In this compelling book, Delphine learns that it's hard to go home.

This book is about 3 ballerinas, past and present and how the choices made in the past, come back to haunt them now.

Delphine has been away from Paris for 13 years to become choreographer. When she returns, she hopes to pick up friendships that she left behind. She needs to realize that life has moved one without her there and people have changed, can she change and fit into what her friends have become now?

This book also shows us the gritty behind the scenes life of the ballet world. As audience members, we usually just view the spectacle and glamour, but don't see the pain that the ballerinas truly suffer to bring us joy.

This will be the book that everyone will be talking about, for a bevy of reasons, at the end of 2021.

Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy.

This book tell us the story of Delphine, a former ballerina and now choreographer, who after spending years in Russia, comes back to France for a fresh start, still hiding secrets from her past though.

I think that my biggest problem with this book was the mismarketing thing, because it is said to be a thriller/suspense when it's not.

Was there something from the past that is kind of a secret? Yes, there was. However, nothing that would give us a plot twist or really influence the story.

A bit of a bummer, but I appreciated the author's writing, which was neat and cohesive and the shoutout to the feminism topic.

This book was not what I was expecting. The last third of the book took a strange turn and the one part I feel wasn’t truly resolved - it was kind of shoved to the side to make way for the ending. Overall, the story was good but it left me wanting closure in some of the trajectories and I didn’t get it. I also struggled with the ballet terminology and a few quotes were in French without a translation. I also got very confused at the time slips back and forth. I don’t feel like they were well connected and at times didn’t make sense to the story.

My initial rating for this book was 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3. There were many things I liked about this book, and a few things I had issues with that kept me from rating it 4 stars.

Things I loved:

I have a fine arts degree, and spent four years in the same building as the ballet majors. I got glimpses into their world of dance, and it was always fascinating to me. The Ballerinas gives an even closer look at that world and all the anxieties, stress, body issues, and sheer grit that goes along with it. The added element of being set in Paris, at a premiere (though fictional) ballet school and then company gave the story more atmosphere, and made it more intriguing to see that side of the profession. Being able to see the fierce dedication and even fiercer competition between not only Delphine, Margaux, and Lindsay and the company, but also amongst the three girls themselves heightened the stakes and really allowed the reader to sit and lean into the characters and their motivations.

The first 1/3 of the book moved incredibly slowly, which I was ok with. It gave me time to figure out the characters and the world they inhabit and gave important backstory for Delphine. There was a feeling of foreboding the entire time, leaving me wondering when we would find out the horrible thing that Delphine did. The pace picked up at about the halfway point and barreled toward the conclusion. I felt swept up in the story and couldn't put it down until I finished it.

However, that breakneck speed made me feel somewhat let down with the big reveal as to the secret Delphine had been keeping. It felt so anti-climactic and like it was tacked in as an afterthought after the OTHER big reveal.

The characters of Delphine, Margaux, and Lindsay are not without their faults. Their faults and shortcomings feel true to life, if abbreviated and condensed for the sake of the narrative. In a book that centers around the friendship of the three women, none of them struck me as a particularly good friend. I did have a slight issue with the male characters throughout the book. Aside from possibly Claude, none of the men had any redeeming qualities whatsoever. It felt odd that in the entire world of the POB, the dance world in Paris, and the dance world internationally, that there wasn't a single male who wasn't a monster. I understand that the story is about strong women who are fending for themselves in an inherently sexist industry, but I felt it could have added a little depth if there had been just one male - even a minor side character - who had some integrity or was even passably "nice".

The ending tied everything into a messy bow. I felt that because so much lead up went into the "What did Delphine do?" arc of the story, that the payout was lacking. As I said before, it felt tacked in as an after thought after the big reveal. I wasn't thrilled with the BIG reveal, or the fallout from it. It felt stilted and, again, tacked on. For a book that was so deeply character driven the entire time, the hurried pace and the questionable responses to the event were slightly disappointing.

That being said, I think this book was completely enjoyable. It would be a good read for someone who was on the periphery of the dance world/industry and wanted a fictionalized look further into it. However, I don't feel that it fully fits the "thriller" descriptor. It would be more fitting for those who enjoy a character driven narrative than someone looking for a high stakes thriller!

