"The Still Point" by Tammy Greenwood takes readers on an enthralling journey into the fiercely competitive realm of ballet, weaving a tale that seamlessly blends compelling characters with a thrilling psychological narrative. From the very first page, Greenwood's novel grabs hold of your attention and refuses to let go, offering a rich and immersive exploration of the complexities of the ballet world.

One of the standout features of the novel is undoubtedly its well-crafted characters. Greenwood excels in bringing her protagonists to life, making them not only relatable but also deeply human. As we follow the characters through the ups and downs of their competitive ballet careers, we witness their struggles, triumphs, and the intricate relationships that define their world. Whether it's the aspiring dancer determined to rise above adversity or the seasoned performer grappling with personal demons, each character is meticulously developed, adding layers of depth to the overall narrative.

The novel's exploration of the competitive ballet scene is a captivating highlight. Greenwood's portrayal of this cutthroat world is both authentic and revealing, shedding light on the sacrifices and pressures faced by those dedicated to their craft. The meticulous attention to detail in describing the grueling training routines, intense rivalries, and the relentless pursuit of perfection immerses readers in the demanding and often unforgiving world of competitive ballet.

What sets "The Still Point" apart is its ingenious incorporation of psychological thriller elements into the narrative. As the story unfolds, layers of mystery and suspense are skillfully interwoven with the ballet backdrop, creating a narrative tension that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The psychological nuances and unexpected twists add an intriguing dimension to the novel, elevating it beyond a traditional exploration of the ballet world.

Overall, "The Still Point" is a masterfully crafted novel that seamlessly combines the artistry of ballet with the gripping intensity of a psychological thriller. Tammy Greenwood's writing is both evocative and compelling, drawing readers into a world where passion and ambition collide. With well-developed characters, a vivid portrayal of the competitive ballet scene, and a thrilling narrative, this novel is a must-read for anyone seeking a captivating literary experience. "The Still Point" is a testament to Greenwood's storytelling prowess, making it a highly recommended and thoroughly enjoyable read.

The still point, the beginning of everything.

I discovered Tammy Greenwood in 2000 when I read her book Breathing Water. She became my favorite author at that time. Undressing The Moon and Nearer Than The Sky were the next two books I read by her. All three 5+ star reads.

The Still Point, Tammy’s newest novel is about ballet dancers and their mothers. I have three girls who all danced. They took 5 classes each a week and competed. They loved dance, I loved watching them, but thankfully I did not become those “STAGE MOMS”. Unfortunately there were many moms that did.

Everyone who has raised dancing girls or has children in competitive sports like gymnastics, hockey, tennis etc. must read this book. Especially if you want them to be superstars. This is a lesson about the importance of keeping things in perspective and how you don’t have to be cunning, manipulative and sacrifice your friends and your values for your children to succeed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Desperate Housewives meets Dance Moms! Being a ballet mom myself, whose daughter was in the Nutcracker many times, this was a must read. Such a niche market, but boy was it accurate. I loved the mix of ballet specific scenes, as well as the outside lives of the families. A great read, especially for dance moms!

Oh, the drama! This was everything I wanted and more! A combination of Dance Moms and Little Fires Everywhere is the perfect description and what initially sold me. That and the fact that I was in dance throughout high school. It took me back in time and brought up so many memories.

It is centered around 3 dance moms and their daughters who have all dedicated their lives to ballet. When a new dance director comes from France and offers a scholarship for 1 and an opportunity of a lifetime, how far will each of them go to make their dreams come true? The stakes are high, the drama is fierce and the mother's have their claws ready. Each character is so complex and have secrets of their own. Everyone has a touch of good and evil in them. As much as this story is based around dance it is also about friendship, loss, motherhood, greed, and new chances. Basically, it hits all the spots.

I can absolutely see this being turned into a movie or a series, but for now I will have to rewatch Dance Moms to fill the void!

Thank you Kensington Books and NetGalley for my copy!

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A group of teenaged dancers, their mothers, and lots of drama are centers of the storylines running through this novel.

