A graphic novel that takes a very realistic look at one dancers journey.

Sienna has spent her young life striving to earn a place in the spotlight, making many sacrifices along the way. As she nears her goal, an injury forces her to question it all.
Is this what she really wants? How much sacrifice is too much? Does she have what it takes?
This memoir beautifully depicts how life occasionally throws us a curveball to keep in check our dreams vs realities.

What impressed me the most was the choice of purple hues throughout the story.
A symbol of strength, creativity and ambition, I’d like to believe this was a subtle nod to the character and story alike.

In every aspect.. beautifully done.

Thank you @NetGalley and @Siena_Tinydancer for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

This was a lovely graphic novel memoir about a young ballet dancer and her journey through dance. It navigates the sacrifices young athletes have to make along with the pressures of meeting high expectations in a field where only a select few make it to the very top.

I think this is a great read for any young adult, but especially someone who dances. It really captures the passion that drives dancers from the beginning, that is never lost even if dance no longer holds the joy it once did.

I did get the feeling there was a bit of a rose colored shine on the storytelling style where I wish we could have gotten a little more real about the struggles she was experiencing, rather than feeling like she was presenting a pretty charmed existence and everything just kind of works out. But I feel like that comes along with the territory when you're reading something aimed at a Young Adult audience.

******Thank you to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and Atheneum Books for Young Readers for providing me with the eBook for free via NetGalley for an unbiased review.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. I love ballet; did it for a few years when I was younger but only with 1-2 classes a week. I played a tree. It was fun. This graphic novel shows the life of a dancer, the decline in motivation and unhealthy behaviours this career almost forces you to have. It was very engaging and the art was great. I will definitely recommend it to other ballet lovers!

A treat, a delight of a book that gives insight into an art form and shows just what is demanded of its performers. The book delves into the painful questions of “When should I walk away?” and “What do I do afterwards?” with grace and skill.

Siena has worked her entire life to become a member of the George Balanchine's New York City Ballet company. She earned a spot at the School of American Ballet but in an injury and doubt have caused her to question her own abilities and her desire to continue on this path. But when you work for one goal your entire life, how do you figure out what to do next?

I enjoyed this memoir and appreciated the look at competitive ballet dancing. I also found that much of Siena's story was relatable, depression, anxiety, family issues, even for those who are not dancers. The artwork added to the story and I loved the simple color pallet of purples. This will be a purchase for our library.

Thank you Netgalley for sharing this E-ARC with me. “ Tiny Dancer” is a graphic novel about falling out of love with something you loved a lot. This book was relatable and showed that life moves on. I absolutely adored the art and writing. Would definitely do a re-read just for the writing alone. Recommend for quick short-read

This was a cool memoir graphic novel about the pressures of the dance word and wanting to “make it” I think there are some important lessons here for everyone: body confidence, following your dreams, putting your mental health first, loving something just because and not because you want to do it for money, etc. I think many people will enjoy it.

The artwork was kind of generic. I did enjoy the purple shades. The story itself was very typical and I kept hoping for more. This is a good inbetween graphic novel to read that is geared towards a younger audience. I would have appreciated this more 15 years ago. Good message though.

I read the first book of this duology about a decade ago, when I was doing intensive ballet myself. Reading the followup now, all these years later, was...cathartic. See, I had the same experience as Siena - I got injured, came back from the injury, and found that my love for ballet was gone. I didn't have the right body type and I was frustrated all the time, so I quit. And then I didn't know what to do with myself. College helped me put myself back together, but I never knew how to reconcile those two parts of myself, because it always felt like I had failed. I have never seen this articulated so well as in Tiny Dancer. The epilogue really got me right in the emotions. It's such a unique kind of grief, leaving behind something that was once so important to you, and I'm grateful that Siena wrote a sequel to her amazing first memoir. It's definitely something i would reread, because this is a special book.

The illustrations and skillful color work helps create a wonderful expression. I really enjoyed the artistry and the story was conveyed well without being too wordy.

