Five years into her career at the North American Ballet, Sylvie has come a long way from the bright eyed, driven ballerina she once was. A forbidden romance turns sour, and Sylvie is left in pieces – she’s a mess and just going through the motions, and it’s showing in her work. With her reputation in tatters, and her friendships strained, Sylvie struggles to rebuild herself and pull herself out of this spiral before she ruins everything she has worked so hard for.

This is a lovely debut novel by author Melanie Hamrick. I wasn’t surprised to learn that she herself was a ballerina as her knowledge bled through the pages of this book. It brought a sort of authenticity to the words that is hard to find.

I enjoyed the dual point of view, and the past and present timelines. Those are always my favorite and this was no different. I always assumed ballet was cutthroat, but this novel explored just how cutthroat it actually is. It’s so sick to hear about mentors abusing their relationships, but sadly this is true. The pacing on this one was fast paced, and I didn’t put it down – I read it in one sitting. It’s an interesting read and you will have some take aways about what it really takes to be at the top.

The author included an excerpt from her next novel – and I can’t wait to get my hands on that one as well!

If you enjoyed Black Swan, or the technical nature of Carrie Soto, then check this one out

Thank you to the publisher Berkley Publishing, @berkleypub, and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

**Many thanks to Shelf Awareness, NetGalley, Berkley, and Melanie Hamrick for an ARC of this book!**

When you see this cover and read the words "First Position," you might think that this is a simply a book about the dark side of ballet...you know, first position, second position, etc.

But this book felt more at home with the likes of those describing, uh, certain OTHER positions....if you catch my drift...and voyeurism of this kind is a BIT more R rated than the vision I had of toe shoes and tutus (not to mention one that was also supposed to be peppered with thrills!)

Sylvie Carter has always longed for the post of prima ballerina, and five years ago, it seemed well within her grasp. She had a 'leg up' on her competition (so to speak) and was handling the ballet world (filled with plenty of sex and drugs) with just enough grace to keep her goal within reach. But a whirlwind 'courtship' with a powerful and handsome magnate in the dance world goes awry and winds up in scandal territory, Sylvie's one shot seems to have evaporated for good.

..Until now. Sylvie is in a new city and is still dancing: now as part of the North American Ballet company (NAB). When the stunning, masterful Alessandro Russo arrives, however, Sylvie's world is once again rocked and she quickly falls under his spell. Is Sylvie able to take this second chance, move on from the mistakes of her past, and ascend to true greatness? Or will the allure of sex, drugs, alcohol and yet ANOTHER forbidden romance keep her ultimate dream as nothing MORE than a fading, furtive dream?

This book is pitched as being Black Swan-esque...but I'm sorry to tell my thriller loving friends that there is NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING, thrilling about this book. At all. NONE of what plays out could even be considered remotely frightening, unless you find sex clubs or hooking up with older men terrifying. There is no murder, no gore, and DEFINITELY no mystery to solve. 80% of this narrative is about ballet...but more specifically, the 'dark' side of ballet....which translated means "lots and LOTS of sex and drugs." When I saw this book was 'dark' I guess I was assuming there would be more in the way of stakes and tension.

What I didn't expect, however, was the aforementioned overabundance of spicy sexual scenes that took up SO much of the book that I often had a hard time remembering what else in the plot was supposed to be relevant. Between this and Sylvie's constant drug abuse (often for no reason at all) I got pretty frustrated trying to stay invested in her journey. The dialogue also at times felt very clunky and fake...one such scene had the 'alluring' older man watching Sylvie and best frenemy Jocelyn and urging them "Have fun, girls-do not forget to have fun! For god's sake, you're on drugs!"

...Seriously? As if he'd need to REMIND them?

This timeline also bops around to THREE different points in time for absolutely no reason, and also has narratives from Sylvie AND occasionally Jocelyn: so unnecessary in the grand scheme of things. The one upside to this is at least Jocelyn's sections had a bit more energy and punch, although she's just as unlikable as Sylvie, if not moreso. To give you a bit more insight into the bulk of her personality, here's how Jocelyn's mind works: "He pushes his hips into mine and I remember again why I'm having this fling. He's got no personality but he's an amazing dancer with a huge d***" (Yep, this is ACTUALLY Jocelyn's inner monologue...such as it is.)

