Grace Dragotta is delighted to be promoted to prima ballerina in her 1938 Chicago company. An orphan, she views her ballet friends as family, and believes her hard work has rescued her from the days when she played the violin on the street busking for money. The first third of the novel will especially appeal to those who enjoy reading about the world of ballet. When a mysterious patron offers to generously fund the company, all are overjoyed, until Grace discovers that the patron may have played a role in her ascent, and is whisked off to live in his magical mansion in Hyde Park, where "Beauty and the Beast" elements enter the fantastical plot. The fantasy grows wilder as Grace copes with magical creatures and explores the afterlife with her patron, and the ballet scenes are gradually less important as the fairy tale takes over. The conclusion is a surprising yet fitting ending for an imaginative tale. VERDICT Recommended for teens who love dance and fantasy.--Karlan Sick

Wees's (The Waking Forest) adult debut follows the trials of Grace Dragotta, a young woman making a life for herself as a ballerina in Depression-era Chicago who has endured much death in her short life. Orphaned and homeless, Grace works her way into the Near North Ballet Company, where, at the request of Master LaRosa, the company's mysterious benefactor, she becomes a prima ballerina. However, this coveted position comes with a price, as Grace must reside permanently in LaRosa's creepy house, wear the clothes he provides, and waltz with him every Sunday at midnight. Though Grace tries to escape, she is continually drawn back to this secret world. Wees's lyrical prose, enchantingly narrated by Zura Johnson, is enhanced in audio, as Johnson brings out the dreamlike atmosphere of Master LaRosa's otherworldly kingdom. VERDICT A lush and romantic story made all the more compelling by Wees's evocative prose and Johnson's graceful narration. Recommended for fans of Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus or Constance Sayers's The Ladies of the Secret Circus.--Angel Caranna

A dancer in Depression-era Chicago slowly becomes aware of dark secrets surrounding her ballet company's newest patron in Wees's enchanting if slow-burning adult debut (after YA The Waking Forest). Grace Dragotta, 20, has spent the last seven years focused solely on her dancing with the Near North Ballet. When she is promoted to prima ballerina, she believes her hard work and perseverance through family tragedies have finally paid off--until she learns that her promotion came at the behest of Near North's mysterious new patron, Master La Rosa. Grace is increasingly unsettled by the Master's behavior, especially when he uses his influence to compel her to move into his house with him. When he finally reveals his mystical secret, Grace learns there's much more at stake in this performance season than just the success of the ballet. Wees cleverly evokes Beauty and the Beast folklore, drawing especially on the eerie beauty of Jean Cocteau's 1946 film adaptation. Despite the elegant prose, however, it takes so long to reach the Master's home that readers less interested in the more mundane dramas of Grace's life may lose interest. Luckily, the magical elements, once they are revealed, are enthralling. Patient readers will be rewarded with a lush, impressive fantasy from a promising new voice. Agent: Penelope Burns, Gelfman Schneider Literary. (Feb.)

Grace Dragotta is a ballerina in Chicago during the Great Depression who longs to dance as the prima in her company. When she achieves her dream, she is hurt to find out that it wasn't entirely owing to talent: Master La Rosa used his money and influence to further her career then takes his admiration a step further. She has to live with him, eat his food, wear the clothes he provides, and dance a waltz with him once a week. Grace goes along with this for the good of the company and to remain prima, but at every turn, she is looking for a way out. It is clear from the first time she meets Master La Rosa that he is not human, but what is he, and what does he need from Grace? Nocturne is an utterly unique, lyrical play on the Persephone and Hades myth for fans of Neil Gaiman or Madeline Miller. The beautiful language used creates an atmosphere of darkness, grace, and foreboding that sets up a haunted and mythical story. The character of Grace, the language, and the plot are all elements of this novel that will engage readers as Grace fights other people's expectations to find her own path.