Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Shiny Broken Pieces (Tiny Pretty Things, #2)” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Shiny Broken Pieces

(Tiny Pretty Things #2)

Sona Charaipotra (Goodreads Author),

Dhonielle Clayton

3.85 · Rating details · 3,928 ratings · 690 reviews

June, Bette, and Gigi have given their all to dance at Manhattan’s most elite ballet school. Now they are competing one final time for a spot at the prestigious American Ballet Company. With the stakes higher than ever, these girls have everything to lose… and no one is playing nice.

June is starting to finally see herself as a prima ballerina. However, getting what she wan ...more

Get A Copy

Audiobook

Published July 12th 2016 by HarperCollins

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Shiny Broken Pieces, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

YA Novels of 2016

1,127 books — 9,712 voters

Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes

HarperTeen Books of 2016

127 books — 287 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 3.85 ·

Rating details

· 3,928 ratings · 690 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Shiny Broken Pieces (Tiny Pretty Things, #2)

Oct 07, 2015 Laura rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, read-in-2016, contemporary

This is my year. This is my turn. I’ll be the lead soloist. I’ll be chosen for the company. I’ll do whatever it takes.

Such a wonderful end to the dark series that gives us a glimpse into the competitive world of ballet. I cannot praise this series enough for it’s diversity. And that’s aside from the fierce, cut-throat ballerinas. The real-life issues such as eating disorders, coming out, drug abuse, racism, bullying, etc. & the engrossing drama.

Summer has passed since Tiny Pretty Things end ...more

flag 150 likes · Like · see review

Jun 12, 2017 Emer (A Little Haze) rated it did not like it

Shelves: contemporary, 1star, reviewed, read2017, young-adult, trees-died-for-this-crap

And I read this why???

*sigh*

The first book in this duology was not to my liking at all. But it left unanswered questions... I wanted to know if there was a point to certain events. I wanted to see if negative behaviours on the part of some of the male characters would be called to attention. I wanted to see if the female characters would ever develop into believable multi-layered ballerinas... I wanted to understand the reasons behind the actions of the characters from book one.

And it was all a ...more

flag 42 likes · Like · see review

Jun 24, 2016 Sue (Hollywood News Source) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: authors-of-color, diverse-books, characters-of-color, interracial-romance, young-adult, non-white-pairings

Shiny Broken Pieces stole my heart.

This book easily becomes my favorite read of 2016 as if there’s any other competition. One of the things that set this story apart from its peers is the non-glamorization portrayal of unlikable heroines. There’s savagery. We get to see them make bad decisions, get messy. There are times you’d question their intent and sincerity. There is a rawness, but we also get to see them stiched themselves back again. We need to normalize this narrative in YA or in any sp ...more

flag 42 likes · Like · see review

Jul 20, 2017 Beth rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2017-reads, book-series, 4-stars

4.5 Stars! This is so close to perfection for me!

Trigger warnings for Eating Disorders and Suicide

After I finished reading Tiny Pretty Things I was desperately wanting to finish this duology. I adored the first book and was eagerly and highly anticipating the final book. It did not disappoint me at all!

The story pretty much picks up where the first book ended, if you was expecting a nicer version with no more bullying in this book, well don't. This time round it's as though this is had done a co ...more

flag 29 likes · Like · see review

Jan 08, 2021 Dannii Elle rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary-cuteness, mysterious-miasmas

This is the second instalment in the Tiny Pretty Things series.

The students who attend Manhattan’s most elite ballet school either thrive or they die. Competition is rife and each individual who graces the academy’s dance halls and practise rooms do so to become the leader of this elite flock. But you know what they say about climbing the ladder of success. You have longer to fall and more people to pass if you should fall from it.

During the previous instalment the characters all exhibited grace ...more

flag 19 likes · Like · see review

Nov 30, 2020 Natalie M rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, young-adult

The competitiveness of life in an elite ballet school returns with drama and deceit in the second (and final) instalment of the series.

