Pointe, Claw

(Hardback)

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Description

Jessie Vale dances in an elite ballet program. She has to be perfect to land a spot with the professional company. When Jessie is cast in an animalistic avant-garde production, her careful composure cracks wide open.

Meanwhile, her friend Dawn McCormick's world is full of holes. She wakes in strange places, bruised, battered, and unable to speak. The doctors are out of ideas.

These childhood friends are both running out of time. At every turn, they crash into the many ways girls are watched, judged, used, and discarded. Should they play it safe or go feral

Reviews

"It is a book of contrast and counterpoint . . . . Lines blur as the story develops, save for the knife-sharp ferocity of two young women locked in an empowering duet."--starred, Booklist

-- (3/1/2017 12:00:00 AM)

"Keyser insightfully explores the myriad ways young women are caged and preyed upon in our society; her protagonists first subvert and then shatter these roles. . . . [W]ill leave readers unsettled long after the final page is turned."--The Horn Book Magazine

-- (5/1/2017 12:00:00 AM)

"Keyser's writing shimmers with raw emotion and empathy, and her finale, much like in dance, is poetic, bittersweet, and life affirming."--starred, Publishers Weekly

-- (2/20/2017 12:00:00 AM)

"The narrative is appropriately dark . . . [and] viscerally evokes struggles of modern teenagers in a brutally authentic manner."--Kirkus Reviews

-- (2/1/2017 12:00:00 AM)

"[A brilliant] story of pain and wonder between two girls straddling the edge of body and mind."--Brie Spangler, author of Beast

-- (9/8/2016 12:00:00 AM)

Author Bio

Evolutionary biologist-turned-author Amber J. Keyser has a MS in zoology and a PhD in genetics. She writes both fiction and non-fiction for tweens and teens. Her young adult novels include Pointe, Claw (Carolrhoda Lab, 2017), an explosive story about two girls claiming the territory of their own bodies, and The Way Back from Broken (Carolrhoda Lab, 2015), a heart-wrenching novel of loss and survival (and a finalist for the Oregon Book Award). She is the co-author with Kiersi Burkhart of the middle grade series Quartz Creek Ranch (Darby Creek, 2017). Her nonfiction titles include The V-Word (Beyond Words/SimonTeen, 2016), an anthology of personal essays by women about first-time sexual experiences (Rainbow List, Amelia Bloomer list, New York Public Library Best Book for Teens and Chicago Public Library Best Nonfiction for Teens) and Sneaker Century: A History of Athletic Shoes (Twenty-First Century Books, 2015), among numerous other titles. Her forthcoming books include Tying the Knot A World History of Marriage (Twenty-First Century Books, 2018) and Underneath It All: The History of Women's Underwear (Twenty-First Century Books, 2018). More information at www.amberjkeyser.com. Connect with Amber on Twitter @amberjkeyser.