*I received a physical copy from TBR Beyond Book Tour via Annick Press. All reviews are my own.*
I'm always a little wary when I pick up ballet-themed stories. They are always troped as the pressures of being the best, fat shaming, bullying, insecurity, racism, and even covert operators and spies. But I still pick them up, hoping that I can be wowed. I love the dance culture – Ballet is a different kind of art that deserves appreciation. And to see black people dancing in said culture is another impressive feat. So when I picked up Maya Ameyaw's debut, When it All Syncs Up, I was ready to tackle whatever the story had to discuss.
"Ballet is Aisha’s life. So when she’s denied yet another lead at her elite academy because she doesn’t “look” the part, she knows something has to change–the constant discrimination is harming her mental health. Switching to her best friend Neil’s art school seems like the perfect plan at first. But she soon discovers racism and bullying are entrenched in the ballet program here, too, and there’s a new, troubling distance between her and Neil. And as past traumas surface, pressure from friends and family, a new romance, and questions about her dance career threaten to overwhelm her. There’s no choreography to follow–for high school or for healing. Aisha will have to find the strength within herself–and place her trust in others–to make her next move."
I wasn't in love with this book. I understood the message the author was trying to convey, but she turned down so many avenues that it was mental overstimulation. Some of the topics she touched on dealt with peer pressure, alcoholism, racism, microaggression, body dysmorphia, and parental pressure. Many problems were presented, and I felt that when we were about to dive deep into one of the subjects, Ameyaw switched it up and went to the next issue. With that being said, you can take this as a mental health kind of book. While Ameyaw had ALL of her main characters struggle with something, she also promoted seeking help or confiding in a friend to help deal with the problems. I'd say that this book had the best natural conversation out of all the books I've read dealing with teenage ism.
Aside from the mental health issues, I wasn't tuned in with the characters either. I wish that the author delved more into the main character, Aisha. Aisha's character didn't come across as a "star," even though she claimed to be just as good, if not better, than her counterparts. She was a wallflower that shined only in small settings. To me, she was ordinary, and there's no such thing as ordinary in the ballet world. Instead of Ameyaw walking us down the everyday life of Aisha and her mundane tasks of school, crushing on the quiet kid, and worrying about her best friend, I would have loved to get a deeper dive into her family dynamics. I think Ameyaw dropped the ball on expanding the story between Aisha, her dad, and her estranged mother. Revealing that could have made her story thread stronger.
Overall, I rated this book 3-stars. It was an okay story, not particularly outstanding. However, I was intrigued by the upcoming standalone sequel featuring Ollie, Aisha's crush, entitled Under All the Lights. I'm curious to see if Aisha appears in Ollie's story, but from the synopsis, it seems like it will be a journey of its own.
When It All Syncs Up is available now!
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