Hider, Seeker, Secret Keeper

July 15, 2014
A tangled web of intrigue ensnares three generations of Bolshoi ballerinas.Lana, the daughter and granddaughter of dancers, goes on tour with the Bolshoi even as she is accused of hiring a hit man to injure her rival. Traveling from Moscow to New York City's Lincoln Center to the Russian enclave in Brooklyn, she slowly and painfully uncovers the truth about her family. Descriptions of her starring role, a four-minute solo from Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring called "Danse Sacrale," are skillfully woven into the narrative in a nice thematic counterpoint to Lana's story. Kiem continues the story she started in Dancer, Daughter, Traitor, Spy (2013), and those who have read it will empathize with the difficult journey that Lana makes as she battles murderous backstage rivalry. Those new to the saga will uncover a multifaceted and moving story of a family caught up in the horrors of Soviet life and the uncertainties of post-Communist Russia. The author liberally uses Russian phrases that are not necessarily intuitive to translate and require frequent back and forth to the glossary.Russian secrets, treachery and strong family ties pulsate and captivate in this complex tale. (cast of characters and historical figures) (Thriller. 13-18)

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August 1, 2014

Gr 10 Up-A smart, tough thriller with an all-too-timely topic. In the sequel to Dancer, Daughter, Traitor, Spy (Soho Teen, 2013), Kiem depicts the corrupt, wealth-driven world of the modern-day Bolshoi Ballet. Lana Dukovskaya is a rising dancer in the corps, preparing to head to New York for her debut tour. Tattooed, crew-cut, and insubordinate, Lana has never been the management's favorite girl, but when a series of brutal attacks on her fellow dancers threatens her safety and her reputation, she begins to fear that she is being targeted by enemies she never suspected. When a mysterious figure from her dancer mother's shadowy past appears, Lana is drawn into intrigues that stretch back more than 30 years. As the teen rehearses to dance the role of the Chosen One, the sacrificial victim in The Rite of Spring, she wonders if she, too, is being prepared for an untimely end. Motorcycle hits, cute Russian boys in Moscow and Brighton Beach, poisonings, rival dancers, and political disappearances make for fast and dangerous action that might seem over-the-top if the goings-on at the real-life Bolshoi weren't even crazier. Lana is a persuasive heroine; jaded, mature, and self-reliant. She has few illusions about the world in which she operates, but her strong loyalties and her passion for her work keep her honest. Kiem's detailed knowledge of the world of the Bolshoi, and of modern Moscow and New York, gives the book an offhand authenticity, even when the plot twists strain credulity. A dark, well-written, and intense read for mature teens.-Katya Schapiro, Brooklyn Public Library

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2014
Grades 8-11 Decades after the events of Dancer, Daughter, Traitor, Spy (2013), Marya's daughter Lana is poised to become a third-generation luminary of the Bolshoi Ballet. When the star of the troupe set to perform at Lincoln Center in New York is seriously injured and Lana moves into the understudy position, some consider Lana a suspect. Nina, Lana's friend and the new star, is also injured, allowing Lana to perform a solo, and suspicion of her intensifies. Once again, the action begins in Moscow and travels to New York City, where intrigue and danger mix with the passion of dance and the power of family ties and history. Kiem's prose is infused with a grim urgency, both cold and vividly alive as Lana navigates the minefields of unfolding secrets and danger, love and fear. While technically a sequel, readers need not have read the first book (though they will find spoilers). Those looking for the thrill of a wrongly accused heroine, infused with the passion of a dancer's dedication to her craft, will enjoy this taut mystery.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)