Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Ingenue by Rachel Kapelke-Dale is an explosive novel of secrets and horrors. The story revolves around Saskia, a former child piano prodigy who is now an adult. She returns to her family estate, The Elf House, a gothic mansion surrounded by gargoyles. But instead of inheriting the house, it turns out that her mother has left the house to someone outside of the family. Saskia is shocked, especially when it turns out she has a history with that man. Can she find out why her mother would do such a thing?

Here is a creepy excerpt from Chapter 1:

"It was not unusual for her mother to disappear for extended periods. In general, Saskia’s parents treated her less like a kid and more like a miniature adult. At parties, with other parents, her mother always said that the best thing to do with children was to let them come up, not to make them grow up. Like Saskia was a blade of grass or a dandelion.
So Saskia was used to being alone in the big house. And though she didn’t mind the echoing solitude, Lexi had bribed her with the twin temptations of a trip down to Downer followed by a sleepover. She loved their sleepovers, which were filled with ghost stories they’d cribbed from the bone-curdling Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series."

Overall, The Ingenue is a beautifully-written contemporary fiction novel that touches on many current social issues. It will appeal to fans of Celeste Ng or My Dark Vanessa. One highlight of this book is the creepy locale. I loved reading about the Elf House. The short feminist fairy tale excerpts at the beginning of each chapter were also a delight to read. There was a lot that I enjoyed in this book even though it wasn't what I was expecting.

After reading the author's previous book, The Ballerinas, I thought that this book would a thriller in that vein. Although this book is very, very dark, it's not actually a thriller. I would recommend reading the trigger warnings for this book. I took off 1 star, because the story was just too sad for my taste. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of contemporary fiction in general, I recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in December!

This book was a thriller that kept you constantly engaged and made you think about the character and story line. Highly recommend.

I wish 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 am a fan of Rachel Kapelke-Dale and loved her book the Ballerinas. This novel is set in the current modern day time frame and centers on the life of a young girl pianist. It is slow in the beginning and I think that is a good thing. It allows the reader a chance to build a relationship with Saskia and her mother as she begins her journey into the world of music. The shift comes when she gets involved with a much older man who takes advantage of the young 14 year old girl. Saskia hides the relationship from everyone and later after he ends the relationship she flounders. She even gives up her piano future. The story begins when she return homes when in her 30’s after her mother’s death. She finds herself really examining the relationships she had with her parents and learns that her mother has left the childhood estate to Saskia’s former lover and not to her own family as she expected. The dark side of these relationships bring to mind many of the “me too” stories in the news every day and the impact such things have of the lives of young girls. Rachel is a masterful writer and I highly recommend this story unless relationships of this kind are a trigger for you. The modernized fairy tale stories Saskia’s author mother writes are delightful. Each chapter heading retells one of the old fairy tales with a new feminist twist. When her mother dies with an unfinished manuscript Saskia decides to finish the last story. It is fun to see how her mind weaves into her mother’s thinking.

I do recommend this book and look forward to the author’s next story. The author is a master storyteller and wordsmith and once she has your attention she holds in to the very end.

Like The Ballerinas (2021) Kapelke-Dale’s latest delves into the life of an artist, although unlike her prior novel The Ingenue focuses on a single individual—and one who has stepped aside from her performing past.

Saskia Kreis, a piano prodigy from an early age, develops her gift during a childhood spend in a privileged suburb of Milwaukee. The daughter of an imaginative feminist author-artist and a professional cellist, she grows up in in the Elf House, a brewery baron’s ornately fantastic but decrepit mansion. Saskia spends a mostly solitary and singular girlhood traveling the world, amazing audiences with her precocious and highly developed talent on the keyboard. But as she enters her teens, her mother’s much older university colleague, a photographer, takes her under his wing—and into his bed. Their secret affair has a profound impact on Saskia’s later life, resulting in the abandonment of music career, dead-end jobs, dodgy life choices, and damage to her hands in the amateur boxing ring.

Her mother’s sudden death draws her reluctantly but dutifully back to Elf House, in the expectation that she and her father will inherit it. Conflict over whether to keep or sell the dilapidated money pit and surrounding estate become moot when they discover that Evie Harper Kreis has left it to Patrick Kintner—Saskia’s seducer, whose surprise inheritance and simultaneous photographic exhibition sparks the shocking denouement.

