means more negotiation with the spirit who claims it wants just one harmless thing in return . . . to join the ballerinas and dance, just like her.
200 pages, Paperback
First published January 12, 2021
133 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
February 2, 2021
A monkey paw tale about a ballerina facing a career-ending injury who makes a deal with a spirit to return to dancing. I liked the art (oh, look, it's a solo story for Pearl from Steven Universe) and the parts of the story where you could ignore the supernatural element. It was a little hard to sympathize with the main character as we are dumped into her life falling apart and her reacting poorly before we ever get a chance to know her. Her fellow dancers' handling of similar adversity stirred more feelings in me.
February 13, 2021
A huge thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for providing me with a free e-copy in exchange for an honest review!
I was super excited for this; middle grade ballet-based horror? Sign me up!
Sadly, this wasn't for me.
To start with I wasn't a fan of the art. It's not bad (I've definitely seen art I thought was way worse) and very clean, but it's not a style I'm a fan of. Though, I gotta say, the way the spirit was shown, was done wonderfully!
I also struggled with the font used for the lettering, but that is a very personal thing, just like the art.
Then, if the start of the book hadn't mentioned it was a middle grade, I would have thought it was YA, and looking at the shelving here on GR, others felt the same way. Maybe it's restrictive, but I personally feel Middle Grade books should have main characters from the same age range. Miriam's age wasn't mentioned, but given she was in a professional troupe, I doubt she was 12.
The story, too, was disappointing to me. For almost the whole of it, Miriam was absolutely awful. Even before the spirit. Her turn around went so fast, it was hard to grasp or even truly believe. I liked her at the end, but not enough to make this graphic novel truly enjoyable to me, which I think is because the horror element was, in my opinion, barely there. Maybe I expected too much, given this is a MG novel, but I felt like it was such a small part? I really liked the idea, though, and as mentioned, I liked the ending!
Not bad, not great; okay. A bit meh. And clearly not for me, haha! Though I'll say the spirit will stay with me, and the changes in art when the spirit was involved- that I loved!
So a solid 3 stars!
I was super excited for this; middle grade ballet-based horror? Sign me up!
Sadly, this wasn't for me.
To start with I wasn't a fan of the art. It's not bad (I've definitely seen art I thought was way worse) and very clean, but it's not a style I'm a fan of. Though, I gotta say, the way the spirit was shown, was done wonderfully!
I also struggled with the font used for the lettering, but that is a very personal thing, just like the art.
Then, if the start of the book hadn't mentioned it was a middle grade, I would have thought it was YA, and looking at the shelving here on GR, others felt the same way. Maybe it's restrictive, but I personally feel Middle Grade books should have main characters from the same age range. Miriam's age wasn't mentioned, but given she was in a professional troupe, I doubt she was 12.
The story, too, was disappointing to me. For almost the whole of it, Miriam was absolutely awful. Even before the spirit. Her turn around went so fast, it was hard to grasp or even truly believe. I liked her at the end, but not enough to make this graphic novel truly enjoyable to me, which I think is because the horror element was, in my opinion, barely there. Maybe I expected too much, given this is a MG novel, but I felt like it was such a small part? I really liked the idea, though, and as mentioned, I liked the ending!
Not bad, not great; okay. A bit meh. And clearly not for me, haha! Though I'll say the spirit will stay with me, and the changes in art when the spirit was involved- that I loved!
So a solid 3 stars!
July 21, 2020
Is success worth more than anything, even the lives and dreams of your friends and coworkers? This is the question that is asked in this story of Miriam, a ballerina who wants more than anything to dance the lead, no matter what.
When she gets injured to the point that she can't dance professionally, she finds help from a demon or spirit, or something that sucks the abilities out of those around her, to give her the strength to go on. Her career is everything.
It is an interesting proposition.
Well done book, showing Miriam's passion that works on her so hard, and makes her desires so important.
Thanks to Edelweiss for making this book available for an honest review.
When she gets injured to the point that she can't dance professionally, she finds help from a demon or spirit, or something that sucks the abilities out of those around her, to give her the strength to go on. Her career is everything.
It is an interesting proposition.
Well done book, showing Miriam's passion that works on her so hard, and makes her desires so important.
Thanks to Edelweiss for making this book available for an honest review.
January 8, 2024
“Last Dance ” is a graphic novel focusing on Miriam, a woman who has trained her whole life to fulfill her dream of being a professional ballerina and how she comes with life after a career ending injury.
The graphic novel consists of seven chapters, a blurb about the author, acknowledgments, a glossary of ballet terms, and concept art.
The graphic novel begins with male dancer Nicolas and female ballerina Miriam rehearsing a dance sequence before being criticized by Alexandre, the head of the dance company. After finally becoming the prima ballerina of the Lulli Dance Company, years of sprains, fractures, and bruises have finally caught up with Miriam her leading to a catastrophic ankle injury. Although Miriam’s doctor suggests that she stops dancing and focus on learning to walk again without a limp, Miriam decides to lie to those at the dance studio and say that she’s still able to dance.
As the graphic novel progresses, Miriam feels betrayed by Nicolas before being befriended by two other dancers Daniel and Suzanne who encourage Miriam not to give up on her dream to dance again. One night while Miriam is alone at the ballet studio, she discovers a hidden door which leads her to secret room containing white and gold slippers ins a mysterious voice whispering to her in the dark.
The mysterious voice tells Miriam that if she tries on the slippers, she’ll be able to dance again. Miriam is so desperate to dance again, she instantly agrees to the mysterious spirit’s request to wear the slippers. Although the shoes do allow Miriam to dance again, she becomes obsessed with get her prima ballerina role back much to the detriment of the other studio dancers.
