*I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*
In honor of the two year anniversary of Unearthed Stories, an interactive fiction (books with choices) app, that Livia J Elliot and her partner created, Elliot has created a novelization of one of the first stories she had written for it. And I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC.
This is not the first I’ve encountered Elliot’s work, and it most certainly won’t be the last. Back when it came out, I thoroughly enjoyed her novella The Genesis of Change and will continue to look forward to her future works.
Dance With Me is the tale of Lyra, a ceramic, music box ballerina and the world she is thrust into. But it’s also so much more. It is a journey through depression and trauma and the war that goes on in one’s own head. The battle with the weight of all those feelings and doubts that prey on one’s psyche. It’s the tale of the turmoil one endures and the self-destructive nature of those doubts, and the journey to heal and trust once more.
It’s dark. It’s harrowing. It’s beautiful. And perhaps most importantly, it’s hopeful.
That said, in this novella, Elliot’s strengths shine once again. She writes with an elegant prose that has an almost lyrical flow that draws the reader in. Each word carefully considered, taking the lead as it dances the reader through the darkness. Add to that the creative use of strikethrough text to portray that inner dialogue of one constantly questioning themself. It is a journey, and I cannot recommend it enough.
Dance With Me is a harrowing and beautiful tale, plunging into the depths of trauma in Elliot’s elegant prose. A must read!
For more information, I strongly encourage you to follow the Kickstarter to be ready when it begins on May 6th. From the pictures posted so far of art and covers, the physical copies are gong to be stunning!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/liviajelliot/dance-with-me
