Rating: 
Summary: Good book about people with serious problems
Review:
I couldn't help but feel sorry for Miracle McCloy. This book is interesting and easy and fun to read.
This book is about Miracle McCloy, who is very seriously emotionally disturbed. Miracle's father, whom she calls Dane, seemingly 'disappears' one night. Miracle and her grandmother, Gigi, decide that he 'melted' and Miracle begins to think that he went back in time to bring back Miracle's deceased mother. Many events, including Gigi and Miracle moving to Granddaddy Opal's home, Miracle finally taking the dance lessons she has always wanted and a big tornado that hits Opal's house and changes Miracle's life, and her outlook on it.
The characters in this book are well-explained and are loveable in their flaws and odd quirks. I believe that Miracle's story is one that I will continue to stay with me in the future. Worth reading. I reccomend it.
~Atalanta
Rating: 
Summary: Touching
Review: "Dancing on the Edge" by Han Nolan, is a book that presents a great story, which helps to show us the ups and downs in life. Both the characters and setting are unique and believable and this catches the reader's interest. Also, the vocabulary in this book is precise and the dialogue helps to provide insight into characters. The reader will care about the outcome and will persist to read until finished. When Han Nolan speaks through Miracle and tells of her story, your heart is captured. In this book, understatement is used when Miracle tells us of her father melting. You know that it is not possible for someone to just melt away, so the reader continues through the story to find out what happened to her father. When you eventually find out what happened to Miracle's father, there is a bit of surprise. The language in this book is musical and helps you to read through quickly. The pacing and style that is presented, is very appropriate to the content throughout the story.
I truly enjoyed this book because I have gone through a few of the experiences that Miracle went through herself. This story helps to show me that my situation could have been worse. You are able to appreciate life more after reading this book. I recommend this book to anyone that is looking down on life and those who have lost loved ones. Also, teachers could discuss this book during class time and speak with any students that have lost loved ones or are living with just one parent. This story helps to show you that there is always hope and someone out there for you.
Rating:
Summary: Dancing With Nolan
Review: "Dancing on the Edge" is a thought provoking and intriguing book. The author Han Nolan allows you to take the place of a young child named Miracle who naively believes everything her grandmother tells her. It allows you to be taken back to the innocence of a child who admires and trusts someone so truly. The story is placed in a small town just like any other with typical children acting the way kids always do. With Nolan's ability to describe how confused and tortured poor Miracle has become throughout all the lies being spun with such descriptive language I found myself on the edge of my seat to find out what was the truth behind all the lies. Nolan also paints the picture of an unrealistic happening and still allows you to believe and doubt yourself into believing the huge lies that are being told to Miracle are true. Though out the story she slowly let out little clues to help you try and figure out what happens but the author surprised me in how she ended the book by not letting you know if maybe she was taking a fictional or no fictional approach.I think this book would be good for teenage children that have a bit of an imagination. This book also touches on magic and everyday children's feelings and thoughts. For a child who may have a problem in their lives and are just coming out of the age where they believe everything someone tells them they could relate very well with this book. So if you have an interest in magic this may be the magical read for you.
Rating:
Summary: AWSOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: "Dancing on the Edge" was one of the best books I have ever read. I am a dancer myself and I don't know what I would do if my family wouldn't let me dance. Like Miracle, dancing has become a major part of my life, if not my whole life, and so many times when I was reading this book, I just wanted to tell her "It's ok. Tell Gigi. You love dancing, don't let her take it away from you, she can't take it." I LOVED this book. If you haven't read it already, you'll love it too!
Rating:
Summary: Dancing on the Edge review
Review: Always being told she was special girl because she was a "live baby coming out of the body of a dead woman," heart of the novel Miracle McCloy has often tried to battle the fact that she just doesn't fit in with other children her age because of her lack to socialize and her general appearance. She likes to dress like her father Dane. Even adults in the story believe that Miracle is a little off.
This story begins in Alabama with Miracle and her clairvoyant grandmother, Gigi who is a firm believer in the symbolism of colors that make up an individual's aura. She also lived with her father Dane who was said to be a prodigy, writing his first successful novel at age thirteen. He was the only remaining parent Miracle had; then, one day he disappeared from the basement of their house and Gigi told Miracle that he melted right out of his clothes which had been left behind from his disappearance.
The two of them then picked up and left Alabama to live with Gigi's ex-husband, Granddaddy Opal. They decided to live with him because many people were gossiping about Gigi causing Dane's disappearance with one of her crazy séances and Gigi knew kids would pick on Miracle even more at school. Granddaddy Opal secretly arranged for Miracle to take up dancing lessons because she was so fascinated with her dead mother's interest in it. These lessons gave Miracle a new sense of freedom and truly made her feel special for once in her life. She became extremely wild and you could even say violent with herself when she took these dance lessons. She just lost control of her body, throwing herself at walls and on the ground and running into things, but not thinking enough about it to tell anyone.
With Miracle's new sense of freedom, she soon discovers a way that she can belong at school by imitating Gigi's clairvoyant ceremonies and rituals after school and between classes. Casting love spells and making love potions for her classmates and other students made her become quite popular at school. While this is going on, another girl her age watches Miracle in her art and comes to her house and accuses her of being a phony. Miracle then becomes very depressed with herself once again, but this time she is so depressed that she sets fire to herself. After this happens she can't remember too much. When she is found by her screaming grandmother she is then placed in a mental hospital.
