By: Anna Dielschneider
I read Pointe by Brandy Colbert. This is Colbert’s debut novel, and it covers a lot of ground: ballet, eating disorders, race, kidnapping, sex, drugs and alcohol, and general high school nonsense. And it does all this without being an “issue” book. |
Theo, the main female character and a junior in high school, has a life full of unique challenges. She is one of the only black girls in a white suburban and ballet world. She suffered through a bad breakup that caused her to stop eating. Her best friend was abducted four years ago, and he’s just returned suddenly. There’s a new boy in her life plus friends and homework and parties. It’s all this that makes Theo come off the page and feel like a real person, not a puppet used to showcase the dangers of eating disorders or having sex in middle school. And this is the real triumph of what Colbert has created: a real girl struggling with difficult issues who is trying to find her courage and her value. | Image used under creative commons borrowed brandycolbert.com |
Back to the Future time machine image used under creative commons belonging to DiscoverMagazine.com | One of the most surprising aspects of this novel was its discussion of sex. Colbert is one of the first authors for teens I’ve seen make a distinction between intimate sex and physical sex void of connection. This novel was also ambitious in its definition of rape. I don’t want to give away too much, but Theo’s evolution concerning her understanding of sex is so incredibly well done that I wished for a time machine so that I could go back and give this book to my teenage self. Too many books and media outlets portray sex as either being clumsy or AMAZING or just plain unrealistic in so many ways. The world needs more literature for teens that shows them the truth of sex and the respect they should expect to receive from their partner: this book does that. |
From a craft perspective, her sex scenes are well done. You can get the gist of what is happening, but it’s not over the top. As the reader, you don’t feel like Colbert is being vague, but you also don’t feel like she is being graphic for the sake of shocking the reader or over-sexualizing the content. This feat is particularity hard to pull off, considering the role that sex plays in the plot and tension of this novel. | Photo of Misty Copeland the 1st Black Soloist in 20 years in the American Ballet used under Creative commons AtlantaBlackStar.com |
I picked this book up because it came highly recommended by smart people, and the hardcover version has a gorgeous cover, which I am a huge sucker for. I kept reading because I needed to find out whether or not Theo was going to find her strength and her voice or if she was going to be forever silenced by her inner fear and shame. I won’t give away what happens. All I’ll say is that the ending is just right: it’s not tied with a bow, but it’s not frustratingly open ended either. It’s just…true. |