I really enjoyed this book and read it very fast. I was not sure what to expect from this book and really requested it based on the beautiful book cover. I really enjoyed reading about these two very different friends struggle through a difficult school and how they learned what they really needed from life.

A lyrical and compassionate coming of age story set in the grueling and competitive world of elite ballet school. The protagonists struggle to maintain their friendship in a high stakes world. Issues such as teen pregnancy, eating disorders and suicide are delicately handled. An ultimately disturbing portrayal of teens struggling to survive without the benefit of adult or professional help.

I received this book in return for a fair and honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the early E-ARC of this book. This was an interesting book about competition between friends in the world of ballet. Sometimes the cost of what we want can be higher than what we want to pay. Competition nearly destroyed the friendship between the two main characters and changed their lives profoundly.

An intense story told from two POV. I don't know how much of the school is real (though I suspect most of it is) . I'm left hoping the methods used aren't really necessary to produce high-caliber artists. Decent writing though sometimes I felt character development was told, not shown.

What would you do to win? Bright Burning Stars follows Kate and Marine as they train at the Paris Opera Ballet School and compete for one spot in the corps. The characters were well developed and I got a real sense of the competition and environment of Opera. I loved how dark it was and the pace of the story. There was just something small missing that I can’t quite put my finger on so I gave it 4 stars but I will be recommending that my library purchases it.

Ever have one of those books that didn't quite match up with what you'd hoped it would be? "Bright Burning Stars" was that for me. From the cover art (gorgeous) and the mysterious plot summary, I had hopes of something magical and fanciful as well as ballet-themed--a ballet version of "The Night Circus," if you will. Unfortunately, that was not to be. "Bright Burning Stars" is the story of dancers in an elite program that will ultimately send two dancers to the corps of the Paris Opera. Our story follows two best friends through the program. What's problematic: The book seems to cover every cliche of other dance books/television programs. So, here we have eating disorders, issues of sexuality/identity, backstabbing, unhealthy levels of commitment, and of course, romance with the male lead. All things that I have read before (for example, "Tiny Pretty Things," another YA dance novel.) Even the setting, Paris and the amazing beast that is its Opera Garnier, is barely present. (I will give the author credit, because I am definitely seeing Paris in my head when I think of this book, but I feel like a lot more could have been done with it and particularly, the Opera. Using French words alone isn't enough.) In short, the book was okay if you're looking for some dance fluff, but aughhh, that very evocative cover made me hope for a lot more.

Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC. I !ike reading about ballet - the struggles, the intrigues and the successes and this book did not disappoint. Good story.

Bright Burning Stars is what if, Black Swan meets Percy Jackson and at stake is a competition that could change the course of humanity. I have never read a book like this. I enjoyed every page, every chapter, every event, and every theme brilliantly presented in the book. A lot of the YFiction is taking a new turn finding new ways to keep readers on the edge of your seats and never wanting to stop reading. I really hope that someone turns this into a teen movie someday, I think it will really do well in the box office.

Thank you Netgalley and Algonquin Young Readers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will do really well in our YFantasy collection at the library. That is why we give this book 5 stars!