Saskia’s childhood, her difficult coming of age, and the destructive consequences of a disastrous affair are revealed in flashbacks. Through the course of the story, her weaknesses and resentments are transformed into strengths. Kapelke-Dale’s revelation of the artistic temperament and creative passion is especially well done, and her conflicted, motivated, and multi-dimensional characters are effectively drawn. (St. Martin’s, 320 pp., hardcover/ebook/audio, December 2022)

I chose to read this book because I am currently taking piano lessons as a beginner. So I wanted to read a story about a piano ingenue. This story did not disappoint in that respect. Overall it was a book that holds your interest to the very end. There is one, no two, major plot twists that were so shocking they were almost unbelieveable and I had to stop for a minute and review in my mind where the main character was and how she got there. Not sure it would have been my reaction to the situation she was in but it did help me understand more why she reacted the way she did. I would definitely recommend this book.

The Ingenue was a wild ride for me: filled with unexpected twists, trauma, and emotion that surprised me till the very end. I really liked it, but beware that it is not easy reading (trigger warning: statutory rape).

Saskia is a prodigy: at three, she begins playing the piano and by her teens she is touring the world as a concert pianist. Saskia doesn’t fit in at school; her focus has never been on clothes or boys. Saskia is single-mindedly beamed in on honing her piano playing and becoming the greatest pianist the world has seen.

It’s present-day and Saskia’s mother, Evelyn, has passed away from a rare genetic disorder. Saskia returns home to Wisconsin for the services and to claim her expected inheritance: the enormous and special Harper family historic home, known as the Elf House. Except, her mother has left the Elf House to Patrick, a photographer at the nearby university, to use for a pre-college arts program. Saskia and her father are shocked by the bequest and determined to uncover Evelyn’s motivation for this change to her will. It’s worth noting that Saskia is floundering as an adult. She doesn’t play piano anymore. She can’t hold down a steady job. She has become a boxer, destroying the hands she used to treat as prized possessions. While Saskia has never wanted to return to Wisconsin, she has always seen the Elf House as her birthright. With it in the balance, Saskia’s life seems even more precarious.

Saskia’s search for answers about her mother’s decision becomes her own search for answers about her youth, romantic relationships, and life path. It is full of revelations, surprising to both Saskia and the reader. As I said at the beginning of this review, I was being surprised up until the very last page.

My favorite thing about The Ingenue was tangential to the plot. Saskia’s mother was renowned for writing fairy tales for feminists, retelling of famous fairy tales where the princesses act as fierce heroines in charge of their own destinies. Each chapter begins with an excerpt from one of the fairy tales and they were SO GOOD. I was impressed by how a few short lines can turn an age-old fairy tale on its head. I would love to read the full story of each (maybe this exists somewhere? If not, the author should write it!).

This was my second Rachel Kapelke-Dale novel, and I liked it as much as, if not more, than the first. I will definitely read more of her! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read this expecting it to be like her last book, which was more of a thriller set in the ballet world. This book has decidedly less thrills, although plenty of psychological. Interesting exploration of inner workings of creatives. I enjoyed spending time in Saskia’s head, if not her house

(Also, I know this is petty NYC coastal elite of me but NGL the elf house sounds weird. It was a distraction. Sorry to the Midwest. That’s what took it from a 5 to 4 star book.)

The Ingenue is a sinister, suspenseful novel of a prodigy robbed of her youth by her parents’ expectations and an older man’s cruel intentions. Author Rachel Kapelke-Dale captures the tragedy of this young woman’s life as she reveals her spiraling downfall.

Told through the eyes of Saskia Kreis, now in her thirties, she comes home to the unexpected death of her mother, a powerful influence and mentor in her life. Once a promising pianist, Saskia returns to Milwaukee after losing her job, reputation, and lover through a botched affair. She discovers her mother’s illness was kept from her. Also, her inheritance, Elf House, is being willed to a repellent man from her past.

I liked Kapelke-Dale’s first novel, The Ballerinas, so I was eager to read her second one. However, I felt The Ingenue’s ending was shocking but too trite and not quite believable. Although I still enjoyed the novel’s portrayal of Saskia’s present conflicts and flashbacks to her childhood dreams and emotions. The writing captured the dynamics of the mother-daughter relationship, especially excerpts from Saskia’s mother’s books. I also thought the history of the Harper family and prologue was a brilliant introduction, creating a mystifying entry into the story. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read and review it. #NetGalley #Women’sFiction, #pyschologicalthriller

This was unexpected for me. It started off a little slow, but I kept on because the premise interested me. I wouldn't have necessarily picked a "#me too" book, but I was sent this ARC so I figured I would give it a chance.

