Heather’s Bookshelf: Marie’s Nutcracker
Author: Margaret Marie Klenzing
Released: 11/23/22
Genre: YA Holiday/Dance Novel
“Even on weeknights, the mall was bustling with shoppers in the last week of November. The cold did not deter even the most casual of shoppers. Perhaps the after-Thanksgiving sales were too good to pass up. Word was out about the filming in the mall, which brought many curious people to see what a professional film production looked like.”
“Marie’s Nutcracker” introduces Marie, a seventeen-year-old dancer. Marie’s grown up in her mother’s shadow and under her thumb as Barbara was a great ballerina in her own right and now owns the dance studio where Marie trains and performs.
Marie’s a good dancer, one of the best at her mom’s studio, but her own insecurities and need for her mother’s approval hold her back and behind the very stuck up prima donna, Jasmine. But when a movie production company agrees to utilize her mother’s studio, bringing in some of the best dancers and popstars in the world, Marie’s life changes. She meets and dances with some of the most talented dancers in the world, gets an opportunity to be an extra in their modern version of The Nutcracker, befriends a young woman she never thought she’d have anything in common with, and then there’s the talented and handsome Peter...
Will Marie overcome her insecurities and rise to the promise everyone around her seems to know she has?
Trigger Warning: sexual references, reference to eating disorders, bullying
Overall, I enjoyed this story. I mean, who doesn’t love to read a Christmas story around the holidays? One of my favorite memories is going to see the Nutcracker Ballet with my mom when I was young and getting to pick out a little ballerina ornament when it was over. So, yes, I am familiar with the ballet and was eager to read this modern take. The story did not disappoint. The main protagonist of Marie, is a sweet and vulnerable young woman. Most of the story is told through her POV with deviations to what other characters are feeling or thinking (which I found distracting). Marie’s likable and her insecurities and relationships with her parents and brother are relatable. Many of the ancillary characters like her mother, Barbara, and Jasmine are also well developed and with strong personalities that stand out. The setting is lovely as are the visuals of the dances and the modernization of the ballet. The illustrations are really gorgeous and complement the story: black and white drawings that depict various important and Christmas-filled scenes from the book. The author has a significant dance background which is evident in the love poured into the scenes of choreography, but as a layman I did not feel lost by the terminology. A note about this story is the age delineation/advertisement. It is written with main characters in the NA genre and with some more adult themes like eating disorders (though not focused on), with a YA tone and use of language which carries except for one particular scene with an joke a little too inappropriate for an MG audience. The ending was sweet, but a little predictable. I did like the epilogue as it wrapped up the storylines of all the main characters.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A charming tale about a young ballerina with insecurities to overcome. Set during the filming of a modern Nutcracker Ballet and filled with friendship, a little romance, and puppies, it’s a great story to read around Christmas.
Want to learn more about the author?
Check out my interview with Margaret Marie Klenzing
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Find it for purchase here
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