This one failed to be written in a way that the reader wasn't going to be overwhelmed with all of the descriptions. It was so over powering that I just had to stop and put it down.

Grace Dragotta,, an impoverished orphan, longs to be a ballerina. She is miraculously given a place in a ballet school by a respected ballet mistress. Through hard work she is chosen to be the prima ballerina in the production of FIREBIRD, which is a story of a Firebird helping Prince Ivan save enslaved princesses in an enchanted forest. When Grace discovers she has a mysterious patron who has paid for her ballet expenses, her life begins to mimic the ballet. As she falls in love with him, her life becomes a labyrinth of mysteries and heart wrenching choices, which combine to create a stunning climax to this engrossing tale.

I enjoyed this dark fairy tale set in a 1930s Chicago ballet company. Grace has lost most of the people she’s ever loved and although her life has been changed that trauma, she remains resilient. I liked her unlikely friendship with Emilia and the ways they supported each other. Beatrice was an interesting foil to them both.

Although the story borrows heavily from fairy tale, myth, and folk stories, especially Beauty and the Beast and Hades and Persephone, it is very much its own creature. I like the idea of sleep and death as brothers, especially brothers who often do not get along.

Reading this book gave me a lot of mixed feelings, and truthfully, I am not upset about it. Wees is extremely descriptive – from characters to settings – the narrative itself is definitely immersive at certain points. I do still find myself thinking about certain lines, as they have stuck with me. The writing style takes some getting used to, but that’s not a bad thing in my opinion. The lyrical prose is somewhat captivating, but it can quickly feel overwhelming if you are not expecting that type of prose. Wees’ main character Grace has a heartbreaking past and audiences want to root for her from the first time we meet her. Unfortunately, the actual character development is not as significant as I would hope. The plot was fairly complex, and the book’s existence as both fantasy and historical fiction can make things feel more confusing. The slow-burn, gothic, fairytale elements were very clear, which I did enjoy, even if it was not the most traditional presentation. The inspiration provided by stories and myths like Phantom of the Opera and Beauty and the Beast, or Hades and Persephone is evident, but not overbearing, which is definitely a positive for this story. I saw some readers draw comparisons to The Little Princess and The Secret Garden, by sharing that Nocturne felt like reading these classics but as an adult, I definitely can see both what they meant and how it’s applicable to this novel. If you’re looking for a book that is more atmospheric and descriptive, then this is definitely the choice for you. Sending a huge thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed the haunting, almost gothic atmosphere, richly imagined world, and 1930s Chicago ballet company setting. The lyrical writing draws readers in, and while the story has a sense of darkness and mystery from the beginning, the fantasy element doesn’t become apparent until around 30% into the book, if I remember correctly, seeming to draw inspiration from The Phantom of the Opera, Beauty & the Beast, and Greek mythology, such as the tale of Hades and Persephone.

The romance was not it. The Master manipulates Grace and enamors her with his magic. Total ick that she calls him “the Master” the entire time. And what is with “little bird” being used by similar character types in different YA fantasies? I do think the romance was resolved appropriately.

This book has a lot of elements I normally love, but they didn’t work for me altogether. While I admired a lot about the writing, I just couldn’t get behind the characters and their choices. Grace was hard to root for, and we disagreed about who the heroes and villains of the story are. However, I loved her friendship with Emilia, and I thought it was the most powerful relationship in the book.

This had a lot of pretty prose but unfortunately that could not make up for the rambling, incoherent nature of the story. I understood the general premise of Death and Sleep but overall I just think the story needed to be fleshed out a bit more. Maybe it was my head space but I just didn’t follow this much at all

This was beautifully written, but I found myself wanting more from it. It didn't feel like it was specific to 1930s Chicago outside of the first two chapters. But it definitely fit the "just vibes" mood just right!

2.5 stars rounded up. This was a surprise for me. I was not expecting the fantasy aspect of this book to pop in!

