Tiny Pretty Things audiobook

3.75*

4.5 Stars!

Look, this was the shit for me. It was so addicting and had me gripped until the last page. I loved the drama, the characters, and the plot. There was so much backstabbing and secrets revealed that I wanted to grab some popcorn and read this novel like it was a telenovela. There were some characters in this book that I didn't like at all, but then I get a glimpse of who they really are "behind the mask". I loved how this concept seemed so simple, yet these authors could warp it into something so addicting and intriguing. Everyone in this book did something shady, and I loved figuring out what it was. There was actually a love triangle in this book, but I'm not mad at it.There was some type of mystery going on in this novel because we're trying to figure out who keeps doing all these things to Gigi. At first, I thought it was one person who did it, but then the authors flipped the script and made me think it was someone else. And then, they shake the room and remind me that the first person I suspected is still pretty sus, and then I lost it. Now with the technical aspects of this novel, they were all done well. I enjoyed how this novel was written. I liked that the story was told in different points of views because it at least helped me put the puzzle pieces together. And this story was just written in such a suspenseful way. I can't lie, I felt a little shiver in my bones from the writing because it just put things into a thrilling perspective that I hadn't seen before. And y'all already know that the plot was on point. It shouldn't even be a surprise at this point. As I said before, the plot is based off of a basic premise, but it goes deeper and surprises you. The plot just thickens throughout the whole book, and I was genuinely scared towards the end because I couldn't see how it was going to end. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just leave it at that.Overall, this book is wonderful. I loved how suspenseful and thrilling this was, and it really kept me on my toes, so I was always guessing what would happen next. The characters are very complex, and I enjoyed that. I need to read this again so I can go in dept with the characters because they're a hot mess express, but they're my hot mess express. The plot was on point. The writing was on point. Everything was on point, and I loved it.

This is the first instalment in the Tiny Pretty Things series."At one of Manhattan's most elite ballet schools, wafer-thin ballerinas pull their hair into sleek buns and lace their pointe shoes high, waiting for their chance to shine. But beneath the pretty, polished surface, these girls are hiding some terrible secrets and telling some twisted lies."This first portion of the synopsis provided the majority of the focus, throughout. The polished realm of elite ballerinas is easy to romanticise but this book revealed the toxicity that the competitive nature of dance can also promote. The individuals who excel inside the school's confines are all there due to their competitive natures, which has resulted in their status as elite dancers. It is this same spirit, however, that also allows them to stop at nothing to maintain their precarious perch at the top. I am glad this included a diversity of race and sexuality and focused on a myriad of potential problems these dancers faced inside this rotten world they resided in. There were issues to contend with from every areas of the ballerina's lives, both on and off stage. The book opened with scenes of petty drama and bitchy backstabbing before delving into where this toxicity stemmed from and what was occurring behind the scenes to result in these young dancers lashing out in the ways that they did. The multiple perspectives ensured, despite the horrors they inflicted upon one another, I found empathy for all as all also had their own areas of suffering to also contend with. I could not excuse their behaviour but it was their surroundings that took the majority of the blame, for me.

i adored this book. such a spot-on depiction of the high-stakes world of young girls vying to be the next prima ballerina.the wonderful thing about TINY PRETTY THINGS is that it's not a book that shies away from both sides of the coin, nor is it a book that unnecessarily glamorizes anything. though i've never been embroiled in such a world, i feel as though this comes as close as i'll ever be to what it's like to struggle, to fight, to slave over something that, by its very definition needs to come across as effortless.interestingly enough, charaipotra and clayton have managed to do just that in TINY PRETTY THINGS--make a difficult feat seem entirely effortless. the perspectives they've chosen in their book run the gamut, and it's so refreshing to read from the vantage point of characters from all walks of life.seriously, if you (like me) love anything to do with ballerinas and intrigue, you NEED to read this book. it's going on my shelf the minute it's released. just as it needs to be on yours.