Sadly, the world of ballet often got lost here, although there's plenty of technical jargon and authentic descriptions of dance sequences, the machinations of rehearsals etc. (based in part on Hamrick's own experience as a ballerina) to add that sense of reality that so much of this book seemed to be missing. The odd and somewhat saccharine ending felt even more out of place and left me wondering what message the author was truly hoping to convey to the reading audience. I can't tell if this was supposed to be a convoluted love story, a coming-of-age story, a lesson in identity...or proof positive of why you should "Just Say No to Drugs."

And this book DID leave me wanting to jete alright....but rather than a grand and graceful leap, I just wanted to jete on OUT of there.

2.5 stars, rounded up to 3

This is a twisted story of the ballet world filled with drama, sex, and scandal. It’s told via two POV’s (Sylvie and Jocelyn), multiple timelines and set in multiple cities throughout the world. Both characters are rival ballerinas and flawed. I loved the behind the scenes of the ballet world and how cut throat and intense it is. It was a slow burn twisted drama with A LOT of creepy sex scenes, and I suggest looking up the trigger warnings if you want to read it. I honestly wasn’t a fan of this one – I disliked both characters and there were way too many sex scenes that overpowered the plot.

I feel like this book tried really hard to be like Black Swan and some of the elements got lost along the way. It's darker than I imagined and left me feeling uneasy, but not in a good way.

A fun if sometimes cringey Dark Ballet novel that keeps your attention and moves well.

Though a bit short on actual ballet, this is entertaining if you’re into this subgenre, and boasts two intriguing and likable protagonists.

There’s not a lot here that you can’t find in other ballet books of this sort and a lot of them are better written, but this one gets points for pacing and likable characters.

And though there are a LOT of super cringey sex scenes, the intriguing friendship and rivalry between the two protagonists is more than enough to make up for it in terms of plot.

I also think the politics of ballet are extremely well rendered here, frustrating and infuriating as they may be to read about at times.

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

This book is about a ballerina who wants to succeed in her career but after she is blamed for a scandal and her reputation is ruined, everything is changed until she meets an artist. I feel as though there aren’t many ballet books out there, so I was excited to have the opportunity to read this one. Hamrick did a great job with bringing this story to life. It was well written with great characters. This book gives off a very dark vibe but also that shine of light at the end. The dual perspectives of this story were well done as you get to learn more about Sylvie and Joceylyn’s world. There were many steamy scenes with the forbidden love trope and lots of drug abuse so beware of that. There are some sensitive topics and I did wish the story went more based on the summary as I felt this was less romance but more character build. Overall it was a great book and I do recommend checking this one out.

*this book was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

Having grown up a dancer (at one point like many young girls I wanted to go to Juliard to study dance before I realized I didn’t have the right body type) I love a good book or show set in the dance world.

This is very much in the vein of Black Swan in its angsty, twisty, turning drama. We get two timelines. Sylvie now and silvie and Jocelyn when they first start at the ballet. Sylvie now is a hot mess, just existing after the drama of 4 years ago. We get to watch her spiral abc struggle with not falling into old patterns while seeing what set those patterns in motion. I was so mad for her for most of the book.

There were bits of Center Stage in this for me too. I def felt a Sebastian/Sylvie/Alex parallel to Cooper/Jody/Charlie. This was a fun yet twisty ballet drama with a bit of romance.

I don't understand why Ballet & Ballerinas are a current commonality between thrillers, but I think the Author's lack of scope negatively impact my want to finish this book.

First Position is a seductive and dark look into the cutthroat world of ballet. Sylvie has been part of the North American Ballet for years, but thanks to a fall from grace after a relationship with one of the principal dancers, she finds herself not progressing the way she hoped. After the scandal she lost her best friend and spiraled into a shell of her former self. She is determined not to make that mistake again, but she is drawn to the newest guest artist, Alessandro.