Greenwood's mesmerizing novel of passion, art, and sacrifice in the world of ballet moves the reader through one late summer into winter in Southern California along with a group of dedicated young dancers and their supportive and driven parents. With the strength of Greenwood's prose and the broader lives of the dancers and their families, friends, and adversaries, the reader is immersed in the hyper-focused environment of competitive ballet. Readers will be nearly as invested in the outcome of the scholarship to be awarded to a single dancer at the behest of a hot and disruptive new instructor in charge of the school's uber important production of The Nutcracker as the girls and their mothers are, thanks to Greenwood's skill at creating fully-realized characters, bunions and all.

Having recently finished “The Still Point" by Tammy Greenwood, I am happy to have had the chance for the Advanced Reader’s Edition e-copy; thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books!

This entertaining story was an immersion into the graceful and technical world of ballet. Talented young dancers in constant competition among themselves, and then challenges of a different kind among their dedicated and dysfunctional parents. Goals and scholarships, drama and a bit of mystery filled the pages as this performance on paper kept me engrossed, and wondering how years of friendship could survive in the rigorous and competitive environment of Costa de la Luna Conservatory.

For every star, there was a mom. Sometimes, a tailor. Needle and thread ready to stitch an oversized costume for tomorrow's performance. Once mistaken as an athlete for running back and forth because of a prop you forgot at home, the show is about to start. On occasion, a lady's maid in the 20th century. Rushed but gentle fingers tightly lace your corset gown, changing you for the next act. You weren't allowed to be seen by people yet, so she brings you food to eat backstage. Her camera captures what others would see as just limbs performing art, but her eyes recognize the passion and even the slightest hesitations. And silently, as you take your final bow, her tears fall. Her calloused hands, toughened by washing costumes, have held yours for every leap, jump, turn, spin, and misstep for as long as you can remember, but the music eventually reaches its coda. From then on, all that's left is your feet to navigate the rhythm. You have known that reaching new heights meant slipping through her fingers. An umbilical cord couldn't stretch that far, could it?

Now, my mom might not have raised a ballerina, but what she has in common with Ever, Lindsay, and Josie is a mother's tenacity of steel. Behind movements of divine and grace, like a dove taking flight, are a pair of ugly feet steering it. Pink pointe shoes hide the blistering world of competitive ballet Bea, Olive, and Savvy - the daughters, have embraced. Unpin their perfectly bunned hairs, revealing a tangled mess, a familiarity to their relationships.

Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker infiltrated Tammy Greenwood's The Still Point with its Christmas magic, abandoning Santa's sleigh bells in favor of sugar plum fairies and wooden soldiers to keep you on your toes. Captivating from première to curtain call, watch as the town of Costa de la Luna is set aflame with rivalries, friendships, and motherhood.

A beautifully crafted domestic drama following the mothers and daughters of a prestigious ballet studio in California. The drama and competition of dance moms set against the tension and ambiance of big little lies... it was right up my alley.

So I’ve only recently (in the last year or so) began to appreciate the dance novel. I’ve read several, one aimed at a YA audience, the others most squarely in the romance genre. This was different. The tension was just so tight and woven so well throughout this novel, it had me on the edge of my seat and carefully planning when I could come back to it so that I wouldn’t have to put it down again!

The story follows a group of dancers at a small dance studio and their mothers, the moms. The novel rotates perspectives but the main characters, I think we can surely say, are Ever and her daughter Bea (Beatrice). There is so much going on in this novel but Greenwood brings each storyline together carefully, working the ribbons of their lives carefully through one another’s and it’s extremely hard to believe that she ties it all up with a reasonably happy ending that’s realistic too.

The plot focuses on about three months of life at the studio and in the lives of these women, and a few key men including a French dancer brought in with a video crew to film a documentary and choose one lucky dancer for a scholarship role with the ballet in Paris, the dream. On and off the barre the competition heats up, scorches the lives of these people and leaves marks that can’t be undone or forgotten.

"When you watch a ballet performance, you are watching the culmination of not just a month's worth of rehearsals, but years of hard work and sacrifice." (from the Author's Note)

The author's knowledge of dance, dancers, and the dance world is obvious in each page. As the mother of a dancer myself, I can see the reality of the moms and daughters portrayed in this book. Though this cut-throat drama was not anything like my personal positive experience, I think it was well written and portrayed in the book. And the depth of dance knowledge and background is certainly appreciated!