More of a whodunnit than the first book, all the characters return for more backstabbing, bullying, body dysmorphia, cut-throat actions and decisions. Gigi, Bette and June, vie for starring roles in the main casting show of the year. The boys are minor characters in this book but still play an integral role in events. Satisfying resolutions to many issues are rev ...more

flag 15 likes · Like · see review

Nov 24, 2019 Sabrina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2019

[actual rating 3.75 ⭐]

Unfortunately not as fun as the first book but it was still a gripping and shocking end to this duology!
I was really impressed by the character development and it was great to see the characters walking this thin line between good and evil. The plot twists were, again, not very shocking to me because I guessed them quite early every time but I was still deeply shocked by the ruthlessness and outright viciousness of the characters.
I still think that ballet and the life of a ...more

flag 13 likes · Like · see review

May 16, 2017 Jen Ryland added it

Shelves: ov

These books are twisty and fun, but not sure a second book added much new to the story. Putting Cassie in the mix was a (welcome) new element, but -- and maybe it was reading these back to back -- 800+ pages total of mean girls/pranks/bullying/ballet/boy drama/descriptions of each others' perfect faces and bodies started to be a bit much. By the end I'd had enough of these characters and was happy to break out of the claustrophobic world of the American Ballet Company academy.

Read more of my re ...more

flag 13 likes · Like · see review

Jan 06, 2018 Hannah rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, 2018, young-adult, culture, expected-much-more, tearjerkers, realistic-fiction, crime, 3-and-a-half-stars, easy-reads

Actual rating 3.5

I talked my feelings out with Aali who is queen btw but still genuinely not sure how I feel about this.

For me, June was the only character worthy of having her own chapters. Everyone else was pure bitching and being cruel to each other. June was different, she did do some awful things (because let's be real who didn't in this series) but there was a lot more substance to her.

I also think that the authors desperately wanted some morally grey characters but it just didn't work. ...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

Sep 16, 2016 Hannah ◇Reader in the Rough◇ rated it liked it

Shelves: teen

This is my year. This is my turn. I’ll be the lead soloist. I’ll be chosen for the company. I’ll do whatever it takes.

I didn't think it could get more intense than it's predecessor, but Shiny Broken Pieces is shocking and kept me on my toes. (Yes, I snuck in a ballet pun)

June was my favorite, Gigi never grabbed me as a character. Bette was the girl everyone loves to hate.

Their stories were definitely a worthwhile read. ...more

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

Jul 26, 2016 Acqua rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: db, z2016-favs, contemporary, unpredictable, best-mcs, favorites, aoc, ya, mi-ndv, love-cover

I loved the first one but Shiny Broken Pieces is on a whole other level. It's everything I wanted from this series and more.

Every character is fully fleshed out. In this duology the side characters are better developed than in most trilogies I've read.
Can we talk about the character development? These girls have grown so much.

There's Giselle "Gigi" Stewart, the ballerina who wants revenge - and finds an ally in Cassie Lucas, but they might be after the wrong person, and their friendship might be ...more

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

Sep 29, 2015 Emily Mead rated it it was amazing

Shelves: female-friendship, five-stars, favourites, contemporary, mental-illness

Oh my god I need like NINE MORE BOOKS. It's so intense and brilliant and there's all this PASSION. Gah. So good. ...more

flag 10 likes · Like · see review

Dec 01, 2015 Rhea Dsouza rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016-releases, edelweiss, diverse-quiltbag

I am so sad to see this duology end, but here’s the thing. This book, like its prequel, has diversity at the forefront. Not only that, it has diverse authors. The way Tiny Pretty Things and Shiny Broken Pieces have been written make me feel like these are authors who know what they’re talking about, know what issues they’ve addressed, maybe even personally gone through some of these problems. This isn’t research in these books—it’s their own life and their own hearts. And that, reader, is e I am so sad to see this duology end, but here’s the thing. This book, like its prequel, has diversity at the forefront. Not only that, it has diverse authors. The way Tiny Pretty Things and Shiny Broken Pieces have been written make me feel like these are authors who know what they’re talking about, know what issues they’ve addressed, maybe even personally gone through some of these problems. This isn’t research in these books—it’s their own life and their own hearts. And that, reader, is exactly why I’ve been pushing people to read these books.