I did ballet for about half my life, so this is a world that I am fairly familiar with. The way Melanie Hamrick described ballet from the intensive training, to the competitive spirit, and the blood, sweat, and tears ballerinas pour into their art felt so real and you can tell she has experienced it all first hand. There were some parts that were a little more dark than I usually tend to read and there was an almost Black Swan vibe to the story. The characters were all deeply flawed and made some questionable decisions, and were quite unlikeable. There were some parts that were disturbing, yet I couldn’t stop reading. This is definitely a darker read than my usual romance reads, but I did enjoy it.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy.

What's it about (in a nutshell):
First Position by debut author Melanie Hamrick is the emotional tale of a ballerina derailed by scandal and trying to find the inner strength to rise again.
My Reading Experience:
Based on a few early reviews I skimmed before I started reading, I expected a much different book. I am so grateful that I didn't let those reviews influence my decision on whether or not to read this book.

First Position is a largely authentic portrayal of the world of ballet and the life of a dancer. It is often long hours, bleeding feet, minimal food, and a world dominated by suffering for their art. How much beauty this kind of environment creates is a testament to a dancer's commitment to the show and to dance. And this is precisely what you find in First Position.

I loved Sylvie's tale and her journey to redemption. She struggles to find her place in a world she has trained her whole life to be in. It is an emotional journey primarily marked by the lowest of low periods – full of self-pity, self-loathing, and an overall lack of confidence due to a genuinely tragic situation that she was too young to navigate.

I also loved the theme of friendship and how redemption can be found in your love for others. I could see that in her relationship with Jocelyn and Alessandro. By building them up, she inevitably finds the courage to be the dancer she was always supposed to be. There are often more rivalries than friendships in art as competitive as ballet, so when you find these true friends – it's essential to hold on to them and treat them like the unique jewel they are.
Characters:
Sylvie is the quintessential ballet dancer – blond, long of limbs and neck, with a honed technique admired by all. Unfortunately, a scandal brings her down when she is just starting to reach the top. Now, five years older and a lifetime wiser, she faces a seemingly unclimbable mountain of challenges toward being who she wants to be. Her ability to self-sabotage is so sad and tragic that it often seems there is no hope for her.

Jocelyn joins the North American Ballet Company at the same time as Sylvie. She is a much different dancer, though – not blond or classically trained from when she could walk. Jocelyn's talent shows through her ability to emote rather than her unfailing technique. Sometimes rivals with Sylvie, and sometimes friends; she is always present in Sylvie's life.
Narration & Pacing:
Sylvie and Jocelyn have their own chapters where they tell their story to the reader on their own terms. Both describe their perceptions of their past and present – starting with when they first entered the NAB. It is never confusing and instead highlights the tragedy of what Sylvie went through. The pacing is consistently a medium pace that only slowed down on a few brief occasions, making this book a pleasant read in terms of pace.
Setting:
As a story about professional ballerinas, there is no one setting. Instead, the characters and readers with them find themselves in some of the most beautiful cities in the world. I loved this world tour and how it makes ballet seem that much more exotic.
Read if you are in the mood for:
Discovering the gritty truth of what it means to be a professional ballerina
A challenging story that is reflective, dark, and emotional
Strong morally gray characters that dominate a character-driven story

3.5ish, rounded. I really enjoyed the parts of this that got into the gritty, unique world of professional ballet- the travel, the expectations, the limited time to make your name. It also took on a more universal issue and story about abuses of power and friendship that made the story still relatable. I found the ending a little abrupt and unsatisfying, but I think that this is an author to watch.

Not as dark as Black Swan, and a whole lot racier than The Ballerinas, I don’t think those comparisons serve this book well. This wasn’t a mystery so much as a drama or soap opera that unraveled secrets and differing perspectives across time and two POVs, best friends turned rivals, Sylvie and Jocelyn. Very immersive and a page turner, it was good but not great.

