Devil's Dancer
- Vanessa Bettencourt
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
@topplingstackstours & @catherineyuwrites
Book Info:
The Devil’s in the Dancers by Catherine Yu
Genre: Young Adult Horror
Publishing Date: August 26, 2025
5 Stars
I love novels where the sacrifice for art goes beyond the limit and becomes dark, taking over the human part. I like it because the person starts with something that brings happiness and joy, and ends up a slave to that art or practice, sacrificing body and mind. This happens in sports too, and in this case, the author combines ballet and the fact that someone wants to achieve more than perfection, adding it to very eerie, creepy practices. The tears of blood are beautiful to visualize, and for a moment, I thought this would have a sad ending, but I am so glad the author gave us hope with a character who manages to save the other with love.
Synopsis:
Scholarship student Mars Chang has finally been accepted into the most prestigious dance academy—and she’ll do anything to stay.
Earning a scholarship to the Allegra Academy summer intensive was supposed to fix everything for Mars Chang. The academy is owned and run by the Bechlers, a big pharma family. And if Mars befriends the right girls, she could unlock the doors to the Ivy League future of her dreams.
When Mars is unexpectedly assigned to room with Alex Bechler, she knows impressing Alex will make or break all her plans. Alex is annoyingly attractive, the best dancer at the academy, and her great aunt runs the program. So when the headmistress pulls Mars aside and asks her to swap Alex’s supplements with a new Bechler product, APL, in exchange for year-round admittance, Mars can’t say no.
But as Mars gets to know Alex and how much she dislikes her family and ballet, swapping the pills proves harder than Mars bargained for. Knowing Alex better only makes it clearer how unfair the academy is. So Mars decides to help another scholarship student by letting her try the supplements. At first, the pills give the girl an instant edge in class. But when they also produce terrifying side effects, Mars suspects that APL might not be safe after all.
But how can Mars, the new girl, convince the academy’s best that her life is in danger without jeopardizing her own dreams in the process?
Content Warning: drug abuse
Book Links:
About the Author:
Catherine Yu writes dark speculative fiction. She was born in Nanjing and is now based in New York. She is the author of Direwood, Helga, and The Devil’s in the Dancers (Page Street). Her short fiction has appeared in Baffling Magazine, Fantasy Magazine, and the Death in the Mouth anthology.
Author Links:
Website: https://catherineyuwrites.com/about/
Twitter: https://x.com/bluish_orb
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catherineyuwrites/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19221383 s
Tour Schedule:
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