When a former dancer almost dies, Miriam realizes the spirit’s true sinister goal and attempts to break off their toxic relationship. As the spirit attempts to overtake her, Miriam finds the strength to fight back then discovers the true identity of the mysterious spirit. The graphic novel ends with Miriam accepting that she is unable to dance but deciding to start teaching as a way to help other children not end up viewing dance as all of nothing like she previously did.
As I finished the novel, it was enlightening to see the depths some ballerinas or those in similar professions will go to in order to keep performing. I was saddened to see how Miriam was taught at a young age to focus on nothing but dancing which lead her to have an identity crisis when dance is taken away from her. Although Miriam was initially an unlikely character, as the graphic novel progresses and she sees how the spirit is impacting those around her, she gains empathy and become more likable.
The graphic novel consists of seven chapters, a blurb about the author, acknowledgments, a glossary of ballet terms, and concept art.
The graphic novel begins with male dancer Nicolas and female ballerina Miriam rehearsing a dance sequence before being criticized by Alexandre, the head of the dance company. After finally becoming the prima ballerina of the Lulli Dance Company, years of sprains, fractures, and bruises have finally caught up with Miriam her leading to a catastrophic ankle injury. Although Miriam’s doctor suggests that she stops dancing and focus on learning to walk again without a limp, Miriam decides to lie to those at the dance studio and say that she’s still able to dance.
As the graphic novel progresses, Miriam feels betrayed by Nicolas before being befriended by two other dancers Daniel and Suzanne who encourage Miriam not to give up on her dream to dance again. One night while Miriam is alone at the ballet studio, she discovers a hidden door which leads her to secret room containing white and gold slippers ins a mysterious voice whispering to her in the dark.
The mysterious voice tells Miriam that if she tries on the slippers, she’ll be able to dance again. Miriam is so desperate to dance again, she instantly agrees to the mysterious spirit’s request to wear the slippers. Although the shoes do allow Miriam to dance again, she becomes obsessed with get her prima ballerina role back much to the detriment of the other studio dancers.
When a former dancer almost dies, Miriam realizes the spirit’s true sinister goal and attempts to break off their toxic relationship. As the spirit attempts to overtake her, Miriam finds the strength to fight back then discovers the true identity of the mysterious spirit. The graphic novel ends with Miriam accepting that she is unable to dance but deciding to start teaching as a way to help other children not end up viewing dance as all of nothing like she previously did.
As I finished the novel, it was enlightening to see the depths some ballerinas or those in similar professions will go to in order to keep performing. I was saddened to see how Miriam was taught at a young age to focus on nothing but dancing which lead her to have an identity crisis when dance is taken away from her. Although Miriam was initially an unlikely character, as the graphic novel progresses and she sees how the spirit is impacting those around her, she gains empathy and become more likable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2020
Last Dance is the story of Miriam, a prima ballerina who suffers an injury. When told she will no longer be able to dance, she strikes a deal with a mysterious spirit who promises to help her. As the rehearsals continue, strange things happen to the prima ballerinas who take Miriam’s place. When things escalate, Miriam realizes that the spirit must be confronted once and for all.
I loved the art style! The vibrant colors, use of shadows, and depiction of dance was fantastic. The story is very engaging and I loved the ending resolution with the spirit. I think students who dance will particularly enjoy this, but it is a very accessible book for anyone. The glossary of dance terms is a nice touch. Last Dance releases on November 3, 2020. Thank you to Hanna Schroy, Iron Circus Comics, and Edelweiss for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the art style! The vibrant colors, use of shadows, and depiction of dance was fantastic. The story is very engaging and I loved the ending resolution with the spirit. I think students who dance will particularly enjoy this, but it is a very accessible book for anyone. The glossary of dance terms is a nice touch. Last Dance releases on November 3, 2020. Thank you to Hanna Schroy, Iron Circus Comics, and Edelweiss for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 10, 2020
"Nightlights" by Lorena Alvarez meets "Anya's Ghost" by Vera Brosgol
July 16, 2021
Have you ever thrown yourself so fully into something that that thing became all that you see in yourself?
That's how Miriam is with ballet. She's worked hard her whole life, to the exclusion of all else -- family, grades, other hobbies, even friends. So when she's injured and told she should hang up her pointe shoes, she ... doesn't take it well, to put it mildly. But that's when a too-good-to-be-true offer is set in front of her, enabling her to get back to her old life.
But as with every deal that sounds too good to be true -- it is.
This was a quick read, and fairly emotional considering that the story did not do a very good job setting its main character up. Almost as soon as we meet Miriam, she's already getting injured -- and she's not a very kind, patient or grateful person with those around her. So it was hard to get to where I was cheering for her to be better, to make smarter choices and put her life back together.
But the overall tale -- the question of just how far she'll go and how much she'll sacrifice to get what she considers hers -- is a tense and well-paced escalation that had me reading the whole thing in one intense sitting. The art is clean and lovely, though the style may not be to everyone's taste. Overall, it was a great read!
That's how Miriam is with ballet. She's worked hard her whole life, to the exclusion of all else -- family, grades, other hobbies, even friends. So when she's injured and told she should hang up her pointe shoes, she ... doesn't take it well, to put it mildly. But that's when a too-good-to-be-true offer is set in front of her, enabling her to get back to her old life.
But as with every deal that sounds too good to be true -- it is.