After I’d completed reading Tiny Pretty Things, I thought I knew which characters in the story I was rooting for. Of course, in hindsight, I should have realised that life doesn’t work in blacks and whites, but that’s how this book worked out for me. More than a year later now, with Shiny Broken Pieces, the authors have redefined my stance on all characters, even making me go so far as to question if I read the first book correctly or not. This book marked a change in all the people in this story, and it marked a change in how I feel about them. A summer had passed between the events of the two books, and with all the things that had happened to and with the girls, I felt like some of them went through fundamental changes that just could be not be overlooked, notwithstanding who they used to be.

With Gigi, the change was phenomenal. This was a girl who had almost died because the dancers in her school were spiteful and jealous of her, and she realised this too late. This led to her becoming someone she wasn’t in SBP, and while it did not surprise me, it most definitely saddened me. I rooted for her quite a bit, but it just seemed like she was absolutely consumed with the goal of getting her revenge against everyone who had wronged her. The bright girl she was and her generous nature she had did shine through some of her actions but, as a reader, I was left quite breathless by most of her choices and decisions. It was a surreal experience to watch her unravel in this book, it truly was.

June, I think was the one I was truly surprised with. She wasn’t very different in this book, but she was…lighter? She had all the issues that come with being a perfectionist if its to the point of harming yourself, and all the problems that eating-disorders bring, but she was also more willing to reach out this time around. It was the last thing I expected of her, and it convinced me to start seeing her in a completely different light. I absolutely loved the changes in her, the kind of person she started to become in the last 60% of the book, and I can genuinely say that June may have gotten her happy ending after all. Bette, on the other hand, I’m still undecided about. Maybe it’s because I’m so used to seeing her as the villain that to me, its all she’s going to be. She, too, was very different this time, and very subdued, but that may also be because she was trying to clear her name in the eyes of the school. At the risk of giving away a very tiny spoiler, I’m going to say that Bette will probably never be a favourite of mine, simply because her motivation in the last book was to be THE star, and in this book it was to be proved innocent. I just don’t see myself ever liking Bette, ever.

I remember loving Eleanor in TPT, and it was so good to see her back again! She, too, is an important character in this book, and everything, including her friendship with Bette, is different this time around. Eleanor made her own choices—some bad, some worse—but she grew up, and that was good to see. All the supporting characters had depth and they made me feel and it was as beautiful an experience as book one, you guys.

READ THIS BOOK, everyone. It’s a dark, compelling story, but more than anything it talks about things that need to be talked about. It’s written with beauty that goes hand-in-hand with its content, and it will leave you a different person for having read it. No matter what you fancy—drama, romance, character development—the Tiny Pretty Things series has it. Also, the covers are going to look gorgeous on your shelves, think about that!

I was provided a free earc of this book by HarperTeen through Edelweiss in exchange of an honest review. this did not in any way, however, influence the content of this review. ...more

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

Sep 18, 2020 Vivianne rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: z-5-stars, z-audio-books, z-series-that-i-finished, z-favorites

Fantastic

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

Jan 03, 2021 Joana ♡ rated it liked it

3.5 ⭐️

Fun. Dramatic. DARK.

Three years ago, I read and loved the first book - Tiny Pretty Things (4 ⭐️) - and after watching the new Netflix adaptation I had to go back and experience these characters and this universe once again. And I enjoyed every second of it.

However, I had to take down one decimal point from my rating because I found the second book quite repetitive at points and way to similar to its predecessor.

Nonetheless, I 100% recommend if you can stomach it.

TW //: Suicide, Eating D ...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Oct 16, 2015 Lauren ✨ (TheBookishTwins) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: authors-of-colour, contemporary, favorites, highly-anticipated-2016, edelweiss, would-rate-more-than-5-if-i-could, fav-2016-reads

Disclaimer: I received a free copy via Edelweiss for review purposes.

Last year I read Tiny Pretty Things and it became an instant favourite. I was ~~patiently~~ eagerly awaiting Shiny Broken Pieces. It did not disappoint, and I found myself immersed in the lives of the Bette, June and Gigi once again.

Spoilers ahead for Tiny Pretty Things.

