Bright Burning Stars

“A.K. Small’s debut novel, Bright Burning Stars, is basically YA catnip . . . Small’s attention to detail—the minutiae of Marine and Kate’s lives in the academy—is beautifully written, and both the propulsion of the drama between Marine and Kate and their own demons make this book compulsively readable. Small only leaves you wanting more from her ballet-focused world.”
—Entertainment Weekly

“Cutthroat ballerinas duking it out really never gets old.”
—Cosmopolitan

“With prose that is otherworldly at times, Small captures the disintegration of a friendship within a high-pressure world. A cerebral debut that will appeal to readers—and there are more than a few—interested in the cutthroat ballet universe.”
—Booklist

“Debut author Small, herself a dancer, brings authenticity (fascinating day-to-day details abound) to what it takes to flourish or wither amid the soaring highs and crushing lows of a competitive dance school while sensitively exploring the girls’ many emotional and physical extremes . . . Addictive, angst-y, and heartfelt.”
—Kirkus Reviews
 
“Small, a trained ballerina, infuses her novel with dance terminology and French phrases, giving the reader a sense of the milieu. And while much of the focus of this novel is dance, the heart of the story is about the lengths one will go to realize a dream.”
—Publishers Weekly

“A fascinating and dramatic view of the world of young ballet dancers.”
—Pittsburgh City Paper

“This is a story filled with interesting plot twists sure to maintain a high level of interest for readers.”
—School Library Journal