Grace has just been made the Prima ballerina for the struggling ballet company she dances for. Not only that she will be the first American ballet dancer to perform the Russian fire fly. A fairytale ballet that is all the rage in Europe. The previous Prima ballerina is her best friend and closest confidant Amelia, who is leaving to marry her fiancé. When the ballet finally starts she is surprised when the Madame tells her she has a benefactor and sponsor. Immediately Grace becomes obsessed with wants to meet him and although she was already haunted by the death of her mother in the loss of her brother hindsight is 2020 and Grace will definitely come to regret it. When she finally does meet him he is between a man and a myth but is he dangerous? This book definitely has a Gothic haunting field to it but I do think the theme of her prose tended to repeat over and over again with midnight darkness stores ET see and although I get it I just kept hearing the same term analogy or words that meant the same thing trying to explain her understanding or viewpoint of the situation. No having said that as I said this is truly a book with a Gothic feel to it and I would definitely recommend it flows swiftly in the story is interesting I think I just got tired of the nighttime, darkness, starlight theme to the adjectives. I received this book from NetGalley and publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

It's hard to find words to describe this book. It's part fairy tale, part mythology with a little bit of Phantom of the Opera tossed it. It all works together though and the author weaves a wonderfel story. Grace is an amazing character and her journey is breathtaking. Her relationships with the Mistress, her patron and her patron's assistant as well as with Emilia, her best friend will haunt you long after you finish the book. It's simply a beautiful story. I highly recommend it.


Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the E-ARC of this fabulous book!

I am all for a Phantom of the Opera retelling. Im also down for a beauty and the beast retelling, as well as a Hades and Persephone retelling. I don’t really enjoy having every single one all at once through the perspective of a character I simply don’t like. The plot felt like a few different ideas thrown into one book, as if the author didn’t quite know which retelling she wanted to settle with. I know that some books can do multiple - ish retellings in one go, but they have to have attention to detail and not feel as if its a bit of everything nearly haphazardly sewn together. Don’t get me wrong, the atmosphere of this book is stunning. I love the way it feels a bit haunted in the beginning and a bit coldish if that makes sense? I just didn’t necessarily connect with our main character, I found her to be insufferable to be honest. The writing style is definitely for some people, even those I’m close to, but I don’t particularly enjoy it much either. I am thankful I got to read it, but I didn’t like it.

Lesson learned: avoid books that are marketed as "lyrical"

Until seeing one mentioned in the acknowledgments section, I was thinking that maybe this book/author didn't have an editor....

I'd estimate about 75-80% of the book is just the author using as many words as possible to make things sound as 'pretty' as possible. And much of the time, the obnoxiously overly-described parts don't make any sense at all if you stop to think about them for even a fraction of a second. One theory: the author wanted to repurpose a creative writing assignment, something along the lines of "how many ways can you describe silence?", and then tried to fit a story around that.

Sadly, what little story did make it into the book isn't very good, either.

Nocturne is a short tale of love, a dark love, while it’s more an intense romance — the other was spot on. I feel if someone is looking for a more modern day retelling of Phantom and the Opera this would the book.

2.5☆
I was excited for this book after I read the synopsis, it looked just like what I loved but the more I read, the harder it became to finish.
I couldn't connect to Grace, or to any character. The writing felt flat, inconsistent and I was unable to really get into the story.
I think the author was aiming for either Hades& Persephone retelling or Beauty and The Beast but it didn't fit anywhere.
There were just too much to wish for and didn't get, including with the ending.

I was so excited for this book and really thought it would be on the same level as titles such as Midnight in Everwood, but unfortunately it fell flat for me. The writing style felt juvenile and jarring, and I was unable to be enticed into the story because of it. The characters were okay, but I could not get past the pacing, plot, or prose.

I wanted so badly to enjoy this book, and at first it really did look like I was going to. I loved the setting of depression-era Chicago, a ballet studio & company and eventually a creepy castle. It had so much potential, but for me it just fell incredibly flat.

At first, I was very endeared by Wees’ flowery writing and language, and inloved the little asides and quotable bits about the state of the world and Grace’s feelings about life. However, I learned rather quickly that this book is all flowers and no content. Come the 50% mark, I was skimming 75% of most pages because they were frustratingly irrelevant to the plot, and also because the plot felt so thin that it didn’t matter anyway.

I’m grateful that this wasn’t a very long book, or I don’t think I would have gotten as far as I did. This writing style is just not for me, and I don’t see myself picking anything up from this author in the future.

Thank you to random House Ballantine & NetGallet for the opportunity to read and review this before publishing!

Grace is a child who lost everything, whose gift seems to be a touch of death to everyone around her. Her father leaves before she has memory of him. Her brother is tragically killed, and her mother follows shortly thereafter. Left on her own at the height of the Great Depression with just her violin and love of dancing, Grace finds her way from the cold streets of Chicago into the doors of a company of ballerinas whom she admired from afar for years.