Shiny Broken Pieces picks up at the beginning of the new school year. Gigi is still recovering from her accident but she is determined to prove that she still has ...more

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

Sep 10, 2015 H rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

Inferior to the first — full of bitterness with less tension and character growth, losing all the charm that made Tiny Pretty Things sparkle. Bette was the sole diamond in a sea of cubic zirconia.

Disappointed. ...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Oct 14, 2018 Caitlin Smith rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, scribd, owned-books, 2018-books, mental-health

This was a really good end to a really good duology! I would highly recommend!

It’s a new year at Manhattan’s most elite ballet school and the stakes are higher than ever as Gigi, Bette and June have one last chance to make there dreams come true. Who will come out on top?

Oh my God, these characters! Firstly, I loved Gigi in book 1, but I didn’t quite like her as much in this one. Gigi went through hell in Tiny Pretty Things and it’s to be expected that it would change her, however she turned i This was a really good end to a really good duology! I would highly recommend!

It’s a new year at Manhattan’s most elite ballet school and the stakes are higher than ever as Gigi, Bette and June have one last chance to make there dreams come true. Who will come out on top?

Oh my God, these characters! Firstly, I loved Gigi in book 1, but I didn’t quite like her as much in this one. Gigi went through hell in Tiny Pretty Things and it’s to be expected that it would change her, however she turned into a proper Bette 2.0. But we saw her truly regret her actions, but it didn’t stop her actions. Seeing her get revenge against the people that wronged her really had me torn because on one hand I loved seeing Gigi stick up for herself and give the other dancers what was coming to them, on the other hand two wrongs don’t make a right.

Then we have Bette, who is determined to clear her name and have her suspension lifted. I feel like Bette had some really good character development in this book and we saw a different side to her. I felt she better understood her bad attitude and was truly trying to right her wrongs. Lastly, June just wants to be a prima ballerina, however her health disorders may be the very thing standing in her way. We see June begin to accept her eating disorders and that she needs help.

I think the main thing about this book that deserves an applause is the diversity. Throughout this book and the first we have had so many different groups of people represented. We have black ballerinas, Asian ballerinas and this book specifically had elements of racism in it. We had members of the LGBT+ group and struggling to come to terms with their sexuality. The was a character who struggled with a very serious eating disorder. Another who had a problem with pills and multiple counts of bullying.

I loved the premise of this series, it’s so original and interesting. I loved how the stakes were higher in this book and, good actions or bad, you could see how every girl genuinely wanted to be a prima ballerina. Overall this was a really good duology and I would highly recommend! ...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Apr 20, 2018 Andy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2018-read, own

Wow so happy with the ending.

This book was addictive. I think it's because I absolutely love dance. I love hearing about the techniques, the costumes, makeup just everything. And this time the school was doing Swan Lake. I've spent hours watching videos of this ballet and I've even seen it professionally done. It is so beautiful I don't have the words. It was the perfect ending piece.

We finally find out who was behind each of the horrible things in book 1 and the pranks/bullying doesn't stop in Wow so happy with the ending.

This book was addictive. I think it's because I absolutely love dance. I love hearing about the techniques, the costumes, makeup just everything. And this time the school was doing Swan Lake. I've spent hours watching videos of this ballet and I've even seen it professionally done. It is so beautiful I don't have the words. It was the perfect ending piece.

We finally find out who was behind each of the horrible things in book 1 and the pranks/bullying doesn't stop in this book. Cassie is back to get Bette, and Gigi is out for revenge. It seems like this school brings out the worst in the girls. Honestly, I was so worried they were going to kill each other.

June continues to struggle with her weight and I think this was probably the thing I had the hardest time with. I know the atmosphere and all the other girls don't help, but I wanted June to be healthy so badly. Every time she threw up made me want to cry for her. Luckily, her mom refuses to give up on her and the people at the school try to help as well.

Bette I really didn't like in the first book, but I think her time away from the school helped her attitude. She came to a few stunning conclusions about her behavior and I was really proud of her to try to change her attitude. She also stopped trying to chase Alec as much. I was so thankful for that. One more "Alec belongs to me" and I think I might have hurled. My favorite development with Bette was seeing her start to really listen to Eleanor and begin repairing their friendship.