This was a quick read, and fairly emotional considering that the story did not do a very good job setting its main character up. Almost as soon as we meet Miriam, she's already getting injured -- and she's not a very kind, patient or grateful person with those around her. So it was hard to get to where I was cheering for her to be better, to make smarter choices and put her life back together.
But the overall tale -- the question of just how far she'll go and how much she'll sacrifice to get what she considers hers -- is a tense and well-paced escalation that had me reading the whole thing in one intense sitting. The art is clean and lovely, though the style may not be to everyone's taste. Overall, it was a great read!
June 29, 2020
This was a really entertaining story of a young woman who lives to dance. Her dreams are dashed to pieces when she suffers an injury and she has to see her pride of place go to other dancers. Unwilling to give up she persists and tries her best to recover, not giving herself time to recover Everything changes when she encounters a spirit who promises to give her what she desires, but in the process of getting what she desires others may be hurt.
I really enjoyed this and I liked the artwork as well. This is a YA story but it can be enjoyed by adults as well. The reader is drawn into the pain and the passion of dancing and the need to be excell. I also liked the supernatural elements of the story. They weren't too scary but conveyed just enough eeriness to make the story gripping. All in all this is a very good read and I enjoyed it.
Copy provided via Edelweissin exchange for an unbiased review.
I really enjoyed this and I liked the artwork as well. This is a YA story but it can be enjoyed by adults as well. The reader is drawn into the pain and the passion of dancing and the need to be excell. I also liked the supernatural elements of the story. They weren't too scary but conveyed just enough eeriness to make the story gripping. All in all this is a very good read and I enjoyed it.
Copy provided via Edelweissin exchange for an unbiased review.
January 24, 2021
'Last Dance' with story and art by Hanna Schroy is a graphic novel for younger readers about goals and the kind of ambition that can make them bad.
Miriam has trained to be a prima ballerina her whole life. She gets the role, but is sidelined by an injury that could end her dreams of being a dancer. Her scheming leads her to a mysterious door in the dance studio and a strange voice that promises her dreams will come true. This leads Miriam on a path that will change her one step at a time into something she never wanted to be.
I really liked this story of how dreams can change and how we have to adapt. The art is great with a kind of fluidity that fits this story of ballet and movement.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Iron Circus Comics in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
Miriam has trained to be a prima ballerina her whole life. She gets the role, but is sidelined by an injury that could end her dreams of being a dancer. Her scheming leads her to a mysterious door in the dance studio and a strange voice that promises her dreams will come true. This leads Miriam on a path that will change her one step at a time into something she never wanted to be.
I really liked this story of how dreams can change and how we have to adapt. The art is great with a kind of fluidity that fits this story of ballet and movement.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Iron Circus Comics in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
March 5, 2021
I received this book from Iron Circus Comics in exchange of an honest review.
I love books about ballet and this one sounded very interesting as it went further than just ballet. It is about a girl losing her dreams. Darkness.
This was a wonderful and heartbreaking book about Miriam, a girl with big dreams… but one accident (following many smaller ones) shatters her dreams. What is next is a girl without any plans, without dreams, confused and lost, and angry at it all. At times it was hard to read because on the one hand I wanted to sympathise with Miriam… but on the other hand I just wanted to give her a slap for all she did. But thankfully, Miriam grows. Miriam makes friends. Miriam sees another perspective. But my heart broke for Miriam at many times. I can only imagine how hard it is for her to have worked so much, to have such big dreams and no time to have a back-up and then to lose all that, lost and wondering what the hell is next. Struggling. Going past the body limits (I was just shouting at my screen at times for Miriam to NOT do this).
I loved seeing the various ballet parts and see how everyone was working hard to make a great show. I loved most side-characters (Suzanne and Daniel were my favs), there was just one I didn’t like that much and that was that muscled guy (sorry, he wasn’t my favourite so I forgot his name). Often I could get why he was acting this way, but at the end… he could have been way nicer. And he could have been more supportive for Miriam.
Her conversations with the spirit were dark, spooky, creepy. While Miriam had no idea what the spirit was up to… I knew it from the start. I loved how that dark spirit part turned out! It was something I had been wondering about, but wasn’t sure if it would turn true. My heart broke when the revelation happened and we saw some more on Miriam’s past. Poor girl. I can imagine that she became who she was during the first part of the book.
The ending was well done and I was delighted with how it ended. I am so proud of Miriam!
The art was just great! I really love the style. If you remove the words you would still be able to see what is going on because the art did such a great job at showing the characters expressions, emotions, and body language.
All in all, I would highly recommend this book to all. This was a beautiful haunting tale of ballet and dreams.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I love books about ballet and this one sounded very interesting as it went further than just ballet. It is about a girl losing her dreams. Darkness.
This was a wonderful and heartbreaking book about Miriam, a girl with big dreams… but one accident (following many smaller ones) shatters her dreams. What is next is a girl without any plans, without dreams, confused and lost, and angry at it all. At times it was hard to read because on the one hand I wanted to sympathise with Miriam… but on the other hand I just wanted to give her a slap for all she did. But thankfully, Miriam grows. Miriam makes friends. Miriam sees another perspective. But my heart broke for Miriam at many times. I can only imagine how hard it is for her to have worked so much, to have such big dreams and no time to have a back-up and then to lose all that, lost and wondering what the hell is next. Struggling. Going past the body limits (I was just shouting at my screen at times for Miriam to NOT do this).
I loved seeing the various ballet parts and see how everyone was working hard to make a great show. I loved most side-characters (Suzanne and Daniel were my favs), there was just one I didn’t like that much and that was that muscled guy (sorry, he wasn’t my favourite so I forgot his name). Often I could get why he was acting this way, but at the end… he could have been way nicer. And he could have been more supportive for Miriam.
