Last Dance - by Hanna Schroy (Paperback)

About the Book

An injured dancer uses the aid of a dark spirit to regain her title as prima ballerina, but it comes with a cost!

Book Synopsis

"A ballet story with a slight surreal twist for dance lovers." -- KIRKUS

"The perfect kind of ballerina drama." -- BOOKLIST

"A sobering fable about the prices that people pay to stay at the top of their art." -- FOREWORD

"For years I've watched ballerinas from this room. I want what you want. I wish to join them."

Miriam has trained her whole life to fulfill her dreams and it's finally paid off now that she's the prima ballerina of the Lulli Dance Company, but she's been keeping a secret from them. The years of sprains, fractures, and bruises have taken their toll and a catastrophic ankle injury now means one terrible thing: she has to give it all up forever. Distraught beyond consolation, Miriam runs from the studio and discovers a secret room she's never seen before. Inside she finds a pair of gleaming white and gold slippers and a mysterious voice whispering to her in the dark. If she tries on the slippers, it says, she'll regain the strength to raise en pointe. It speaks the truth!

Soon, Miriam is back, but each achievement means danger for everyone around her and negotiation with the spirit who claims it wants just one little harmless thing in return . . . to join the ballerinas and dance, just like her.

Review Quotes

"A ballet story with a slight surreal twist for dance lovers." -- KIRKUS

"The perfect kind of ballerina drama." -- BOOKLIST

"A sobering fable about the prices that people pay to stay at the top of their art." -- FOREWORD

"An ominous monochromatic dark-blue and gray palette sets the mood for this exploration of ambition set in the world of ballet." -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

"Schroy makes excellent use of both color and panel design in this graphic novel to evoke the sweeping, sometimes all-consuming world . . . that a longed-for dream can fill." -- BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS

"A strong story for middle-grade readers, and one that deals with classic horror tropes, but in a way that's safe and comfortable for readers of that age." -- CEMETERY DANCE

About the Author

Hanna Schroy is a cartoonist and illustrator living in Austin. She has participated in a multitude of self-published anthologies including Girls! Girls! Girls! curated by Alex Perkins and Thicker Than Blood curated by Mengmeng Liu. She is a long-time dance enthusiast and recent amateur gardener. hannaschroy.com