Originally posted on Super Space Chick:Tiny Pretty Things is the first book in a series by Sona Charaipotra & Dhonielle Clayton focusing on the competitive world of ballet. As soon as I heard the pitch (Black Swan meets Pretty Little Liars) I knew this book would be something I would enjoy. There’s something so fascinating to me about these girls who have such dedication to their talent, follow a strict set of rules and how cutthroat they can be toward one another because they’re competing in an industry with such limited job placement. The story focuses on three main characters, Bette, Gigi and June and it follows them throughout an entire year at their prestigious Manhattan ballet school. The book is full of drama and it’ll constantly keep you on your toes, never giving you a clear indication of who to trust. This is one book I devoured and I plan to read the sequel as soon as it debuts.Tiny Pretty Things has three main POVs that the story is told from. June is a half Korean girl who is always cast in the understudy role. She struggles with never having known her father and she after an incident, she never allows herself to get close to anyone else at the school. Gigi is the new girl and unlike the majority of her class, she’s of African American descent. She’s much more carefree, having moved from California, and she is by far the most personable, grounded and genuine of the girls. Lastly, there’s Bette, the stereotypical mean girl and Queen Bee of the ballerinas. She’s constantly trying to juggle living up to her sister’s legacy, her alcoholic and mostly absent mother, and her own insecurities. Each character has a compelling point of view of the events that occur while they’re at school and I especially appreciated the diversity between each of them. There were moments where I felt like each girl was my favorite character. There are other students who play a predominant role in the story from love interests, to frenemies and even to teachers. Tiny Pretty Thingsis a book I would suggest reading for the characters alone, though if you struggle with unreliable narrators, you may take issue with the story.On top of the compelling characters, I also fell in love with the setting of the story. I love that it takes place in Manhattan and having lived in or under an hour away from Manhattan for almost my whole life, I will never tire of seeing the city through someone else’s eyes. Add the ballet school to the mix, which allows for the excitement of finding out who will be cast in which roles and just how far certain dancers will go to achieve their goals, and I was completely hooked. The entire time I was reading, I felt as though I was so close to unraveling a mystery but no matter how close I came, there were still pieces missing. Even as certain things are revealed, there’s still more unanswered questions to keep you wondering. Tiny Pretty Things also deals with many serious issues that teenagers face including bullying, racism, eating disorders and drug addiction and it’s all done very well.Final Thoughts: Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra & Dhonielle Clayton is a whirlwind of a story set at an elite ballet academy in New York City. It follows a diverse cast of characters during their trials and tribulations as they ready themselves for the competitive world of ballet. The book is full of unreliable narrators, backstabbing ballerinas, and it tackles some very serious issues that many young girls face. I loved everything about this book from the characters to the setting to the plot and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys drama filled YA. I cannot wait for Shiny Broken Pieces which debuts later this year!

THE GOOD:* it’s about ballerinas, and as someone who REALLY WANTED to be a ballerina when I was younger, I LOVE BOOKS WITH BALLERINAS* very intense - both of them were honestly such page turners, I binged them SO quickly - they were like chocolate in book form* diversity yaaaassss - 2 of the POV characters are black and asian, respectively* everyone backstabs everyone and it’s deliciously evil and devious and I loved it, because sometimes we need books where we hate everyone * so much drama and pettiness oh LORD* they deal with social issues as well - racism, discrimination, it touches on the “white Russian ballet”* it’s Mean Girls meets Pretty Little Liars meets Gossip Girl* THOSE GORGEOUS COVERSTHE BAD:* I didn’t enjoy the sequel as much as I did the first book* I noticed a couple of plot holes/scenes that didn’t really make sense to be included and the just… left hanging* the second book felt a bit repetitive and it made me mad because no one learned anything from the first book lolSpecial mentions: trigger warning for eating disorders, physical abuse, emotional abuse, suicide attemptYAY or NAY: YAY we all need some sweet escape and petty drama once in a whileTiny Pretty Things ★★★★★ Shiny Broken Pieces ★★★★To everyone who got this far, thank you for reading and have a wonderful day! Also, feel free to share your thoughts, comment or tell me anything :)Buy it from the Book Depository :)If you liked this stupid review, consider buying me a coffee because it keeps me warm :)

full review up here!first reread: June 2016I loved it just as much this second time around... let me just tell you, this book has me LIVING for the drama. I was sucked into this book within ten pages, and I barely put it down the entire time I was reading it. if you like drama and lots of it, this book may be the one for you. it's nonstop drama filled with determined and sometimes truly mean girls, serious subjects like eating disorders and drug use, all against the beautiful and painful backdrop of the ballet. I loved this book!