Her conversations with the spirit were dark, spooky, creepy. While Miriam had no idea what the spirit was up to… I knew it from the start. I loved how that dark spirit part turned out! It was something I had been wondering about, but wasn’t sure if it would turn true. My heart broke when the revelation happened and we saw some more on Miriam’s past. Poor girl. I can imagine that she became who she was during the first part of the book.
The ending was well done and I was delighted with how it ended. I am so proud of Miriam!
The art was just great! I really love the style. If you remove the words you would still be able to see what is going on because the art did such a great job at showing the characters expressions, emotions, and body language.
All in all, I would highly recommend this book to all. This was a beautiful haunting tale of ballet and dreams.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
March 10, 2021
Schroy does an excellent job utilizing the comics medium to tell this tale of the dangers of unchecked ambition and selfishness. It’s rare for middle grade books to center around deeply flawed protagonists, and it’s handled with ease here.
While I would have loved to see more fleshing out of the mirror world and the lore around the spirit, I feel it’s a tall ask for a 200pg graphic novel, and never did I feel like the story was wasting time. Thus lowering the rating for that critique feels somewhat unwarranted.
As a former ballet dancer I’m sure I would have devoured this even more readily at the target audience age than I already did as an adult.
I did receive an ARC to review, but ended up reading, in full, the copy I purchased myself.
While I would have loved to see more fleshing out of the mirror world and the lore around the spirit, I feel it’s a tall ask for a 200pg graphic novel, and never did I feel like the story was wasting time. Thus lowering the rating for that critique feels somewhat unwarranted.
As a former ballet dancer I’m sure I would have devoured this even more readily at the target audience age than I already did as an adult.
I did receive an ARC to review, but ended up reading, in full, the copy I purchased myself.
January 12, 2021
*thank you to Netgalley, Iron Circus Comics and Hanna Schroy for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
4 stars.
This has a pretty good message to it. It makes it quite a powerful story and I can easily see it being beneficial to those people who are struggling with their own inner demons. It's also not strictly about Ballet in particular but the message it sends can be applied to almost any situation where negative emotions overtake you.
I wasn't sure about the illustrations at first to be honest but by the end, I quite liked them. It worked well with the story.
4 stars.
This has a pretty good message to it. It makes it quite a powerful story and I can easily see it being beneficial to those people who are struggling with their own inner demons. It's also not strictly about Ballet in particular but the message it sends can be applied to almost any situation where negative emotions overtake you.
I wasn't sure about the illustrations at first to be honest but by the end, I quite liked them. It worked well with the story.
January 23, 2025
I gave this book 5 BIG STARS because, It’s about a ballerina and she gets hurt and finds a spirit and takes control over her when she puts on ballet shoes. It doesn’t have anything spicy or gore in it so I think it’s perfect for kids and it’s a graphic novel! I really like the drawing style too.
November 9, 2021
Really good message. Choppy dialogue and seemingly unpolished and sometimes confusing illustrations.
January 22, 2022
Such a good and healing read <3 And the art is absolutely gorgeous with such beautiful movement and feeling <3
Also fun fact I did the lettering on the cover! :3
Also fun fact I did the lettering on the cover! :3
July 12, 2021
[Reviewer’s disclosure: author is a colleague and acquaintance of mine]
A lovely, elegant, and personal YA story about an ambitious dancer, told with pathos and with care. The way Schroy shows balletic movement across the page is an ideal marriage of marvelous character design and dynamic layouts & inspired use of the space. A kinetic, no-frills read you’ll easily _jete_ through in one sitting.
A lovely, elegant, and personal YA story about an ambitious dancer, told with pathos and with care. The way Schroy shows balletic movement across the page is an ideal marriage of marvelous character design and dynamic layouts & inspired use of the space. A kinetic, no-frills read you’ll easily _jete_ through in one sitting.
January 29, 2021
Maybe more like 3.5-ish for the art? The art conveys movement very well. The storyline definitely isn't really horror, though, at least not for me. I never actually felt like anyone was in any real danger. I think part of it was that I didn't feel particularly connected to the characters, so the stakes never felt that high. We simply didn't get to know any of them very well, including Miriam, besides her obsession with dancing.
I think kids / teens / new adults will get a lot out of this book, though. Especially the ones with ambitions, or who are into dancing. It is a good story, and I think there are lots of young people who will see some reflections in how Miriam is feeling. I'm going to recommend we put this in our Teen section at the library. I think it will get more traffic there, and it's easier to send older kids to Teen than to send teens to the Children's section.
I appreciate how much diversity there was with the dancers, mostly in terms of skin color, but also including that they didn't all have the exact same body type (though Nicholas' waist was so tiny, it was a bit alarming to me). Most of them were super willowy and lithe, but Suzanne had a bit more bulk and was shorter - I liked that. I also liked the philosophy that your demons can and ultimately often are of your own making: your own basest urges taken too far. At least, that's how I read things.
I think kids / teens / new adults will get a lot out of this book, though. Especially the ones with ambitions, or who are into dancing. It is a good story, and I think there are lots of young people who will see some reflections in how Miriam is feeling. I'm going to recommend we put this in our Teen section at the library. I think it will get more traffic there, and it's easier to send older kids to Teen than to send teens to the Children's section.
I appreciate how much diversity there was with the dancers, mostly in terms of skin color, but also including that they didn't all have the exact same body type (though Nicholas' waist was so tiny, it was a bit alarming to me). Most of them were super willowy and lithe, but Suzanne had a bit more bulk and was shorter - I liked that. I also liked the philosophy that your demons can and ultimately often are of your own making: your own basest urges taken too far. At least, that's how I read things.
