Official Review: A Dance Out of Time

[LivreAmour217]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Dance Out of Time" by Catherine Greenfeder.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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School is out, and eighteen-year-old Georgina Claythorne has decided to spend the summer helping out at her father's bed-and-breakfast in Ocean Grove, New Jersey. However, Georgina isn't your typical college freshman on vacation: ever since she was a little girl, Georgina has been able to communicate with the spirits of the dead, and the Victorian mansion that now houses her father's business is teeming with paranormal activity. With the help of her boyfriend, Jake, and a guest with an unusual interest in the haunting, Georgina seeks to unravel the house's secrets and bring peace to the departed souls trapped within its walls.

A Dance Out of Time is the second novel that chronicles the ghost hunting adventures of Georgina Claythorne and Jake Hanlon. Although I have not read the first installment of the series, I enjoyed this book enough to have developed an interest in reading it. This is a nicely written YA novel that is well-suited for younger teenagers.

The plot moves at a steady pace, and the author does a wonderful job of providing just enough detail to paint a clear picture of the characters and settings without being tedious (something of vital importance for the target audience). The writing flows smoothly and contains minimal errors, all of which can be easily corrected and cause few distractions from the story itself.

The author demonstrates clear knowledge of Ocean Grove (a real place) and the Jersey Shore, giving this otherworldly novel an element of realism. Furthermore, Hurricane Sandy's effects upon the community are mentioned more than once, which at this date makes the novel current (another concern for younger readers) and provides a timeframe for the events that unfold.

My favorite aspect of this novel is the relationship between Georgina and Jake. I was under the impression that the two were friends before they became an item, and their interactions indicate that there is much more than physical attraction going on between them. Personally, I feel that our culture places too much emphasis on the physical aspect of relationships, and it was refreshing to encounter a YA story that wasn't overly focused on it.

I also appreciate that the author kept this novel clean. Georgina and Jake do not engage in sexual activity and steer clear of other so-called adult behaviors (such as drinking, drug use, and swearing), making them good role models for the target audience.

My one criticism of the book is that some of the dialogue seemed a little forced and unnatural. A few times I caught myself thinking, "People don't talk this way<" but these moments weren't too frequent. Although I did find these places in the dialogue to be a little distracting, I'm confident that the can be improved upon through editing.

I give A Dance Out of Time 3 out of 4 stars for being a solidly written YA novel. Again, the dialogue could be improved a little, but overall this is a good story. I would recommend this book to middle school girls, especially those who have an interest in ghost stories and the paranormal.

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A Dance Out of Time
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Like LivreAmour217's review? Post a comment saying so!

[gali]

Sounds like a good book for young adults. Thank you for the lovely review!

[Ealasaid]

Thank you for the review. This sounds like a book my teen daughter would like to read, and I will recommend it to her. And - mom that I am - I like that the two characters do not engage in sexual activity.

[TheMusicalMuse]

I don't normally get into paranormal fiction because so many author's don't handle the genre with finesse, depending largely on sensuality and clichés to create a story and characters. It sounds like this book doesn't fit that stereotype, and you may have convinced me to read it. I have several young ladies in my choir (I teach junior high) that are interested in paranormal fiction; I'll have to recommend this to them.

Excellently written review. Concise and well thought out. Thank you!

[LivreAmour217]

Sounds like a good book for young adults. Thank you for the lovely review!

You're welcome, and thank you for the positive feedback!

-- 30 Apr 2015, 11:16 --

Thank you for the review. This sounds like a book my teen daughter would like to read, and I will recommend it to her. And - mom that I am - I like that the two characters do not engage in sexual activity.

You are welcome. I hope that your daughter enjoys the book!

-- 30 Apr 2015, 11:20 --

I don't normally get into paranormal fiction because so many author's don't handle the genre with finesse, depending largely on sensuality and clichés to create a story and characters. It sounds like this book doesn't fit that stereotype, and you may have convinced me to read it. I have several young ladies in my choir (I teach junior high) that are interested in paranormal fiction; I'll have to recommend this to them.

Excellently written review. Concise and well thought out. Thank you!

Thank you very much! Yes, a good paranormal story can be really hard to pull off. I hope that your students will enjoy this book. I was also in middle school choir, and this is the kind of book that I would have been into!

[bookowlie]

Great, insightful review. I am not a big fan of paranormal novels, but this book does sound interesting. One bonus for me...the Jersey Shore setting. I lived in Cape May for 3 years and love reading anything set in towns on the Jersey Shore.

[Amheiser]

This book sounds very interesting. I like reading young adult books occasionally because they are usually easy reads and this one sounds like it has a good story. I like reading about paranormal activities and I also like that it is just a good story for young adults to read without trying to cover all the problems that some people have at this age. Its nice that it can just be a story for a change.

[Rachaelamb1]

Sounds good. Thanks for the review!

[PashaRu]

Thanks for a well written, concise review. I'm not much into paranormal and won't read this, but I enjoyed your review.

[ALynnPowers]

Oh, this book really sounds like something I would enjoy! I love "clean" stories about young people (one of the main reasons I tend to stick to YA in the first place) and I'm glad that you mentioned this in the review. Thanks for the great review!

[debo9967]

Nice, detailed review. The book seems to be quite interesting.

[ALynnPowers]

I feel like such a middle schooler now, but I just added thus to my bookshelf so I don't forget about it. It really does sound like something I would like.

[ashley_claire]

Sounds like a great book! Nice review.

[LivreAmour217]

I feel like such a middle schooler now, but I just added thus to my bookshelf so I don't forget about it. It really does sound like something I would like.

Well, I am many years removed from middle school, and I still enjoyed the book! Personally, I think that we should all just read what we like and not worry about the target audience!

-- 05 May 2015, 16:17 --

I would like to thank everyone here for their kind words and feedback. Sorry I haven't been keeping up the posts!!!

[bookowlie]

I feel like such a middle schooler now, but I just added thus to my bookshelf so I don't forget about it. It really does sound like something I would like.

Well, I am many years removed from middle school, and I still enjoyed the book! Personally, I think that we should all just read what we like and not worry about the target audience!

-- 05 May 2015, 16:17 --

I would like to thank everyone here for their kind words and feedback. Sorry I haven't been keeping up the posts!!!

I agree, we should just read what we like!