I really did end up liking the main character and felt her feelings being tugged in multiple directions. She was a piano prodigy, but still seemed like a regular person that I could relate to.

The ending threw me! I was not expecting it.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for this copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

This book was around a 3.5 for me. I thought it was very slow to get moving and then just felt a little unbelievable at the end. The first third of the book is dense and not in a good way. Saskia comes home after her mother's death to take control of her family legacy, Elf House, only to discover her mother has bequeathed it to a man from Sas's past. It's a lot of trying to figure out the will at first and financial stuff and it weighs the novel down significantly. Around midway, the narrative picks up, and the book becomes more interesting.

Saskia's life is shaped around being a piano prodigy and this relationship with a man from a very young age. It shapes her dynamic with her parents, with her life, and with future romantic relationships. Watching her come to realize how damaging that relationship was. I thought there could have been more elaboration on her relationship with her mother. Was Evie a stage mom or just point her in the right direction? There were hints, but too often that relationship was left to langiush to focus on her grooming by the older man.

All in all, this was a decent read. I'd read it again or recommend it to others.

According to Merriam-Webster.com- “an ingenue person is: a naive girl or young woman”. This small definition will give you big details to what this book is about. This is also somewhat of a dark, disturbing read. There are often times when I felt angry and depressed for that of our main character, Saskia. This book has been compared to My Dark Vanessa, and if you are familiar with that book (which I am), I can agree that it is.

The Ingenue deals with the present day and the teenage years of Saskia. It also deals with growing up and coming home to the mansion she grew up in, known as the Elf House. I wouldn’t say that Saskia had a complex relationship with her mother/parents, so much as she had an independent relationship from them. So many secrets were kept, and the Elf House didn’t necessarily keep them either…

I’m still processing this book, as it wasn’t an easy read. Still reflecting on the fact that everything that happens to us in our childhood/teenage years does affect our adult years and the choices we make. Did I like the ending of the book? I’m not sure? I don’t think it was realistic, and probably wouldn’t work for the other “ingenue” out there, but that’s just my thoughts on that right now.

I previously read The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale, which I loved, so I was excited to read this newest release. I do recommend reading this book as well, although it’s not a light, easy read. The Ingenue covers a topic/topics that are not being discussed enough.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book. Publication date: December 6, 2022.

One of the breakout books of the YA genre was Go Ask Alice, the purported diary of a nameless teenage drug addict and runaway. However, the story behind that book and its follow-up, Jay's Journal, is far more convoluted and amorally exploitative than anyone would expect.

I have actually read Go Ask Alice. I was interested in it because of the controversy surrounding its reality, and reading the protagonist's wild dash through various illicit drugs made it pretty clear that it was indeed not real. The overblown writing and frantic plot rather made it a pain to read. But, as Emerson reveals in this book, Go Ask Alice was indeed an enormous hit, winning awards and selling millions of copies.

The story behind the book is far more fascinating though, I found. Emerson deftly weaves the tale of conservative America in the seventies and eighties into the story, creating a vivid backdrop to the hoax. The story has jaw-dropping twists and turns, and I spent a great deal of time astonished by Beatrice Sparks's audacity and how she kept managing to get away with things. I also appreciated the emphasis on veracity that Emerson had in this book, which really is necessary after the murkiness of Go Ask Alice and the books that followed it.

However, I did think the section that centered on Jay's Journal was a little overly long. We learn a lot about the real and tragic life of Alden Barrett, whose actual diary Sparks perverted for publication, and Emerson does not pull any punches in exploring Alden's story. Unfortunately I thought the book would have worked a bit better if he had! It's a slightly odd change of pace to be pulled out of the main story for so long, waiting to be braided back in.

Ultimately, a really interesting subject, and a well-written book.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.
Saskia (love that name), a piano prodigy, returns home to Milwaukee after her mother's death and is ready for her inheritance of Elf House, the family home, when she finds out her mother left it to Patrick, Saskia's former love. Both her father, Mike, and her are absolutely shocked and determined to contest the will.
We go back and forth between today and Saskia's teen years between the ages of 14 and 18.
The book is so good, it took my breath away. The conclusions Saskia comes to are mind blowing and her fury and determination to right the wrongs, plus the stunning ending, make for an incredible read. I loved Saskia, Mike and Wolfie, their beloved dog. Kudos to the author! Highly recommended!