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September 3, 2020
I was surprised the characters were so old considering this is a middle grade graphic novel. But it works - it's age appropriate, and the message comes across well. I think this would work for any middle grade collection where graphic novels are popular.
August 8, 2021
I’m in love with the art style, it’s bold and cartoony. I also enjoyed the different body types shown.
This is a story of a girl who can’t stop hating and breaking her ankles, so she makes a pact with the ballet devil. The ending message is great.
This is a story of a girl who can’t stop hating and breaking her ankles, so she makes a pact with the ballet devil. The ending message is great.
November 10, 2021
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.0 of 5
Miriam has wanted nothing but to be a prima ballerina her whole life. She has worked hard to reach her goal and now she is the prima ballerina for Lulli Dance Company. But as graceful as ballet is when watching it, it is demanding and unforgiving to the performers.
Her years of hard work, extra practices, and pushing her body to get where she wanted to be have taken a toll and now all the injuries she's suffered over the years are adding up and weakening her body. While practicing for the lead role in Swan Lake, Miriam badly injurers her ankle. The doctors tell her that this, along with other sprains over the past few months, will require some significant time to heal and she is advised to consider not dancing any more before something truly catastrophic happens.
But watching someone else dance her role is too much to bear and she leaves the hospital without a note from the doctor telling her it's okay. She attempts to prove to the director that she's when when she again injures her weakened ankle. She storms off and finds herself in an unfamiliar room where a magical pair of ballet slippers and a voice that speaks to her and encourage her to not stop fighting for her role.
Putting the toe shoes on, Miriam discovers that she's as good as before. Better in fact. She'll have no trouble dancing the pas de deux that caused her earlier injury. But that voice wants a little payment in return.
I enjoyed this graphic novel much more than I expected to and I think that's because despite the supernatural element this is really a story about people. Perhaps a little overly-didactic for my tastes this book is likely targeted to tweens and teens and most likely to young girls. (I feel a little strange suggesting a gender bias today, but there are still occupations that are seen as being gender-specific.)
This is a coming-of-age story with Miriam learning a big life lesson and I think this confused me a little bit. Miriam comes across as a young adult (hence the coming of age) and yet she also comes across as a professional ... someone who has worked many years to finally become the prima ballerina. I was confused but generally thought of Miriam as an older teen or possibly a young 20's-something - this is more in keeping with the lessons she learns.
I have spent some time with arts professionals - actors, musicians, as well as dancers - and all of Miriam's confidence as well as all her insecurities are very appropriately portrayed. These conflicting feelings are also recognizable in teens who are struggling with so many different emotions.
The story is strong based on the strength of Miriam's character, as well as the many supporting characters (the weakest of them is the leading male dancer). I didn't need the supernatural element of the voice and toe shoes to get the story as it was just a device to get Miriam from point A to point B in the storyline. I suppose that many readers are more likely to pick up a book with magic shoes or a shadow that speaks.
Typically, I am not a fan of this style of art - a very stylized look - but it absolutely works for this book. The elongated forms perfectly fits a story of dancers, and the simple, hard edges help create the conflicting emotions in the character.
Looking for a good book? Last Dance is a graphic novel by Hanna Schroy that delivers a wonderful coming of age story and will likely be enjoyed by young graphic novel readers.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher.
Miriam has wanted nothing but to be a prima ballerina her whole life. She has worked hard to reach her goal and now she is the prima ballerina for Lulli Dance Company. But as graceful as ballet is when watching it, it is demanding and unforgiving to the performers.
Her years of hard work, extra practices, and pushing her body to get where she wanted to be have taken a toll and now all the injuries she's suffered over the years are adding up and weakening her body. While practicing for the lead role in Swan Lake, Miriam badly injurers her ankle. The doctors tell her that this, along with other sprains over the past few months, will require some significant time to heal and she is advised to consider not dancing any more before something truly catastrophic happens.
But watching someone else dance her role is too much to bear and she leaves the hospital without a note from the doctor telling her it's okay. She attempts to prove to the director that she's when when she again injures her weakened ankle. She storms off and finds herself in an unfamiliar room where a magical pair of ballet slippers and a voice that speaks to her and encourage her to not stop fighting for her role.
Putting the toe shoes on, Miriam discovers that she's as good as before. Better in fact. She'll have no trouble dancing the pas de deux that caused her earlier injury. But that voice wants a little payment in return.
I enjoyed this graphic novel much more than I expected to and I think that's because despite the supernatural element this is really a story about people. Perhaps a little overly-didactic for my tastes this book is likely targeted to tweens and teens and most likely to young girls. (I feel a little strange suggesting a gender bias today, but there are still occupations that are seen as being gender-specific.)
This is a coming-of-age story with Miriam learning a big life lesson and I think this confused me a little bit. Miriam comes across as a young adult (hence the coming of age) and yet she also comes across as a professional ... someone who has worked many years to finally become the prima ballerina. I was confused but generally thought of Miriam as an older teen or possibly a young 20's-something - this is more in keeping with the lessons she learns.
I have spent some time with arts professionals - actors, musicians, as well as dancers - and all of Miriam's confidence as well as all her insecurities are very appropriately portrayed. These conflicting feelings are also recognizable in teens who are struggling with so many different emotions.
The story is strong based on the strength of Miriam's character, as well as the many supporting characters (the weakest of them is the leading male dancer). I didn't need the supernatural element of the voice and toe shoes to get the story as it was just a device to get Miriam from point A to point B in the storyline. I suppose that many readers are more likely to pick up a book with magic shoes or a shadow that speaks.