Years later, Grace is selected as the prima for the final performance of the year, to learn that such selection was at the bequest of a mysterious patron, whom no one at the company has met before. Who is he? Why do his gifts leave a feeling of darkness and loss. The writing of this story is dark and beautiful., and with hints of Phantom of the Opera, Beauty and the Beast, and Hades and Persephone, it calls to the darker romantic readers.

Despite its short length, Nocturne may, however, be a bit of a commitment to some. It is poetic literature for a young adult audience, a long poem devoted to the love of Death and his Little Bird. However, readers who are frustrated by heavy descriptions and who are not fond of poetry, may find this book is not quite for them. Without the somewhat flowery descriptions, this is a story that could have been told in a short novella of maybe 50 pages.

However, the art of this story is that the author wanted to devote herself to creating a detailed world around this story of Death, Sleep, and the ballerina that stood between them. Given this story revolves around ballet, the poetic leanings are not surprising, as the art of ballet is storytelling through dance. The descriptions of this book are like a carefully choreographed ballet, meant to draw the reader to the details and beauty of the world that has been built as much as it is to tell the story itself.

Thank you again to Net Galley, Ms. Wees, and Ballantine for the advanced readers copy in exchange for this honest review.

This is a solidly written, moody, and atmospheric tale that looks to be based on Beauty and the Beast. It's not a direct retelling and instead eschews a happily ever after Disney version for something a bit more gothic. Of note, there is a lot of purple prose here though fortunately it only rarely trips up the reader experience.

Story: In 1930s Chicago, prohibition and gangsters wreak havoc on people weary from the depression. At a small ballet dance company, loner Grace has found a home after having been orphaned several years earlier. She may not be as talented as some of the other dancers but she has a charisma on stage that catapults her to the position of prima - and gains her the notice of a benefactor. But who is this master La Rosa - and what does he want from her?

There are nods to several fairy/folk stories here - from Phantom of the Opera to ballet and opera inspired tales. But the main inspiration is obviously Beauty and the Beast. That said, this isn't really a romance and thus can neatly sidestep a lot of the YA tropes so prevalent this days. It feels like it is meant to be its own fairy tale.

The story is very claustrophobic and takes place at either the theater or the Master's mansion. The 1930s milieu is there somewhat but you won't really get a feel of Chicago in that era other than through the repercussions that directly affect Grace's life (e.g., the earlier death of her brother to mobsters). I would have loved to experience more of the era rather than the more fantastical feel of the insular theater and 'enchanted castle.' But Grace's life is a lonely one and the story is written to support that intrinsic value.

Grace as a heroine is fine - she wasn't a character I really liked or enjoyable but that also means she wasn't overidealized. She spends a lot of time feeling sorry for herself and giving flowery prose inner monologues that can get wearying after awhile. Yes, they further the atmosphere but that came at the expense of wanting her to succeed or to even root for her. There are a few side characters but we see little of them other than through becoming a subject for Grace to ruminate upon (ad nauseum).

In all, despite all the purple prose this is a quick read. The author has some good ideas and ties them in neatly into the plot. Admittedly, I did find myself skipping chunks of exposition frequently: all of the characters had a crippling addiction to metaphors, even in their dialogue. But I'd rather a book overwritten than underwritten, to be honest. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Grace dreams of becoming a ballerina, she seeks an escape from her poor background and a family unit that she craves. As the story progresses we see Grace living her dream and she becomes a Prima Ballerina. Now, she catches the eye of a mysterious patron and the adventure begins. A Sci-fi, fantasy, and a fairytale story all meshed together to make for a riveting and enchanting story. In my honest opinion, this is a must read for 2023.

Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine, Del Rey for this ARC, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I love me some ballerina content (and tbh I'm not sure why, but I think it's competition + really pretty outfits), especially if it's got a horror element to it, and this book definitely meets those criteria. And, for the most part, I liked it. It's also set in post-depression era Chicago, although that doesn't really factor in too much. The main character is fairly naïve and makes pretty terrible decisions which is what made it kind of hard to read (that and the love interest of sorts was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay older than her and ew) and the whole thing was pretty predictable, but I can see actual teenagers being reallllly into it, especially those who like the ballerina contents. So while it wasn't exactly my thing, I'll be recommending it to teens. 2 stars goodreads, 3 stars netgalley.

I enjoyed reading Nocturne and took my time reading it. The writing was enjoyable and felt lyrical at times.

The MC Grace was developed well and I really liked the other characters.

I have seen this marketed as a Beauty and the Beast re-telling, but it felt more like it was a story inspired by the fairy tale.

Overall it was a good read and kept me entertained, but I was not wowed.

