Tiny Pretty Things

By Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra

Black Swan meets Pretty Little Liars in this drama-packed debut about three perfect girls who will do anything to be the prima ballerina at their elite New York ballet school. Now a major Netflix series!

Being a dancer at New York’s most elite ballet school isn’t easy. Everyone wants to be the prima ballerina, and sometimes you have to play dirty. With the competition growing fiercer with every performance and harmless pranks growing ever darker, Bette, June and Gigi find themselves battling it out to stay at the top. And it’s only a matter of time before one small spark ignites… and even the best get burned…

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Aug 6, 2020
• ISBN: 9780008390426

Dhonielle Clayton

Dhonielle Clayton spent most of her childhood under her grandmother's table with a stack of books. She hails from the Washington, D.C. suburbs on the Maryland side. She is the New York Times-bestselling author of The Belles series, Shattered Midnight, co-author of Blackout, and the co-author of The Rumor Game and the Tiny Pretty Things duology, a Netflix original series. She taught secondary school for several years, and is a former elementary and middle school librarian. She is COO of the non-profit We Need Diverse Books, and President of Cake Creative, an IP story kitchen dedicated to diverse books for all ages. She’s an avid traveler, and always on the hunt for magic and mischief. The Marvellerverse series is her middle-grade fantasy debut.

Reviews for Tiny Pretty Things

[dinahmine · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Awful, privileged people being awful to non-awful privileged people. I typically have no interest in this type of story but tried the audio because I’ve heard it recommended a number of times on podcasts. DNF’d at 86% when the non-awful character’s butterflies were brutally murdered.

[heatherlinc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Although I found this novel a tad slow, overall, I quite enjoyed following the drama and competitiveness that occurs in a ballet boarding school. The cast was diverse, which I appreciated, and the novel dealt with some serious issues.Narrated by three girls, Bette was determined to be the school's prima ballerina, Gigi was the newbie with a serious heart condition while June resorted to starvation and purging to stay slim. They battled against each other to win the lead role in each ballet performance and were quite vicious in their determination to be the star. From the start there was a huge amount of back-stabbing going on which made the three girls unlikeable. There was definitely no love loss between them! Drama, ruthlessness, sabotage, romance and secrets abounded.While I wasn't enthralled with the characters, I did enjoy the setting with all its dance references and the ugliness behind the beauty of a ballet performance. Dark, gritty and full of drama, "Tiny Pretty Things" was an entertaining read.

[sjgirl-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A page-turner though it went a bit overboard on characters behaving badly. Gigi, who is black and therefore unexpectedly on a rapid rise through the ranks at a ballet academy that traditionally reserves lead roles for the whitest of dancers, she’s the main target of bullying and the easiest character to like since she really does try to be kind and tries to make friends, and her affinity for nature was a refreshing change from stereotypical teen interests like fashion, partying, etc. Really the only thing you could fault this girl for is taking up with a guy before he’s officially ended his relationship with someone else. I wasn’t really a fan of that romance, with so many characters doing devious things it made it difficult to trust Alec enough to buy into his sincerity where Gigi was concerned. Actually none of the romances (if you could even call some of them that), really worked for me. June is half-Korean and though she’s watching her black roommate cement herself in the spotlight, June is still left feeling like she has to work a thousand times harder and eat a whole lot less to truly be seen and get the opportunities her white contemporaries receive. June has a tendency to be cold and cutting and does some awful things, but in showing us her eating disorder, the strained relationship with her mother, the longing to know who her father is, the rejection and taunting from a former friend, the authors did a really great job of illustrating why this girl is the way she is so you could have empathy for her even as she sometimes behaves in ways you wish she wouldn’t. Then there’s Bette, who is white and blonde, the once ideal for a ballerina who’s suddenly rejected by her teachers, rejected by her boyfriend, she’s extremely self-absorbed all but ignoring the things her so-called friends are going through because she’s too busy feeling sorry for herself and tormenting a fellow ballerina. But as with June, while you might not be able to declare Bette entirely likable, the uncomfortable encounters with Henri and the glimpses of the way she’s treated by her mother, particularly regarding her knee, gives you an understanding this girl and so there are moments where I definitely felt for her. I don’t doubt that the bullying featured here is to some degree accurate given how few placements there are in dance schools and companies, like in any other highly competitive situation there probably is a certain amount of sabotage, cruelty, and even criminality, but surely there are some genuine friendships in the dance world, aren’t there? To me, it just felt like the balance was a bit off, leaning so relentlessly into bad behavior gave the book a somewhat unreal quality that maybe could have been helped by a few more instances of showing girls supporting one another.

[amandanan · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Dance Academy in book form.

[seriesousbooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was everything I wanted it to be! I loved the sabotage and the mystery surrounding it. It added this thick tension to the story that had you craving more. But the characters really make this. I had so many feelings and thoughts about each lead. I loved their character stories filled with gossip, weaknesses and strengths. I have my theories about what will happen next but I'm so excited to start book 2 tonight!

