The Fandom

Gr 9 Up—Violet and her friends are headed to Comic Con decked out in full cosplay. As they are about to take a photo with the gorgeous lead actor in the movie adaptation of their favorite book, a freak accident sends them suddenly into the story itself. Unfortunately for Violet and her friends, their fandom of choice is The Gallows Dance, a depressing and bleak universe with a tragic love story. Violet and her friends must act out the story's canon in order to find their way back to the real world. Day's novel is a fun mash-up of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Romeo and Juliet, and the entire YA dystopian fiction genre. While the premise is sure to appeal to many fangeeks, the world of The Gallows Dance itself is underdeveloped and somewhat bland. Violet and her friends' motivations are not always believable, and their relationships with one another border on cliché. However, despite the novel's shortcomings, the fast-moving plot will keep invested readers engaged. This book contains light romance, some profanity, and several jarring scenes involving sexual assault and violence.