Growing up as a Dance Moms fan, it is so beautiful to see Nia’s success despite the turmoil she’s been put through by her dance coach. The untold stories really shocked me at how much worse it was than what the viewers knew. The memoir begins and ends chronologically, but the middle jumps around seasons which felt a bit off. There was a point where it sounded like the end due to how much time was spent discussing the later seasons, but the book was only halfway through and still had some things about season 1 to discuss. Regardless, the themes are clear and position Nia in a way that shows she was always resilient and determined. After reading, I admire more than ever for all she’s accomplished!

Oh, Marie and Sadie. I was attached to this duo very early on in this book. I felt just as enticed by their magnetizing personalities and taboo lifestyles as everyone else around them. The use of sensory language characterized the girls so well — it’s full of moments that are sweet and delectable as well as tense and grimy.

Although I picked up this book for the doomed yuri, I wasn’t sure how to feel about the multiple POVs at first. I was pleasantly surprised by the unique context each character added to the story. It helped me invest in the unrest brewing outside of Marie and Sadie’s bubble of privilege. The commentary on sexuality, the gender binary, and classism were layered and complex in each character’s approach to solving (or perpetuating) their system.

This is easily 5 stars for me! This one will be on my mind for a LONG TIME.

I really enjoyed Kira's revelations and the unsettling behaviors of the adults in this society. The themes weren't as prevalent as they were in The Giver, despite the overlap. The ending had a lot of build up, and was just slightly shy of executing a solid open ending. A few more lines about Kira's final decision and what that would mean next would give more clarity.

I can’t seem to get enough of reading about women’s wrongs, but what really pulled me in were the lingering consequences of Pizza Girl’s actions. She’s definitely someone difficult to root for, but I found myself hoping she’d figure her shit out. The pacing hit just right balancing reflective moments of stewing with impulsive bad decisions. The epilogue was also SO satisfying thematically, but I won’t say much more than that to avoid spoiling.

I found this to be a pretty light read, though I am not sure that was the intention. This story works best when leaning into the found family relationships. The political themes worked well for establishing the setting, but sometimes came off heavy handed in a spoon-feeding way. It felt very ambitious diving into each character’s war-related backstory for the short amount of time spent with them. It was a nice story, but it got a little boring at times.

This book was my formal introduction to dystopian novels in 4th grade, and I remember how profound that experience was. I picked it up again almost 20 years later and feel just as moved now reading it as an adult. I’m surprised by how much I remembered, much like the memories stick with Jonas. This remains to be one of the most unique stories I’ve ever read and deserves 5 stars for amazingly complex characters, plot, and thought provoking ideas about the freedoms of choice.