Excellent novel about the struggles of people of colour to break through in the arts, the toll that pressure takes on mental health, and familial relationships.

4.5⭐️s!!

I think it's a gift when an author has the ability to pull the reader in from the start of a book; for me, Maya Ameyaw did that with "When It All Syncs Up."

I won't bother you by repeating the book synopsis, but I will say that while the book centers around Aisha, I was just as invested in her friend's stories as hers, especially lovely Ollie.

Anger. Disbelief. Joy. Anguish. Love. My feelings were all over the place... From the beginning, I was pulled into Aisha's world and found myself captivated by her and her friend's stories... I absolutely couldn't 👏🏽put 👏🏽 it 👏🏽 down. 👏🏽 While I read the last few chapters, I found myself hoping that Maya writes more about Aisha, Ollie and Neil. 💕

Excellent debut! I look forward to reading more from this author!

⚠️ Please check content warnings.

3.75 rounded up! I read just about every dance book that comes out and this one felt different in a good way! I like that the main focus of this book is friendship and them helping each other through some really dark times. I went in with the notion it would be more romance and dance driven. Aisha is super likable and I was rooting for her throughout the entire book. The two side characters were well written and their stories felt complete which was refreshing.

Thanks NetGalley!

This novel is about a black teenager, Ashia, who loves ballet. She lives at the dance academy. Her parents are divorced. Her father has full custody, and her mom wants to be in her life. The other characters in the story really bring the story to life. The characters are likable, relatable, and funny. The themes in the story can trigger some readers. The themes are eating disorders, colorism, racism, verbal abuse, teenage alcoholism, anxiety, depression, mental issues, and some LGBTQ+ references. I love how the author dictate the African American ballerinas in the story that the main character looks up to. I love the cover of this book. This is my first book by this author, but it would not be my last. I recommend this book to young adults. I give this book four stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Annick Press for a ARC copy in exchange for a honest review. Ballet is Aisha’s life and passion. She’s at a prestigious school and working towards her dream of being the best ballerina she can. Until she doesn’t get the lead because she doesn’t “fit” the part. Deciding to go visit her best friend Neil, her life takes an unexpected turn. She auditions for a place at Neil’s school and to her surprise she’s accepted. As she navigates her new life, she is surprised to find out that she is more accepted at her new school than she ever was before. As the past comes back to haunt her, she needs to figure out her next steps and rely on those around her. I really enjoyed Aisha’s story and could relate to a lot of the characters, especially with the feelings of not fitting in or dealing with the mental health issues. Would recommend this book for anyone who likes ballet, taking a stand and fighting for what you dream of.

I really wanted to love this, but it fell flat for me.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this review copy

I loved the ballet aspect of the book and the hardships that the main character, Aisha, had to deal with were extremely realistic. She is dealing with so much at a young age. Many of the side characters are also dealing with personal struggles. It reads like a typical YA novel with short sentences/chapters and contrived dialogue.

I knocked it down a few stars due to the content of the story. I felt like there were a ton of plot points and the author could’ve just picked one or two to dive into more deeply. The story didn’t really feel finished at the end.

Trigger Warnings:
⚠️ Off page physical abuse and sexual assault
⚠️ Verbal abuse
⚠️ Racism and colorism
⚠️ Disordered eating and body dysmorphia
⚠️ Anxiety and depression
⚠️ Underage drinking

3.5 stars
I really wanted to love this. I just wished so much of this was expanded. I wanted to see a larger transformation from ballet to modern dance, the story with her mother fleshed out, more of her history with dance and her friendship with Neil. I just wanted MORE.

There are so many directions to take this review. The relationships between multiple characters was intricately devised and very effective. Parent / Child, peers, friends, all worked together to pull to story along to make it believable and drive up the angst.
The ballet, dance, and other artistic talents brought the reader to the physical and emotional toll the characters take due to the competitive environment these teens face in these career paths.
I was drawn to the mental issues that many of the characters faced and tried to deal with. I appreciated how the author used different coping techniques - some successful, some not - to give readers the OK to not have a simple answer to these complex issues. I also liked how the first step was sometimes just a simple acknowledgment of knowing there is a problem.
I think everyone can get something out of this book. It is so multilayered.
Enjoy!

