Review: Danse Macabre
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 22, 2014
Mystery, horror and dancing surely mix well in this story. I'm not much of a horror reader, because I honestly get scared easily, which is not helpful when I do most of my reading at night, but the horror in this story was manageable.I think this is mostly because all the fear was entwined with some hell of a mystery. It was really hard to get a grip of what was going on until the end, but it sure was fun to try.I did enjoy all the dancing as well. I'm not a pro when it comes to ballet, but I do have some understanding of the subject, and I thought it was good. It captured well the stress and hard work ballerinas have to put up with, and especially all the insecurities and the competition they endure. But what I loved the best was that even if the story was set in a ballet school and all the main characters were ballerinas, the main focus of the story was really the mystery that surrounded it.I also loved the idea of the Danse Macabre being haunted; it was original and entertaining to see how the paranormal elements mixed with the ballet.Overall, the story really worked together with all the elements, and I liked how it all adds up in the end.Even though most of the characters were easy to care for and relate to, they were a bit flat. I did enjoy the friendship though. The loyalty and support some of the dancers shared was great. I also think that Zoe's character was well achieved. She was really spiteful! Easy to dislike.Todd was really sweet, and I would certainly love to have someone like him around, but I felt like the romance was a bit rushed.It had been a while since I encountered an omniscient narrator. It was generally good, but I was a bit confused from the head hopping at times, it would've been better to stick with one character for a whole chapter rather than a few paragraphs.The writing is immediate and engaging, and the pacing is really good. There isn't a moment where you are not lost in the story.In sum, the story was really good, all the elements mixed well, and if you are like me, then you'll definitely enjoy the horror. If you are a horror fan, then this won't be as scary for you, but you'll definitely take pleasure in the mystery and all the spook.*Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, but my opinion was not biased in any way by this fact.