“Just because you wanted something badly didn’t make it possible. You can’t will things into being.”

Ooh boy do I have feelings. I was a dance mom. Not to this level, but I spent my fair share of time gluing crystals into the part of my daughter’s hair and sewing ribbons and elastic on point shoes. And yet I am not at all surprised at the cutthroat environment of any competitive sport.

The Still Point takes place at an elite ballet academy in California where Etienne Bernay, a premiere Parisian dancer, is coming to the studio to set up a scholarship competition for ONE girl. Girls that have danced together since they were toddlers. I’m sure you can imagine how this is going to play out.

This book is exquisitely written and really dives into how far a mother will go for her child, how competition can truly bring out the ugly in people, and just where a child begins and the parent ends.

This book had me utterly engrossed. I couldn’t read it fast enough and yet I wanted to savor the story. It made me emotional, truly. Sad, nostalgic, and also oh so angry. All of the stars for this one. This will definitely be in my top books of 2024. No question.

“Life is a torch, always ready to go out. And that is why we must make art; to keep the flame burning.”

Thank you to Netgalley, Kensington Books, and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the new novel by a favorite, Tammy Greenwood - 5 stars!

Ever, Lindsay, and Josie have spent their lives helping their daughters, Bea, Olive, and Savvy, climb the ranks in their elite dance academy in coastal California town. They've scrimped and sacrificed for their daughters' dreams and have still maintained a friendship, just like their daughters. But a new instructor, Etienne Bernay, shows up with a media crew to film a documentary about preparing for this season's The Nutcracker performance, culminating with the selection of one student to receive a free scholarship to attend a prestigious ballet academy in Paris. It changes everything and suddenly the worst comes out.

As a mother of now grown boys, I am as far away from the ballet world as possible, but once again Tammy Greenwood has created an addicting story that I just couldn't put down. Each of the mothers has an issue they are grappling with, as are their daughters, and the tension in the book is palpable. The story plays out from the viewpoints of the mothers, with intermittent chapters from Bea. This story and characters feel relatable - everyone wants the best for their children and for them to achieve their dreams, but at what cost? The author's note at the beginning says just how personal this book is, and that shows through her writing. Highly recommended!

3.5 Stars..

I’ve been a fan of this author since I first read Keeping Lucy, which I loved. This book reminds me of Dance Moms in a California setting sprinkled with a Big Little Lies vibe. This book shows the competitive side of ballet, but seriously you could insert any competitive team.

Although well written, I found the storyline fairly predictable. The characters were one sided but played their parts well, highlighting the competitive nature was spot on. While this read didn’t have the drama I’ve come to expect from this author, it was an enjoyable lighter read. I definitely will read this author again.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

Master storyteller Tammy Greenwood (or T. Greenwood) returns following Such a Pretty Girl with her most personal and captivating novel yet, THE STILL POINT.

With the author's firsthand knowledge (ballet mom), she masterfully takes us inside the world of ballet, the sacrifices, competition, dreams, desires, and ambitions —from dancers to moms —and, most importantly, a love letter to her daughter, mothers, and ballet. (a beautiful Author's Note)

"At the still point of the turning world, Neither flesh nor fleshless; Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is . . ." —T.S. Eliot

Set in a coastal Southern California town to New York, moms Ever (writer), Josie, and Lindsay have been friends since their daughters, Bea, Savvy, and Olive, began ballet lessons from rehearsals to competitions and everything in between.

However, ambition trumps friendship and a fight for a sought-after scholarship with a prestigious prize —GAME ON!

At the center of the unrest, testing the friendships of the girls and moms, is Etienne Bernay—a twenty-seven-year-old principal at Ballet de Paris. Not only will he direct this year's production of The Nutcracker, but an award-winning film crew will document this journey.

He would join the CLCB faculty for the fall semester and assist Vivienne with the Conservatory's production of The Nutcracker. He would select one dancer to send back to the Ballet de Paris Academie for the spring term on a scholarship he would sponsor.

The prize: One student who will receive a full scholarship to the Ballet de Paris Academie. For the girls, it is a chance of a lifetime.

THE STILL POINT follows three mothers and three daughters while the girls compete for a scholarship. Each character has their own issues. Told creatively in Acts and Scenes, from POVs: Bea, Every, Josie, Lindsay.

Ever, recently, widowed is struggling financially; it may be the only way to keep Bea dancing. Bea is a truly gifted dancer—poetic and ethereal, breathtaking to watch. She learns her husband's life insurance policy has been nullified. Ever is desperate for this scholarship. Ever is artistic, and her ambition plays out in the chapters (parallels).

