The Turning Pointe, By Vanessa L. Torres is a bold, and emotional novel overviewing a young Latinx teen girl finding herself through dance in 1980s Minneapolis, Minnesota. Sixteen-year-old Rosa Dominguez is the daughter of principal ballet dancer Geno, destined to take his place at Minnesota Dance Theater. Rosa was expected to become the star principal dancer at MDT, previously a role that her sister Gloria inhabited. Gloria was a swan in a leotard and tights. Perfect for every leading role. That was until, a horrible accident ended Glo’s career, an event that Rosa not only blames herself for, but also haunts her, shaking her to her core. Rosa’s mother acts as Glo’s caretaker, also a previous principal ballerina, and believes that it’s her responsibility to be there at Gloria’s bedside permanently. Rosa’s eating guilt over her sister’s accident is enough that even looking at Glo is a challenge. Rosa’s whole life had been nothing but tutus and pointe shoes, expected to live up to Gloria’s image, until worldwide sensation Prince, the Purple one himself, started rehearsing in Rosa’s very studio. When Geno announces that MDT’s upcoming program will include tryouts to be background dancers for Prince’s next concert, Rosa is more than ecstatic to audition. She had been a fan of Prince since she was seven, the first time she watched one of his music videos on MTV. Dancing for Prince, his royal badness, had been nothing but a fantasy to Rosa, but now one of her biggest dreams was coming true right in front of her. Its then that Nikki, a cross-dressing, whirlwind in crop tops leaps into her life, turning everything upside down. Nikki only instills Rosa’s dreams to quit ballet, something that has been force-fed her whole life, and dance hip-hop in all its “rock and in-your-face intentions. Nikki shows Rosa just how powerful dance can be, showing her some of the hottest, funkiest spots in Minneapolis. With this new boy in Rosa’s life, her guilt over Gloria’s accident, the pressure from a tyrant ballet master and father, and the Prince auditions in her rearview mirror, it’s enough to send Rosa off the rails. Throughout the book she has to learn how to pick herself up, and rebuild after a broken, warped childhood, as well as forgive herself for mistakes she’s made in the past.
The Turning Pointe had me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole book, so much so that I couldn’t put it down. Being a ballet dancer myself, it was interesting to see Torres’ interpretation of the art form on paper. This is a great read for teens, especially ones that need to be pushed to find their freedom through their passion. Even though I don’t know Rosa Dominguez personally, I felt as if I was right there with her throughout the whole novel. Rosa lives her life to the fullest, and learns how to break through expectations by the end of the book, something we could all learn a little bit about. Torres created a beautiful interpretation of heartbreak, parental pressures, and rebuilding after being at your lowest.
Overall, this was a great book, and I would recommend it to any readers that need a reminder to follow their heart, and not their parents. I hope that Torres produces a sequel to The Turning Pointe, so we can continue Rosa’s beautiful story.
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