Typically, I am not a fan of this style of art - a very stylized look - but it absolutely works for this book. The elongated forms perfectly fits a story of dancers, and the simple, hard edges help create the conflicting emotions in the character.
Looking for a good book? Last Dance is a graphic novel by Hanna Schroy that delivers a wonderful coming of age story and will likely be enjoyed by young graphic novel readers.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher.
June 14, 2020
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
Last Dance is a very accessible middle grade read that explores the themes of life balance, friendships, goals and dreams. The idea of enchanted slippers certainly isn't new but Schroy gives a modern spin on the story through very stylized illustrations and a contemporary ending.Story: Miriam only knows dance - it has obsessed her since she was a child. But years of abusing her body to be the best ballerina has finally caused her body to fail, resulting in multiple fractures that can no longer support the stress of dance. Frustrated, feeling defeated, and lost, Miriam doesn't know what she will do now that her only dream is being taken from her. That is, until she finds a hidden room behind a mirror at the dance studio and magical slippers in a box. The spirit of the slippers promises they will help her - but is she truly ready for the price they will extract to do so?
The story has a nice build up. Miriam isn't a very sympathetic character in the beginning; her obsession leaves no room for friendships and her bitter resentment at losing her prima position has soured her outlook. She is given a lot of character development, learning from the harsh consequences of the shoes' spirit to grow and become more than a single dimensional person. As with all fairy tale-like stories, there is a lesson to learn from and mature. The twist with this book is that the spirit is more a manifestation of Miriam's obsession and they together can learn to move past the current situation.
The illustration work is clean and very unique. I found it complemented the story quite well and certainly didn't spare Miriam from herself. There are great scenes where Miriam is showing one face but there is quite a different one reflected in the mirror. The ballet scenes are beautifully realized: elegant and dreamy. The style reminded me quite a bit of Disney's Hercules.
In all, the moral and ending might be far too pat and unrealistic in a modern world (destroying a lot of their credibility). But it is a nice story, beautifully illustrated and with plenty of avenues to discuss with tweens. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
August 10, 2023
Last Dance is a pretty simple morality story about an intensely competitive head ballerina in a dance company who injures her leg and then becomes incredibly jealous of other ballerinas who take her place in the production. She strikes a deal with a spirit to regain her strength at the cost of the other ballerinas' health.
The book is not very character-driven. The only character we get some sense of is the main character, Miriam. We know that she wants to be a leading ballerina more than anything else, and that she's been pursuing this goal since childhood, at the cost of her health, relationships, and moral integrity. We don't see much of Miriam outside the dance studio; we get some small glimpses into her childhood, and that's about it. The book's supporting cast are barely there as characters; they are simply there to propel the story. With its minimally-defined characters, the book reads more like a parable than anything else; it's there to teach a lesson about being flexible with one's goals and not stepping on others to get what you want.
For me, parables are not very appealing; I prefer works that are less explicit and have deeper characters. With that being said, for a parable, I think that the book does a good job at teaching its lesson about monomania and demonstrating how people can work around such issues. Despite not liking parables very much, I enjoyed reading through this book quite a bit. For one thing, it's very short and easy to digest; I got through the whole thing in one sitting. The story is clearly told and there were no points at which I was confused as to what was going on, who was who, and so on.
What really struck me, though, was the book's visual style. The artwork is gorgeous. The people and the backgrounds are rendered beautifully. The characters are expressive and very distinct from each other. The panels are laid out creatively and engagingly. The book is, quite simply, a visual marvel. Where the narrative content of the book fell a little short for me, the visual content of the book made up for it, making this a very pleasant read.
The book is not very character-driven. The only character we get some sense of is the main character, Miriam. We know that she wants to be a leading ballerina more than anything else, and that she's been pursuing this goal since childhood, at the cost of her health, relationships, and moral integrity. We don't see much of Miriam outside the dance studio; we get some small glimpses into her childhood, and that's about it. The book's supporting cast are barely there as characters; they are simply there to propel the story. With its minimally-defined characters, the book reads more like a parable than anything else; it's there to teach a lesson about being flexible with one's goals and not stepping on others to get what you want.
For me, parables are not very appealing; I prefer works that are less explicit and have deeper characters. With that being said, for a parable, I think that the book does a good job at teaching its lesson about monomania and demonstrating how people can work around such issues. Despite not liking parables very much, I enjoyed reading through this book quite a bit. For one thing, it's very short and easy to digest; I got through the whole thing in one sitting. The story is clearly told and there were no points at which I was confused as to what was going on, who was who, and so on.
What really struck me, though, was the book's visual style. The artwork is gorgeous. The people and the backgrounds are rendered beautifully. The characters are expressive and very distinct from each other. The panels are laid out creatively and engagingly. The book is, quite simply, a visual marvel. Where the narrative content of the book fell a little short for me, the visual content of the book made up for it, making this a very pleasant read.
November 1, 2020
Warnings: self-harm behavior
A desperate ballerina making a deal with a malicious spirit to get back her lost position of prima ballerina is the crux of this story about ambitions and efforts and the payoff. Miriam has worked hard all her life, often to the neglect of her studies or her social life to become a prima ballerina. However, she has been having issues with her performance even as she struggles hard to be the perfect leading ballerina, and the years of strain on her body, especially her legs, have resulted in an injury that takes away her position. Relegated to the corps, she is furious, and resentful of the dancer who takes her place, Lorelei. When she is offered the deal by the spirit, she jumps on it, but it is not an immediate effect; she is mean and snappish towards Lorelei and tries to cut her down, and meanwhile the other girl just wants a bit of her guidance in the big role. Things take a turn when the spirit does deliver on its promises, but in a way you can imagine. And then Miriam, shocked by the escalation of the spirit's machinations, has to re-evaluate what she wants and how far is too far to get it.
