The writing was lovely and I'm interested to see more from this author. However, I feel like I've read this story a dozen times before. There wasn't anything that stood out. I needed it to be special.

This was just not the book for me. I think if I had read this in high school, I would have enjoyed it quite a bit. However, right now, reading it felt like a chore. It felt a bit convoluted, despite the fact that the world of the book isn't all that big. I just had SO many questions, and not the type that seemed like they would be addressed within the book. I read about 70%, so I got to the point where certain plot questions were answered, but those answers did little to assuage my confusion. Why was the Master written like a controlling 50 year old, when in reality he's only a few years older than Penny? How does he has a nephew that's old enough to be Penny's love interest? The magic/science was hard for me to get into, as well. I am ALL ABOUT mysterious magic, but I just couldn't believe that Beppe and the Master had gotten so good at this surgery that they were able to move on to multiple successful surgeries on a wide range of different subjects in just two years.

This book was dark, and creepy, and . . . I couldn't put it down. I just had to see what happened, had to see how the book resolved. I actually would have liked a little more of the resolution - what happens after the end.

<i>The Midnight Dance</i> was not a winner for me. Like other readers have mentioned the plot doesn't really hold interest, the title doesn't seem particularly related to the book and besides the main character all of the other characters were one dimensional. The other dancers are barely distinguishable from each other. There are so many good YA novels on the market right now this one just felt flat.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book.

You all know that I have a special place in my heart for anything dance related. I was really hoping this book would take me back to my ballet years... in a strange way. Although the story was enticing, it lacked the dance element that I was hoping for. The story moved fast, a little too fast at times. There wasn't much world building to challenge the mind, but when I really got into the story, it was enthralling. The characters were ok and the writing was well done. I was just hoping for more.

Shades of Phantom of the Opera crossed with Frankenstein in a very melodramatic bubble so it was way too cheesy for me. If you're looking for something gothic and creepy, this may be a candidate for you.

The Midnight Dance was one of my anticipated reads for the year, and I have always had a soft spot for ballet, so of course I had to get my hands on it. So, I was so excited to get a chance to read it so soon. I will warn that there isn’t as much ballet as I would have hoped but in its place was a thrilling ride of twist and turns and I wasn’t disappointed at all.

The story centers around Penny who has been attending the Grande Teatro, where she is one of twelve ballerinas. This is the only place that Penny has ever know, but her memories start changing, and they don’t make sense. She sets out to find out what is going on.

Penny is the main character, who I just adored, had a strong will and determination, something that the other girls did’t possess. Penny’s journey to the truth was rocky, and certainly not pleasant at times, but she never stopped and for that I liked her even more. Now Cricket, the boy who lives there and helps her was a sweetheart. And yes, there is a budding romance between them, it did take a backseat to the story itself. Which was alright with me, but it was kinda sweet and I enjoyed their little moments together. There were a couple of other characters that I wished we have more interaction with, and some I could have done without. Snoody little ballerinas, but anyway, it was a interesting group of characters.

The world building was strong and everything was described so that we get this picture of this beautiful estate that is hidden away from town, but there were some seriously twisted things going on in this ballet school. But what exactly, is what kept me turning the pages. It almost seemed like the girl were obsessed with The Master, what he thought about each of them and each of them wanted his attention. They’d get all nervously giddy when he came to the studio. I get that he was gorgeous and mysterious to them, but it was all very strange. As the mystery begins to unravel, everything seemed to come together taking on a dark yet intriguing tale.

The concept behind this was compelling, and even though it ended up being a little different than I expected, it was a fantastic read. It had suspenseful moments, a dark mystery, a sweet romance and hint of ballet. What more could I ask for? Fans of ya thrillers will enjoy this one for sure.

Definitely creepy and far less about ballet than the cover promises. The biggest problem is that the suspense parts are a little muddy or perhaps poorly plotted, certainly far less so that the life at the school and the confusion Penny has about who she is and what's happening to her. It also would have been nice had more of the characters been fully fleshed out, but overall that matters less than the mystery of the Gran Teatro.

ARC provided by publisher.

Excellent novel. A bit reminiscent of The Stepford wives, but a great read. I thoroughly enjoyed the novel.

First, a caveat: This book has almost nothing to do with ballet, so if you're looking for a YA version of Black Swan, you won't find it here.

The story is well paced, the characters charming and likable, but the whole thing just feels messy and the dialogue is clunky. Tighter editing would have helped tremendously.

*I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

There's a little mad scientist in us all. There were elements of this book that were fascinating - contemplating what made Cricket so special, watching Penny be brave, discovering different machinations of the Master, and the idea that some scientists in the late 1800s could have achieved amazing scientific feats. However, half-developed ideas in the background, setting, secondary characters, and motivations left me feeling like the Master's ultimate revenge plot was merely half-baked.

