Pointe, Claw
Binding: Hardcover
Age 14+
General Fiction
A tale of magical realism in which two best friends, one who wants to be a professional ballerina and the other who is turning into a bear, confront society's narrow definition of what it means to be feminine and find a way to embrace the wildness in themselves.
Jessie is practically killing her body to become a professional ballerina. Her best friend, Dawn, is having blackouts and fugues, and experiencing changes in her body and language that point to only one thing - she's turning into a bear. The girls' intense relationship becomes a way for them to confront society's narrow definition of femininity. When Jessie is rejected by the Ballet des Artes, and Dawn's parents plan to institutionalize her, the two girls run away and embrace their own wildness, discovering there's nothing unfeminine about going feral.
Creators
Amber J. Keyser is a former ballerina and evolutionary biologist with an MS in zoology and a Ph.D. in genetics. She has written books for children of all ages in a wide variety of formats, including picture books, nonfiction books, and novels. To find out more about Amber, please visit www.amberjkeyser.com.
Reviews
Keyser s writing shimmers with raw emotion and empathy, and her finale, much like in dance, is poetic, bittersweet, and life affirming.
Publishers Weekly
It is a book of contrast and counterpoint . . . . Lines blur as the story develops, save for the knife-sharp ferocity of two young women locked in an empowering duet.
Booklist
This is the first book that we have read by Amber J. Keyser and it won’t be the last! We definitely recommend this novel. It’s something completely different! You will either love its uniqueness or hate it entirely, but we can honestly say we loved it!
Pocket Full of Pages