Review: I loved it!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 19, 2012
I was invited to read Passion and Pain by the author in return for an honest review. Elena is run over by a boy fleeing from bullies thus starts a friendship that will change their lives. Together the pair head off to start their new lives at the prestigious Montacrue Performing Arts School. They each have big plans for the New Year, acting, dancing, singing, and even sports. Elena instantly makes an enemy who hell bent on destroying her life on the first day. Elena finds new friends in Veronika a writer and Frankie an actress and singer.  Aside from Letitia things are going great for Elena she has great friends and she's doing what she loves dancing and acting.Letitia uses her singing skills to lure Frankie away from Elena in the end turning her against her and then leading her down a path of drinking and drugs. In Choir class Jay is attracted to the older piano player and doesn't see that her best friend is in love with her. Yet even with all the pain that Elena is feeling about losing her friend there is the positive, Elena befriends a shy ballet dancer named Anya. She has a chance meeting with Jay the piano player that brings a new relationship to life. As the school year rolls to an end Elena's best friend Sebastien heads off to make a movie unknown about the relationship between Elena and Jay. During the summer Elena helps Jay write many songs and builds on their relationship by the time school rolls around. Will Elena be able to keep up her dancing and acting as well as juggle a new older boyfriend or will things come crashing down.I've been on a dance show kick for years I have to watch So You Think You Can Dance every season including the auditions so when the opportunity popped up to read a dance book I was thrilled with the chance. Passion and Pain is filled with all kinds of emotions it pulled at my heart strings as Elena progresses through the book.  I like that the author Kathy Petrakis gives a peek at Elena and Sebastien's first meeting it gave me a new perspective on them. The characters are so well written you feel like your living their lives with them. Elena is a great character who does a lot of growing up from the beginning of the book to the end. I have moments when I want to laugh with her, cry with her, even jump up and down screaming at her. It's a great story that deals with the trials of being a teenager who happens to have a lot of pressure to do her best. The book does have a few adult situations so I would suggest over sixteen but I could see lots of teenagers and adults enjoying Passion and Pain. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.