I enjoyed this book. I liked the feminist fairy tales. I did find it a bit hard to get into at first. Overall, a good read!

I have never loved a book's epigraphs as much as I have this one's. They are excerpts from the protagonist's mother's feminist fairy tale retellings that I wish existed in full. To them, I give a full five stars. To the rest of the book, I give three stars. It took me a while to get into it (except for the epigraphs), but once I did, it was engaging and interesting.

I received a free ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wooo! So, this was a quite a ride especially towards the end. I did not expect the book to go this way. I must say that I saw the first plot twist coming but what the MC did towards the end? 🤯 Oh. My. God.

We follow Saskia as she goes back to her childhood home for her estranged mother's funeral. We fast learn they had a complicated relationship and Saskia was never made aware that her mom was sick. Being in that house brings back a ton of memories so we travel back and forth between the past and the present.

Saskia was a child prodigy. She played piano like no-one else but that also meant she had no time for social life. The house has always been in the family and Saskia is supposed to inherit it. That's until the will is read and that the house is gifted to Patrick, a much older man from Saskia's past. Not in a good way. She now has to fight to understand what made her mom give away the house to that man.

Before reading this book, please check TW as there are implies and mentions of grooming, major age gap with a teenager (not to say the P word) and drug abuse.

Thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for a review.

Saskia is a former piano prodigy who moved away from her piano career as she became an adult. She returns from New York to her childhood home in Milwaukee after her mother dies. She expects that the family home (which is a character in itself), will be her inheritance, but instead her mother has left it to a colleague that Saskia knew well as a teenager. Saskia faces things that she had never even admitted to herself, as she fights for her inheritance and grieves for her mother. The #metoo movement is part of this novel, as is the life of a musical prodigy. This was a good read, 4.25 stars for me. #theingenue @rachelkapelkedale #bookstagram #booklover #booksbooksbooks #lovetoread #reader #metoo #metoomovement #bookblogger #bookreview #bookrecommendations #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #netgalley

i really liked this book! i wasn’t sure at first, just kinda the vibe i got but as i read on, i think we’re supposed to feel like that in the beginning. i finished it pretty quickly and liked the ending. it kinda came out of left field but i was like alright i can get on board with it.

This was a DNF for me. I blame myself though because I didn't realize it was going to be a fantastical story - not what I thought I was getting. I'm sure it was a great book (judging by the many positive reviews) but it was just not a genre I would have chosen.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: December 6, 2022
Saskia Kreis, former child piano prodigy, returns home to Wisconsin to bury her mother. Her beloved childhood home, Elf House, has fallen into disrepair but it holds so many pleasant memories for Saskia and has been in the family for so long that Saskia is devastated when she finds out her mother has left Elf House to her mother’s former colleague, Peter. Saskia knows she has to reach out to Peter and find out his motivations, and even Saskia’s strained and tenuous relationship with him won’t get in her way. As she fights to save the only house she has ever known, Saskia also must fight to find her place in an unfamiliar world.
Rachel Kapelke-Dale returns with her new novel, “The Ingenue”. After a cleverly well developed story like her previous work, “The Ballerinas”, I had high hopes for this one, and Kapelke-Dale did not let me down. Similar in theme, “The Ingenue” follows a piano prodigy, struggling to deal with the normal expectations of adult life, after her childhood dreams were literally ripped away.
The novel was difficult to get into at first, as characters are mentioned out of context, with no background, so it seemed like I was missing something. However, the story is told in two time periods, and each chapter is divided into the current era, and various points of Saskia’s history, and as the story unfolds, all of the questions are answered. Saskia narrates the entire novel, and her perspective is gripping and uncomfortable, in all the right ways.
“The Ingenue” has so many overt themes at its core- exceptional talent, family relationships, and, of course, inappropriate conduct and sexual assault. It is not a novel to be taken lightly, but it is so moving and engaging that it will definitely stick with you. Regardless of Saskia’s actions, I rooted for her throughout, and the ending was unexpected, yet exactly what the novel needed.
Kapelke-Dale has a way of bringing to light the pressures of exceptional talent, and the devastation that follows when the light burns out, while still providing relatable characters and a novel full of emotional, heartstring-pulling plotlines. This novel left me with all the feels, and it seems that Kapelke-Dale is only getting better. I look forward to her future novels.