Wattpad at its Finest

"Learning to Dance in the Rain"

"Learning to Dance in the Rain "

Author: knightsrachel

Summary:

Holly Gardener grew up with four brothers, and more recently a single dad. So being a competitive dancer, and National Junior Dancer of the Year at the age of 12, isn't always easy for her. So when her family life starts to fall apart, her world comes crumbling down around her, her only escape being dance. But when her family life begins to affect her dancing, she has to learn how to dance in the rain.

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My Thoughts:

I classified Learning to Dance in the Rain under the "Family and Life" category. Athletes and performers (especially dancers) will definitely enjoy this story as it focused more on the main character's dancing career than that of romance or other teenage dramas.

To say that the story is simple is quite the understatement. Reading the chapters made me feel as if I was watching a reality TV show. The plot itself centered around a 12-year old girl and her family which is trying to brave through life after losing a mother. There were no unnecessary drama nor were there any overly-stereotypical characters. Unlike most Wattpad stories, it's one we may see ourselves or others in. It was simply beautiful in its own way.

I fell in love with almost all the characters- Holly, her dad and generally her entire household. Each one is presented with a different kind of handling grief. In fact, I always wonder if the author is actually writing a part of her life's story because that kind of fullness in story characters are hard to come across. This is the reason why I unknowingly attached myself to them, putting myself in all of their shoes.

What I love about the author is how she was able to take into consideration the ages of her characters, each one acting the way they should throughout the story. Notice how almost all Wattpad protagonists are 16 or 18 years old, but the author decided to focus on the fresh age of 12. Holly, despite being quite mature for her age, was given the chance to throw temper tantrums from irrational reasons. She matured a lot due to her mother's death, but still kept the connection with her dad very strong. She felt deeply, but knew how to keep certain emotions in. See what I meant when I said that it seemed like an autobiography? Her character was wonderfully crafted because of her notable imperfections.

What I loved and hated most about the story? The ending. I'm not going to spoil anything but it's definitely worth finishing. The epilogue was the best chapter and it clearly embodied the hidden moral of the story: you can never foresee what happens in life, nor can you ever prepare for them. You can only live through everything.

There may be no players and forbidden relationships in this story, but it's one I will never delete from my library. Kudos to the author for such a beautiful story, and thank you for letting me read something that felt so real in so many ways.

Remember: Feel free to comment what you think if you've already read it or just finished reading it! I'd love to hear your side!

Cheers!