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

An incredibly strong solo debut for Rachel Kapelke-Dale. She gives the reader a perspective on the challenging life of performance especially for women. The book is a statement on women’s rights and feminism and how we sometimes accept our “role” in the scheme of life. And although she portrays men in a negative and rather stereotypical manner, she rescues that framework by providing a glimpse at the ending of a younger generation policeman with a more egalitarian outlook.

The Ballerinas quietly develops three themes by using three key women who are ballerinas. By drawing the curtain back on the world of ballet, we learn about relationships between women,
the masculine/feminine sides of the ballet and how betrayal and forgiveness go hand-in-hand.

Interestingly, the author also has creatively included a book within a book by using A Lifelong Passion--the book of love letters between Nicholas and Alexandra as the structure for one of the ballets. And her skill at making Paris a central character is outstanding.

If you have any interest in ballet, in women, in Paris or justice, you will enjoy this book.

This was far more of a character development/growth novel to me than a mystery thriller. I appreciated seeing how Delphine developed over time and how the three women closest to her developed as well. I feel the author did a good job of showing how to grow and change and how to accept the growth and change of others that we love. There was a good representation of women's friendships and how we need one another throughout different phases of our lives. There was a lot of "thinking aloud" development that I didn't necessarily mind, but the book wasn't what I thought it was going to be. It got a little long in parts, but I resonated with the characters and loved the ballet setting.

The build-up to what happened between the girls was not as interesting as I expected it to be, and the event at the end seemed unbelievable - it just seemed like a bit too much thrown into the story. There was a very graphic sex scene, which I know seems to be commonplace now, but I just don't like reading that level of detail. I also didn't find that level of detail necessary for the storyline.

All in all, this book was okay, but I didn't love it. I appreciate the ARC from NetGalley!

I really enjoyed this book. It was written well, and the characters held my attention. I am a big fan of ballet, and this book really described what it is like to be a dancer. It was a great story.

What a gripping book, about three ballerinas during their teenage and then adult years set at the Paris Ballet Company. The book is a fascinating look into the destructive life of ballet, how it impacts the ballerinas' bodies, and their emotions. It also alternates between the stories of the three friends as teenagers and adults, how their friendship endures despite the intense, competitive ballet life, their love lives, their mistakes and their successes.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC from Net Galley I exchange for my honest review. This is my first review and I am taking the “honest” aspect to heart. First, I echo some other reviewers in saying that this should not be advertised as a thriller. There were some surprises but this was far from an edge-of-your seat kind of plot. I didn’t mind the time jumps so much and I found it interesting that one timeline moved forward more quickly than the other. But the plot was very slow-building and for me, did not have the pay-off that I was anticipating. I also found that the promised plot twist was almost a bait-and-switch. Again, a potentially promising approach but not quite as advertised. Overall, I found the depiction of the female relationships reasonably well done and enjoyed the inside view of professional ballet as well as the feminist themes in some of the plot lines, but it did not quite live up to expectations.

Although not trained in ballet, I absolutely love to read about dance and this book appeared to embody what life as a ballerina entails quite realistically. The book did start slow for me and I wasn't enamored with Delphine's character, "the nice one" but it does get better and I quite enjoyed the writing.

This book was classified as a mystery and thriller but I would definitely not have described it as such. However, I did think this book touched on some really impactful themes; the friendships that are forged in the competitive and ambitious world of professional ballet, the pain, injury and underlying "ugliness" associated with physical perfection, as well as betrayal and revenge, both in love and career-wise, to mention just a few. Despite the difficulty I had relating to Delphine, I thought she really made an effort to evaluate her behavior and its effects on those around her, experiencing character growth and self-realization to some degree.

Thanks for St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC. I definitely would be interested in reading more books by Rachel Kapelke-Dale!

I'm going to write something and title it "Crone." I'm going to set it at the precise resonance and frequency of the dull pulse of the universe, and I'm going to loose it at the world as an unfettered howl.

I want to thank NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for sending me an ARC of The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelka-Dale.
“Lindsay’s hot
Margaux’s a bitch
Delphine’s nice”
Delphine narrates the story of these three females, alternating chapters over two decades beginning in 2000. They live mostly in Paris, all wanting to be the lead ballerina, the best ever. Their friendship has it’s high and lows and is severely tested over the years.
We learn about abuse, scandal and male superiority.
The author brings Lindsey, Margaux and Delphine to life, complete with blisters, many injuries and aging.
Can they survive the pressures and attain their dreams?
Does the need to be the best destroy their friendship?
Are the secrets revealed?
The Ballerinas publishes 12/07/2021.