What I loved about the color scheme of this graphic novel was that it was purples, pinks, blacks and whites. It was all very ballerina stereotype colors, but it didn't make the novel feel like a stereotype. It had a very dawn/dusk quality to it that I appreciated. The twilight colors fit perfectly with the theme of the novel of one dream possibly ending and another beginning - our protagonist is stuck in that hazy in-between.

Siena is going through a lot: she's moving, her brother is going to college, and her parents are separated (divorce seems inevitable). The one thing that has been constant in Siena's life is dance/ballet. She's always had an inner grace when she dances and a passion that takes her to the next levels.... but as a dancer, the routine and practices are grueling and no one is immune from injury. Will Siena bounce back or find a new dream? Read on to see if she dances on!

Take a leap of faith and jump into this graphic novel. You'll releve in Siena's journey of finding herself! (pun intended)

While this book seemed to zip through some parts of the story, I enjoyed it overall. The love of ballet and dancing is what really shone through for me, and it was lovely seeing the passion for dance. Siena also does a good job of relating her struggles with being a ballet dancer and figuring out what she wanted to do with her life.

I think this book was super cute and I’m not really a graphic novel person but I loved reading it. As a dancer I think the book was super interesting and I totally would recommend to other dancers!!

I think this is an inspirational graphic novel for anyone to read, especially those who think they have their life figured out when in all reality, they don’t.

Something akin to SPINNING, I found this memoir enticing and memorable. The world of ballet is equal parts beautiful and enduring, filled with memories that eat at your mind.

When your whole life, your whole identity, is that one thing, how do you ever really move on from it? I loved how this book highlighted the impact injuries can have on an athlete, and also how to embrace self-doubt and rejection. The epilogue was so beautiful and honestly my favorite part of the whole book. I loved the simple color palette and artistic style.

I received an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautiful graphic novel memoir. I would gladly put this in my classroom knowing that a lot of my students are similarly dedicated to dance.

Siena is a dedicated and talented ballet dancer and her entire life revolves around ballet. She gets accepted to the School of American Ballet and is on her way to becoming a member of the NYCB company. However, an injury causes Siena to doubt her ability.

I really enjoyed To Dance, and thus had high expectations for this follow-up. Unfortunately I found it to be a disappointment by comparison.

We pick up where we left off with Siena, and soon she’s dancing in New York City with the hopes of joining the famed New York City Ballet. Predictably, things do not not go smoothly and Siena begins to re-examine her priorities.

Much of what is lacking about this book is the art. This was never a strength in this series (To Dance was far from the best-illustrated ballet graphic novel out there), but the palette and the style seemed especially disappointing this time. Siegel seems to do well with the on stage dance scenes and things seen from a pulled back vantage point or from a distance, but the close-ups (particularly faces) are stylistically childish and don’t match the aesthetic of the story.

Speaking of the story, I wasn’t thrilled with where that went this time either. I didn’t like the ending at all and felt it betrayed what the spirit of the books intended. I also didn’t like the way Siena’s mother was shrunken and reduced to a sort of sad victim.

Aside from a few beautifully drawn panels of dancers on stage, I could have done without this entirely.

I loved this graphic novel. I read the first one a long time ago, so I was very excited when I heard about the sequel. It did not disappoint, The story was engaging and the illustrations were beautiful.

I have so much love for this book. As a dancer who tore her hamstring in high school, I know the woes of trying to recover, of worrying whether you would ever dance at the level you did prior to injury, and feeling so self-conscious about what your fellow dancers thought of you. Siegel portrayed this WONDERFULLY. I admit I got teary-eyed at scenes, and related to trying to find what you want to do in life when you've spent the last 15 years dancing.

The artwork was also so beautiful, all of the ballet sequences, the the shadows, the epilogue.
THE EPILOGUE. B E A U T I F U L.

I also laughed out loud at the thermostat hiding behind the mirror...it's so outrageous and exactly the thing a school would do. There was a kinship to this scene. And to this entire book if I'm honest.