Devil's Dance

by Arliss Adams

Jeanette Connor's struggle to reclaim her life carries her to California-a land of opportunity-and looming nightmares. It's winter in Chicago, 1955, and Jeanette Conner is on the brink of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. A contract with the New York City Ballet. But her mother has other ideas for the 16-year-old prodigy, and a tragic die is cast. Thrown into deep depression by her mother's actions, the teenager shifts her trust to the wrong people. This earns her a kidnapping and a violent turn as a teenage prostitute, ending when she is left for dead in a snow-covered vacant lot. Rescued in time by a twist of fate, she must now put her broken body and shattered emotions back together.

228 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this book. It kept me riveted until the very end. I cannot wait to continue with the next story. I was very emotional about the main character and all her pain I think because I was abused as a child and had more than my share of unfairness in life. I laughed with Jen and I cried with Jen and I can't wait to read more of her triumphs.

[Fred Rayworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of reading this book and have not regretted it. It is way out of my genre so it was a stretch. The story is about a woman who comes from severe abuse and begins the long journey to rise above it. Ms Adams takes us on a journey from the most severe defeat and lifts us up through a rocky path to triumph.

The plotting is well-paced and the chapters and scene breaks are easy to read. There are no long dirges of exposition to get in the way of the story yet she fleshes out the characters in a way that doesn't drag the story down.

I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. Highly recommended.

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW! Great book! Very intense and emotional…I actually had to put the book down a couple times through the beginning to catch my breath and gather myself back together. But once I started again I couldn’t stop because I had to know how things were going to turn out for Jen, the main character! It’s very hard for me to stop and take even this brief moment to write this since I am dying to get into the second book! The descriptions of what happened to Jen and the fear and pain she endured are vivid so brace yourself … but all good writing should make us feel something right … even if it’s scary! Mrs. Adams did a great job of describing how trauma can run your life, how hard it is to get out from under it and that it may never fully go away, but that if you keep good, loving people around you and work really hard you can get through it and be happy once again! Now I must go so I can get into the next book…if you’re reading this before purchase…save yourself a little bit of grief and get the 2nd book now also! That way you won’t have to wait to dive right in and believe me you’ll want to!!

[C.E. Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Devil’s Dance, by Arliss Adams, is an emotive read. The story tells of Jen Conner, a promising young dancer, who experiences crushing blows that take away her dreams, her innocence and almost her life. She learns of heartbreak, betrayal, violence and fear; yet she battles it all on a quest to discover the rewards of perseverance and second chances.

Although Jen encounters much pain in her life, she doesn’t drown in an ocean of self-pity. Sometimes she barely treads the water, sometimes she becomes submerged in painful and bewildering memories; yet she emerges from it all to show the world, and herself, that the power of good is stronger than evil.

I couldn’t put this book down. It is a fast-paced page-turner that isn’t for the faint of heart. There is violent imagery, excruciating pain, and agonizing nightmares that will surely stay with you after you finish reading, but it also leaves you with a poignant message that ‘what doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger.’