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dancergirl (WiHi #1)

by Carol M. Tanzman (Goodreads Author)

3.6 of 5 stars 3.60 · rating details · 324 ratings · 116 reviews

Ever feel like someone's watching you? Me, too. But lately it's been happening in my room.

When I'm alone.

A friend posted a video of me dancing online, and now I'm no longer Alicia Ruffino. I'm dancergirl. And suddenly it's like me against the world. everyone's got opinions.

My admirers want more, the haters hate, my best friend Jacy, even he's acting weird. And some stalk

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Paperback, 248 pages

Published November 15th 2011 by Harlequin

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YA Dance Books

3rd out of 59 books — 95 voters

A Time for Dancing by Davida Wills Hurwin

Best Books About Dance

2nd out of 75 books — 69 voters

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Jul 21, 2012 ♥Rachel♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, signed-by-author

Dancergirl was a realistic and suspenseful read. I couldn’t put it down once I started!

Ali has spent most of her life dancing. It’s her passion. She works at the local dance studio so she’s able to take all the free classes she wants. She never imagines the thing she loves most would end up turning her life upside down. While at a park concert with her best friend, Jacy, Ali’s filmed dancing. One of her film geek friends catches her, doing what she does best, and loads the video up on the intern...more Dancergirl was a realistic and suspenseful read. I couldn’t put it down once I started!

Ali has spent most of her life dancing. It’s her passion. She works at the local dance studio so she’s able to take all the free classes she wants. She never imagines the thing she loves most would end up turning her life upside down. While at a park concert with her best friend, Jacy, Ali’s filmed dancing. One of her film geek friends catches her, doing what she does best, and loads the video up on the internet. He edits it out as sort of a mini show with her as “dancergirl” and him as the quite crushing boy in the sidelines “shyboy.” It immediately goes viral and Ali is thrust into the spotlight with everyone at school and elsewhere, suddenly taking an interest in her. At first Ali is flattered by all the attention. Everyone has had the desire to feel special and wanted at some time in their life. But soon the initial excitement at the popularity wears off. What’s more disturbing is this video has brought Ali into the sights of a stalker, which becomes apparent when a video of her dancing in her underwear in her bedroom gets posted! As soon as Ali sees this, she is beyond freaked out and wants nothing to do with all this “dancergirl” business. Ali and Jacy try to figure out who could be behind the stalking. Ali becomes more and more paranoid, suspecting anyone and everyone around her. Add to this, Jacy has been acting strange and sullen. Ali thought he might have just been about to kiss her at the park concert which would be a very bad idea. They’ve been best friends forever and know way too much about each other to go down that road, right? Oh so wrong, Ali!!

I adored Jacy, he was such a lovely and protective best friend. My favorite type of love interest in books is the best-friends-that-turn-into-something-more kind. Even if Ali didn’t see it right away, they were a perfect match. You realize early on, even when Ali doesn’t, that Jacy has something major going on. I wanted Ali to figure it out sooner, and wanted to shake her a couple of times when the light-bulb didn’t go off! Jacy was in need of support just as much as she was.

This story is something that could easily happen, and probably has in some form already. With surveillance and camera phones everywhere, we’re often filmed without our knowledge. This story pointed out the many ways this can go terribly wrong. I was riveted by this tale and had to keep reading as the suspense level keep being ratcheted up, page by page. I could easily put myself in Ali’s shoes; I would’ve been as creeped out by all this as she was! Her level of anxiety kept rising with each new invasion. I was a little annoyed that she didn’t immediately confide in her mother but we don’t always think with a clear head in an emotional situation. There were several suspects and just when you think you know who’s responsible, you find out you’re wrong.

I really enjoyed this suspenseful mystery! Everyone who knows me, knows there must be romance in my reads. While this is a little light on romance, I still found it satisfying and sweet. The last few chapters were a definite thrill ride. I’m now off to read the companion in this series: Circle of Silence.

You can find this and more at The Readers Den (less)

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Nov 09, 2011 Giselle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, ebook, contemporary

Oh wow! For a book that I had no expectations, I ended up really enjoying it! I love when that happens. The creepy premise is what made me want to read this. A girl being stalked because of an online video - count me in!

dancergirl (very hard to not put a capital D *twitch*) starts off smoothly and brings us into the life of Alicia - Ali - who is just a regular girl with a passion for dancing. Ali is your average high school girl who thrives on popularity. Which is why she's fine with the video t...more Oh wow! For a book that I had no expectations, I ended up really enjoying it! I love when that happens. The creepy premise is what made me want to read this. A girl being stalked because of an online video - count me in!

dancergirl (very hard to not put a capital D *twitch*) starts off smoothly and brings us into the life of Alicia - Ali - who is just a regular girl with a passion for dancing. Ali is your average high school girl who thrives on popularity. Which is why she's fine with the video that's been posted online by a classmate, of her dancing at a concert. What she doesn't expect, is when another video is uploaded of her dancing… in her room, alone. I really enjoyed Ali's personality. She wasn't perfect and she makes some bad decisions, but that's what makes her real. I did have a problem with her having no qualms about the first video getting online, though. Sure it was taken from a classmate she knows, but he never asked if it was ok to post it online, and she just shrugs it off, then agrees to do more! See what I mean about her bad decisions? Videos online = stalker magnet! Everyone knows this. This was, however, the only issue I had with her character.

