Review: TIME WILL TELL by J.A. Roth

This is the story of a teenage girl muddling through the world of high school.

"They say beauty comes from the inside, but “they” must not be teenagers. Most teenagers don’t judge you for what’s on the inside." (16) Full of doubt and insecurity, Sydnie struggles to compete with her peers on boys, grades, teen privileges.

Luckily, she has an outlet."Dancing is my passion, my outlet when I am overstressed, which is often, it’s the one place I can escape my problems... But sometimes the dance studio is the root of my stress… " (20)

So the story centered on dance, more specifically, ballet. As an artist, I couldn't relate to the whole dance theme, but  I admire those who can do it, especially since "a dancer ... must be

an athlete and an artist!" (28)

Just like in everything else, the world of dance has that "mean girl" that makes life a living hell. But Sydnie takes these challenges in stride and refuses to let them get the best of her.

"In the old days, or my parent’s day, nerds were considered the “uncool” kids; it was all about pocket protectors and glasses with tape on them. These days the stereotype has changed to smart, intelligent students who dream of having good futures in high paying careers." (49)

Sydnie is a conscientious, responsible, and dedicated girl. Most kids would be able to see themselves in her. But her story was dawdling and mundane, especially in the first half where you learn about all the other faceless kids. Obviously, the one person that stuck out the most was him--Ryder Morgan, whom Sydnie is totally smitten by. Of course, I did think the cutsy foreplay along with her neurotic fantasies were a bit overbearing. I mean, she receives one text from him and she makes it sound like he proposed or something. But, I guess that's high school. It all sounded like a bunch of teen drama.

So now it would seem that Sydnie has her work cut out for her.

"I have other pressing issues on my mind…like having giddy feelings for this new guy I barely know, having a huge dance competition coming up, and having a project in Engineering class worth forty percent of my grade…my anxiety is through the roof." (44)

This simple and smart YA story of a teen dancer is a testament to the stress and challenges of today's youth. Although not quite captivating, story is easily relatable and it kind of grows on you. Overall, I deem this a pretty good read.

 

My rating: 3 stars