The story is about hard work and how it won't always get you what you want, and how to deal with your expectations being crushed. For Miriam, dance was her life and being on-stage is all she wanted, but she also has to reckon with the fact that just because she has worked hard and sacrificed so much, it doesn't entitle her to anything. I think this message was presented beautifully. Additionally, while the world of ballet is cut-throat, the cast of characters here are not 'out to get her' as she imagines, and she finds friendship in those she considered her rivals. The art style is stylized and effectively uses its medium to deliver this story. The ballet terms might stump you, but there is a glossary at the end, so no worries. In any case, this story is more about managing your drive and expectations.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Iron Circus Comics, via Edelweiss.
A desperate ballerina making a deal with a malicious spirit to get back her lost position of prima ballerina is the crux of this story about ambitions and efforts and the payoff. Miriam has worked hard all her life, often to the neglect of her studies or her social life to become a prima ballerina. However, she has been having issues with her performance even as she struggles hard to be the perfect leading ballerina, and the years of strain on her body, especially her legs, have resulted in an injury that takes away her position. Relegated to the corps, she is furious, and resentful of the dancer who takes her place, Lorelei. When she is offered the deal by the spirit, she jumps on it, but it is not an immediate effect; she is mean and snappish towards Lorelei and tries to cut her down, and meanwhile the other girl just wants a bit of her guidance in the big role. Things take a turn when the spirit does deliver on its promises, but in a way you can imagine. And then Miriam, shocked by the escalation of the spirit's machinations, has to re-evaluate what she wants and how far is too far to get it.
The story is about hard work and how it won't always get you what you want, and how to deal with your expectations being crushed. For Miriam, dance was her life and being on-stage is all she wanted, but she also has to reckon with the fact that just because she has worked hard and sacrificed so much, it doesn't entitle her to anything. I think this message was presented beautifully. Additionally, while the world of ballet is cut-throat, the cast of characters here are not 'out to get her' as she imagines, and she finds friendship in those she considered her rivals. The art style is stylized and effectively uses its medium to deliver this story. The ballet terms might stump you, but there is a glossary at the end, so no worries. In any case, this story is more about managing your drive and expectations.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Iron Circus Comics, via Edelweiss.
June 20, 2020
Miriam has worked all her life to be prima ballerina. She has always overworked herself, leading to a repetitive stress injury that finally breaks on her. This is where the story starts.
The doctor tells Miriam she will never walk without a limp again much less dance on pointe again. Everything she has ever worked for is gone in an instant. She just can't emotionally handle this fate, so she immediately accepts a pair of proffered magical pointe shoes from a spirit of the dance studio.
These shoes will allow her to dance again, but Miriam quickly learns there is a steep and sinister cost to her quick recovery.
I loved this graphic novel. On top of being an incredibly quick and satisfying read, the plot was on point (as it were). I loved the message and I do feel this is appropriate for all ages. I loved the POC representation in this book. As you probably know, ballet is not the most...diverse of professions. I think it is important that we normalize the inclusion of POC in all professions, especially in visual media. This was in fact the thing that pushed it to a higher rating for me.
The art was truly great and beautifully captured the lines of the ballerinas in motion, but I did not grade on this point as art is very subjective.
Overall, I loved this book and I recommend it to everyone who loves dance in some way.
The doctor tells Miriam she will never walk without a limp again much less dance on pointe again. Everything she has ever worked for is gone in an instant. She just can't emotionally handle this fate, so she immediately accepts a pair of proffered magical pointe shoes from a spirit of the dance studio.
These shoes will allow her to dance again, but Miriam quickly learns there is a steep and sinister cost to her quick recovery.
I loved this graphic novel. On top of being an incredibly quick and satisfying read, the plot was on point (as it were). I loved the message and I do feel this is appropriate for all ages. I loved the POC representation in this book. As you probably know, ballet is not the most...diverse of professions. I think it is important that we normalize the inclusion of POC in all professions, especially in visual media. This was in fact the thing that pushed it to a higher rating for me.
The art was truly great and beautifully captured the lines of the ballerinas in motion, but I did not grade on this point as art is very subjective.
Overall, I loved this book and I recommend it to everyone who loves dance in some way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2021
Received an ARC from Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review. 4.2 stars!
Miriam has trained to be a professional ballet dancer all her life and she sees her ambitions crushed along with a broken foot. A spirit offers her a way to claw back to the top, one offer she eagerly accepts. Will she regret it?
Absolutely adored the artwork and style in this graphic novel, especially the usage of the shadows when the protagonist interacted with the spirit.
Personally, I think this should be considered a YA graphic novel rather than a middle school read, although it's easy to follow it's got pretty dark elements and the protagonist's motivations can be hard to understand at first, especially for a younger audience.
Still, a great moral toward the end of the book plus plenty of interesting stuff about the ballet world. I had to knock it down a star because Miriam is really hard to like, though we can relate with her easily. It was pretty refreshing to read about a protagonist that's stubborn in a bad way though.
Beautiful artwork, I recommend checking this out! (Especially if you're into ballet) ;)
Miriam has trained to be a professional ballet dancer all her life and she sees her ambitions crushed along with a broken foot. A spirit offers her a way to claw back to the top, one offer she eagerly accepts. Will she regret it?