Each of the six main characters get their time in the narrative spotlight (if not their own time to shine in the plot). Balance is everything. And the line between villain and hero is so difficult to walk. In many ways, this book is a well-crafted thriller, much like the plot of a well-crafted ballet. At its heart sits The Nutcracker. And California is burning. "It wouldn't be long until everything was consumed."

The author calls the story a love letter, and those who have ties to dance will recognize it as such. "In pas de deux, trust is everything."

"In the best pas de deux, the audience wasn't a spectator but a voyeur." I was definitely pulled into the stories and lives in the pages. Brava, Ms Greenwood.

Thank you to the publisher, Kensington, and Netgalley for providing me with an early copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

This was FANTASTIC! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and devoured it in less than 24 hours. Sometimes all you need is a middle aged mom book.

The characters were well developed, and all the relationships were conveyed well. I appreciated the drama being set up and then having to rewind to get there. The story was compelling and I really enjoyed the ballet aspect.

All in all a fantastic book, just what I needed.

A look into the lives of mothers and daughters and what mothers and fathers will do for their children to succeed in competition. Really interesting for someone with no knowledge of ballet. Loved that part of the story. Just a little long for me. A lot going on with all of the different characters

Who knew teenage girls studying to be ballerinas could be soooo cutthroat? Greenwood takes readers behind the scenes of the beautiful dancing and shows readers how ugly it can be. Lots of twists that I never saw coming!

The book was absolutely stunning. Fantastically written and I do not have any words to describe how much I have loved it.

i really thought i would like this book as a dance moms fan but absolutely could not get into it, unfortunate because it sounded great executed poorly.

Wow! This was a fast read, full of tension and suspense. I loved the multiple perspectives and found it a fascinating look into the world of ballet. The sacrifices made by the parents, the competitive struggles of the ballet students, and the family/friend dynamics were all well portrayed. Greenwood clearly knows this subject and brings her readers right into the drama, the hard work, and the difficult but beautiful world of ballet. I couldn’t put this down!

Loved this one. Richly drawn characters, a storyline that grabs you from the beginning and keeps you madly turning the pages, and a peek behind the curtain of the competitive world of ballet. I particularly appreciated the way the author ended the narrative. If this were the summer, I would say the perfect beach read. Since its December, I say curl up with this during the bleak winter days!

The Still point by Tammy Greenwood(aka T.Greenwood. I’ve ready many of this authors books and she doesn’t disappoint and this time she didn’t either.
This book is focused around many characters with the main being Bea, Savvy, Olive and their parents. I was hooked from page one thirsting for more of the story which is focused around the competitiveness of ballet first for sport and fun but also as a career . Some being in it for their own wants and others to make their parent proud. Very thought provoking and reminder that things aren’t always as they seem. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this one early in exchange for a honest review! Can’t wait to read more from this author, keep em coming Tammy Greenwood!!
Publication Date February 20,2024 by Kensington. Much enjoyed!

Delving into a new world while reading an entertaining book.
Here's a 2024 book you should preorder now, The Still Point by Tammy Greenwood. Set in the world of ballet, but with an unusual southern California setting, the novel examines the relationship of mothers and their children—specifically daughters who are pursuing highly competitive careers, in this case, ballerina. Having been a young actor myself, and having many talented friends who are still making it as actors (both famous and not so much), I know a bit about the world of performing arts. But this dangerously cutthroat level of competition was shocking and appalling.

Of course, that setting and pursuit are just the beginning of this complicated story about women’s needs and desires and how they change over time. There’s also the world of writing, because one of the main characters is a novelist with some success who is on the brink of the big time, something this talented author knows plenty about. I loved seeing glimpses and reflections of places I thought I knew in the author’s fictional coastal town, clearly inspired by a couple of iconic Southern California beach hamlets. Above all, this book is a page-turner, a compelling story told from multitude points of view that will keep you guessing—and second-guessing your own opinions and biases—right up to the final chapter.