René dreams of dancing—but 1970s South Dakota is nobody's first thought when it comes to ballet. And so René finds herself living with strangers in Arizona, in Colorado, in a precarious existence designed to somehow get her to a place her family can't really understand.

This is a fairly quiet story, designed to peel away whatever glamorous veneer the reader has attached to ballet and show the grit—the unsophisticated grind—behind it. René's parents support her dancing, but they also resent the financial burden; her mother, in particular, seems to resent that René has opportunities that she was never afforded. What she doesn't see is the cost those opportunities carry for René, who understands early on that hers will be a lonely journey and one with precious little comfort.

I read this as a standalone book, but after finishing I looked up the author and saw that her previous book features the same characters, just younger; I wonder now whether this is best read as part of a family saga. (In the context of a first book, and based on where this book ends, it would not surprise me if there were to be a third book in the future, following René's early days in...well, her next adventures. I wonder, too, how autobiographical these books are meant to be (not that it matters, of course, but I'm afraid I'm perpetually—even terminally—curious).

One of the two things that interest me most is the understated nature of René's experiences. Or—I'm not sure "understated" is the right word. Rather, she has some dramatic moments and lands in some dangerous situations, but they're just part of her broader experience rather than single defining moments of the book. It makes for a very coming-of-age feeling for the book but also leaves some things feeling a bit unresolved. (Again, I wonder whether this book is best read in tandem with "The Distance Home".)

The second thing that interests me is the focus on...I'm not sure how to put this. The focus on someone who isn't "making it" in the traditional sense but who is striving towards her dreams nonetheless, I suppose. René wants to dance in New York—she doesn't know the ballet world well enough to be more specific than that—but she's from a working-class South Dakota family; this is not a story of a girl studying at top-tier studios or elite academies, and it's not a story of a girl who is going to be scouted and catapulted into success. She also doesn't have laser focus; she's a teenager who gets distracted and somtimes makes questionable decisions. It's an everygirl story, the sort that is more realistic and more common but seems less told in fiction.

One for a day when you want something quiet and low-drama.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

René wants to be a ballet dancer. The trouble is, she lives in South Dakota. Her mother is determined to help René and arranges for her to stay with a family in Phoenix, and then Denver. All the while, René faces challenges and difficult, mean, and creepy people. Will she be able to achieve her dreams?

I enjoyed the pacing of the story and the writing style. René is a compelling character and I was hoping things would turn out well for her. I wish we had a little more time with her mother and brother as their characterizations were intriguing. I think readers who enjoy a leisurely paced coming-of-age story without a neat ending will appreciate this.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC opportunity!

This was just okay to me. I have a difficult time with teenager main characters but i will say this one had amazing writing and very descriptive scenes which did help get past that.

It was very heartfelt and while some parts felt real, others felt a little far fetched. All in all, i think it was a well rounded coming to age.

This was a difficult book to rate for me. It is a coming of age story about Reńe who is in high school and an aspiring ballerina in the 1970s. She has aspirations of being a ballet dancer in NYC, but because she lives in South Dakota there is no opportunity to “make it”, so she is sent by her family to several states for training. Along the way she encounters all kinds of people, trouble, and hardships. I did enjoy reading this and l always looked forward to picking it back up, however I just wasn’t quite sure where it was going. I wanted more about her family, specifically her troubled brother. I did appreciate the mother/daughter relationship between Reńe and Eve - not always easy, definitely flawed, but loving. The end felt rushed for me and a little too tied-up. Overall a good read!

Normally I would shy away from a novel who has a teen girl as a protagonist, but this book drew me in and quickly captured my attention as the teen discovers her talent as a ballerina and proceeds to take dancing lessons that span several cities across America, culminating with a move to NYC where she tries to seek her fame. Along the way you are brought into her life as she matures and learns about herself and how she relates to the people around her, her dysfunctional family, and the various muses and mentors that come and go. I think Saunders' emotional descriptions are right on point, so to speak, and her twisting plot is inventive and interesting, to non-dancers and non-teens alike. Highly recommended.

Starting from Here by Paula Saunders was a solid 3-star for me. The writing was decent, descriptive and also felt like you ended up where you predicted from the beginning. It wasn't a book I would necessarily recommend with loud screams but was your usual family drama that follows one members life up close. I wanted more for Rene that Saunders fills you in on. You understood the struggle to want something and chase your dreams but also those dreams often felt so unattainable in this book. Perhaps just visiting Rapid City, I wanted that to play more into the story with vivid details of the region, however it ended up just being a place no real research seemed to jump off of the page.

Thank you to Penguin Random House for the net galley copy of Starting from Here by Paula Saunders.