When It All Syncs Up is a teen and young adult book. While it is an enjoyable read about friendship, first crushes, and dance, it deals with serious subjects such as alcoholism, mental health, verbal abuse, racial discrimination, and very briefly, physical and sexual abuse. In her Author's Note, Maya Ameyaw warns those sensitive to these issues should know that the topics are covered at length. I would suggest that everyone should {stressed} be sensitive to these topics, as they are problems that plague our society and are poorly addressed.
When It All Syncs Up will appeal to ballet dancers as well as dancers of other styles. Aisha is a teenage ballet student, extremely gifted but overlooked for solos and apprenticeships because of her race. This fact and the pressure from striving to be a high-level dancer have caused her to develop mental health issues. When she visits her best friend and former dance partner in another city, she discovers he is also dealing with some severe problems. Here she is introduced to a person gifted with songwriting ability and a superb voice. This character brings the book's interest to a new group of readers.
The challenges faced by the book's characters are relevant, and Ms. Ameyaw deals with them in a blunt yet sympathetic manner. The individuals are well-developed. The troubles of each person are revealed gradually and in an organic fashion. I appreciate the brief reference that not all counselors or mental health facilities are equally helpful.
On a joyful note, the description of the field trip was breathtaking. This heartbreaking yet hopeful book could provide solace and guidance for teens facing the same or similar issues. Thank you, Maya Ameyaw, for writing a novel for young readers that addresses such serious matters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Annick Press for the ARC of this book.

4.7

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Annick Press for an advance copy of this title! Words cannot express how refreshed and tender this book has made me feel. As a Black girl, Aisha’s story felt especially familiar and important to me. Her struggles with mental health and friendships mirrored my own and I felt extremely connected to the narrative because of that. I also did dance as a child and being the only Black girl in the room made me endlessly weary. This led to me giving this book a 4.7 out of 5. More and more stories like this need to be told and I am very glad Maya Ameyaw is creating them.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a beautifully written book about the art of ballet and the struggles within that community both in dance and race. There is more within the pages of this book besides just the art of ballet. There is friendship, the lack of friendship, family, the lack of family and so much more!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. I’m always up for a book about dancers and this did not disappoint. I thought it was a well-written YA book with likable characters. I was going to give it 5 stars but something about the ending just seemed haphazard to me. Like everything just kind of suddenly ended. I really liked it overall though and hope it has lots of success.

When It All Syncs Up by Maya Ameyaw could very well be a true story. As a dancer, I have seen this story many times! Aisha is a lovely dancer (I'm so glad she goes into Modern classes, only because that is my love!!!) and what she experiences from her teachers happens. Neil, as well, (no spoilers here) experiences life's traumas. They are lucky to have each other. Just like a good story, it all ends well enough. The knowledge that Ms. Ameyaw has of Ballet and the world of Ballet leads me to believe that she was or has been a Ballet student at some point in her life. She understands that world all too well! I think this book would be a fantastic YA book for teens! Thanks to Netgalley and to Annick Press Publishing for the egalley in exchange for this very honest review. It's a wonderful book!

This was a really good book. It was emotional and felt so real. I appreciated how the dance element wasn’t the entire book, there was more plot than just her dance life.
There was so much to this book, from friendships to familial relationships to romantic relationships to mental health in multiple characters. It was just so good.
The character development was also really good, I could feel the struggles that Aisha was going through when she was. The way that the author portrayed this was amazing.
Thank you to NetGalley and Annick Press for an eARC of this book.

When It All Syncs Up beautifully illustrates the emotional cadences of family, friendship, and self love. Although written as a YA novel, the themes experienced by each character are very mature, allowing readers of every age the opportunity to relate to the storylines. The themes that struck me the most are the colorism and micro aggressions experienced by the protagonist, Aisha. She is the only Black ballerina in her program and as the reader becomes immersed into Aisha’s world of dance, it is evident how that isolation impacts Aisha’s mental health. As a Black woman, I have often been the only Black person occupying a space, and because of the author’s honesty in this harsh reality that she so eloquently illustrates, I was able to see myself in this character.