As I'm sure you guessed, there is a lot of dancing in this story. Ali has a deep love for dance; her life revolves around it. I was never as much into it as Ali, but I love dance as well. I've taken classes for a few years and performed at a couple of shows. So I could really relate to the dancing and the rush of performing. I got stage fright right along with Ali - I could feel it! Those part were a lot of fun for me and added some lighthearted moments to the otherwise anxious mood of the book.

Now on to the best part - the stalker plot. All throughout the book I felt chills for Ali and feared for her. It's so incredibly easy to imagine all of this happening, that it got me very unsettled. Not knowing when someone's watching or what part of your privacy is being taken from you - that's incredibly discomforting. I didn't find it hard to guess who the stalker was. I do read and watch a lot of suspense stories like this though so it's hard to surprise me anymore. Regardless, I still thought it was a fantastic thriller with a realistic setting and gripping suspense. I'm curious what the rest of the series will entail since this one ends like a stand alone. But I'm sure I won't be disappointed. Carol is a great author and I absolutely recommend you give dancergirl *twitch* a try.(less)

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Nov 15, 2011 Missie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, ya

As a huge fan of dance, I admit that there is nothing I've wished for more than even a smidgeon of rhythm in my step so I could glide across a glossy stage like I'm having the time of my life, but alas, all I'm good for is carrying in the watermelons. In fact, I'm such a bad dancer that I'm not even allowed to sit in the corner; I have to stand in the back to gawk. Still, I love being an observer of the sport because dancers are amazing! I could watch them bust a move for hours. That said, I've...more As a huge fan of dance, I admit that there is nothing I've wished for more than even a smidgeon of rhythm in my step so I could glide across a glossy stage like I'm having the time of my life, but alas, all I'm good for is carrying in the watermelons. In fact, I'm such a bad dancer that I'm not even allowed to sit in the corner; I have to stand in the back to gawk. Still, I love being an observer of the sport because dancers are amazing! I could watch them bust a move for hours. That said, I've learned that visual dance performances work much better for me than printed ones.

In the competitive world of dance, Ali is still looking for her big break. When she finally gets it, it's nothing like she imagined it would be. After videos of Ali dancing gain popularity on the web, she becomes known as "dancergirl." But not everybody is happy about Ali's newly found fame...and someone is intent on ending it.

dancergirl was a quick read that I had high hopes for, but, unfortunately, I didn't quite connect with the story.

Maybe it was the uses of 'urban' lingo, but I was unable to warm up to the main character, Ali, or her sidekick of friends. All of them seemed kind of shallow, and never really conveyed any hard hitting emotions, even when situations that called for such arose.

The mechanical and abrupt story structure in which dancergirl was told, certainly set the stage for the 'thriller' side of things, but it also confused me, along with the missing transitions and the use of technical dance terms.

Sure, a dim curiosity formed within me as Ali tried to figure out who her stalker was, but she also had a lot of TSTL moments that baffled me; like when she first suspected that she had a stalker because she saw someone yanking a camera away from her bedroom window, but decided not to tell her mom about it. I guess, I could kind of understand why she reacted that way though, after all, she did think she'd get in trouble with her absentee mother. But then later, she seemed to be more concerned about rumors that people were calling her strippergirl than the fact that a video of her dancing in her undies appeared online.

After that, nothing really happened for a while, other than Ali accusing everyone (best friend, computer geek, some other girl's boyfriend) around her of being her stalker. Naturally, her guesses were completely wrong every single time, but as she crossed potential perpetrators off her list, she grew more paranoid and anxious.

The final element that had me at odds with the story appeared as dancergirl headed towards its climax. That's when things got a bit too fantastical to be believable. In a fantasy novel or even a romance, I could have bought the idea of everything coming together so blatantly perfect more, but not so much in a contemporary.

Overall, not for me, but I'm sure others will enjoy this thrill ride immensely. (less)

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Nov 10, 2011 Juhina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-books, netgalley, ebook

The beginning of dancergirl was a bit slow and confusing, especially with her best friend Jacy and the characters not being introduced clearly for us. However the story finally took off, with Ali's dancergirl videos and the emerging of a peeping tom/stalker.

Alicia, Ali, who is our female protagonist is a contemporary dancer. The dancergirl videos started because one of her classmates "Charlie" videotaped her while she danced. The videos went viral; enters the stalker. I wasn't that happy with Al...more

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Dec 23, 2011 Johanna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: source-netgalley, source-giveaway, challenge-2012-ebooks, format-ebook-arc

I loved this book so much. On a personal level, I identified so much with the characters in this book. Alicia Ruffino, the main character, is a girl of mixed-heritage living in Brooklyn, NY. She spends her days as a regular high school student and her afternoons as a modern dance student. She lives with her single mother who works as a nurse and therefore works nights, so Ali (Alicia) spends a lot of time alone at home. This hit close to home. I lived between Dominican Republic/New York/Miami mo...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Rae Quigley rated it 3 of 5 stars