[kerilynned · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wow, these ballerinas are ruthless!! I really hope that this is not even a little bit accurate to what the real world of ballet is like. Most of the characters in this book are in serious need of therapy. Then when sane and normal Gigi comes in they eat the poor girl alive. The lack of authority was concerning and made things a little less believable but definitely made for an entertaining read. It also kept me guessing as to who did what and who could really be trusted. I loved that there were multiple point of views as well.

[thelibraryladies · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I honestly couldn’t tell you what it is, but there is something about the “Drama and mean girl bitchery happening at a boarding school/organization for some kind of art form” trope that I am a complete and total sucker for. It doesn’t necessarily HAVE to be about ballet (after all the movie “Fame” isn’t strictly about that art form and I LOVE it), but it’s just an added bonus if it is. “Center Stage” is by no means a good movie, but if I stumble upon it on the TV I am guaranteed to watch it. “Black Swan” messed me up real good and I could have taken even MORE mental anguish and paranoia from it. Because the competition of being the best within the strict and narrow world of ballet makes people do AWFUL THINGS, according to this trope, and I live for it. So of course “Tiny Pretty Things” was going to appeal to me. The fact that it has an underlying mystery is really just a bonus, I would have picked it up regardless. But “Tiny Pretty Things” also surprised me in a lot of pleasant ways. In a book that could have easily been about a bunch of spoiled and rich white girls (as the ballet world and culture is disproportionately white), authors Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton instead represented a rather diverse cast of characters, and the struggles they all face trying to fit into the ballet box. And they do this seamlessly, weaving these everyday moments of frustration or microaggressions against them into the bigger picture, so their struggles are just a natural, and yet exposed, part of their day to day realities. And there are a LOT of themes here, and since I want to break them all down, we’re going to have a lot to talk about.One of the themes this book talks about is discrimination in the ballet world, both racial and sexual orientation. Gigi, being the only black student at the school, is always being put in the ‘Other’ role by those around her, be it fellow dancers or even the administrators. Her talents and merits are always being picked apart by those around her, and there is always a question of how much she deserves the roles that she’s getting. June, too, isn’t immune to such treatment, even if it’s to a different extent. Her biracial ethnicity has left her without a group, and since she has never known who her father is she is feeling even more like she has never known her true identity. And while they aren’t given many perspective moments, it’s mentioned that there are a number of the Korean dancers at this school who are absolutely fantastic at dance… but never get lead roles, and rarely get solos, because they just don’t ‘fit’ the part. Not only are racial biases spoken of, but so are those of sexuality and the idea of masculine and feminine ideals. There are two GLBT characters in this book, and while neither of them have perspective chapters, you do get to learn a bit about them through the other girls eyes. William is gay, and is definitely one of the best male dancers at the school. But again, because he doesn’t meet the physical (and yes, sexual preference) ideal of how a male ballerina should be, he too is denied lead roles. And Sei-Jin, June’s enemy, is a closeted lesbian. She torments June but is also terrified that June will tell the world that she’s a lesbian, therein ruining her chances, in her mind, at stardom. I really appreciated that this was touched on in this book when it easily could have just been ignored.Along with discrimination there is the obsession with perfection and how far you go to achieve it. Be it the eating disorders that June and another girl named Liz are living with, or the Adderall addiction that Bette has, the competition runs all of these girls completely ragged. And this is why even Bette, mean awful HORRIBLE Bette, is a character that I can’t completely hate. She is certainly entitled and spoiled and bordering on psychopathic, but it is because this is all she has been raised to know, even since she was a little girl. She has seen her perfect older sister rise into prominency in the ballet world, and now their emotionally abusive and alcoholic mother wants both of her daughters to be stars. So Bette, who has been raised to be a star, is driven to the extremes beyond her Adderall addiction to achieve this perfection, and starts to spiral into madness when it just can’t quite be achieved. I really liked that this story addresses the fact that these CHILDREN are being completely put through the ringer, and that most of them aren’t going to make it in the ways that they are being pushed to do so.Which leads us into the mystery of this book (as yes, there is indeed a mystery). Since Gigi is new and black and doing phenomenally well, someone starts harassing her and tormenting her. And while it very well could be Bette (and some of it is Bette because she’s the worst), some of these pranks and taunts are downright violent. While I may have a pretty good idea as to who it is (this is the first in a duology, so it hasn’t been revealed yet), I’m not quite certain. And I love the fact that I’m not quite certain! There are other little mysteries in this book that are a bit more obvious(such as the identity of June’s father, which I won’t spoil here, but it’s really not too hard to figure out), and while that’s fine, the mystery in itself is pretty run of the mill. The joy and power of this book isn’t in the mystery, though there are lots of pretty amazingly over the top moments of drama that surround it. The joy is definitely in the complex issues that Charaipotra and Clayton put in here, as well as, yes, the juicy juicy drama. Whenever a book about ballerinas ends up with one of said ballerinas getting glass shards left in her ballet shoes, you KNOW that I’m going to be a total sucker for it.I really really enjoyed “Tiny Pretty Things” and will certainly be picking up “Shiny Broken Pieces” as soon as possible. It’s definitely soapy and dramatic, but it uses this premise to talk about other, very relevant problems within the ballet culture. So it’s a double win for me. Definitely pick it up if you want something fun, light, but thoughtful.

