Nina Laurin is a must when it comes to thrillers. She has been an autobuy author for me for years, and I don’t think she gets nearly enough hype. I was so exited to realize she has a new book out! This was such a binge worthy book that is packed with twists and might be one of my favorites now. With her it is so hard to pick just one.

Readers, watch out for The Shadow Girls by Nina Laurin. It's out now and will be one you don't want to miss.

This book wasn't my typical scene for a psychological suspense. I enjoyed, but didn't love. Felt a little more YA than I like, but for the right audience, this book would be a 5 star read. I loved the ballet aspect of it, even though I know absolutely nothing about ballet. Would definitely recommend to those who enjoy a more YA type read.

Told in the world of competitive ballet, this novel was high drama. The plot skips back and forth through time, so it was a bit confusing to follow when events actually took place. It felt long and dragged out to me and read like a YA novel.

I was thrilled to receive this arc of The Shadow Girls from @netgalley and @grandcentralpub . Strength, grace and devotion to sport, the world of professional ballet fascinates me. Combine that with a psychological thriller and I knew this was a book I must read.

Georgina Prescott, a former ballerina whose career was ended by and injury, now puts that same dedication into her daughter Anna, a star student at a prestigious ballet academy. When Anna is injured and threatened to reveal what happened, her best friend and ballet rival, Naomi is the only other one who knows the truth of how the injury occurred. And then Anna disappears….

I wanted to love this book, but it ended up being only ok for me. The ballet world aspect was my favorite part and I just wish the story and character development had been as strong. It was all just a little one dimensional for me and was kind of the equivalent of watching a Lifetime movie. It read a bit like a YA novel and I think it would greatly appeal more to that demographic. Still, it held my attention and I did enjoy it but would have liked a bit more depth.

I struggled a little bit with this. I think if you love the world of dance you'll really enjoy this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

As a former ballet dancer, I was very intrigued by this book. It tells the story of two dancers at an elite ballet academy. They each want to be and do their best and so do their mothers. This was done very well and I loved the two timelines with the different perspectives. Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Nina Laurin is an author that just sneaks up on you. All of a sudden you realize that that all of her books have been really good and she becomes a favorite! This story takes place in the ballet world, and I totally loved reading about that! This world is about as far from mine as it can get. Georgina is a former lead ballerina who now lives vicariously through her daughter Anna. Anna is the star at her prestigious ballet academy. She suffers a fall, and her role is taken over by her best friend, Naomi, who may have had something to do with her injury. Georgina becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened. None of these women are very likeable, but that fits in perfectly with the situations, so I had no problems with that. The story is told back and forth between the accident and afterwards and what happened leading up to the accident. And, as I said, the insider look into the ballet world was super fun!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Nina Laurin and Grand Central Publishing for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Shadow Girls is another great novel full from Nina Laurin. Full of suspense and all the drama that comes with an elite ballet school full of teenagers and their sometimes overbearing, sometimes oblivious mothers. Told in multiple perspectives and timelines, this is an intriguing story that is so fun to watch unfold. Another great one by Nina Laurin! If you love the drama of the ballet world, definitely check it out.

The Shadow Girls by Nina Laurin is a psychological suspense novel that takes a hard look into the cutthroat world of ballet.

Georgina Prescott was once a prima ballerina until a severe metatarsal fracture tragically ended her career. Now she fiercely manages her 16 year old daughter Anna's meteoric rise in the competitive ballet world. Having recently been named as the lead role in an important performance, Anna seems to be making her presence known. But when Anna falls and fractures her foot, Georgina sees her daughter's (and her own) dreams crumbling away. Whispered rumors that Anna's fall was an intentional act by Naomi (Anna's best friend and the girl that steps into Anna's place in the performance) spread and Georgina becomes obsessed with finding out the truth and holding her accountable. Everything changes though when Anna receives an anonymous letter telling her to keep her mouth shut, and then she disappears...

This novel was definitely suspenseful and intriguing!! I do feel like it is more geared towards a YA audience rather than adult but I still really enjoyed it!! The author had to have done some extensive research because the imagery was so detailed that I was fully immersed into the narrative. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves an escapist thriller that is like Dance Moms but with an ominous atmospheric vibe.

Thank you to NetGalley, Nina Laurin, and Grand Central Publishing for this ARC!! Publication date is April 22nd 2025.

If you're not a lover of ballet, don't let that keep you from grabbing a copy of Nina Laurin's latest thriller, The Shadow Girls. The interpersonal dynamics between not only the ballet school girls, but mother-daughter and teacher-student had me riveted. None of the characters are particularly likable, but they're all fascinating. While not a whiplash-inducing twisty thriller, there is at least one reveal that made me keep anxiously flipping pages. Nina Laurin once again proves to me why she's one of my must-read authors.

I enjoyed the story itself - a behind the scenes of the twisted world of ballet. That said, the character and plot development was lacking. A lot of telling and not showing with the characters - I didn’t feel like I got to know any of them. While the plot has a lot of twists, I also didn’t feel like some of them were earned.