The book had an interesting premise to it. Good girl ballerina parties with her friends, one of which tapes her dancing and puts it on the internet. Totally harmless, and totally innocent. Until some creep puts his own camera in her bedroom window and tapes her dancing around in her underwear. Cue the girl and her friend trying to crack the case of who is doing this, and why. Cue the paranoia, the distrust of all strangers (and even some acquaintances). Enough paranoia to affect this poor girl's...more The book had an interesting premise to it. Good girl ballerina parties with her friends, one of which tapes her dancing and puts it on the internet. Totally harmless, and totally innocent. Until some creep puts his own camera in her bedroom window and tapes her dancing around in her underwear. Cue the girl and her friend trying to crack the case of who is doing this, and why. Cue the paranoia, the distrust of all strangers (and even some acquaintances). Enough paranoia to affect this poor girl's dancing career.

The book was in no way bad, but it also wasn't great. It was very much a book about a stalker, and it thoroughly creeped me. I mean, this is something that could, in theory, happen to anyone. The whole time I was reading the book my subconscious was screaming, "REMEMBER OPRAH? SHE SAID PEOPLE HIDE CAMERAS IN MIRRORS!". For years after that episode I refused to get dressed or do anything remotely embarrassing in front of mirrors. That fear turned into, "Wait, what if there are cameras in the vents?!". I was like those old men constantly looking over their shoulders for communists. I grew out of the fear, of course (for the most part, anyway) until recently when my teacher told me that there was a software you could buy to tap into strangers webcams while they're on the computer. The worst part, your webcam light wouldn't even come on. How creepy, right?! Needless to say, this book brought back all of those crazy fears, and so I really connected with the main character, but only with that. Her obsessive need to be a great dancer was understandable, and luckily it didn't take over the story. In fact, it might have even added to it.

Beware, spoilers ahead. DUN DUN DUN.

The book was in no way predictable, which I love. There were several times that I thought the person taping her was her dancing instructor's weird boyfriend, of the first friend that taped her dancing, and with every doubt that the main character had, I felt it too. When she started looking for help in a former police officer that lived her neighborhood her whole life, I didn't suspect him for a second. He seemed quite helpful, and sincere, and well.... he was a former cop. So when it turned out that it was him, in fact, stalking the girl, I was shocked. The whole confrontation at the end was well done as well.

end spoilers>

Overall the the book was good. It was a very quick read, which worked out well, because if there was any more to the story it would have become a bit too much. Solid three stars for me.(less)

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Aug 03, 2012 Wanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Alicia lives to dance. After a friend records her dancing she becomes a star. But with the fame comes a price.

I loved this book! When I first decided to read it I thought it was going to be mostly about Alicia and her love of dancing. I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be more about Ali solving who is stalking her because of her dancing videos that go viral (although there was plenty of dance).

From the very beginning this book had me hooked. I think one of the things I liked the mo...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, creepy-scary, ebook, netgalley, y-a

dancergirl is a creepy, fast-paced story about Ali, a dancer who is trying to find out who is posting videos of her online. It also has some good old fashioned stalking thrown in.

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I love reading a Y.A mystery/creepy kind of book every now and then. This did the trick. It wasn't as exciting as I hoped it would be but it kept me interested. It was like a less cheesy version of a R.L Stine novel(which is a little sad. I kind of enjoy the cheesiness in R.L Stine novels.)

It did read a bit like an old...more

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Apr 24, 2012 Leonor rated it 4 of 5 stars

Have you ever felt that feeling that someone is watching you like if they had ex ray vision when you're alone? Suddenly things turn out to go a bit too far and you find out that someone is behind your back.
Dance girl by; Carol M. Tanzman illustrates a teenage girl named Alicia Ruffino who loves to dance. She is into the flow of the music, the movement into her dance that she loses herself. Charlie a friend of her films her dancing alone for a video he’s filming. At this point the video just we...more Have you ever felt that feeling that someone is watching you like if they had ex ray vision when you're alone? Suddenly things turn out to go a bit too far and you find out that someone is behind your back.
Dance girl by; Carol M. Tanzman illustrates a teenage girl named Alicia Ruffino who loves to dance. She is into the flow of the music, the movement into her dance that she loses herself. Charlie a friend of her films her dancing alone for a video he’s filming. At this point the video just went viral and more videos of her are made at a party where she was drinking. One of the videos of her has been filmed where she’s dancing in her underwear at home. This video is soon posted online so she’s no longer Alicia Ruffino she’s dance girl an online character. She never thought this situation would drastically change her life. With all this she finds out that she has a stalker who has been watching her and secretly recorded her. She won’t tell her mom or the authorities about the videos. It’s up to her and Jacy her closest friend to find out who this mysterious person is before it’s too late.
Alicia likes to hang out with her best friends and likes to party as well. She is passionate about dance and hopes to study dance when she goes into college. Alicia works at a dance studio after school to take free classes. She is quit responsible and does told what to do later she finds out that fame comes with a price.
Carol M. Tanzman is the author of the contemporary YA novels such as Dance girl and Circle of silence. She is an award winning theater director and is well recognized for arts educator and has been honored by the Bravo Awards. She was in a production of the Wizard of Oz and she also directed Broadway production of new plays. She was then artistic director of children Theater Company and was honored by the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Dance girl was a good book because it makes you see the problems that can occur when you make bad decisions like putting serious information on the internet and when you don’t make the right choices then you have consequences coming right at you. The novel was entertaining because it turned the novel to both sides making it a mystery and romantic. However the story was catchy because the author made the characters believable and it made me feel that Alicia was actually talking to me throughout the story. The authors writing style made me follow the story because it made me want to find out who was the mysterious person.

