The Other Side of Perfect is a young adult contemporary romance with elements of coming-of-age fiction. The protagonist, Alina Keeler, is a dedicated ballet dancer who dreams of going to the American Ballet Theatre in New York City. After a horrible leg injury, her ballet dreams are torn away from her, and she must adapt to a new life in a regular high school, where she joins the school’s musical. Not only does she struggle with the emotional fallout after her career-ending injury, but she also experiences racism within the ballet world.
As a dancer, I relate to this book because I have actually experienced an injury. Even though it wasn’t career-ending like Alina’s, it kept me away from dance for a few months, which negatively affected my mental health. I was always worried about when I would be able to dance again because dancing was my outlet—my escape from the real world. I really empathized with Alina’s story because I know what it feels like to have your passion ripped away from you in a matter of seconds.
I really enjoyed this book because various dance and musical theatre topics were familiar to me. In the book, Alina and her friends she finds through musical theatre perform the musical, Singin’ In the Rain. Through Alina’s new experiences performing in the musical, she incorporates a bit of ballet into her dancing because it makes her more comfortable in a situation that’s out of her comfort zone.
I would encourage everyone to read this book—especially dancers—because it provides a story that many athletes can relate to. After all, before Alina’s injury, she performed the Chinese role in the Nutcracker every year because she is Asian. This is mostly due to the racism many people refuse to acknowledge within the world of dance and ballet. She never got any main roles like the Sugar Plum Fairy or Queen of Snow. At the end of the book, Alina addresses her former ballet teacher about this because even though she can’t do professional ballet anymore, she wants to make a positive change for the ones who can.
The Other Side of Perfect has made me realize that even when your dreams get ripped away from you in the blink of an eye, there are still people out there who love you for who you are and recognize your worth. It is also possible to find new passions in the midst of tragedy and find ways to ground yourself in the moment when everything seems out of control.