Thank you to Berkley for my complimentary eArc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

First Position is a deep dive into the cut throat world of ballerinas. While I appreciate the behind the scenes look into their lives, some of the themes and situations were not for me. I did power through and was happy with the ending.

This novel set in the ballet is not what I expected or what I wanted. It's very much a tale of sex, drugs, alcohol, and obsession, which is fine, but it's also sorta boring and ballet is a side show. Sylvie is a principle with the fictional NAB who somehow ruined her career not through her drug and alcohol use but because of a relationship with Sebastian, although the circumstances of what happened aren't explained until very late. She has a frenemy relationship (and more) with Jocelyn. And now Alessandro has come to the NAB and these two have an encounter in a seat in the theater (I still can't quite figure out how they managed what they did) before she knows who he is. It moves back and forth between five years earlier and the present but we never really get a backstory for either woman (or the men), only passing references until Jocelyn's mother implausibly turns up. I had high hopes but honestly, I only finished this by clicking through the pages because I didn't care for anyone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very rare pass from me.

I loved this story! So captivating and well written. A seductive and devastating look at what happens to a young ballerina when her mistakes continue to rise year after year. Not only how these mistakes affect her career as a ballerina, but her relationships with herself and those around her

I loved the portray of ballet in the story along with the alternating pov and timelines to how she got to where she is. The end was beautiful.

I quickly read this one and definitely recommend it to literary fiction fans who don’t mind quite a bit of spice, deceit, revenge, and a hopeful ending

I picked this one up for the Black Swan vibes and my lifelong interest in anything dance related but I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect beyond that. I definitely wasn’t expecting it to be as steamy as it was though, there was a lot of sex and it played a really central role to the story in an odd way. I enjoyed the alternating perspectives of Sylvie and Jocelyn as they both navigated the incredibly grueling world of ballet but I do wish they were a little bit more drawn, I think the base for these characters was great I just wanted more depth. The dark side of being a ballerina was really interesting to me but overall I was underwhelmed in the end and wanted more of a connection to the story.

This was an insight to the imperfect world of ballet. What appears to be elegance and grace on stage is nothing but scandal, sex triangles, drugs and hurt back stage.

I've read a few books now on ballet specifically. I'm drawn to it because my girls both dance. It's intriguing yet heartbreaking the life they live. I suppose you could say that with most sports and athletes. It's not all sunshine and smiles. But, it's a little disturbing to read about the dark side of this industry. Someone recommend me a book about dance that isn't so cutthroat and so focused on backstabbing and deceit to get to the top.

I did enjoy the dual POV's and timelines. The characters were definitely worthy of rooting for and it did end in a positive way, however, I wish we got more of Sylvie and Alex after their final performance. Overall, this book is recommendable if you're interested in the behind the scenes of a prima ballerina.

To start, I want to thank the publisher for providing an early copy through NetGalley!

As someone who never really got into ballet or any other type of dance, I was pleasantly surprised that this book didn’t require any previous knowledge of the art. I felt like Jocelyn’s few chapters with her POV was kind of unnecessary to the story. I really enjoyed this story, it was like a train wreck in slow motion I couldn’t look away from - and the conductor saves the day by preventing the crash (even though it was their choice to crash to begin with). I really wanted an epilogue or more chapters featuring Sylvie and Alex after the final performance of the book. I kind of love them and want to read so much more about their relationship!

I’m often drawn to ballet books, especially ones that explore the less perfect, and pretty side of it, so you can only imagine how excited I was when I found out I’d been approved for First Position. The comparison to Black Swan only increased my excitement, and I wonder if my expectations were simply too high. I struggled to root for the characters, and I often found myself frustrated with where this book was going. For the most part, it felt more tell than show, and I also just don’t love books like that. I’m sure other readers will love it; it just wasn’t for me.

Suspicions, intrigue, backstabbing, drugs, sex - welcome to the cutthroat world of ballet. This book is Center Stage meets Black Swan. I freaking loved it. The ending was absolutely perfect.