Lindsay has issues with her marriage, while Josie is a woman who is accustomed to getting what she wants and uses men.

Beatrice and Savvy are very competitive, which was apparent even before Etienne. Etienne has his agenda and hopes to repair his reputation via Lotte's film, but Lotte has other plans.

Dark and searing, who will win out in the end?

Enthralling! A standing ovation. A mystery is at its center— “Big Little Lies” meets “Black Swan.”

I have been a huge fan of the author for many years and have read every book. Her writing is insightful, lyrical, and evocative, and I am in awe of her talent. She is one of my top 20 favorite authors.

If you have followed her as long as I have, you know she is a proud ballet mom. Sometimes, readers do not consider writers' moms, too—juggling responsibilities, especially the time and effort of being a ballet mom in this highly competitive world. In the end, ballet moms are like all other moms who want their children to find happiness. However, sometimes, we cannot control everything surrounding our children, as we see so masterfully portrayed in this authentic and eloquently written novel.

THE STILL POINT is an absorbing, captivating fictional version with lyrical prose and metaphors of fire, beauty, nature, and art.

We get an inside peek at the world of ballet and what happens when ambition becomes dark. From jealousy, obsession, cutthroat competition, deception, betrayals, secrets, sacrifice, and disappointments to hope, triumph, and the pursuit of dreams.

Absorbing, both plot and character-driven, Greenwood masterfully explores the complexities of female friendship, the dark drive towards perfection in the name of artistic expression, and the double-edged sword of ambition, passion, rivalry, and the secrets that women hold.

Bonuses included — A Glossary of Ballet Terms used in The Still Point, Bea's Playlist, an Author's note, and A Reading Group Guide, perfect for book clubs and further discussions.

The novel is for fans of author Rachel Kapelke-Dale. I highly recommend all Tammy (or T. Greenwood) books. Each is a gem to treasure. If you enjoyed The Still Point, I highly recommend Such a Pretty Girl, another mom/daughter story of art and ambition. Also, check out my #AuthorElevatorSeries Q&A with the author.

Much gratitude to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early review copy for honest feedback. #CoverCrush

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Feb 20, 2024
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Excellent read. Really enjoyable. Exquisitely written with relatable and likable characters and beautiful world-building. 100% would recommend to all of my friends and fellow book lovers.

I took ballet lessons as a kid so I always enjoy reading stories that take place in the dance world. I have mixed feelings about this book. The mystery with Bea and what happened at the party fell flat. Did not grab me. The ballet master I was unsure if we were suppose to like or hate. I did like the friendship between Ever and Lindsay.

i will read anything that is marketed to be about dance. the industry is so intricate, and there are just so many ways to interpret it in order to create an intriguing story.

i loved how this plot developed - slowly building and forming the twists, turns and overlaps within storylines. the short chapters also really aided in the plot development, since i was compulsively flipping the pages, just wanting to know what the next chapter, the next pov, would reveal to me.

i feel like the cast of characters was also super well-rounded. tammy greenwood did an incredible job at starting out with characters who fit certain archetypes, and slowly molding them into well-rounded characters, with flaws and desires and conflicting emotions.

this had such stunning prose! there were times when i found myself rereading sections, because i needed another opportunity to take in the beautiful writing. the writing complemented the subject of the book - at times, the sentences truly felt like a dance, evoking movement and feeling and the push and pull that exists in our emotions.

i think i would have loved a few more perspectives from the daughters - i loved bea's perspective, but i would have also loved to see how the other girls saw her, in their own words instead of through the words of their mother.

As a former dancer, I've always thought the world of dance is ripe for storytelling, and have been on the lookout for more books about it. Tammy Greenwood dives into the complexities of an intense ballet studio primarily through the eyes of a few mothers -- dance moms, a complicated sub-area of dance. I really appreciated that Greenwood didn't rely on the sensationalized version of it and went for a more nuanced look at how they interact with ballet, their dancing daughters, and their fellow dance moms, The Still Point is also rife with competition, jealousy, and want, with layers about class, marriage, grief, and more. You can also tell how well Greenwood knows what a studio is like. Overall, this is a compelling read with an in-depth look at an often misunderstood insular world.

