The book explores the friendship of three young girls: Delphine, Lindsay, and Margox. They are dedicated to training for the ballet above all else. The book provides an honest depiction of the life, sacrifice, and competitiveness of ballet dancers. I enjoyed the two timelines exploring the characters while in ballet school and years later as adults. A secret they share runs throughout the book and the reader is not aware of it until the end. The cover of the book is absolutely beautiful. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Life at the Paris Opera Ballet School is all encompassing for three ballerinas who met as young girls. All decisions made and actions taken position the ballerinas within the school and eventually the company. Can they all live with their decisions? Do they have regrets? What are their dark secrets? This debut novel is well-written introducing only as much information as we need to know in order to keep us turning the pages.

I am surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I’ve never been into ballet or dancing, but I was hooked from the very first page. The characters were all fantastic - so flawed and human. It was nice to read something where the main characters aren’t perfect. The story itself was incredible. I was not expecting it to be so suspenseful, and that plot twist at the end left me speechless.

Ballet and ballerinas have interested me for a long time. The athleticism combined with the grace it takes to be a dancer is not given the recognition it deserves. I have also been drawn to the darker side of competition and body image. This book deals with all of that in an interesting and realistic way. The Ballerinas focuses on three women: Margaux, Lindsay, and Delphine, three dancers who have grown up together. They are all good dancers who are vying for spots in the Paris ballet. The problem is there are only two spots. When Delphine falls for a Russian choreographer, she leaves for Russia, leaving her best friends behind. After an extended absence, Delphine returns to Paris to choreograph a ballet, giving her an opportunity to reconnect with her besties and make amends.

The story is told in alternating chapters, between the past and present. The ladies are now 36 years old, so there is not much time to make it big in the ballet world. Getting to know the main characters was not easy, as they seemed superficial and all seemed to have secrets, but eventually, I could see their true selves. There was also a protectionist attitude toward Lindsay and I wasn't sure why for most of the story. The first half of this novel, was very slow, but beautifully written. We learned about ballet, the competitive world, the ups and downs, the way the various dancers of different skill are treated and the toll on physical and mental health. I found this fascinating, but many did not. The pace picks up significantly in the second half with scandal and secrets revealed. This is a book that not only deals with the world of ballet, but is about female friendships and how some endure hardships over years. If you are interested in the world of ballet and/or the intricacies of female friendships, I recommend this book.

This book is a slow burn. It starts slow and never really picked up for me. It was hard to really keep going as I didn't care about the character and none of them were not likeable in a way that was likeable.

The first half of the book, the main characters were catty with each other. I never would have thought that they were friends with one another. Then, there is a sudden 180 in the second half of the book that just doesn't make sense with the rest of a story.

There was so much potential here and I feel like this book was trying to be too many things and it ended up a little messy with nothing really hitting the way it felt like it could.

I love ballet and this book kept me intrigued all along the way. I love the alternate POV/timeline and background of each characters before life and current life. Will recommend to others!

Very cool look at ballet in France and Russia. I feel like the main character never got a break. Everything was always going poorly for her, so it was difficult to root for her success. An amazing shocking ending that really stuck with me.

Drama-filled. This read like a soap opera to me. Some parts were too overdone and melodramatic. There were times I had to force myself to read on and finish.

I received a copy of The Ballerinas courtesy of NetGalley and the author, Rachel Kapelke-Dale, as well as St Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. hank you!

This book was a great read. You find out the plot twist right at the beginning of the novel, and then you spend the rest of the time learning how the main character got to that point. It follows the lives of three ballerinas who are dedicated to their craft, over a span of many years. It includes highs, lows and everything in between. Ultimately, despite all the trials and misgivings they have in their lives, their friendship overcomes all and they become each others soulmates.

Really enjoyed this book. It was well-written and the plot was easy to follow. It's a lot of pages but it is an extremely easy read and, incidentally, it helped me get over my reading slump (thank goodness!)!!

There are a couple of trigger warnings. Stop reading here if you haven't read the book yet..