Absolutely adored the artwork and style in this graphic novel, especially the usage of the shadows when the protagonist interacted with the spirit.
Personally, I think this should be considered a YA graphic novel rather than a middle school read, although it's easy to follow it's got pretty dark elements and the protagonist's motivations can be hard to understand at first, especially for a younger audience.
Still, a great moral toward the end of the book plus plenty of interesting stuff about the ballet world. I had to knock it down a star because Miriam is really hard to like, though we can relate with her easily. It was pretty refreshing to read about a protagonist that's stubborn in a bad way though.
Beautiful artwork, I recommend checking this out! (Especially if you're into ballet) ;)
January 30, 2021
A clever and toned-down version of Black Swan for middle readers.
If you’ve seen Black Swan, you already know the basics of this one. There’s some plot variation, but essentially this is the same general story, but muted and sanitized for a younger audience.
It’s a great take on the “principal dancer sells her soul“ motif, still creepy and enticing but appropriate for young readers and with a very different ending.
The “message” in all of it is a good one in theory, though I thought a little extreme. Miriam certainly needed to learn that being the best ballerina no matter the cost wasn’t okay, but to go from that to “you don’t need to be good, just do your best” felt like a little much. I’m not sure we needed to completely murder ambition to make the point that sometimes you need to know when to quit.
Otherwise I thought this was outstanding. It’s fun, just a tiny bit creepy, has a largely good resolution, and is perfect for young ballet enthusiasts.
I also loved the art.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
If you’ve seen Black Swan, you already know the basics of this one. There’s some plot variation, but essentially this is the same general story, but muted and sanitized for a younger audience.
It’s a great take on the “principal dancer sells her soul“ motif, still creepy and enticing but appropriate for young readers and with a very different ending.
The “message” in all of it is a good one in theory, though I thought a little extreme. Miriam certainly needed to learn that being the best ballerina no matter the cost wasn’t okay, but to go from that to “you don’t need to be good, just do your best” felt like a little much. I’m not sure we needed to completely murder ambition to make the point that sometimes you need to know when to quit.
Otherwise I thought this was outstanding. It’s fun, just a tiny bit creepy, has a largely good resolution, and is perfect for young ballet enthusiasts.
I also loved the art.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
May 21, 2021
Last Dance follows Miriam, a ballerina who injures herself during practice. Because of that, she doesn't just have to give up her role as prima ballerina, but she has to give up dancing altogether. How can she do that when being a professional ballet dancer is what she has worked for her whole life? In the depths of her despair, she encounters a spirit that gives her magical ballet shoes that allow Miriam to dance again. But what will be the cost?
As a dancer, I know firsthand how cruel the dance world can be. Injuries due to overworking are unfortunately very common there. I love how Last Dance addressed this. The plot of this graphic novel isn't the only thing that addresses the consequences of overworking, because throughout the story, fellow ballet dances warned Miriam as well and I love that.
The story is beautiful, but the plot isn't unique. I enjoyed the story a lot and will definitely read it again, despite the story being quite predictable. I highly recommend this graphic novel to others, but I wouldn't call it a masterpiece.
3.5 stars
As a dancer, I know firsthand how cruel the dance world can be. Injuries due to overworking are unfortunately very common there. I love how Last Dance addressed this. The plot of this graphic novel isn't the only thing that addresses the consequences of overworking, because throughout the story, fellow ballet dances warned Miriam as well and I love that.
The story is beautiful, but the plot isn't unique. I enjoyed the story a lot and will definitely read it again, despite the story being quite predictable. I highly recommend this graphic novel to others, but I wouldn't call it a masterpiece.
3.5 stars
August 20, 2020
*I received this book as an eARC from Iron Circus Comics via Edelweiss. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
This graphic novel follows a Dance Company as they experience some paranormal things. Unfortunately, I didn't really connect to this story. It took a while for the story to get started. I wanted more emotions earlier. It took awhile to get to the interesting parts.
The dialogue is stilted and unnatural. The artwork is blocky and pretty basic when it comes to the color scheme, but it works for the story.
I give this book a 2/5. It didn't connect with me. If you have experienced the drama of prima ballerinas in a Dance Company, you may enjoy this story more than I did.
This graphic novel follows a Dance Company as they experience some paranormal things. Unfortunately, I didn't really connect to this story. It took a while for the story to get started. I wanted more emotions earlier. It took awhile to get to the interesting parts.
The dialogue is stilted and unnatural. The artwork is blocky and pretty basic when it comes to the color scheme, but it works for the story.
I give this book a 2/5. It didn't connect with me. If you have experienced the drama of prima ballerinas in a Dance Company, you may enjoy this story more than I did.
January 17, 2021
I had the absolute pleasure of being able to see this book from its conception to its print. The story is one that's simple but deep, and one that hits home for me.
The book itself is beautiful in its simplicity. It presents the story in a wonderfully straightforward way that makes it a delight to read. Hanna's graphic style lends itself to the work. I've always thought that her strongest points were composition and portraying emotion, and in this book it shows. The expressions and body language are strong and the blacks and simple color focus on the feeling. Much like the story, it's not about being flashy or the best, but about the feeling, and that translates as beautifully as the steps of the dance.
The book itself is beautiful in its simplicity. It presents the story in a wonderfully straightforward way that makes it a delight to read. Hanna's graphic style lends itself to the work. I've always thought that her strongest points were composition and portraying emotion, and in this book it shows. The expressions and body language are strong and the blacks and simple color focus on the feeling. Much like the story, it's not about being flashy or the best, but about the feeling, and that translates as beautifully as the steps of the dance.
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