The Devil's in the Dancers

by

Catherine Yu

Suspenseful and atmospheric young adult horror story!

The Devil's in the Dancers by Catherine Yu is an engrossing and eerily atmospheric young adult horror story set at an exclusive and elite summer ballet intensive for the children of the wealthy and privileged. Told from the viewpoint of a hopeful young scholarship student who is there to augment her high school resume for her application for admission to Harvard, this haunting, upended fish-out-of-water story had me glued to its pages. 

Marianne "Mars" Chang is thrilled to be accepted into the prestigious Allegra Academy summer ballet intensive on a full scholarship. She is shocked when the founder, Allegra Bechler, takes a personal interest in her attendance, holding out the possibility of a place at the school for the regular term, if she'll do her one small favor. Alex, Mars's roommate, is Allegra's great-niece and is acknowledged as the best dancer in the program, despite the girl having expressed her flagging interest in dancing. Allegra wants Mars to secretly replace Alex's daily nutritional supplements with a new and improved formulation not yet on the market. Mars agrees despite her ethical reservations, but finding the right moment to make the switch proves to be a logistical problem. As she begins to question the fairness of giving the most privileged dancer yet another advantage over the others, she impulsively shares one of the pills with a struggling but devoted scholarship student. Hannah shows immediate and amazing improvement in her performance, but soon begins to exhibit some alarming side effects. When Allegra turns a deaf ear to Mars's concerns and Alex's friends close ranks against her, she desperately tries to warn Alex of her aunt's plans and get her away from the ominously over-secured campus.

 Mars is a likable main character with reasonable hopes and aspirations, despite agreeing to the founder's suspicious plans to switch out her great-niece's supplements. Why didn't she just approach Alex straight on? Mars is an underdog from the wrong background, with a reach-for-the-stars dream. Alex is the cool girl, and Mars develops a crush as she gets to know her, genuinely lacking the thought of how Alex's status could enhance her own. However, her attraction to her roommate takes a backseat to the mystery behind the need for the supplements and what is really going on at the school. Alex's friend from home, Naomi, Sophie, and Sasha, are creepy and menacing 'mean girls' and their presence really keeps the action suspenseful.

 The Allegra Academy setting is gothically atmospheric, with empty, echoing hallways and unusually proportioned spaces. In a secluded, remote location, the sprawling campus is fenced and gated, with a plethora of cameras keeping watch, but perhaps not for possible intruders, but for the program attendees. Strictly-enforced curfews add another layer of control and a hint of menace. 

The plot moves quickly, and the author's storytelling is absorbing; I read this book cover to cover in one day. The ballet classes and dancers' experiences will be familiar territory to students of dance. The aches, the pains, the interminable rehearsals, and the chaos of the dressing room before performances are realistic and may be eye-opening to those unfamiliar with ballet life. I loved how the story gradually transformed from a fish-out-of-water tale into a horror story with unexpected elements of the supernatural. The climax was an absolutely terrifying surprise and answered the questions I'd been harboring from the very beginning. I was delighted that I was not left hanging in the aftermath but presented with an ending of hope for normality for the girls. 

I recommend THE DEVIL'S IN THE DANCERS to readers of young adult horror, especially those who enjoy stories set in boarding schools, remote settings, ballet, and a hint of sapphic romance. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy through Toppling Stacks Tours.