This novel had wonderful elements that all came together to create a captivating story. Katz’s characters leapt off the page with great details and specific personalities that engaged the reader and helped the novel flow easily. The writing was very fluid, with great imagery and relatable situations and settings. I was afraid the timeline of the story, mid to late 19th century, would take away from this novel. With the plotline depending heavily on more modern technology (advanced wiring systems, computer chips, etc) I was not sure it would work with this time setting. It seemed unbelievable and I thought that this anachronism would get in the way. The story itself, however, was powerful and intriguing enough to let it slide. I thought that this technological thriller might be better placed in a futuristic setting, but was surprised that, taking place in the past, gave it a more romantic and refined feel. Look forward to reading more from this author.

This book was a hot mess. The plot was nonsensical with character motivations that were never explained. A boy gets bullied by his sister for having one leg so he goes on a power trip hell bent on revenge, a plan which involves mind control and a ballet school for some reason? A doctor who is for all intents and purposes a medical genius who can create robotic limbs and artificial lungs, but decides to go along with this total immoral plan, to what, save the girls he put in danger in the first place? Why did anything in this book happen? Why ballet? Why mind control? Why Italy? Why the past? There was no sense of time and place, no reason for the setting to make it unique. The characters were flat and lifeless and the romance aspect cliched and boring. It's a relatively short book, but it took me over a month to actually read. The premise sounded intriguing, but most definitely did NOT deliver.

The Midnight Dance is a horror story that is part Phantom of the Opera and part Center Stage. This is a suspenseful tale that will keep you turning pages. The gruesome experiments of the Master spread chills into the reader. This is not a book to miss.

I really loved the writing in this one! It was enchanting and alluring! I didn't connect to the characters as much as I would have liked to, but the story made up for that!

This book is not about ballet. I can’t stress that enough because I was drawn in by the gorgeous cover and general description.

The choice of having the girls be ballerinas feels so arbitrary, “Master” could have been training them to be maids, assassins, prostitutes, and while the moral implications would be potentially more complicated, it would likely feel just as “background” as the rare glimpses of the ballet world.

There are two large matters at the center of the story: a boy with a bad leg who grows up to be hellbent on revenge and control (wtf) and a kind of cybernetics, “just go-with-it” mash-up of faux science and technology and animal/human integration, that could be steampunk because of the era, if it just didn’t feel so unapologetically incongruous.

Normally I try to avoid spoilers, especially for books that I want people to enjoy as the story unfolds in their own reading, but in this case, I feel like I got duped and I don’t want anyone else to get duped.

The biggest issue for me is that we’re meant to believe that a childhood of being taunted and teased by his sisters led the boy who would become “Master” to use the talents of his friend to not only replace his bad leg, mess with his sister’s head, but to eventually open up a ballet school with the specific intent of wiping the memories of orphaned or stolen girls and having a bunch of thoughtless marionettes. It’s a an interesting idea, but one I just don’t understand how we got from A-B. There’s also some strange loose ends that both me:
We never learn Bianca’s official fate- I think we’re meant to assume that she went with the master willingly because she had some physical handicap he fixed
The man we know as Beppe- dude can make people walk again and give them new lungs! And he got tricked into using his work for evil? Fine. But let’s give the man more than the cursory wrap-up that he got.
What was the master’s endgame? I kept reading because I assumed there would be a better explanation or long game as to what he wanted to accomplish, or what he wanted the girls for. But the reality was simply that he was a sick man with unattended mental issues, fixated on a wilful girl that he wanted to break. Still makes the whole world of the ballet program and the estate a bit confusing.

Overall, it was at least nice to spend time with a main character who acted with courage to save her friends, but a lot of the world felt superficial and overpopulated with the most mustache-twirling kind of villainy.

This book is best described as a Victorian/Gothic retelling of the 12 Dancing Princesses story. It takes place in the late 1800s in Italy and features 12 teenage girls who are put under some medical/Steampunk form of amnesiac mind control. Their "Master" turns them into perfect little ballerinas and delights in controlling them and showing them off. That is until one of the girls, Penny, starts to get back her memories back, and is driven to re-discover her past and escape the control of the Master.

This book had excellent world building. The Master's mansion is well realized as are the towns surrounding it. The story is pretty dark, but well put together. The only issue is that there were pieces of the plot that were a little too convenient. I also thought there were parts of the book, particularly Penny and, her love interest, Cricket's past, that could have been expanded on.

Overall, I think dystopian and, to a lesser degree, Steampunk fans might find some interest in this fairy tale retelling.

I'm not into music or dancing so when i saw this was about dancing i was hesitant. But i'm glad i picked it up! The dark and grim tone of the book complied with the haunting ballrinea dancing that the school is about. I found it lyrical and mystic. The writing style was supurb and the characters not without their flaws but then again that what makes them human

Original and engaging. A different type of fantasy with stron female.characters