A taut, captivating drama set against the backdrop of teenage girls, their ballet teacher and their helicopter moms. Beatrice and Olive have been best friends since years. They are students of Vivienne's Ballet Studio now seventeen and in their final year. As the novel opens for the last year of ballet school and regular school, Beatrice has returned from a summer program in New York and finds that Olive has stopped being her friend and is now best friends with Savvy, another ballet student. Vivienne has a new French teacher Etienne taking classes and also managing the casting and production of the annual Nutcracker performance. Etienne will pick one of the girls for a scholarship program at the Paris Ballet. This strikes an intense rivalry not just among the girls but also the parents as they all want to be chosen one. The parents are battling their own demons with their marriages, job and their finances.

This is not just a book about ballet or teenage drama. This is a book about friendship, love, adolescence, coming of age, teenage politics, the downside of social media, marital discord, grief, loss and new beginnings. There are so many undercurrents and subtle nuances skillfully tackled by the author. I especially loved the masterful portrayal of mother-daughter relationships, always a winning point with me. The characters and plot felt so real and relatable at all times. The writing is fluid yet suspenseful and I could barely put the book down before the end. This is my first work from the author and will definitely be checking out more. If you are a fan of easy-to-read mother-daughter stories or drama involving community dynamics this one is for you!!

Thank you Netgalley, Kensington Books and Tammy Greenwood for the ARC.

A well written novel about dance moms- the women who sacrifice for and support their daughters' ballet dreams. The arrival of a star French male dancer and the promise of a scholarship to Paris upends the school in this small California coast town as Bea, Olive, and Savvy find their positions in the pecking order are changed. Ever, a recent widow, is struggling to write again and with finances, Lindsay believes her husband is cheating on her, and Josie, who is housing the star for the summer is being threatened by her jealous ex. These three tell the story, with periodic insight from Ever's daughter Bea. There's a topical issue among the teens as well, the dimensions of which won't be revealed until near the end. Good ballet atmospherics, good California beach town vibes and well constructed characters make this a very nice read but the storytelling is what pushes it u. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I enjoyed this very much.

This one started off strong. I was sucked into the multiple POVs, and always love getting to spend time in the ballet world. It had many elements of an exciting story, but didn't quite come together for me. I felt like characters didn't have enough depth to really hook me, but it wasn't plot heavy enough to keep it exciting. The 'stakes' are set up from the very start, but it wasn't set up in a way that you really felt the weight of those stakes. By the end, I just didn't really care what happened to the characters either way. Without giving too much away, the issue between the girls was also not done in a way that justified the fallout.

Overall, I think there will be many who enjoy this (as evidenced by many positive reviews already!) but it wasn't quite right for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, and Kensington Books for the ARC of this novel!

I’m not totally sure why this book worked so well for me, aside from the fact that I grew up obsessed with ballet. The blurb promises “Dance Moms meets Little Fires Everywhere” and I have to respectfully disagree. Sure, there are dance moms in the literal sense but the drama and chaos of the Lifetime TV series is thankfully missing from this book. While I can agree that the writing style is mildly reminiscent of Celeste Ng, it honestly reminded me a lot more of Liane Moriatry.

THE STILL POINT is a very character-driven novel that explores the complexities of mother daughter relationships in a high-pressure environment like the competitive ballet world. I just loved these flawed women. I’m not always a massive fan of character-driven stories, especially when I was expecting Drama with a capital D (again, that Dance Moms comparison isn’t doing this book any favors), but this just worked so well for me. When I wasn’t reading, I was thinking about these mothers and their daughters.

To be quite honest, not a lot happens in this book. The drama is pretty mellow until the end, and even then, I was never truly shocked or scandalized... and that's okay! The conflicts were quieter, but also relatable and realistic. One mother is suffering from profound grief after the loss of her husband and troubling finances; one mother is dealing with a distant daughter and questioning her marriage; and one mother should be worried about a lot of things.

THE STILL POINT found me in a unique place. I don’t have children yet but I’m probably closer to the age of the mothers in the book and found them relatable and honest. At the same time, the drama between the teenage daughters brought me right back to my own childhood. I can so vividly remember feeling excluded from a friend group and wanting to grow up faster than necessary, and I definitely experienced every one of the teenage emotions Greenwood so flawlessly describes.

In the end, I’ll personally read (almost) any fictional story set in the ballet world and after quite a few duds I’m really happy to report that THE STILL POINT is officially my favorite book in this very niche little genre.

Thanks to the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader! All opinions are my own.

This book was wild. It definitely focused on the darker side of dancers and stage moms. I enjoyed the book. It was a fast read, the authors writing is really good, and the description was pretty accurate

Great book for dancers, dance moms, and even nonrelated dance-themed people. It's very easy to read and it captures you from the beginning.
Most of the books are from dancers talking about their live-in ballet, but never from the perspective of the mom. The one who is dreaming too through the success of her girl. Very interesting perspective. Also, it's not the typical cliche about the dance world. Just the reality, like every sport.
I enjoyed every page of the book and would like to read more about this author, maybe a second part?
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to have an advanced copy of the book for an honest review

Mean mean mommies of ballet- Greenwood’s world-building is always dark, but this was especially twisty. I tore through in one night! Five stars.