[darkfaerietales_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: I was sadly underwhelmed by this dramatic ballet novel. There were some definite redeeming qualities, but not enough to make me love it.Opening Sentence: It always feels like death.The Review:Ballet is a competitive sport, and Russian ballet is even worse. At a prestigious ballerina academy, only perfection will shine among the nation’s best dancers. There is a constant struggle to have the tiniest waist, the perfect turns, and the best technique. When an underdog scores the lead for The Nutcracker play, two other ballerinas will play dirty to run their competition into the ground: one who is used the spotlight, and one who is ready to rise to the top. Secrets will threaten to topple even the strongest of these seemingly perfect ladies as they backstab, manipulate, and destroy in order to get their way.The characters in Tiny Pretty Things were all very different. Gigi is free-spirited and friendly, but naive, and her dark skin tone makes her different in the Russian school. She dances because she loves it, but the strain is taking a toll on her body, and continuing to do so might be her downfall. June is Asian, so she also knows the pain of her race making her stand out from the crowd. Her mother is controlling and is threatening to take her out of the academy if she doesn’t finally get a lead role and pull herself out of the background and into the spotlight, but her mother isn’t the only thing that could get her kicked out. Her dangerous habit that she does behind locked doors may do that before her mother does. Finally, Bette. Bette has been at the top for her whole life. She seems to be following in her sisters footsteps of the strongest and most beautiful ballerina in the school, and is envied by all with her sleek blonde bun and perfect technique. From the outside her life looks perfect, but that certainly isn’t the case. When Gigi steals the role Bette is sure is hers, and June becomes Gigi’s understudy, they’ll both do whatever it takes for what they believe they deserve.The three different points of views gave three different unique outlooks on their settings and various friendships. The tangle of backstabbers, frightening pranks, and horrible things that the ballerinas would do frankly shocked me. Of course, I understand the stress they’re under. I, too, am in a highly competitive sport. It takes its role on your mental and physical state. But I can’t imagine girls or boys doing anything this drastic in order to shine. That’s the point of the book, mostly — the fight for the top, the constant question plaguing them: how far will I go? How far is too far?I have one glaring problem with this book, but I’m not even sure if it’s a problem or not. The ending was not a resolution. Millions of questions were left open ended. But here’s the thing: in the past, my e-arcs have cut off early before the book ends. I don’t know why I get incomplete review copies sometimes, but it’s happened once or twice. This could be one of these times. I hope it’s one of these times. Because the book was left with so many unanswered things and a huge question mark for me. Sure, some could argue that it shows the book has come full circle, or maybe that the point is you have to imagine your own ending, but I’ve never been one for those kinds of endings. I screamed when Lauren Oliver ended the third Delirium book like that. So, until I get my hands on a copy and can check, I have no idea whether I really disliked the ending or whether my review copy is cut short. Perhaps there is a sequel that isn’t mentioned on Goodreads but will one day exist?Altogether, Tiny Pretty Things was good enough. The drama began to feel repetitive and I hated the fact that there was cheating in the book in two couples. Two! I mean, one figured out the right thing to do pretty quickly, but the other took awhile. It seemed like the whole book was a collection of worse and worse bullying and backstabbing without much depth. I did enjoy the dark and intense tone, and fluid descriptions of dancing, which were beautiful, as was the writing style. I also liked the diversity and complexity of the different characters and points of views. It took me a week or so to finish this one, so I wasn’t super hooked. In the end . . . Eh.Notable Scene:I thumb the pay phone’s receiver at 7:26 a.m., my stomach griping as I wait for it to ring. I feel like I ate too much for breakfast. My mom is always the exactly on time, so, knowing I have exactly four minutes, I run into the hallway bathroom. I throw up a mix of water, tea, and grapefruit. Two fingers bring it out smooth and soundless. The third grade was the first time I ever did it. I caught my mom vomiting after a dinner party at my neighbor’s house. She’d swept me from the bathroom, her face clammy and face shaky, telling me that American food can poison you. I asked why she’d eaten it in the first place, and she said that one has to eat to be polite. Never be a bad guest or you won’t be invited again. And that would be shameful.FTC Advisory: HarperTeen provided me with a copy of Tiny Pretty Things. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

[picardyrose · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Authors' knowledge of actual steps is bizarrely lacking -- no way on earth can you turn a plie -- but the story was good. At least they can tell the difference between pirouettes and fouettes, unlike some people I know.