This was a challenging book for me to read. The plot enticed me, but it was very slow, with a lot of terminology that I did not understand. I'm glad I read this on my Kindle, because it made looking up these words easier. It's a fault of my own that I couldn't get into this book. I'm not a fan of reading about something as in depth as ballet, for example. It's like I almost want to read about it, but not truly understand the intricacies of it. The writing was stellar, and the second half did pick up, but this was not the book for me. I won't dock it any stars, because this was not my preference for reading.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is my first book by this author. I was drawn in by the cover & I really wanted to love the story, it had such potential.
However, it fell quite short of my expectations & left me feeling rather unsatisfied.
It begins out slow & lifeless, then becomes hectic & unbelievable.
I pushed through to the end hoping for some kind of payoff, but it all just fell flat.

For once, I was able to be absorbed in a book on NetGalley. I adored the flowing writing, the setting, and the beautiful language. One of the things I look for in a book besides that, is the ability to be educated somehow, and this book achieved that, among a number of other things. I’ve never wanted to go to a Paris more, or watch ballet for that matter. I believe I will have a greater appreciation for it BECAUSE of this book.
It had plenty of drama, al-most too much. I expected it at every turn. My only complaint would be that the author glossed over a particular death a little too easily, and although the book pretty much explains why since it is geared toward female empowerment, it seemed a little...I don’t know...inhumane. It didn’t bother me so much but it might be a point of contention among other readers.
I felt honored to pre-read it, and definitely recommend.

I want to thank NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I will start this review by saying that as young ballet student I have always love the ballet. This book is listed as a Mystery & Thriller/Woman’s fiction and that confuses me because I really do not see it as a mystery/thriller. I just did not get the mystery/thriller classification. This is a modern day story of a group of young girls who bond as students of ballet and move through life struggling to achieve and progress as professional dancers in a very difficult field of work. The attention to detail of the life on a student, the difficulties and relationship problems they discover and the competition between both male and female artists is given in such a clear and wonderful way. The choices they make will impact their future successes. The settings are mostly Paris and St Petersburg. Delphine, Lindsay and Margaux begin as friends and mature as professionals. The hardships of the dance routines and the injuries they endure are accurately explained.

I could not put the book down and absolutely do recommend it to anyone who wants to understand the hardships of dancers. I felt it was personal to me and know any little girl who studied ballet and dreamed of becoming a star ballerina will love it.

I hate giving bad reviews, but for me reading this book was valuable time wasted. I am sorry for being so cruel about it because I mean I have never written a book myself and I am sure it was a lot of hard work poured into "The Ballerinas" by the author......... But this is my opinion and hopefully I may be able to stop someone from believing the unimaginable hype surrounding this book. Besides the very unlikeable main characters of Delphine, Margaux, and Lindsey-- the story itself is so lifeless. I forced myself to finish this one hoping for some kind of payoff but there was none. I just did not care.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for a chance to read and give an honest review.

I think I’ve mentioned this before but I am such a sucker for pretty covers. This one reminded me of a Degas painting and I was intrigued. Thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an advanced copy of this book! It will be released in December.
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The book is about three women who grew up in the Paris Opera Ballet. Two of them, Margaux and Lindsay, are currently under contract with the company and the other, Delphine, has moved on to become a choreographer.
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As the book gets going it’s mainly about the hierarchy and structure of the ballet and how that effected these women as they grew up. It influenced every aspect of their lives and molded their relationships. Up to that point I was really interested. Then about halfway it got a little crazy. It felt like the author threw in as many plot twists as possible. It gave a me whiplash bouncing between catastrophes. Aaaaddddnd...the ending was not my favorite. **Spoiler Alert** At the last minute Lindsay’s husband who seemed to be an amazing guy turns evil, injures Lindsay badly, and is pushed out a window to his death by Delphine. At which point all three ladies are like, No big deal. He was a jerk. Then the investigating police officer who is questioning Delphine pretends not to hear her confession and lets her go. 😒
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At first I thought the book was about the dedication of these woman to their craft and the behind-the-scenes look at the ballet world. It ended up being about men trying to control women. It seemed like a huge leap from one to the other and not a natural storyline arc. Overall, while I was engaged the whole time it just ended up being too much.