Described as “perfect for fans of Euphoria and Tiny Pretty Things” When It All Syncs Up will tug at your heartstrings, allow you to check in your own mental health, and create space for you to examine diversity in your friend groups.

A deeply emotional debut looking at a girl's connection to her art and what happens when that art is lost, how to find it again. Ameyaw writes that tension well, and is a force to watch.

This book was given to be free as an ARC. All opinions are my own.

A Black teen dancer with dreams of landing a spot in a prestigious ballet company must learn to dance on her own terms in this explosive debut about the healing power of art and friendship, perfect for fans of Euphoria and Tiny Pretty Things.

Ballet is Aisha’s life. So when she’s denied yet another lead at her elite academy because she doesn’t “look” the part, she knows something has to change–the constant discrimination is harming her mental health. Switching to her best friend Neil’s art school seems like the perfect plan at first. But she soon discovers racism and bullying are entrenched in the ballet program here, too, and there’s a new, troubling distance between her and Neil. And as past traumas surface, pressure from friends and family, a new romance, and questions about her dance career threaten to overwhelm her. There’s no choreography to follow–for high school or for healing. Aisha will have to find the strength within herself–and place her trust in others–to make her next move.

This was a fast-paced, quick read that you felt really a part of through the descriptive nature of the dance scenes, as well as flashbacks outlining familial and platonic relationships our FMC, Aisha, experienced. I was a huge fan of Tiny Pretty Things, and really appreciated the similarities between the two in their emphasis on the dark themes behind ballet and the world it creates.

I felt this book was a little too fast for me, and I found myself wishing for more expansion on certain themes before moving on to the next day, week, or month. I honestly wasn't sure of the timeline of this book, save for the few mentions of the fall and winter showcase. There was so much to be touched on in this book, and I wish that it focused on fewer themes in order for them to feel fully fleshed out.

Other than that, I gave this 3 stars because aside from the pacing and a few awkward dialogue moments, I did enjoy reading this book, and could definitely see it being similar to TPT as a screen adaptation.

Thank you to Annick Press Ltd and to Netgalley for providing me with early access to this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Aisha Bimi is an immensely talented dancer with a celebrated background in ballet, a best friend who lives thousands of miles away, and a mother who has historically put her own hopes and dreams for Aisha’s future ahead of her daughter’s health and well being.

After being passed over for a prestigious apprenticeship due to the color of her skin, Aisha moves back to Toronto and enrolls in a creative arts high school. Over the next two hundred pages we follow her ups and downs at her new school as she navigates teenage life, finds herself, and forges new relationships.

Maya Ameyaw has a knack for burrowing deep into the minds of her characters and making the reader feel exactly as they are. Aisha and the extensive cast of supporting characters all feel fully realized, and their journeys are at once exciting and frustrating—much like teenagehood in general.

There are major plot points that seem glossed over for the sake of the plot—like all of the adult figures, including school administration, either not caring to check or being nonchalant about Aisha and Neil essentially living on their own—but with some suspension of disbelief it doesn’t affect the reading experience when an author as able as Ameyaw is at the helm.

When It All Syncs Up is a moving tale of how friendship and art can heal from trauma. I grew up watching a lot of dance academy-themed shows, so I was very excited to read Maya Ameyaw's debut. In When It All Syncs Up, we explore the racism and colorism that often exists in the ballet world, and it was so frustrating seeing Aisha's classmates, even her classmates of color, contribute to this endless cycle of discrimination in the dance world. It was also interesting, and heartbreaking at times, to follow Aisha juggling her dance career and attending different schools, all while trying to do the best for her family and friends at only 16 years old. It was heartwarming to see Aisha, Neil, and Ollie always looking after each other's well-being throughout the story while dealing with their own mental health needs and trauma recovery--but also reminded me how broken a lot of support systems for teens are in today's world. There were multiple instances where I felt that the plot of the story was moving quite slowly, but I don't think this will be a problem for readers who like character-driven stories. If you like coming-of-age stories that showcase different performing arts forms, friendship & family dynamics, and first love, definitely pick When It All Syncs Up up. I'd rate this novel 3.75 stars rounded up.