(less)

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Feb 15, 2012 Sunhee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: primer-libro-saga, 2011, opinion-escrita

Fui un poquito a ciegas cuando leí este libro, la verdad. La protagonista, Ali, toma clases en un estudio de danza, y su sueño es convertirse en una bailarina profesional. Su amigo la graba mientras baila en una fiesta, lo cuelga y al día siguiente Ali descubre que ha tenido mucho éxito. Ahora todo el mundo, incluso los del instituto, la conoce como Dancergirl. Más adelante, la protagonista descubre que hay alguien que la espía y la graba a escondidas.

Me gustó mucho toda esa idea de dancergirl,...more

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Dec 29, 2011 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have seen Dancergirl on a few other blogs and was at first reluctant to request a copy. But after hearing a lot of positive things about it I went ahead and requested and got accepted.

From the moment I started Dancergirl I was hooked and even though it isn't my typical type of book to read I devoured it, I could not put it down. Dancergirl follows Ali who is caught in a film by a friend at a concert. The film is then posted online and Ali becomes a huge hit and gains the title Dancergirl. More...more

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Dec 17, 2011 Whatchyareading added it

Shelves: christine, young-adult, series, contemporary

Ever felt like someone was watching you, but when you turn around, no one’s there? I know I have, as I’m sure everyone has at one time. It’s a creepy feeling. But what if someone actually was watching you? What would you do? Who would turn to?

Alicia, aka Ali, is the lead character and POV of this book. What she knows, we know. So when things start turning creepy and her best friend bails on her, you feel just as lost as she does. Set in Brooklyn, the characters move around New York City over the...more Ever felt like someone was watching you, but when you turn around, no one’s there? I know I have, as I’m sure everyone has at one time. It’s a creepy feeling. But what if someone actually was watching you? What would you do? Who would turn to?

Alicia, aka Ali, is the lead character and POV of this book. What she knows, we know. So when things start turning creepy and her best friend bails on her, you feel just as lost as she does. Set in Brooklyn, the characters move around New York City over the course of Ali’s junior year as you learn about her friends, her habits, her love for dancing, and her increasing state of panic about her stalker.

She really does love dancing. You can feel it when you read about her classes, or when she dances in her room to work through her stress. (Because sometimes, you just have to dance!) I’ve never had that feeling when it comes to dancing because I’m an awkward white girl who still occasionally ‘vogues’. But I always appreciate passion about something, since I’m so passionate about good books. Ali’s passion for dancing is catching. After reading a part concerning her dance class, I wanted to see if I could leap around with any grace whatsoever, which I can’t, but it was inspiring. Man, sometimes I wish I’d stuck with ballet when I was a kid, just for a little while longer.

The stalking part of the story, which becomes the full focus about halfway through, was uber creepy. To think that someone would videotape you in your own bedroom squicked me out. I have the thickest curtains sold covering all the windows in my bedroom for this very reason. The thought of someone watching me change without my permission, or seeing me walk around in my underwear… Just the thought of someone watching me when I didn’t know they were there, it freaks me out. I feel for Ali when she discovers this. I know I’d start becoming paranoid if that happened to me, so Ali questioning everyone in her life after that is completely understandable.

I do want to warn y’all that there’s underage drinking and drug use shown a few times in this book, so if that’s something you don’t want to read about, or you don’t want your child to read about, now you know.

Overall, Dancergirl is a quick read that will leave you looking over your shoulder more than usual and double checking every lock on every window. But it’ll also make you appreciate the friends who would believe you if you told them someone was stalking you.

Reviewed at WhatchYAreading on October 4, 2011.(less)

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Dec 11, 2011 Kerri rated it 3 of 5 stars

"Dancergirl" by Carol M. Tanzman is a refreshing twist of dance slash thriller. The first-person narration adds to the suspense of this quick 'who dun nit'. Ali Ruffino is an accomplished dancer who dreams of attending Julliard one day. Ali's life is thrust into the limelight when she allows her school friend Charlie to film her dancing. When Charlie posts his film online it's rapid popularity earns Ali the nickname "Dancergirl." At first Ali enjoys her newfound fame but quickly she learns there...more

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Dec 08, 2011 A Canadian Girl rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, 2-stars, harlequin-teen

Based on the tone of the novel, the characters’ actions and the important message of being careful of what you post online, Dancergirl by Carol M. Tanzman is a book that I think is better suited to teens on the younger side. As Ali, the main character, can attest, anything that gets put online becomes open to public opinion. Tanzman however chooses to forego dwelling on cyber-bullying, and instead gives Ali a mysterious stalker as the biggest consequence of having a friend post an online video o...more

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Nov 22, 2011 Kelley York rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc

Cover: 3.5/5 Pretty, catching. It makes me think of a photo on TV or a computer screen, zoomed in close, which is very appropriate for the book. But if I saw it in a store, I'm note sure it would make me pick it up.

