Weekly Reader: Music Boxes by Tonja Drecker; Pas De Dark Fantasy Pirouettes Into The World of Ballet

 

Weekly Reader: Music Boxes by Tonja Drecker; Pas De Dark Fantasy Pirouettes Into The World of Ballet

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: What a way to return after a long hiatus. Tonja Drecker's Music Boxes is a complex YA Dark Fantasy that takes the Readers to a strange and disturbing ballet school. 

Lindsey's family moved from rural Nebraska to New York City, so her younger sister, Bridget, could attend a pre-college program at Julliard as a violin prodigy. Lindsey is out of place and more than a bit jealous, particularly since moving meant that she had to give up her ballet classes and now has to take lessons at the Community Center. 

Lindsey's anger and confusion about her surroundings leads her to Madame Destinee's dance school, a school conveniently located within walking distance of her family's apartment. It is every ballet student's dream: beautiful costumes, talented dancers, and an understanding teacher whose only payment is an agreement to perform in every recital after midnight. "I only desire your talent," Madame Destinee says. What could go wrong?

Music Boxes is a contemporary fantasy that isn't too far from a fairy tale, you know like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker. A fairy tale that would make a lovely ballet. 

What makes that type of story often are the visuals and the way that Drecker writes Music Boxes focuses on the strangeness of Madame Destinee and her studio.

Once a character walks into Destinee's studio, it is clear that they practically wandered into a seemingly enchanted world. There are golden staircases with plush cushions. The dancers wear the most beautiful costumes and are so agile and limber that their dancing almost looks like flying. There is no music playing around the studio, just inside the dancer's earbuds and even though the music is different for each person, they move in synchronous choreographed formation.

Destinee is also a one of a kind teacher who knows each dancer's personal struggles, strengths, and weaknesses. She also gives them all sorts of good food, even if it isn't always healthy, but it is very delicious. She is very encouraging towards the newcomers, like Lindsey, and willing to allow them demonstrate their talents. Even the least talented of dancers would want to visit this beautiful, colorful, warm atmosphere.

It's a perfect place for Lindsey to nurture her talent and ambition to be a lead dancer, a prima ballerina.

However, as with many fairy tales there is another side to this wonderful setting. The gingerbread house is the home of a child eating witch. The beautiful singing voice is a mermaid luring sailors to their deaths. The beautiful ornate mansion or palace is the location of child abuse and infanticide. In this case, the dance studio harbors many dark secrets.

There's the fact that the dancers came from different places like Santiago, Boston, Paris, Stockholm, and St. Petersburg. No, they didn't move from there to New York City. They claim to live in those places right now and found their way to Madame Destinee's studio like Lindsey did. It just appeared wherever they lived.

Who is this audience that appears to Destinee's performances every night after midnight? The dancers can't see them but they hear their applause and know that they are there.

Creepiest of all is the collection of music boxes. Each one has a lifelike dancer inside and were made by Destinee's brother who was an expert inventor and toy designer who disappeared one day and was never seen again. Lindsey can't help but notice new ones added to Destinee's collection, new ones with dancers that look awfully familiar.

Definitely the fantastic aspects are the strongest parts of Music Boxes. In fact, it outweighs many of the more realistic tween drama of the rest of the book. Lindsey has an instant rivalry with Adela, one dancer and sort of a romance with Robert, another dancer. Typical stuff for a YA novel and nothing surprising here but I suppose every fairy tale needs the Jealous Antagonist and Prince Charming.

Lindsey's rivalry with Bridget is much more compelling. While Bridget is at times a spoiled brat and Lindsey, a moody whiner, their love for each other is also evident. In an early chapter, both sisters admit their concerns about the move and their worries about their father working two jobs and their mother working in a diner. Bridget asks if these changes were her fault because of her violin talent. Lindsey assures her that they are not and that Bridget has a gift which should be studied and practiced. This dialogue comes back into play in one of the best moments when Lindsey fights Destinee for Bridget and she admits that her love for her sister is stronger than her desire to be a prima ballerina. 

There are some frustrating unanswered questions by the time the book ends and some ambiguity concerning the fates of some characters. But for a contemporary fairy tale, Music Boxes is en pointe.