This is a wonderful novel that can help readers to handle themes such as suicide and mental illness. I personally love it because dysfunctional families are becoming quite popular in young adult novels, but this family doesn't quite fit that mold making it very original and intriguing. Another theme of this book raises awareness to the fact that one must not blame themselves for every bad thing that happens in their life, as Miracle did with her father's death and as many kids and teenagers do. How does she deal with her mental illness? Does her sickness get better or get worse? This interesting fictional character is unforgettable and so is her life's outcome.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling and Addicting
Review: As soon as I started reading Dancing on the Edge, I immediately got into it. Since Miracle is about the same age as myself, I know what it feels like at that age. This novel by Han Nolan is wonderfully written, and once you start it, you will never want to put it down. It was truly a great story of learning the truth
Rating:
Summary: My new favorite book
Review: At first I was reluctant about reading this book, thinking it was just another cliche teenage novel about dancing. Little did I know how wrong i was. Dancing on the Edge tells the story of Miracle Mcloy, an emotionally disturbed girl who's story is overwhelming. She was raised by her father Dane and her susperstitious grandmother Gigi. Like Gigi, Miracle believes in omans and auras and contacting the dead. In the beginning of the book, Miracle, her aunt and uncle, and Gigi all hold a seance to contact miracle's mother, who was run over by an ambulance when she was pregnant. The ouja board tells them that Dane is in trouble so they all run to his office and discover that he has melted. Over the next few years, you watch Miracle's journey as she becomes consumed with being reunited with her father. Along the way, Miracle begins to lose herslef and feels her very existence has been threatened. The climax of the book is thrilling, as Miracle realizes what he should have known all along, and afterwards you won't want to put it down. I cried nonstop for the last three chapters. I would deeply recommend this book to any one looking for a memorable read!
Rating:
Summary: Rhose Island Book Lover
Review: Born from the body of a dead woman, Miracle McCloy tries to find herself in her mixed-up world. Her grandmother, Gigi, a psychic, believes she is special, but most others think both Gigi and Miracle are weird and crazy. Having to move to another town because of their status, Gigi and Miracle move in with Gigi's ex-husband, Opal. Later on Miracle alone moves in with her aunt Casey. Miracle, unsure of herself, tries to prove that she is real. Her attempts land her in a therapy office and Gigi is furious. Suspense holds you until the very end in this classic page turner.
Rating:
Summary: read me
Review: Dancing on the Edge by Han Nolan is an amazing novel. Both Miracle and her story are very interesting. Nolan quickly drags you into the twisting, frustrating life of Miracle McCloy. His writing style forces you to feel her pain, joy, and fear. You are always right there at her side. The storyline is full of exciting twists and break-through . It lets you peer inside the disturbed mind of a girl has been deserted by her best friend: her father. You intimately get to know the other characters. You feel the insecurity of being with her Aunt Casey, and the bond between her and Grandaddy Opal. You feel the betrayal of Miracle, by her own grandmother, first hand. The storyline pulls you into Miracle's mindset. The entire book, you are wondering when she will realize that the long search for the comfort of her old life will never end. Although she's recovering from the painful incidents she's experienced, you know she'll never be the same. The end gives you the feeling that Miracle's future will be much happier than her past. I recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys an intriguing tale of self-discovery.
Rating:
Summary: Dancing on the Edge
Review: Dancing on the Edge by Han Nolan was a book that I could never put down. You
can tell that it was a good book by seeing on the cover that it won the 1997 National
Book Award. This young adult book was very interesting and it always had you guessing.
Through the whole 244 pages I never knew what was coming!
From the title you may think that dancing must play a very large part in the
book but in reality it doesn't. Where there is a lack of dancing the book makes up with its suspicion and intensity. It's really about a girl named Miracle who is trying to find out who she is and what everyone is always trying to hide from her. Miracle is a twelve year old girl who lives with her father, Dane, and her grandmother, Gigi.
Gigi is not an average grandmother. She works with the paranormal and sees auras and speaks to the dead. It seems that Gigi is trying to push the paranormal onto Miracle. Miracle's interesting name came from the fact that she was a Miracle, so says Gigi. Miracle's mother was run over by an ambulance when she was pregnant with Miracle. As soon as they got to the hospital Sissy, Miracle's mother, was dead. Then they saw that Sissy was not just fat but she was pregnant. They quickly pulled out the baby and found out that the baby had survived. It was a miracle.
Aunt Casey and Uncle Toole are the crazy aunt and uncle that we all know that we have. Aunt Casey is a hair dresser and Uncle Toole works around a lot. They are the aunt and uncle that are always arguing and fighting over almost the stupidest stuff then it turns into something very big.
The book starts out at a séance with Gigi, Miracle, Aunt Casey, and Uncle Toole. They are all trying to contact Miracle's dead mother. They successfully contact her and she tells them that Dane, Miracle's father is gone. "G-O-N-E" Missy, Miracle's mom, spelled on the board. They all rush downstairs and realize that he is really gone. Gigi sees the room and draws out the conclusion that Dane had melted. She thought this because Dane's cloths were lying on the floor like he had just melted right out of them. This hurts miracle the most. Throughout the book Miracle learns new facts about her mother and what happened to Dane.
Granddaddy Opal helps Miracle a great deal in finding out who she is, giving her hints about the past and giving her gifts that she has always wanted and never thought she would get, like the ballet lessons. She moves to Granddaddy Opal's house after Dane melted.
At the end of the story you hear Miracle saying a lot of weird stuff like "I am nobody. Who are you?" By that she is quoting Emily Dickinson because she doesn't know who she is. In the beginning she knows everything about herself; she wants to be like Gigi. Then things change and the facts about Miracle start to change also. At the end of this she is fourteen years old and she still doesn't know every detail. As it says on the front of the book, her very existence has been lost.
When you are finished the book you will find out many interesting facts about Miracle...
Overall, this book has been one of my favorites. I suggest that you all read it and learn from it. This book will make you feel many different ways, sad, happy, and mad, but it will all come together at the end.
|
