Step Up and Dance

Girlfriend Fiction #6

by Thalia Kalkipsakis

Loving to dance and enjoying her activities as a cheerleading squad performer at professional basketball games, 16-year-old Saph harbors a secret crush on a boy and hopes to have won his heart when she receives a Valentine from him, a situation that turns nightmarish when Saph discovers that the Valentine was a cruel trick. Original.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Contemporary, Chick Lit

170 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2008

About the author

Thalia grew up on a farm on the outskirts of Melbourne with a mum who tried to save battery hens by on-selling them as backyard chickens. Her dad worked as an industrial chemist while also growing strawberries, carrots and Christmas trees on the farm. It was not unusual to find plant shoots in the freezer, or the hair dryer missing because it was needed to heat one of her dad’s experiments. Thalia's childhood showed her the magic that can happen when science and nature combine with human creativity.
In 2012, Thalia released her first standalone young adult novel, Silhouette, which follows a talented and determined young dancer as she navigates her way into the adult world of commercial dance.
These days, Thalia lives in regional Victoria with her husband, their two children and two black cats.

Reviews

[Alex Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good but it was one of those books where you feel like yelling at the characters because it's so obvious from the readers point of view but the characters keep doing stupid things! So annoying. But overall a brilliant book and you do not, i repeat, DO NOT have to be into dancing to really enjoy it!

[leesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

i was absolutely obsessed with this book as a teen! i'm worried that magic might be lost now if i read it years later given the way i read things much more critically now, but i am still desperate to find a physical copy since mine is no where to be seen sigh

[Lore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another of my faves in the GF fiction 'series'.

[Mariella Esquivel Tello · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excuse me so, Jay plays a cruel joke with a false love letter (doesn't matter what it was originally meant for), but were' supposed to see the Saph the main character as a superficial jerk just because she liked someone else?

Yeah, no. Gimme a break. We need to understand that some people will never find you attractive or want you, but women (just like men) have different preferences and that's something everyone has to have to accept and move on.

Also typical: the characters assume and assume they don't actually spit things out! People are NOT mindreaders, they don't know how badly hurt one action has left you unless they tell them the same is with crushes too.

Good premise, but badly done lesson on 'giving people and/or different things a chance'.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

*read back in the day when I was about 14 years old

[Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my pre-teen favorites when I was I think year 7. This was the only one that I would read with full interest back in the days (besides twilight). It's still one of my favorites till now. Not only that but I also love the magazine 'Girlfriend'. Back in the days when I was not that interest in books, I saw this at the school library when my class would go and borrow a book. Once we got in class, we started to read our book that we borrowed and that is when I was hooked! There was nothing in the library that captured my interest until I lay my eyes on this book since it about dancing. (about me: I like dancing). It was so awesome although I can't really remember what had happened but It was the experience and memories that counts. Even though I don't know the plot, its still dear to me as it reminds me of my pre-teen favorites and how Hype and excited I would get when something cool happens.

I remember when our teacher would tell us to book our books down and do work, I was so disappointed. I wanted to read more, that is how hooked I was. I wanted to rebel but since she was a strict and scary teacher I didn't want to disobey her orders also cause I was in highschool, I was fresh meat. Back then I was a goodie goodie (not that i'm not now well...) Anyways, I remember that I came home and the first thing i did was finish reading the book. I can't remember when I finished the book, but it was one of my all time favorites. I probably buy the book and re-read it again :)

[Alisha Brook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: Step Up and Dance
Series: Girlfriend Fiction (#6)
Author: Thalia Kalkipsakis
Genre: Teen Fiction
Rating: 3 stars

Personally I love these Girlfriend Fiction books as they all have relatable characters, a great story with a message and they're based on teens.

STEP UP AND DANCE was an enjoyable read.

[Carlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a book of love between a basketball player and a cheerleader. On valentine's day, Saph, the cheerleader gets a love letter from her secret crush Damien Rowsthorn who is the basketball player which Saph has a secret crush on. She finds out another player on Damien's basketball team wrote the letter and now Saph and her best friend summer want revenge.

[Sarah.gra · Rating 4 out of 5]

i liked this book and im sure many others would to dancer or not

[Nan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I really loved this book.

[Tina · Rating 2 out of 5]

A step above the usual teen romance drivel, but still quite predictable. The attractive cover should mean that many fans of the recent "So you think you can dance" craze will pick it up...

[Kluv · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found it a bit boring. Didn't enjoy it and probably wouldn't read it again.

[Kaysbookshelf · Rating 2 out of 5]

Average book.

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good book, not the best but it was good. I really enjoyed it.