Gigi was such a tough case in this book. She was my favorite character from the first book, but she kind of turned black swan in this book. She's still an amazing dancer, but when she focused on revenge I wanted to pull out my hair. Also, I hated that she gravitated towards Cassie. I really did not like Cassie or trust her at all and she was a horrible influence for my baby Gigi.

I'm so glad I picked up this series. I really fell in love with all three girls by the end of the series and I was so happy how everything was resolved. Now I need to go watch hours of ballet and sign up for a class again. ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Jan 13, 2021 Aly rated it liked it

Shelves: january-2021, audiobook, 2021, contemporary, romance, ya

I had to know who was behind all the terrible things that happened in book one. Each girl has so much going on and their own struggles and some of them have done terrible things. It was nice getting the answers to all my questions, plus I saw how the girls ended up when high school ended.

Gigi is so innocent in the first book and I was sad to see her turn to vengeance and become a mean girl. She's incredibly talented and just needed to stick with Alec and focus on herself. June needed serious he ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Jun 18, 2018 Nemo (The Moonlight Library) rated it liked it

Shelves: 2016-published, format-audiobook, first-world-problems, minority-author-or-mc, source-library, publisher-5-harpercollins, series, sts, audience-young-adult, genre-contemporary

This review was originally posted on The Moonlight Library

It wasn't great.

It wasn't terrible.

It was kind of 'meh.'

What I did enjoy was the depictions of actual dancing, of the ballet classes themselves, of the class getting ready to perform Swan Lake. I’ve read another ballet book where the dancing is described in terms of the physical actions taken, not a lyrical description, and I think the authors pulled off the feelings of what it is like to dance from the point of view of three characters w This review was originally posted on The Moonlight Library

It wasn't great.

It wasn't terrible.

It was kind of 'meh.'

What I did enjoy was the depictions of actual dancing, of the ballet classes themselves, of the class getting ready to perform Swan Lake. I’ve read another ballet book where the dancing is described in terms of the physical actions taken, not a lyrical description, and I think the authors pulled off the feelings of what it is like to dance from the point of view of three characters whose lives revolve around ballet.

One of the reasons… ok the ONLY reason… I decided to read this book was to find out WHO had pushed Gigi into an oncoming car in the previous book. Tiny Pretty Things left this as a cliffhanger, which I despise, and I was pretty much OK with that for a long time. In Shiny Broken Pieces we find out pretty early on who it was definitely NOT… but then find out who it definitely WAS about halfway through. It seemed kinda early-ish for me, but then the rest of the novel focused on this massive Swan Lake performance.

One of Gigi’s defining characteristics is that she’s black, and in ballet, that’s really rare. However the authors couldn’t decide if everyone always stared at her or if she managed to blend in with the other ballerinas. I guess she could do both, but I found it wavered from one extreme to the other depending on what looked better to the plot without any consistency. Gigi was stared at A LOT, almost as if the students of a New York school had never seen a black girl before… I thought it was strange, but I do not study ballet nor do I live in New York City, so perhaps I’m not the best authority on that. In contrast, people did not stare at June, or Bette, the other two protagonists, however Bette is the epitome of the beautiful blonde white girl and June was half Korean and one of her primary characteristics was that she blended into the background.

I mean, whatever! I thought it was inconsistent but maybe that’s how people actually act. I don’t even know anymore. What is literary criticism anyway? *existential crisis*

Although I really liked the presentation of June's anorexia and bulimia, I was a little confused how one teacher could indicate that June is too fat and everyone else was concerned she was too thin. Consistency was also an issue in Tiny Pretty Things, so maybe it's just these authors.

Another thing I found grating was Gigi's narrator. She had this really annoying delivery in a kind of monotone where she sounded really depressed, but then when she did dialogue she inflected much better. Her general narration annoyed the funk out of me. I don't think Gigi was actually depressed, just bent on revenge, so was not pleasant to listen to. In contrast the other two narrators of Bette and June didn't sound like they were uninspired and just reading from a script they hated in a job they hated, they actually delivered some entertainment.