1930's Chicago, Grace was a poor girl who decided she wanted to be a ballerina after watching a class through a window one day. She was already a very talented violinist, having been taught by her neighbor growing up. When she finally reaches that coveted roll of prima ballerina, she disovers there is a sinister catch to this role- she must live with her patron, Master La Rosa.

This story for me was really bazaar. Death, Sleep, dreams, nightmares, friendships are all found in this story. Probably not my favorite book I've read, but not the worst. At times I did find myself interested in where it would lead, but overall I was left wanting.

Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3 ⭐️

Intriguing plot, fun cover, but the writing style was not cohesive and plot points were messy. The themes are repetitive, the romance was sub-par, and overall it just could have gone DEEPER into so many things. I was disappointed and felt it had much more potential.

I wanted to like this book, but honestly, the story just wasn’t for me. It just didn’t catch me and I can’t put my finger on why. The writing wasn’t bad, but the story wasn’t for me, it didn’t interest me. I will keep Alyssa Wees on my radar as the writing was well done.

Oh my word. The writing in this book was absolutely beautiful. And the character development was amazing. When I got to the second half of the book, I could not stop reading.

Interesting take on how our mind works and can in some ways control our bodies. It's a story of a young girl in the 1930's who suffers enormous loses and never really recovers from her grief. She yearns to be a beautiful and successful ballerina only to get lost in a world of greed and deception. Unable to determine reality from fantasy she succumbs to the fantasy in her dream world and loses her life in search of what she believes will bring her happiness. This is a powerful read and a definite purchase for my library.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC of this novel. I went into this novel thinking it is Phantom of the Opera but with ballet and maybe throw in a bit of Beauty and the Beast. This is not that. The language is very lyrical but it felt like nothing was happening or that the language was so dense that I missed events. The mysterious patron did not show until about 30% in and by that point., I had lost interest. I will say the ending was unexpected and there was a twist closer to the end that I may have seen coming if I was still invested by that point. For me, this is a 2.

- thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc to review!

- unfortunately, i had to dnf. the writing was clogged with purple prose, and though I’m usually fine with purple prose, the author used it too much, suffocating the reader with millions of words that only sounded pretty and lacking true substance.

The early story captured my attention with ballet, an orphan's struggles, and Depression-era Chicago, but once Nocturne shifted into dark fantasy I didn't feel connected.

In Alyssa Wees's slim (it's 240 pages) fantasy novel Nocturne, set in the Little Italy of 1930s Chicago, promising young dancer Grace dreams of becoming a prima ballerina.

As the Depression rages, orphaned Italian immigrant Grace rises through the ranks of the Near North Ballet Company--losing friends, becoming more jaded, and ultimately gaining a valuable, secretive benefactor who may be the key to her job security--but he may not be what he seems.

Grace is faced with compromises and tradeoffs, and she must decide where her own loyalties lie and determine how far she's willing to go to keep hold of her long-held dream.

I felt connected to Wees's story through Grace's early struggles, her sole real connection, to friend Emilia, and her ballet training and performances. The understated dark undercurrents felt powerful and mysterious.

But once the fantasy elements became the focus, the story felt more like a series of ethereal concepts to me. The predator-prey, death-and-life, constricting-and-controlled scenario is orchestrated by an evasive, sinister, and, I felt, annoying man (every Sunday night Grace is forced into a dance and some evasive conversation, and meanwhile she must wait around all week for this?). The story began to feel more juvenile in tone to me as it progressed.

Grace's benefactor, who barely speaks, seeks to control her, and has professed his romantic interest in her, has been watching and fixating on her since her childhood (ugh), yet this predatorial scenario is made out to feel more romantic than a horror.

As Nocturne became less anchored in emotions and motivations that I could grasp, I lost my connection to Grace. There are twists, and I enjoyed Grace's strong stand at the end, but by that point I had lost my feeling of investment in her story.

I received a prepublication edition of this book courtesy of NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Ballantine.

Nocturne by Alyssa Wees

I picked this book to read because of the ballet aspects but ended up being more interested in the magical aspects. Not to mention it’s a Beauty and the Beast retelling!!