A novel with multiple narrators, which I love. We are thrown into the world of Ballet and is full of drama and competition!
Recommend!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

The Still Point by Tammy Greenwood is a contemporary fiction novel with some domestic/psychological suspense vibes. Looks at sacrifices, mother-daughter relationships, and a dark, cutthroat world of ballet 🩰

I love ballet and danced for 4 years so I was very excited about this and it didn’t disappoint! Love that some sections are titled Acts or closing curtain! I was pulled in immediately by the suspense/tension of what was going to happen.

The novel is told through switching POVs between 4 characters-Bea, Ever (Bea’s mom), Lindsay, Josie. The characters are complex and well written! I could get a clear voice for each character chapter. A couple of characters were extremely unlikeable at times, but in a complicated love-to-hate-them sort of way. By the end of the novel, the characters had all grown and developed, which I always appreciate!

The ending was well done. It wasn’t perfect, it was messy and semi open ended which fits the rest of the novel really well! There were some twists I didn’t see coming and I was wrong on every one of my guesses which was pleasantly surprising 😀

The one “negative” was that the pacing was a little all over the place- it had a great start that pulls you in, but then it starts to slow down by the end of the first third. Luckily it did pick up again around the second/last third. I think if some unnecessary things were cut and the pacing was maintained it would’ve flowed better. There were some instances of telling instead of showing that didn’t add to the story or characters. Also there was one instance of a minor plot line that was mentioned but was abandoned at the end, which confused me.

Overall an entertaining story that held my attention (mostly). Recommend if you want the complex characters and domestic suspense of Little Fires Everywhere, the drama of Dance Moms, and the dark ballet vibes of Tiny Pretty Things!

“She had a poster in her room, a dancer’s feet en pointe. One foot wore tights and a pristine pointe shoe with neatly tied ribbons. The other foot was bare, foot ravaged. Hideous. blisters, and Band-Aids, and blackened nails. The beauty and the secret ugliness they all hid inside.”

Like a train wreck you can’t look away from, this new novel by Tammy Greenwood had me hooked from the opening chapter. A number of recently published novels centered around the fictional equestrian life of teens and college girls did not work for me, but this one focuses on ballet moms, and I was one of them.

Written by the mother of a professional dancer, I was curious if the details would venture close to what my experience had been. I can attest to the fact that mom’s/dancer’s bad behavior, sabotage and eating disorders are part of the culture and it was no surprise to see these woven into the plot. But just as dramatic, and perhaps more important, are the elements of companionship, camaraderie and dedication which are all highlighted as well. The contrast of the seemingly effortless beauty of a ballet performance with the grueling training and sacrifice lying under the veneer is on full display. In this story a coveted scholarship in addition to featured dance roles are on the line and dancers and moms alike, will do almost anything to come out on top. But 4 dancers and their respective mothers must decide, at what cost?

If you are a fan of Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies and also have an interest in the ballet world, this one will hit all the notes

I'm a massive Dance Moms fan and while this book definitely didn't go as crazy as the show—these moms were still a little unhinged. I think the points of view were done very well—if we had heard from all three moms PLUS all three daughters, it would have been too much. I felt so much for mother-daughter duo Ever and Bea as they struggle through the death of a loved one and financial insecurity. You were really rooting for them throughout the entire story.

Greenwood has long been one of my favorite authors, and this immersive read quickly reminded me why. In her acknowledgements she tells us this novel was written as a love letter to her daughter, to ballet and to mothers. That heart was ever present as I read.

I was struck by the realness and depth of her characters and was able to find both sympathy and flaw in them all. Each chapter switches perspectives, providing new insight and continually keeping readers on their toes (pun intended). There is emotion, suspense, grief, allure, love.

Reading this felt like binge watching a brilliant tv show. With the masterful storytelling, music and dance it feels ideal for a screen adaptation!

The novel deftly handles heavy topics without it feeling like melodrama. Her writing has a way of being tangible and understated. So very readable with poignant moments of striking imagery.

I finished the last quarter of this novel in the middle of the night, up with my sleepless daughter. It felt so aligned to finish this meditation on mothering daughters while in the thick of it myself. Magic. I highly recommend this book and author, especially to other moms.