3.5 stars, rounded down to three. I had mixed feelings about this book. There were things I really loved and things I didn’t.

What I loved: I love when a book transports me into a different lifestyle. I enjoyed a glimpse in the life of a professional Paris ballerina. I found the parts detailing what it was like growing up and working in the field of dance very interesting. The physical pain, the fierce competition, the close friendships, the rivalry, the sacrifices, the devotion... It was my favorite part of the novel.

The first half of the book moved slowly. I enjoyed it, but it was a slower read. Not too much action, but a lot of the behind the scenes in the world of dance that I loved. The two timelines didn’t bother me as it often does. It was done well, flowed well, and didn’t pull me out of the story. I actually really liked that the timeline switches were within the same chapters instead of each being a separate chapter.

As you read, there was always this impending sense of doom; the reader knows something horrible in the past happened and something horrible is going to happen in the future, we just don’t know what right away.

The second half picked up the pace. I couldn’t put it down and couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. But...I felt that the big secret, what Margaux and Delphine did to Lindsay, was anticlimactic. The whole scene played out seemed a bit ridiculous, in my opinion.

. This book has feminism tones, but it came across to me more as man hating. Besides a handful of male dancers that weren’t even side characters but just occasional names mentioned, all the main men characters were despicable and only saw women as objects. None of the characters were very likable, but the woman were written in what was meant to be a positive light. I’m ok with not liking characters. I don’t believe a reader has to like the protagonist in order to like the story.

The ending had an event that I didn’t see coming, but I didn’t like the characters’ response to it.

One other thing I didn’t personally care for was the language. A LOT of f-bombs. That just isn’t my thing and I felt like it distracted me from the story.

Overall though, I did enjoy the book and I loved learning more about ballet life. I could actually see the choreography in my head. The author did an amazing job at using only her words to show the dances. I want to watch the Ballets that Delphine created. If you love ballet, you probably will really enjoy this book.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #TheBallerina

“Don’t they realize,” I’d hissed to Margeaux during a curtain call after a particularly grisly performance of Swan Lake fifteen years ago, “that we’re all covered in the most disgusting sores under our shoes?” . . .

“Of course they know,” she said between her teeth. “That’s why they like to watch.”

—from “The Ballerinas”

This is a very interesting character-driven book that will appeal to all lovers and survivors of the ballet life. It focuses on three women - main character Delphine, and her two friends Margeaux and Lindsay, who grew up training in the Paris Opera Ballet.

This book has a different tone and story than Black Swan, which it’s being compared to, but both that movie and this book do an excellent job analyzing the destruction and damage women in the ballet face in their quest to be dancers. The horrible sores beneath the beauty. This book is also interesting and a bit different from Black Swan because in it we also meet male dancers, and we see how they rarely suffer the same difficult choices and fates as the female ballerinas.

I would not classify this as a thriller, particularly, though it is emotionally intense, but more of a character study and a high drama about destructiveness and female relationships. Delphine is a very interesting and complex character. We see her in a series of different timelines - from her teen years as a dancer whose sexuality is awakening (and simultaneously being repressed by her training) to her adult years as a choreographer, reuniting her old friends and lovers to dance in a ballet of her own.

I really appreciated the way this book used the ballet as an exaggerated metaphor for the painful things all women face in society as they age - the desire to be beautiful, the limited amount of time allotted to a woman to succeed or be an “ingenue” compared to a man, the complicated and sometimes destructive nature of female friendship and jealousy.

I did have a few issues with the book - sometimes the many alternating timelines jumped around too quickly for me, and other times I was frustrated with Delphine’s naïveté. The story felt a little disjointed at times and even though I like alternate timelines, I think this one might have benefited by telling the story a little more in order. I also thought the transition from the events in the middle to the dramatic end was a bit abrupt.

Nevertheless, I found this an emotional, compelling, and always interesting read. Rachel Kapelke-Dale has a whole lot of talent, and has painted a truthful (in my experience as a young ballet dancer), interesting and painful tale that is hard to put down, particularly if you love the ballet. Lovers of the ballet and fans of female-driven character studies will really enjoy this. I’m really looking forward to seeing what this author does next as she continues to grow. She’s one to watch.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and the author for the ARC.