This review was originally posted on About to Read. For Fairytale fashions, reads, and more visit abouttoread.com***Tiny Pretty Things was unexpectedly awesome! I knew from the pitch “Black Swan meets Pretty Little Liars” that this was going to be my kind of book. But Man did I love it!!! This is one of those books that you’re going to want to force all of your friends to read. And if you want to read it and chat about it with me than please, please do! I have so many feels on this one and I am dying to discuss them. With everyone.If it was socially acceptable to go up to random strangers, force them to read this book, and then make them chat about it with me, I would do that. It’s that intense you guys!So, I am just going to talk about the characters and the plot in one shot for this book because they share one key quality and it just happens to be the only quality that matters. They are both a complete mind f**k. I mean, seriously! I have no idea who did what. I think some of the characters are lying to me, but I don’t know which ones. I think some of them are insane, but I don’t know which ones. I think there may have been a character behind all of the madness that we never really got to see, but I don’t know for sure. And it’s driving me crazy!The only thing I really know about Tiny Pretty Things is that I don’t know. And I probably never will because I don’t believe there is a sequel slated (but if they decide to make one, I will literally devour it because I need more). This was psychological thriller at it’s absolute finest.

4.0 StarsThis is a fun and addicting story, involving juicy teenage drama with plenty of gossip and backstabbing. Reading this novel felt like eating an indulgent dessert. The story was fairly superficial in nature, yet it was deliciously decadent to consume.I appreciated the diversity within the cast of characters, in terms of both ethnicity and sexual orientation. It's refreshing to read about a representative casts of teenagers, particularly in a ballet setting, which is a notoriously Caucasian dominant form of dance. While this is primarily a "fun" read, this novel still manages to touch on important topics such a cultural pressures, self medicating and eating disorders, which could be triggering. Overall, I really enjoyed this novel.

This was such a good book filled with ballerinas who will do ANYTHING to get what they want. I listened to the audio book and I love how each character had a different voice actor. Can’t wait to read the next book and see what happens next!

Back when Tiny Pretty Things released, there weren't that many reviews nor hype for it which is why it got lost in the endless backlog in my tbr. Then one of my good friends read it a few months ago and this particular line from Sue's review was what pulled me in: "Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton redefines the term unlikable heroines." WHAT? Ballet? Unlikable heroines? WHERE DO I SIGN UP was my immediate reaction. The first book is extremely brutal (and can be triggering, so please proceed with caution when reading), but it offers such great voices set in a cutthroat, lush ballet world. The sequel is even better and I cried buckets. There are some romantic elements, for those of you interested, my personal OTP is in the second book (which I'll review soon). Overall, this duology is poignant, beautiful, emotionally and mentally brutal, mysterious and on top of that it tackles so many important issues such as eating disorder, racism, sexual identities, bullying, abuse and more. If I could recommend these books a thousand times over, I would.________________________________Original thoughts:YO THIS BOOK MESSED ME UP SO MUCH I'M SCREAMING AND DESPERATELY REACHING FOR THE SEQUEL; frtc when I've gathered my thoughts but this was so intense holy smoke!

This book. THIS BOOK! I was hooked from page one, and after squeezing in the first three chapters over the course of a few days, I was desperate to finish it. Finished the last 350pp or so in one sitting, staying up until 3am even though I needed to get up early the next morning. There's so much to love about this book - it's exceptionally well-written, with complex, fully-realized characters. It's told through the perspective of three different girls, and the insight into the jealousy, rivalry and pathos of a super-competitive environment is just breathtaking. And it's a suspenseful page-turner, though I REALLY appreciated that the authors threw us bones of insight here & there along the way so the book was fulfilling rather than frustrating! Plus: hot ballet boys. Need I say more? This book should be on the top of everyone's TBR pile and I won't be surprised at all if it's an award-winner next year (I've read Edgar award-winners that aren't as superbly plotted).

Such an entertaining and unique read, I've never read anything quite like it! It was dark, full of drama, and I was left wanting more! I need to get my hands on the sequel ASAP.