Book Review: Masquerade at the Wells by Lorna Hill

Masquerade at the Wells is the third book in Lorna Hill's series about Sadler's Wells Ballet School. This book shifts the focus from Veronica, the heroine of the first two books who is now a well-known dancer on the Covent Garden stage, to cousins Jane and Mariella Foster. Mariella's mother is a famous ballet dancer, and it is taken for granted that Mariella will follow in her footsteps - but truth be told, she would rather be riding horses than dancing. Jane's mother is convinced that she loves animals, especially horses, and after she is given a pony Jane doesn't want to seem ungrateful by admitting that she doesn't like horses very much, and is in fact a bit afraid of them. However, when she starts taking ballet lessons she finds that there is something she loves to do. How will Jane and Mariella manage to pursue their dreams, despite their families?

When Mariella is offered an audition at Sadler's Wells, the famous ballet school, the solution seems obvious: she and Jane should swap places, and Jane go to the audition in her place. But will they manage to get away with deception, or will Jane lose her chance?

Like the first two books, this is narrated in the first person - mostly by Jane, with the last section by Mariella. The style is chatty and informal, as though the narrator is telling her story, rather than writing it. This allows us to get to know the characters, and also allows the author to explain things about ballet that the reader might not know, in a way that feels natural.

Despite the title, the "masquerade" doesn't take up a large part of the story. It's not until halfway through the book that Jane even goes to London, let alone Sadler's Wells, and we don't hear a great deal about her time there - an issue I also had with the previous book, as I would have liked to know more about the school itself. Lots is skimmed over, and we often only get things second-hand; we wouldn't actually see a scene, just Jane telling or writing to someone about it afterwards. This didn't bother me particularly, but I think it might be a disappointment to some people.

Overall, this was an enjoyable, though not a spectacular, book, much in the vein of the previous two, with stuff about ballet, riding, family relationships, and the Northumberland countryside. If you enjoyed the previous two books in the series, you'll like this one too; although it isn't necessary to have read any of the others first, as it stands quite well alone.