A story about a dancer who is very aware of her body.

As an ex-dancer, I know how aware we are of our bodies. In leotards, in balancing, in partner work. Dance teachers slapping bums, stomachs, thighs; telling you to suck in and pull up - these are all completely routine.

It makes you feel like you are on show all the time and that everyone has the scrutinising eye of a dance teacher fixing your posture.

This is a novella on friendship, bullying, dealing with boys (the good and bad), dealing with economic divides, being supported by your family.

Despite the main tagline for this focusing on the sexual assault, this happened very late in the story and it is not graphic. I would feel fine giving this to middle grade readers.

I think I was expecting something more along the lines of Tiffany D. Jackson. Instead, this is short and sweet.

This was written in verse and I listened to this as an audiobook which flowed well and suited the language of dance well.

Audiobook gifted by publisher.

I didn't quite connect to the character as much as I thought I would. It felt like I was at the edge of the situations, silently rooting for the main character. It was good in the sense that other people would find really huge value in the story if they connect better to the character. Solid plot, characters and conflict!

The audio was alright as well. This is gonna sound nitpicking but the voice doesn't quite fit with the character. The voice isn't what I expected for the characters and it bothered me the whole time 😭😭😭

A moving, heartfelt, extremely relatable debut YA novel in verse about a young dancer with large breasts and the ways she has to deal with unwanted physical advances, sexualization and misconceptions and her own sense of self-worth and self-acceptance. I loved the What would Dolly (Parton) do mindset, the strong female friendship and the exploration of breast reduction surgery and what that might mean for Esme's mental health and overall well-being. Great on audio and highly recommended especially for fans of books like The turning pointe by Vanessa L. Torres. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!