<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: A moving story of rivalries and career choices
Review: A pre-teen folk healer dreams of being a dancer, giving up her healing powers when she can't save her sick mother. She auditions at a dancing school, which accepts her; but newfound problems challenge her dancing abilities and interests and she comes to face a choice between dancing and healing in this moving story of rivalries and career choices. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: aria of the sea
Review: A thirteen year old girl named Cerinthe Gale lives on the island of Normost in the kingdom of windward .She has always dreamed of becoming a dancer ,and now her dream has come true. She has been accepted to the royal school of dance ,but will she regret the decision she has made? I'm talking about the book Aria Of The Sea .This book is good for just about any age ,but I suggest it mostly for the 10-15 age group .This is just because if your older it might be a little childish for you and if your younger you might have trouble understanding some things .Also because at times I found myself cringing at some rather unpleasant images,"the ragged edge of her shinbone thrust through the skin".I myself am 14 years old and I followed the book very clearly .
In my opinion I found that this book was marvelous. I think now its my new favorite book .I found it to be so great first of all because it has to do with dance and I'm obsessed with anything to do with dance .Also because it had a good plot ,filled with lots of surprises and there was a lot of things going on .It really kept my interest ,I found myself having to pull away from it many times ,because I had to go to bed or do my homework .So if anything I just said describes what you like in a book then this book is for you !and as Cerinthe would say "may fair winds be yours".
Rating:
Summary: A fantasy with wide appeal
Review: Cerinthe Gale, a talented ballet dancer and trained healer, is fulfilling her mother's last wish by attending a prestigious school for dancers. In spite of misgivings about her chosen career, she moves to a city far from her seaside home, where she can longer hear the sweet song of the Sea Maid. Once she has secured a position as a student, Cerinthe finds herself being dangled like a carrot before the nose of the school's prima donna, to motivate her adversary Elliana to realize her own talents to her best ability. Their rivalry comes to a head after a performance for the royal family, in which Cerinthe is given a lead and Elliana is her understudy. Elliana challenges Cerinthe to a private competition that leaves Elliana hurt with the same injury that was fatal to Cerinthe's mother, and Cerinthe must face her demons, and decide if she is on the right path to her destiny after all. Dia Calhoun's writing is beautiful, her fantasy world realistic and structured, and the characters she peoples it with complex. The plot has depth, neatly layering Cerinthe's obstacles until they meld into one issue that is gracefully resolved. Calhoun's timing is perfect. In one stunning scene, Elliana shines like a star, ruins her chances for a marriage she didn't want, and sabotages the possibility of becoming a acolyte in the temple, and only Cerinthe recognizes how deliberate her acts are. In another, a nervous Cerinthe is first late for her cue, then early, then finally, right on time, creating humor in the midst of her angst. This fantasy has wide appeal not only for girls who love ballet, but also for general readers. The ethereal cover art will be a huge draw for those not familiar with Calhoun's novels. Fans of Gail Carson Levine will especially enjoy the hardworking, passionate and strong-willed Cerinthe and her fantastic world. Highly recommended for purchase.
Rating:
Summary: Entirely Captivating!
Review: Don't be put off by the poetic cover and alternate world setting-- this book is very straightforward and immediately engrossing. I began reading it at a highway reststop on a long drive and ended up staying until I finished it!With elements of a great school story (like Harry Potter!), "Fame"-- competition and talent among young people, and coming-of-age-- young Cerinthe feels responsible for her mother's death so avoids using her intuition as a healer-- this book is rich in detail and strong in character. The atmosphere of Faranor, the capital of the country, and the sea religion-- the Sea Maid is the goddess, and those who are gifted like Cerinthe hear her singing in a very literal way-- add to the power of the story and its themes. The dance is clearly ballet, and uses the same terms as ballet in our world, but dancers are called "daina" and "daine" rather than ballerina. Any child (or any person) with a calling, and maybe a choice between two callings, will find this story close to their heart. What do we sacrifice when we dedicate ourselves to a skill? Is it worth it? Sometimes the answer is very complicated! A must-read for any girl or woman with an interest in dance, or in the arts. Cerinthe's growing maturity, and her beginning to understand the humanity of even her opponents, is very touching. Surprising and delightful book!
Rating:
Summary: GREAT BOOK.
Review: I can only imagine what illegal substances the Newbery judges must have had in their systems, if they passed this by! This book is, in YA fiction, a true masterpiece. Suspended somewhere between Gail Levine and Patricia McKillip, Calhoun crafts the tale of Cerinthe, a young dancer in Windward who moves from her seaside home to a dancing school. Her mother, also a dancer, wished for her to attend the school, and despite doubts Cerinthe is doing it. Her talents are ill-used, when she is utilized to motivate the star pupil. After a performance for the royal family, in which Cerinthe shines, Elliana goads Cerinthe into a competition -- and Cerinthe suffers a serious injury. She must consider her path and goals, and what is truly important to her. Cerinthe will appeal to fans of McKillip's Sybil and Levine's strong princesses, an intelligent young woman with fears and insecurities that ring true to the reader. Her reasons for attending the dance school are sound and realistic in their conception, and her doubts are wonderfully drawn. I reaaaaalllyy hated Elliana, also known as She-Who-Manipulates. The writing style is poetic and evocative. As in "Firegold," the author manages to convey everything in the book 3-dimensionally, with all five senses. Calhoun creates another magical fantasy, of a type that deserves classic status. A must read!
Rating:
Summary: The Best Book EVER!!!
Review: This book is the best book ever! I have read it about 100 times. It's so good, that I have been holding it "hostage" for a while in my room from my school library. Cerinthe is a 13 year old girl living on the island of Normost in the Northern Reach. She is a healer. But one day, her mother gets ill and is unable to save her. Her mothers final request is for her to go to Faranor and become a little daina at the royal school for dancers. Cerinthe gets in, and performs well, but she feels that there is something missing. She meets a lady named Mederi Grace who says that Cerinte should come and train on healers hill. But others want her to stay because she is a wonderfull dancer. And a mean girl named Elliana only makes the choice difficult, because she hurtrs her. Cerinthe ultimately has to decide if she should stay at the school or go to healers hill.
Rating: 
Summary: Nothing Special
Review: While I thought this book was okay, it was a definite let-down. Other then the big dancing school, every thing seemed so stero-typical. The bully, the girl, the way her mother died. I felt as if it was some thing a 10 y.o. could have made up and written down. Nothing more. Not a winner. ~Atalanta
<< 1 >>
|