I also want to say that I didn’t particularly like any of the characters in this novel, but I don’t think it’s a requirement in enjoying a book to like characters who are awful to each other as the main plot point (see Wuthering Heights, one of my favourite books BECAUSE I hate the characters).

I will mention that I’m not comfortable with how it ended. There was one of many characters seeking revenge for acts committed against them and they ended up losing everything while other characters who instigated the bullying kind of got rewarded? Like, I get that ballet is a cut-throat biz but I felt really sorry for the character, who was only twisted up because someone had bullied them and they was seeking revenge. The other thing that irked me was that the people who did the really bad things in Tiny Pretty Things (pushing Gigi in front of the car, glass in the shoes, killing the butterflies) were all LGBTQ characters. Like, the victims got screwed over and the biggest bullies got everything they wanted. So yeah, not cool. I like Mean Girl books because they get their comeuppance, and I didn’t feel satisfied with how everything ended. ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Apr 10, 2016 Trisha rated it really liked it · review of another edition

"Better, faster, stronger, payback"

What a fabulous ending. Truly, in the theme of the series - we got to see the ugliest side of everyone. The twist and turns - the plots and revenge. This last year in the dancer's lives were all about change. And this last year defined each of them - as it was the final person they were when they auditioned for the final step - The Ballet Company. Only 2 girls and 2 boys go each year - and the year before there wasn't enough talent and no one went. It's a tough ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Jun 30, 2016 India Brown rated it it was amazing

This book was amazing. The character development is spot on and it does a great job of making you feel like you're in NYC, dancing with the others. I love how character roles are switched, making you feel different things for people you hated in the first book. Gigi was my favorite character in both books, but I love how much of a slow-burn June's character development was. I didn't care for her in the first book, I thought she was mean and aloof, but that completely changed for me in the second ...more

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

Aug 14, 2019 tammy rated it liked it

Shelves: 2019, rated-3-star

this was disappointing, and my expectations weren’t even high. wow main three girls are doing this thing called “character development” and justify all their bad deeds on jealousy!!! (good excuse for putting glass in a girl’s shoes by the way, great call) “i was scared i wasn’t gonna be good enough!!!!” alrighty then. and yay introduce random girl to be the big bad villain because we need one of those. yay resolve all the problems at the end!

but hey i didn’t hate it! so there’s that.

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Feb 02, 2016 Sarah Elizabeth rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, young-adult, mystery, netgalley-edelweiss, r2r-read, read-2016, as

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)

“This is my year. This is my turn. I’ll be the lead soloist. I’ll be chosen for the company. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

This was a YA contemporary story about a group of dancers studying at the American Ballet Company.

I felt quite sorry for Bette in this story, it wasn’t her fault what happened to Gigi, and it was unfair the way she was made to take the blame, es ...more

flag 29 likes · Like · see review

Mar 29, 2018 Mary rated it really liked it

Liked the first one better, but this was a solid sequel :)

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Nov 20, 2015 Lauren rated it really liked it

Shelves: 4-star

I have had this book on my TBR since I found out they were making a sequel to Tiny Pretty Things. I absolutely adored the first book and the cutthroat world we were introduced to that is Ballet. I’m still wondering whether ballet is really that competitive and whether dancers are actually that bad - because it is kind of scary! I loved this book and I loved the difference we could see in all the characters! We also got to know Cassie - who probably deserved what she got from the people around he I have had this book on my TBR since I found out they were making a sequel to Tiny Pretty Things. I absolutely adored the first book and the cutthroat world we were introduced to that is Ballet. I’m still wondering whether ballet is really that competitive and whether dancers are actually that bad - because it is kind of scary! I loved this book and I loved the difference we could see in all the characters! We also got to know Cassie - who probably deserved what she got from the people around her before her return and before her accident.

The book starts off at a new school year for all the dancers and follows the characters as they each deal with the consequences of what happened the year before. The characters are all suffering in one form or another based on the actions from the previous year and it is interesting to watch how they all deal differently with the things that happened.