Characters: 3/5 There wasn't anyone I disliked, but the only character who really stood out to me was Jacy. I adored him, and I wanted to give him a hug with everything he went through. Ali was a good narrator. While I wasn't necessarily connecting to her a lot (only because she's not...more Cover: 3.5/5 Pretty, catching. It makes me think of a photo on TV or a computer screen, zoomed in close, which is very appropriate for the book. But if I saw it in a store, I'm note sure it would make me pick it up.

Characters: 3/5 There wasn't anyone I disliked, but the only character who really stood out to me was Jacy. I adored him, and I wanted to give him a hug with everything he went through. Ali was a good narrator. While I wasn't necessarily connecting to her a lot (only because she's not the sort of girl I would relate to), I did feel her paranoia and anxiety over everything she was going through, even when she suspects people close to her are the ones doing the stalking. Admittedly, Ali's two closet friends, I often got mixed up. I thought her rival was really well done, though. It was refreshing to see a rival who wasn't an evil bitch just because, but who had a little depth and even some empathy in her.

Plot: 3.5/5 I really enjoyed the suspense! The plot was clear and concise, and I enjoyed the side-problems with Jacy. Their romance was always a driving factor for both characters, but the plot didn't revolve around them getting together and that's exactly the kind of romance I like. Where the plot fell flat for me was the revealing of the stalker, because I saw it coming too soon, and I felt sort of like that person was the stalker because it was unexpected.

Writing: 3.5/5 Ms Tanzman has a very easy, clean style of writing. I wasn't caught up in the prose because it isn't really the poetic sort, but that isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes clean, clear writing is just what I need after reading books with thicker, more poetic writing that is pretty for the sake of being pretty. And even though it's simple, the writing never leaves us in the dark about the beauty of things. The dancing references were lost on me, but I always appreciate when an author knows what they're talking about on a subject.

Overall: 3.25/5 Enjoyable and a suspenseful, fun read. I think fans of dancing will be particularly fond of this book. (less)

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Nov 21, 2011 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ya'll know my rule. I don't review anything unless I have something positive to say.

And man, do I have something to say about DANCERGIRL. It's good. (Say the 'good' with a little bit of a growl).

In short, it's a classic stalker tale with a very realistic YouTube-ish twist. A video of the MC, Alicia Ruffiano, dancing at a party is posted online. Suddenly, everyone is watching her, loving her skill or hating her popularity. But one person wants a personal performance, and starts filming her when...more

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Nov 07, 2011 Jennifer Wood rated it 3 of 5 stars

I found this to be an intriguing story. The idea of a stalker and the things that happen to Ali are very realistic. I can see them happening. I like the way Ali grew as a character and the ending was a satisfying one. Her character, along with best friend Jacy, were nicely developed. I was a little disappointed that the other characters weren't developed as well. Her friends were a mixed bunch, and there were some insights into their personalities, but they leaned toward the flat side.
The choice...more

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Oct 23, 2011 Paula Phillips rated it 5 of 5 stars

As I prepare to wind down from the 24 Hr Readathon, I bring you Book #7 - a good number to finish on as it's my favourite number. Are you a fan of mystery and suspense ? Feeling in the mood for a bit of stalkerish fiction ? Meet Ali , all she has ever wanted to do was become a dancer and what started off as fun entertainment - a school friend Charlie filming her dancing and posting on Zubu which is like the equivalent of Youtube ended into a game much more dangerous as somebody else is filming A...more

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Oct 21, 2011 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-releases

From Books and Threads

I really enjoyed this book! While the synopsis focuses solely on the dancergirl online sensation, the plot transitions into a stalker story and how Ali reacts to suspected invasions of her privacy. And that is really well done. The tension in the writing is amazing. I read the entire book in one sitting because I really didn’t want to put it down.

As a main character, Ali’s a fairly normal teenage girl. She dedicated to dance, working at her dance studio to earn free classe...more From Books and Threads

I really enjoyed this book! While the synopsis focuses solely on the dancergirl online sensation, the plot transitions into a stalker story and how Ali reacts to suspected invasions of her privacy. And that is really well done. The tension in the writing is amazing. I read the entire book in one sitting because I really didn’t want to put it down.

As a main character, Ali’s a fairly normal teenage girl. She dedicated to dance, working at her dance studio to earn free classes and dreaming of Julliard. She struggles with her classes but gets by with the help of her friends - especially the good-looking boy in the apartment below who’s suddenly started to pull away. I have to say that I really appreciate that the author made her main character a person of character (even if the apparent cover decided to erase that). YA books are so often so very, very white.

Dance is the most important part of Ali’s life which makes the entire situation that much more horrifying. As a sort of joke and sort of a way to help out but mostly just a chance to dance, she agrees to shoot a few videos with Charlie, a friend from school. The videos nearly immediately go viral, leaving Ali uncertain what to do in the face of this new internet fame. Charlie wants to shoot more installments, her friends think the whole situation is awesome, and Ali’s just trying to finish her choreography solo and get ready for auditions at the dance studio. It was a really neat look at the power of the internet. Something so little can so easily come to mean so much to thousands of people, each with their own opinions about a girl they’ve never met. It’s a familiar story - especially for people like us who use the internet so much in our daily lives.