**sexual assault/revenge porn scenario**

This was such a good palate cleanser book for me. It was recommended a couple of times in the podcast. The audio is excellent.

The Ballerinas was a big disappointment. The characters were unlikable and the story was not what I expected. There was no real thriller aspect.

Loved this book!! The characters were so well done and full of life. It really digs down deep into friendships and how they change as time passes.

This book was difficult for me. I didn’t find it to be really a thriller but more of a character driven drama. I didn’t connect with the characters and after the last ballet thriller type story I read this felt very familiar.

I thought the premise seemed great- Paris, ballet and friendship. I was feeling a Black Swan kind of vibe but ultimately it was not my cup of tea. I think that many folks would enjoy this especially if they like twisty psychological stories.

I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this.

I found the concept of this book to be exciting. The athleticism and competitive nature of ballerinas is a fascinating backdrop for a novel. I enjoyed the mysterious aspects of the book. It is a very character-driven novel, and I thought the development of Delphine was very realistic. We see her rise and fall and her inadequacies and flaws. At times, it makes it difficult to cheer for her throughout the book, but I'm not sure if the author wrote Delphine with the idea of being lovable. It seems to me that she is a natural person who makes mistakes.

I would have loved to read more about the world of ballerinas and not as much about the behind-the-scenes drama. I also thought the book would have had better pacing if told chronologically.

Last year, I decided for December I would read books focusing on Ballet because, well, silly as it is, December is for The Nutcracker, so why not? I'm so happy to have been given advanced access to The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale. It was by far the best of the ballet books I read. The characters were dynamic and interesting and the plotline and writing were fresh and as twisty as the ribbons sewn on those daily new pointe shoes. This is an author who I will look forward to reading again.

Thank you to both author and publisher for the privilege of reading an advanced copy of The Ballerinas!!

i really liked this book and although it took me a while to get through i thought the story was amazing and it was nearly impossible to put down!

The Ballerinas is a look at the world of international professional ballet. I would call this book a psychological thriller. It is a character driven book. Honestly, I really struggled to even like the Delphine for most of the book. She was self-centered, conniving, and a terrible friend to so many.

The book is a dual timeline book based about three girls: Delphine, Margo and Lindsey. The story flips between when the girls were younger and starting out in the ballet and 2018 when three were women in the mid-thirties. Honestly, I really struggled to even like the Delphine for most of the book. She was self-centered, conniving, and a terrible friend to so many. She did redeem herself at the very end of the book but it was almost a little too late for me.

This book shows, all too realistically, the pressure and attention these girls felt for how they looked, how they performed, and how they progressed up the ranks where there was little friendship due to the competition.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

"We are all stuck in our own stories and it is so easy to see someone through only one lens, the role they play in yours"

I had anticipated this would be exclusively about three ballerinas and their friendship set in the ballet company. It was so much more than that.

Written with a dual timeline, you are transported between the early 2000s when Delphine, Margaux and Lindsay are starting out at the Paris Opera Ballet and in the twilight of their careers at age 36. The relationships between the three women as well as a critical mother-daughter relationship, a dancer and a kind neighbor (Stella), the women's significant others, the dance company and the world in general are all explored in this novel. I grew to care about each of the characters and hurt for them as they had gut-wrenching choices to make.

Rachel brought these characters and the world of ballet to life. The meaning behind the dances Delphine chooses to choreograph was brilliant and brought the story together in a beautiful way. I felt for characters I later despised. Absolutely loved that I did not predict the ending.

I look forward to reading more of Rachel Kapelke-Dale's works in the future!

This is the first book I read from this author. Although it was well written I wouldn’t classify it as a thriller, as it’s more a relationship drama. The true story of the price women have to pay to carve out their own place in the brutal world of ballet. It was interesting, but it didn’t kept me hooked to the story and I didn’t engage with the characters either.

I guess I am not a ballerina type of girl but the story had a good plot along with some wonderful information about relationships and loyalty. Delphine's leaves the ballet only to return at the age of 36 in order to start the next phase of her career.

I found the book slow moving, but interesting in a artistic way. I am still not a fan of the ballet but enjoyed the story behind the book.