'The Shadow Girls' was an excellent thriller that held me captivated through the end. The action takes place at a ballet academy. There are two timelines: present during Anna's fall and what happens after, and the months leading up to the fall. There are also multiple points of view. I enjoyed the drama found at the ballet school and in the girls' personal lives.
5 stars.

I was hooked from the beginning!!
It was amazing and engaging.
I was instantly sucked in by the atmosphere and writing style.
The characters were all very well developed .
The writing is exceptional and I was hooked after the first sentence.

What will they do for a role? That's the question in this tale set in a hotbed ballet school. Anna has always been the star and Naomi the runner up. Anna's mother Georgina was a ballerina before her marriage and she pushes, hard, for Anna. Naomi's mother Dawn works nights as a nurse. Now Anna has broken her metatarsal and all bets are off for the big performance. This moves around in time before and after Anna's accident and that's a problem-the time line is murky and it's not always clear where we are in the sequence of events. Everyone has a secret, even Anna, whose perspective isn't given until the end. There's lots of drama (gotta love the drama) but best of all are the twists, including a real whopper. The women are all believable, the scenario suspenseful. No spoilers but know that I was actually surprised. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. This was a page turner for me.

A surprisingly intriguing story following mothers and daughters at an elite ballet school. I was skeptical at first but ending up really enjoying this story. Characters are well developed, although not necessarily likable. Plenty of twists and turns in this drama.

Set in the world of an elite ballet school in the Massachusetts area, the story follows two ballerinas in their final year. Anna is the prima, a teen with natural talent and beauty. Her mother, Georgina, is a former lead ballerina and is heavily involved in Anna and the school's lives. Naomi is Anna's best friend and is always second to Anna in terms of roles and talent. The book is told from multiple points of view, and hops between the present day and the past, to discover how Anna injured her foot and can no longer perform the lead in the upcoming production.

This book is marketed as a thriller/suspense novel, which is not entirely inaccurate. I think it would be better as a YA thriller/suspense novel. Adults are involved in the narrative, but the drama is more YA vibes. The writing is good, and the story does keep you guessing. I know nothing about ballet, but my millennial connection to Center Stage interested me.

Thank you, Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing, for this Advanced Reading Copy. All opinions are my own.

I wish I liked it more. This is not a “psychological thriller,” this is a boring and predictable story about competitive teenage ballerinas. Surprise, there’s some backstabbing. There’s no mystery or surprise here, and all the dialogue was stiff and surface-level. No emotions, no personality.

The high-stakes world of elite ballerinas. It's been done a few different ways - Black Swan, that weird Sutton Foster show, Center Stage. The Shadow Girls had the potential to be great. Instead, this felt like a Lifetime TV Movie or an extra-long teen drama episode. It's shallow and rather dull.

I think this is probably best for YA, rather than general fiction.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

Nina Laurin's "The Shadow Girls" dives deep into the dark, obsessive world of elite ballet, delivering a psychological thriller that will leave readers breathless. Evoking the unsettling atmosphere of "Black Swan" and the taut suspense of Megan Abbott's "The Turnout," this novel is a masterclass in building tension and exploring the complex, often toxic, relationships that form in the pursuit of perfection.

Laurin skillfully weaves together the perspectives of two mothers, Georgina and Dawn, creating a narrative that is both compelling and unsettling. Georgina, haunted by her own thwarted ballet dreams, becomes consumed by suspicion when her daughter Anna's career is derailed by a mysterious injury. Her obsession with Naomi, Anna's rival and supposed best friend, is palpable, and Laurin expertly portrays the descent into paranoia.

Dawn, Naomi's mother, provides a stark contrast. Initially, she is a picture of maternal pride, but as rumors swirl and accusations mount, she is forced to confront the possibility that her daughter might not be as innocent as she believed. The author's exploration of maternal instinct and the lengths to which a mother will go to protect her child is both nuanced and chilling.

The setting of the elite ballet academy is rendered with a sharp, almost clinical precision. Laurin captures the relentless pressure, the fierce competition, and the dark undercurrents that lurk beneath the surface of this seemingly glamorous world. The descriptions of the physical and emotional toll that ballet takes on its practitioners are vivid and unsettling.

The pacing of "The Shadow Girls" is perfectly calibrated. Laurin gradually ratchets up the tension, revealing secrets and sowing seeds of doubt with each passing chapter. The introduction of the anonymous letter and Anna's subsequent disappearance elevates the stakes, transforming the novel from a psychological thriller into a gripping mystery.

However, some readers might find the characters' motivations occasionally opaque, and the sheer level of obsession and paranoia can, at times, feel overwhelming. Yet, this very intensity is precisely what makes the novel so effective.

In conclusion, "The Shadow Girls" is a compelling and unsettling thriller that explores the dark side of ambition, the complexities of mother-daughter relationships, and the destructive power of obsession. Nina Laurin has crafted a meticulously plotted and atmospheric novel that will linger in the reader's mind long after the final page is turned. It's a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and anyone fascinated by the cutthroat world of elite performance.