The suspense in the book is quickly increased through as Ali begins to wonder if she’s being stalked by one of her ‘fans.’ The ins and outs of the situation as her friends work together to try to figure out who’s behind it are fully explored, This part becomes the weakest of the book as the pacing falters while the students suspect one person than another, but the highlight of this section is Ali questioning everything. Did she bring this on herself? Is she responsible for the invasions of privacy? What does she need to do to protect herself?

It feels difficult to say that I ‘loved’ this part because it’s such a horrible topic, and I’d never want to see anyone go through such a situation, but I felt the way the author handled the entire question was really, really well done. I don’t want to get into any type of spoilers, but I will say that I thought both the final culprit - and the reasoning behind it - relieved me. I was a little worried at times that the book was going to veer into some victim blaming of Ali, and it was really excellent to see it go in a completely different direction.

The friendship of Jacy, the boy downstairs (and yes, I called him Jace for ¾ of the book) and Ali is another strong point of this book. The two really feel like best friends since forever, and when Jacy starts to pull away from the friendship, Ali’s left unmoored and unsettled in the midst of this entire ordeal. Jacy’s story is just as compelling as Ali’s and once some of his personal situation is revealed, we get two strong characters at the center of this tension-filled book.

I requested this book from NetGalley because of the dancing aspect, and while that part was definitely enjoyable, the realistic tension and questions about privacy and stalking, both on the internet and in person, were very well done. Plus there’s a good story of boy/girl friendship that might just veer into more. I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for a tense contemporary read.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarlequinTeen for the opportunity to read and review dancergirl.(less)

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Nov 25, 2011 Zoey rated it 2 of 5 stars

For me, dancergirl was one of those books where I didn't really enjoy it, but I just had to keep reading because I felt like I needed to know what was going to happen.

Ali was so paranoid during this book that it was almost funny. Of course, halfway through the book, she definitely had a reason to be paranoid, but even when she was on a date with Luke, I just wanted to smack her and then laugh. It was a bit ridiculous.

There were also lots of parts I found myself extremely bored during. I just wa...more

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Nov 21, 2011 Chrissy rated it 4 of 5 stars

The premise of dancergirl by Carol M. Tanzman is what most attracted me to read the novel. There really aren't many things more intense than a stalker situation. On top of that, this book focuses on dance and I love a good book about performing arts. (Granted, I love a good book about basically anything.)

dancergirl had exactly what I expected and more. Not only was there a creepy stalker situation and a lot of dance, but there were also fully realized relationships. Every relationship from the b...more

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Aug 28, 2011 Holly rated it 3 of 5 stars

Originally reviewed for In-Interest
Ali has a passion for dance, a passion that soon leads her into danger as she gains the attention of the public. Some people envy her, others idolise her and some people take their admiration for Dancergirl to an obsessive level. The author, Carol M. Tanzman, does a wonderful job at introducing something refreshing and new into the already very populated young-adult scene. It's a bold move introducing something with as much originality as Dancergirl has, but it...more Originally reviewed for In-Interest
Ali has a passion for dance, a passion that soon leads her into danger as she gains the attention of the public. Some people envy her, others idolise her and some people take their admiration for Dancergirl to an obsessive level. The author, Carol M. Tanzman, does a wonderful job at introducing something refreshing and new into the already very populated young-adult scene. It's a bold move introducing something with as much originality as Dancergirl has, but it certainly paid off.

There is a big dance element incorparated into the novel with certain dance terms that two weeks worth of ballet did not help me identify. Although this can seem a bit troublesome, it didn't really bother. Their are two options; read past them and draw up your own definition or do a quick google search. As I mentioned before, it really doesn't take much away from the story. The love Ali has for dance is admirable and I can see people signing up for dance lessons after reading this book. If your not a fan of dancing that's not a big problem as there is many other elements to the book.

What I didn't realize was that mysetry plays a big part on this book. Tanzman manages to engage the readers and take them on a journey complete with potential culprits and paranoia. As Ali gets more and more paranoid, so do the readers. Everyone has the person who they believe is watching Ali but if you guess it first you deserve some kind of special recognition because it's so well hidden. 3/4 in I had by suscpions about the real offender but the wonderful thing about the book is your never sure.

All the characters seem very real, like any other normal group of friends. Samantha, the rich 'perfect' type, was not and instant like to me. I found her a bit cliche' but at the end she does something that I think ws pretty shocking for her. Shocking in a good way. The book really highlights how people have different sides and it takes something dramatic to bring it out of them. A favourite of mine is Ali's guy friend, Jacy, who has a habit of falling over which may seem funny untill he reveals why which is quite upsetting.