I think Gigi changed the most - and is also the person who went through the most within this series. In the first book, her redeeming factor, and the thing that made me like her, was the fact that she stayed above all of the bullying. She kept her chin up and didn’t let it get to her like it did in this book. I think what happened to her in the past book at the end, snapped something within her because she becomes obsessed with hurting those who hurt her in some way, rather than putting everything into her dancing and becoming better than she was before, despite her accident. She actually scared me in this book - I also don't think it helped that she befriended Cassie - who seemed to have gone completely off the rails!

What I also loved about this book was the various problems it dealt with. Anorexia, bulimia, inappropriate relationships, crime, the lengths some people will go to to be better than others (cutthroat competition) etc. The book dealt with a lot of issues that plague society, but it did it in a way that flows and it all fit together within the story itself.

I liked to follow June’s story the most, I think. She struggled the most with her ballet and she suffered from eating disorders, which didn’t help anything! I found myself really rooting for her to get better and make herself a better ballerina through that - so that by the end of the book, she hadn’t lost everything! I loved the way she powered through everything and really tried to get better! She was definitely an inspiration!

I think Bette also changed a lot within this book. I think the accident with Gigi and her being blamed, made her see that what she did to the other dancers within the first book was completely wrong. I also think that she truly feels sorry for everything that she did to the others around her and I think she wants to make it right, but doesn’t quite know how? I also think that she definitely understands what she did when Cassie starts bullying her to the extent that she does. She makes a complete 180 turn around in this book and I am definitely glad that she did!!

I really enjoyed this book and this series as a whole and I am kinda sad that we won’t get to revisit this cutthroat world in a new book that follows Gigi and Bette in their apprenticeships!! The ending definitely had me feeling like I was leaving school all over again and I was really depressed! I gave this book 4/5 stars. ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Sep 19, 2016 Alexa rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2016

3.75 stars. It really is satisfying to read a book that ends a series for all of the characters involved so definitively. I definitely felt that way about SHINY BROKEN PIECES, as it allows readers to reconnect with Bette, June and Gigi and to see how each of their stories plays out. It's definitely still messed up, and it's still over the top, but it was also just so compelling and a lot of fun to read. Glad I picked this one up and that I saw their saga through till the end ;) ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Jun 17, 2019 Isabelle | Nine Tale Vixen rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: rep-asian-pasifika-desi, rep-about-and-by-poc, series-finished, set-in-nyc

1. Tiny Pretty Things | ★★★★

3.5 stars.

After the intensity of Tiny Pretty Things, this honestly seemed relatively tame. There are still horrifying pranks and interpersonal drama (lots of it), but the focus becomes a lot more introspective as the girls prepare for life after the Conservatory — the future is uncertain and all actions have consequences.

So many moments made me want to yell at these characters to stop hurting each other and/or themselves, but there are also quite a few heartwarming mo ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Feb 03, 2021 Danielle: Braillerose rated it it was amazing

What a beautiful powerful and diverse series. I really loved the style of writing and I loved the characters and how real they were. The authors collaborated so well. Please do more in the future!

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
YA Buddy Readers'...: Shiny Broken Pieces by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton- Restarting January 11th 2021	35	86	Jan 13, 2021 02:48PM
Crazy for Young A...: Shiny Broken Pieces (Tiny Pretty Things #2) by Dhonielle Clayton → Start Date: August 7th, 2016	7	21	Aug 14, 2016 08:58AM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Young Adult

200 users

Contemporary

179 users

Fiction

55 users

Mystery

32 users

Realistic Fiction

24 users

Audiobook

20 users

Romance

19 users

Young Adult > Young Adult Contemporary

19 users

Health > Mental Health

16 users

Thriller

16 users

See top shelves…

About Sona Charaipotra

Sona Charaipotra

550 followers

The author of the YA doc dramedy Symptoms of a Heartbreak, SONA CHARAIPOTRA is not a doctor — much to her pediatrician parents’ chagrin. They were really hoping she’d grow up to take over their practice one day.
Instead, she became a writer, working first as a celebrity reporter at People and (the dearly departed) TeenPeople magazines, and more recently contributing to publications from the New Yor ...more