Dance Sisters

Dance Sisters by Alan Clay is the second book by this author that I've read this week. Last week, I read and reviewed Believers in Love. Each is different and requires a different audience, which shows what a versatile author and artist Clay is.

The plot revolves around a female music trio who call themselves Dance Sisters (thus the title). The two founding members, Moana and Pearl, were once lovers but have drifted apart and now work together for the good of the group. Eva is the newest member whose voice adds another depth to the trio's distinct sound. The story is told through Eva's viewpoint in third person.

Things continue to fall apart when Pearl seeks therapy through a cult-like group who use virtual dreams and group sex to help members explore themselves and their role in the world. Pearl grows distant as the group pulls her further and further away from the Dance Sisters.

Eva, who desperately wants to keep the musical trio together, tries to help Pearl work through her initiation and contact with the cult only to find herself being drawn into the group by Matt, a young member of the group who seems to have some kind of sexual pull on Eva.

I was a bit bewildered at the beginning of the novel, as I expected it to read like Believers in Love. But once I realized that the two novels are meant for different audiences, I began to understand it more. I was sucked into the plot and conflict and setting enough to read it all in one sitting this morning~about an hour and fifty minute read for me.

My favorite basic structure to the story is Clay's use of sentence structures. He has a talent for using advanced sentence structures which actually seem to flow and don't leave the reader having to re-read.

His word choice is diverse and the character's dialogue made them seem like real people. Even the obviously fictional (fantasy?) parts in the group dream sequences seemed to be real.

My takeaway? Excellent writing from a talented artist. I've since learned that he is a movie director and producer and plan on watching one of his films "Butterfly Crush," which is based on Dance Sisters.

PostScript: While there are allusions to lesbian sex and group sex, the scenes are handled very discreetly. There are no sex scenes described in the book.

This is my first novel by Alan Clay, and I am totally hooked! I had no idea this book had been made into a movie and I can’t wait to watch “Butterfly Crush”, becasue I thoroughly enjoyed “Dance Sisters”. I am a thriller addict and was pleasantly surprised how quickly I became engrossed in this sisterhood of band members. The novel has every component needed to make it a MUST READ - turmoil, love and even a little fantasy. I think the most surprising aspect of the book is the development of the characters, I found myself completely involved in the twists and turns of their lives and by the end of chapter one had already visualized them in my head.
Excellent must read novel, and I can’t wait to read more from Alan Clay.

This is the first Alan Clay’s book that I have read. Description promised the story will be thrilling and it delivered on its promise. Needless to say, I devoured the book in a few days. I loved the suspense and detailed character descriptions - it made me feel like I was with the main heroines during their unusual musical journey and I could see the story unfold very vividly in my imagination.
This book has it all: love, friendship, sacrifice, incredible energy, elements of competition and conflict personalities. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves reading!
I’m really looking forward to reading Alan Clay’s other books!