This book makes the readers aware of all the danger that surrounds the internet. Publicising internet awarness in the form of a young-adult is a perfect way to highlight it. The novel doesn't say 'don't do this and 'don't do that' but it does make the reader wary about what actually goes on on the net. This book is actually quite scary, reading when your at home alone in the dark is certainly not advisable.(less)

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Nov 29, 2011 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

"The sick feeling that someone's staring at me. Only I'm not on the subway. Or the bus. Or even a park bench. I'm in my bedroom. Alone."
A creepy beginning prologue. I was hooked from the very start. Ali Ruffino loves to dance and one day even dreams of Julliard or a career in dance. So when her film buff friend Charlie takes some footage of her dancing at a party and posts it onto Zube she decides to go with it. A little fame and recognition for her dancing can't be so bad, can it? Then after 50...more "The sick feeling that someone's staring at me. Only I'm not on the subway. Or the bus. Or even a park bench. I'm in my bedroom. Alone."
A creepy beginning prologue. I was hooked from the very start. Ali Ruffino loves to dance and one day even dreams of Julliard or a career in dance. So when her film buff friend Charlie takes some footage of her dancing at a party and posts it onto Zube she decides to go with it. A little fame and recognition for her dancing can't be so bad, can it? Then after 50,000 hits Charlie still wants to keep up the internet sensation story line. He plays shyboy who is watching dancergirl from a far.

Fame has brought on more than Ali bargained for. Everyone is talking about her, whispering around school, recognizing her on the street and putting in their opinions. Even assuming the most horrible things about her. "My friends and I think you're a bitch. You should leave a message for shyboy, tell him you want to meet." She decides to put an end to the videos but when another video ends up on Zube, one where she is in her underwear, in her bedroom, where no one should have been filming her, Ali begins to realize someone must be stalking her. But who could it be? Charlie with a grudge since she told him no more videos? Her best friend Jacy developing deeper feelings for her? Pot head Luke Sorezzi who is trying to date her? The angry girls at her dance school or their creepy boyfriends?

A close, intriguing and real look at internet fame. How someone can deal with thousands of people talking about your looks, your personality, who you might be dating or blowing off, your every move without ever even meeting you. Ali has to deal with the crippling and creepy feeling of constantly being watched. She doesn't know if it is paranoia or her imagination but she can't escape the feeling. Her best friend Jacy has been distant. He won't tell her what is going on with him so she feels extremely alone. Jacy was a sweet and wonderful best friend character. Going through some extreme life difficulties he does end up being there for Ali. I love when a love interest is a real and sweet guy. No angsty bad boy here. I was rooting for him all along.

When Ali finally discovers a camera hidden in her alarm clock she knows someone is taking their dancergirl obsession to a scary and dangerous new level. On a hunt for the truth, Ali slowly starts crossing suspects off her list. I loved that everyone was a true suspect. It took me awhile to figure it out. I was as shocked and creeped out as Ali. I will definitely keep any personal videos of myself off youtube! This book definitely made me see the scary side of the internet. But sometimes danger is closer to home... (less)

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Nov 21, 2011 Kris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, contemporary, ya-books, books-reviewed

Review copied from original post at Imaginary Reads.

dancergirl is a chilling story: because of the plot and the realness of the story. Today, the Internet is such a big part of our lives, and many people don’t think twice about posting videos of themselves online. Ali thrives on stardom and protests little before allowing Charlie to shoot more videos of her (after posting an initial one without her permission) to post on Zube, an online video site in the book.

There is enough dancing in the book...more

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Nov 09, 2011 Majibookshelf Juhina & Farah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Thee beginning of the book was a bit slow and confusing, especially with Ali's best friend Jacy's problems and other characters not being clearly introduced to us. However the story finally took off when dancegirl videos went viral and the emergence of a peeping tom/stalker.

Alicia, Ali, who is our female protagonist is a contemporary dancer. The dancergirl videos started because one of her classmates "Charlie" asked to videotape her while she dances. The videos went viral; enters the stalker. I...more

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Mar 02, 2012 Tiffany (Book Cover Justice) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Alicia Ruffino loves to dance. After school, she works at a dance studio in order to take free classes. It's all she has ever wanted to do. Aside from dancing, Alicia likes to hang out with her best friends, including Jacy, her closest friend for as long as she can remember and downstairs neighbor. When Alicia agrees to become Dancergirl, an online character, she never imagines that it will drastically change her life. Someone is now watching her and secretly recording her. It's up to her and Ja...more Alicia Ruffino loves to dance. After school, she works at a dance studio in order to take free classes. It's all she has ever wanted to do. Aside from dancing, Alicia likes to hang out with her best friends, including Jacy, her closest friend for as long as she can remember and downstairs neighbor. When Alicia agrees to become Dancergirl, an online character, she never imagines that it will drastically change her life. Someone is now watching her and secretly recording her. It's up to her and Jacy to figure out just who it is before it's too late.
This book had me hooked from the very beginning. In fact, I read this straight through in one sitting. Ali is a likable character, a seemingly normal teenage girl. She likes to dance, hang out with friends and party. She works hard and is responsible. Ok, maybe not completely responsible, but she doesn't give her mom a hard time and does as she is asked.
What really drew me into this story was how believable it was. I don't think teens realize that once they put information out on the internet, it's there forever. Anyone can see it and anyone can find out who you are if they really want to. The Dancergirl videos blow up in a huge way and everyone wants to know who she is. How many times does this happen in real life? All the time. Every week there is some new video online that everyone just can't stop talking about. In Ali's case, someone has taken it upon themselves to start stalking her. Does this happen in real life? Oh, yes.
Aside from the believable story, the writing style grabs you immediately and doesn't let you go. The story flows so nicely that you think you are just listening to a friend tell you a story. You don't even realize you are reading. I was completely sucked into Ali's world and felt like I was there with her experiencing everything she experienced. Tanzman does an excellent job at keeping you guessing who the stalker is and every time you think you have it figured out she completely blows away your theory.
The only issue I had with this book was all the dance talk. I'm not a dancer, so when Ali describes some of the moves she was doing I was lost. Even so, it didn't distract me from the story.
If you are a YA fan like me, definitely check out this book. It has strong writing, believable characters and a thrilling mystery. (less)

