Silhouette: Ambition is everything by Thalia Kalkipsakis

Hardie Grant Egmont, 2012. ISBN 9781921759659.
Silhouette: Ambition is everything by Thalia Kalkipsakis, is an intriguing novel. Teenager Scarlett seems to be the typical obsessed ballet student on a higher plane than most ballet dancers as she is studying dance at a high school, the Academy, dedicated to dance. Almost relishing the pain and wear-and-tear on her body, she pushes herself to the limit physically and emotionally.
Absolutely supported by her mother and close friends, Scarlett seems to be destined for a brilliant career, except that she makes one unexpected decision - to audition for a music clip knowing that she is not eligible until she has completed her secondary school academic and dance course. As a typical teenager, she persuades her best-friend to go along with her, but it is Scarlett who wins the place and wows the singer and everyone else. This single decision will send her life spiraling out of control, plunging her into an affair with a bored young rock star, involving her in sex, alcohol and drugs, and academic failure.
A salutary lesson for young girls, this realistic narrative is captivating and, like all of its kind, lets her off with a warning, so that her life is changed but not ruined. Satisfying, true to its genre, and rewarding honour and loyalty over rebellion, Silhouette will entertain young readers and give pause for thought.
Liz Bondar