My first Paula Saunders novel but definitely not my last! This was a heartfelt story with amazing characters. Great novel to sink into with a nice cup of tea. Enjoyed.
Thank you NetGalley, Paula Saunders and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Starting from Here was an enjoyable read. While I can appreciate the overall story from beginning to end, there were tikes when the plot felt dragged out. I wanted to just get to the end and for Rene to accomplish what she wanted in life without too many obstacles along the way. I almost wish she had never gone to Denver and stuck it out in Phoenix. In spite of that plot point I finished the book and can appreciate the relationship she had with her mother and her desire to become a dancer.

Starting from Here

This coming of age story about an aspiring ballet dancer attending high school in South Dakota, set in the 1970s, seems grittily realistic. All the characters and settings are highly believable. Rene and her parents seem like people who could be found on any street corner. Her journey towards independence seems both unique to her and like everyone else’s at the same time.
The reader wants her to succeed. This engrossing book begs for a sequel,

A teenager in a small South Dakota town yearns to follow her heart to dance ballet. Aided by her ambivalent mother, the girl’s journey is rough and tumble, experiencing life as a small town naive girl. She continues on always with the goal of dancing ballet in New York.
A story of ambition often thwarted, of a young girl lost and found.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The sight of a ballerina often times creates magic to the eye and many young girls are allured to the desire of being there on stage. René was no different.

When her mom, Eve, enrolled her older brother in a class, she wanted to do the same. He dropped out but she didn’t. She discovered that it’s much more than a dream and takes a tremendous amount of determination and support. Her parents were willing to give it a go.

Readers followed René from her home town in South Dakota to Phoenix, Denver and finally NYC to train in the 1970s. Besides the discipline involved with dance classes, the author touched on a number of issues: eating disorders, jealousies and boyfriends.

I read the story quickly with short chapters. It seemed, however, that this book is more ideal for young girls with big dreams. Maybe if it was from two sides: René and her mother, Eve, I would have been more invested in the story. There were several comments about the expense and I’m sure Eve would have much more to say about it along with the family’s hardships.

My thanks to Random House and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of August 26, 2025.

This book is about making your dreams come true. In a small town in South Dakota, Rene dreams of becoming a ballet dancer. With the help of her mother, she moves from place to place in an effort to make her dream of New York City a reality; the place where she could be a ballerina. She encounters all kinds of people in her journey; some helpful, some with less than kindness in their hearts. Yet all the while, striving and working on her dancing; never losing sight of her goal.

An interesting story, but it somehow falls short of pulling at your heart strings. And at the end it leaves you a bit flat, wanting to know more.

I was very intrigued by the premise of this novel because it is so similar to my own story. I liked it, but found it to be a little dense at times. A novel worth reading once but not one I would come back to read again.

It;s 1973 and 15-year-old René leaves her working-class home in Rapid City to pursue her dream of becoming a ballerina. Knowing this opportunity costs her family, both emotionally and financially, she first moves to Phoenix, where she meets mean girls in the form of rival dancers. Next, she travels to Denver, as she years for someone to love her and wishes to make it to NYC one day. She focuses on dance, all while wondering what comes next and what she left behind. Overall, this was an enjoyable book that I finished in an afternoon. The story flowed beautifully from one city to the next and captured the awkwardness of being a teen in a competitive world. I wished at times that there was more detail about the actual competitiveness of the dance, knowing that not all of the dancers will "make it" in the world of ballet. However, it was still an enjoyable read and kept my attention throughout!

Starting from Here is an exploration of a young woman's young adulthood as she pursues ballet away from her family across multiple states. I found the story compelling, but didn't feel like I got to know René particularly well: lots of things happened to her/involving her, but I didn't get a good sense of her feelings or reactions to them. I found the eating disorder storyline a bit troubling: it sort of just went away and was never talked about again. This could be a good fit for those who like stories involving dance or for readers who aren't too sensitive; there are some CWs throughout the story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I found this was a fast read and captivating. I found myself very saddened by the depiction of the protagonist's life, and kind of left wanting at the end. It felt like it ended quite abruptly.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This was one of the best coming of age novels I’ve read in a long time. All about chasing your dreams, the road to achieving them is rough both inside and out. I was rooting for Rene as I read and found many of the things she encountered very relatable even in today’s world. This book was beautifully written and the characters have so much personality. I loved seeing how Rene balanced working through the hardships of her ambitions with dealing with the hardships all young ladies experience. Fantastic story!

An interesting story of a person trying to live their dreams. Many obstacles in the way that must be overcome. A lighthearted story.

Reflective and character-driven, this novel explores reinvention and resilience. Saunders writes with compassion, and while the pacing was slow, the emotional truth rang clear. A quiet story about finding strength in fresh starts.

This is one of those novels that keeps you pondering as you're not sure where it will end up! Rene is a ballerina who begins starving herself to fit in and practices until she's dead on her feet. But she and her mom must continually travel as they have no real "home base" so Rene must make friends wherever she goes. You can almost feel her emotional and physical pain as she attempts to be the best as the competition is merciless. It's a tribute to athletes everywhere as discomfort can often lead to success!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!