<b> <I> Thank you so much to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of “Nocturne” by Alyssa Weez in exchange for an honest review. All of the following opinions are formulated on my own. Any quotes in this review should be cross-referenced with the final copy for any possible edits.</I> </b>

<b> Overall rating: </b> 4 out of 5 stars

<b> My review: </b> This is my first book to read by Alyssa Wees. I was drawn in by the book cover aorund Christmas time and I read it over the holiday. This is an odd, in the best way, retelling of Beauty and the Beast in 1930s Chicago. Grace believes she has been chosen as the prima ballerina based on her talent but has actually been selected by a prince who saved the ballet from bankruptcy. She now must go live with him and take what he provides. I really love how fun and whismy this boook was! I just really wish the publisher had released it in November because I think this would have been a great holiday read.

I really liked this one. I thought it was going to be some kind of retelling or reimagineing of Beauty and the Beast but it did not seem like it. And the last few chapters definitely went in a direction I wasn't expecting. The story and settings were great. The details about everything were amazing. The characters were really great. I did feel like Grace was a tiny bit over dramatic in one or two scenes but otherwise I liked her.

𝘕𝘰𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦 tells the tale of Grace, a young ballerina who's lost her world to death. Now she's been offered an enchanting deal by her ballet company's sponsor, that she'd get luxury and all that she's ever desried if only she comes to stay with him and dance once every Sunday.
After she is coerced to accept the offer, she is also proposed to by the Master, but beware, all's not as it looks, they're not in love, after all he's death incarnated.

- ~ -

This was morbid.
I mean not really but clearly not my thing.
I did like the twist at the end (though I was rooting for him :| )

The story did make wonder, though, what's better, Death or Sleep?
Death's an oblivion, a prick on pain then unto nothingness forever.
Sleep, on the other hand, is a trickster. It'll show you the best and worst of life, promising either in no finite sense.

Although this is often the exact writing style I love, it was way too overdone here and came off as quite confusing.

I hope the author continues to write stories where she can maintain the whimsical and mystical feel, though, I hope they're happier ones.

- ~ -

3.36 / 5✩

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘙𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

I did not even finish this book. I made it 17 pages before I had to just stop. The writing was so drawn out and honestly didn't make any sense. It was like the author just put as many words as possible into a sentence without even trying to make them make sense to sound smarter.

This is such an incredibly well written book, full of lovely, and sometimes gruesome, imagery. A mix between The Phantom of the Opera and Beauty and the Beast, this is the story of Grace. In mid-Depression Chicago, her dream of becoming prima ballerina comes true thanks to a mysterious benefactor. Master La Rosa then invites her to live in his house and dance in a ballet that he wrote The mansion is magical and described in such detail that I didn’t feel like I was reading but more like the author was putting images directly in my mind. The writing is beautiful and atmospheric, like a dream and a nightmare rolled into one. Grace is a great heroine, she goes from scared little girl to a woman who takes control of her life. The love she feels for her dead mother and brother is touching. I also loved her relationship with her best friend, the sister she never had, who is getting married and starting on her own path, and how they still count on each other, even when they’re apart. It was a little odd how eating is such a big part in a story about a ballerina but, considering this is a fairy tale, I guess it’s a small inconsistency. This is a slow read and it will not be everybody’s cup of tea. I thought it was beautiful.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey!

Thank you so much to Del Rey Books and NetGalley for an eARC copy of one of my top anticipated releases of 2023!

This is a true gothic horror through and through. And those comparisons being made to Beauty & the Beast, Hades & Persephone, and Phantom of the Opera are spot on but with a little added something! And ballet, lots of ballet!!!

Alyssa Wees knew what she was doing when she wrote this plot - the clues are left in plain sight but the thrill of guessing something that proves to be correct is exciting. Grace‘s trajectory as a character made sense in a way that was satisfying to witness as a reader. And you know those endings that connect back to a point or quote towards the beginning of the story…yup this has one of those. Don’t even get me started on the gorgeousness of the writing in here!

There’s also nothing that compares to that feeling when a book surprises you even when you swear there’s no way it can. I thought for sure this would be a 4 or 4.5 from me but that last 20% really proved me wrong and I’m very glad.

Make sure to pick up your copy of this beauty on February 21!

This book caught my attention with this lovely cover and the synopsis sounded eerie and intriguing. I liked the first part of this story. The historical feel with the ballet and an orphan who worked her way to the top was so captivating. I loved her friendship and the story was well developed. I thought the mysterious patron was a nice touch, it added this element of darkness and suspense. However, this book got boring real quick after part one. The overuse of metaphors was annoying to read and was not needed. It felt like the author needed to hit a word count because she couldn't just say something simple and let it be, she had to list examples and add flowery metaphors EVERYWHERE. I didn't feel any chemistry between her and Death and when I realized this was a loose Hades and Persephone story I rolled my eyes. This trope is overdone and I really don't enjoy it. The ending was very anticlimactic and I honestly couldn't wait for the story to end.