Up and comer Grace finds herself as the new prima ballerina and with that comes a mysterious benefactor, Master La Rosa. A new ballet is being created for her in which the heroine finds herself pulled between Death and Sleep. Grace quickly realizes that it is a reflection of her current life and must determine how to set herself free.

A super neat read, Nocturne released last week 2/21, make sure you add it to your TBR!

Thanks @netgalley and @delreybooks for this advanced reader!

#BookReview #Bookstagram #AlyssaWees #Nocturne #DelReyBooks #BookishLife #Reading #Bibliophile #BookPhotography #BookRecommendations #Instabooks #BookNerd #Retelling #HistoricalFiction #Fiction #FictionBooks

I went into Nocturne expecting a retelling of The Phantom of the Opera. There are aspects of that story, and there are also aspects of “Beauty and the Beast” and “Death and the Maiden.” However, Wees has created an entirely unique story that surpassed my expectations and even managed to surprise me. When Grace Dragotta is chosen as the new prima ballerina of the Near North Ballet Company, she believes it is because of her skill and hard work. In truth, she has been specifically chosen by a mysterious patron, Master La Rosa, who insists she come live at his mirror-filled house and dance with him every Sunday at midnight. As time passes, she begins to learn the Master’s secrets and is introduced to the city of Noctem, where the souls of the dead gather. Grace is left with a choice: marry the Master and become the queen of Noctem or continue on with her life that has brought mostly hardship and sorrow. As I said, Wees managed to surprise me with the ending. I’m not going to give anything away, of course, but just know that this doesn’t go how you think it will.

Wees is a very lyrical writer, which will work for some people and not for others. For me personally, it worked quite well. Lush descriptions and metaphors always pair well with stories about music and dance in my opinion. It contributes to the fairy tale feel Wees is clearly going for and just creates a rich and beautiful reading experience. There were some times I got a bit lost in her language and lost the thread of what as actually happening, but those were few and far between.

My only complaint is that Grace doesn’t have much of a personality. She definitely has a history, which is one part of a fascinating character. I enjoyed learning about her life before the ballet company, and the tragic backstory certainly made me feel for her. Her backstory also suggests a personality that I ultimately felt we didn’t get to see in the main story. This girl survived by herself on the streets, playing her violin for money. She forced herself into a ballet company and trained hard to become just as good as girls who had been dancing their whole lives. All of this suggests she’s a fighter, but that isn’t reflected in her interactions with the Master. She gives in to everything so easily, and I would have liked to see more of the strength and will suggested by her backstory. It does come out at the very end, but that didn’t feel like enough for me.

Overall, Nocturne is a lyrical fantasy that blends music and fairy tales to create a beautiful story. While I wanted a little more from the main character, I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend it for fans of S. Jae-Jones’s Wintersong.

MY REVIEW: 2 Stars

The audio narration was quite good. Unfortunately, the book itself was not for me. I have seen a lot of great reviews and I’m sure there will be many more.

Nocturne is a whimsical little book.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Randomhouse for a digital copy of this book.

This was like a cross between ACOTAR, Phantom of the Opera, and Beauty and the Beast. It had a very strong storyline but unfortunately the author seemed to have had a quota to fill when it came to descriptive words. It became so distracting while reading that I eventually had to DNF.

This book was not for me. I likely would have not finished it but I pushed through because it was an ARC. I was initially interested because the book was a fantasy and about ballet. However, the introduction was so incredibly slow that I thought I had misread the synopsis and that this was historical fiction instead. It wasn't until 1/3 of the way in that some of the plot points, conflicts, and magical elements are revealed. At that point, I was already feeling a bit bogged down with the writing. The pacing for the rest of the story seemed off too with much plot repetition. I wasn't a fan of the writing style either. I love lyrical writing in some instances, but the author here tended to recap everything in lists that we had just gone over, and I found it irritating. Overwritten and underplotted.

My likes: I do love a ballet setting, and that felt so realistic.

Dislikes: Writing style, pacing, plot predictability so sheer that when the author made it out to be a big reveal it felt insulting.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy. 1.5/5 stars overall.