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Dec 02, 2011 Jord¥n rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: net-galley, read-on-kindle, young-adult

this book took me by surprise!!!!

at first when i read the summary i thought that this would be another one of those books where the girl was a total slut and she posted videos online and then some exbf starts stalking her. let me tell you this was not that kind of book.

im not gonna say a whole lot because its such a short book but the end took me by surprise. you would never have guessed who the stalker truly is, theres so many suspects that we are introduced to its hard to tell who really did...more

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Nov 26, 2011 Emma rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: on-my-kindle

I started reading this book with absolutely no expectations whatsoever. All I knew was the basics, it was a thriller where the main character is a dancer who starts to get stalked after some of her dances appears online. To me this felt like a new topic and was one I did not pick up very frequently, but I was looking forward to getting stuck in.

Alicia is a teenage girl whose life revolves around dancing. It feel from the beginning of the book that Alicia has a fear of being spied on or watched....more I started reading this book with absolutely no expectations whatsoever. All I knew was the basics, it was a thriller where the main character is a dancer who starts to get stalked after some of her dances appears online. To me this felt like a new topic and was one I did not pick up very frequently, but I was looking forward to getting stuck in.

Alicia is a teenage girl whose life revolves around dancing. It feel from the beginning of the book that Alicia has a fear of being spied on or watched. One of Alicia's friends, Charlie, offers to boost both of their careers, her dancing and his film making, but filing her dancing in social setting and posting the videos online for all to see. Quite quickly the attention Alicia is getting turns negative when videos of her, not filmed by Charlie, turn up online too. That's when the real stalking began.

I thought that Alicia was an interesting character and it was clear that dancing ruled her life and was her passion. Not only does she dance at her local studio she also works there. Seeing as the most I know about dancing is how to shake my thing at a club (and I'm not even sure you can call that dancing) I struggled a little when Alicia spoke about dancing. It felt a little like I was being left out of a conversation.

I thought the real star of this book was Jace, Alicia's best friend. For my money his story and personal issues were the most interesting of the whole book. I liked some of the other characters but some of them felt quickly dismissed and never mentioned again once their specific role in the story had finished.

I thought there were some very exciting sections to this story, but at times the action did not move as fast as I thought it would. I though the action towards the end moved well and I actually overshot my lunch hour by 10 minutes finishing it off. I am not sure how I can see this novel working into a series as to me it very much felt like a stand alone book. I will be interested to see what the story of WiHi #2 will be.

(less)

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Nov 22, 2011 Mel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs-and-galleys, spooky-suspense, young-adult

I knew when I read the synopsis of DANCERGIRL that it was going to be a little creepy. “A little creepy” is definitely an understatement, it freaked me out! While I was reading, I was torn between wanting to dance and run and hide.

Dancing is Alicia’s passion, her dream, her life, until a friend films her dancing and posts the video online. At first the attention she receives is flattering, but then things go a little too far. Suddenly everyone knows about dancergirl and there’s no escaping it. A...more

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Nov 21, 2011 ExLibris_Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars

2.5 Stars

Dancergirl is a contemporary young adult novel that takes on the very relevant topic of your exposure online. Ali loves to dance and never really thought about the attention she received as a performer until a friend put a video of her on a youtube type site and it went viral. What follows is a mystery as Ali and her friends try to figure out who has been stalking her, culminating in a hair raising sequence when they finally solve the mystery.

Unfortunately, I just couldn't wrap my head...more

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About Carol M. Tanzman

Carol Tanzman is the author of the contemporary YA novels DANCERGIRL and CIRCLE OF SILENCE, published by Harlequin Teen. Her first novel, THE SHADOW PLACE was an ALA Quick Pick book. She is an award-winning theatre director, a nationally recognized arts educator, and has been honored (twice) by the Bravo Awards. She also loves to swing dance!

DANCERGIRL and CIRCLE OF SILENCE are contemporary thrill...more

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Quotes from dancergirl

“That's when I understand why I dance. For some people, it's the only way to make sense of the past, to get to the meaning behind the present. To find your true self.” — 6 people liked it

“There she is-dancergirl. But she doesn't even notice me. To her, I'm invisible. Should I go up to her, say something? Not a chance! All I can do is watch from afar. Hoping that one day, she'll see me.” — 3 people liked it

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