Synopses & Reviews
Trapped between the hormone-driven world of her friends and the discontent of her dysfunctional family, fourteen-year-old Georgia is only completely at ease when she's dancing. When she is accepted into Canada's preeminent ballet school, Georgia thinks it is the perfect escape. Artistic Director Roderick Allen singles her out as a star, subjecting her to increasingly intensive training, and Georgia obsesses about becoming the perfect, disciplined student. But as she spends more and more time with Roderick, it's not so clear exactly what their relationship means. Is he her teacher and mentor, or is there something more? These blurred lines will threaten both Roderick's future at the academy and Georgia's ambitions as a ballerina.
Review
“Presenting a richly nuanced portrait of a young woman struggling to make meaning of the mixed messages and complexities of the world surrounding her, Various Positions is a cross between a modern day Are You There God, Its Me, Margaret? by Judy Blume and Jerzy Kosinskis Being There.” --VOYA
Review
"...nuanced and disturbing..."--BCCB “In this unique coming-of-age story, Georgia is a troubled 14-year-old, and her struggles to understand her burgeoning sexuality and her journey through adolescence are particularly rocky.”--School Library Journal “A thought-provoking look at femininity and sex, made all the more confusing by that ultimate contact sport—ballet.” --Kirkus "Schabas skillfully weaves themes of power, communication, trust, intimacy, and betrayal through this character-driven tale, as 14-year-old ballet dancer Georgia struggles to find a place where she belongs and people she can trust." --Publishers Weekly, Starred Review “Presenting a richly nuanced portrait of a young woman struggling to make meaning of the mixed messages and complexities of the world surrounding her, Various Positions is a cross between a modern day Are You There God, Its Me, Margaret? by Judy Blume and Jerzy Kosinskis Being There.” --VOYA
About the Author
Martha Schabas trained in classical ballet as a child. She holds an M.A. in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia, where she received the David Higham Literary Award. She lives in Toronto, Canada. Various Positions is her first novel.