we all know of these worlds. weve all seen the good and bad side of them. sadly ive been witness to far to much of the darker side. so for me i was absolutely taken by the cover, title and then premise of this book. to explore this topic without the realities of actual people involved felt like a win. when you read it thought you cant help feeling how sadly realistic it was. and thats where this book managed to hit harder, it was far enough away from a real pers'on and close enough for it to be possible.
Lydia is a single mum trying to be all things. so when she signs her little girl up for ballet class she thinks it will be all the cute feels and something great for her daughter to get involved in. ohhhh but does this not become what she wished it to, because she wasn't ready for the competitive or should i say backstabbing dance parents, pass agg and agg agg world she is about to enter. not to mention the dancing world itself being harsh 'cutting' and at time cruel.
on top of that Lydia has her own issues that are weighting her down both from the present and past traumas. she is trying to hard and something will have to break. you cant hide from these things and neither can you dance them away.
the tension you get from this book takes everything you know about that world to another level. you are there with gripping fingers and angst as the plot moves forward. its that type of weirdly horrid feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when reading books like this because surrounding Lydia is so much i want to hold very tight but also have a firm word with(nicely of course). Lydia was trying to fix everything for her daughter when infact she had so much she needed to fix within herself.
Sophie did this story line such beautiful justice. her writing is emotional and whip smart. she keeps it tight so you feel like you are in this world feeling these feels but all the while able to do nothing as you have to sit and wait out whats to come. this book was deeply emotional and hit so many notes on your heartstrings.
oh and basically lesson number one. gently push your toddler away from life on a stage!(im joking.kind of. not)

i will add this book touches on eating disorders. its done well but this topic is heartbreaking and a book could never give it enough time it needs. so if you are in that space either recovered, in it, or even slightly tingly about the illness id swerve it. sometimes we can think we are find and subconsciously even things like mentioned in this book can awaken a monster. noone in recovery or recovered needs to be fighting that back if they can help it. so be cautious and only do it if you KNOW you can. its better to step away, always better to protect you head with this set of illness.

This review contains spoilers because it feels impossible to elaborate on my rating without including some of the content that also seems crucial to the plot.

I'm honestly fed up with the trope of "traumatised woman with unaddressed trauma goes berserk". It feels almost lazy from the narrative standpoint. This story almost feels like two separate stories stitched up together and if they were explored separately without the weird causation/correlation implication, they could be quite interesting. One of them would be centred around the mother who becomes a toxic "dance mum" to the point of purposefully hurting children in the dance company to sabotage their careers and give her daughter an advantage, being so fixated on this project that her finances and marriage suffer dearly. It would also leave quite a lot of space for character development.

The other story would be centred around the life of a young woman who was brutally raped by her peers who seeks revenge outside the legal system and stalks those who harmed her to make them and their families suffer. This angle would also give an opportunity to write an interesting character.

But no, in "Making the Cut" somehow the latter plot is the reason behind why the former is happening. The rape scene of several boys violating teenage Lydia seems to be recalled in detail couple of times seemingly for its' shock value. The reveal ar the end seems just rushed and just "meh". almost like the entire story was rather created for a screenplay when it's easier to show/suggest certain actions and dynamics.

Having first-person narrative format it feels quite odd that the author didn't even bother to suggest that Lydia might be behind certain events, it only comes in the reveal at the end that won't probably reach some of the readers who DNF'd this book because of what came before being so lazily written.

The moment Lydia's daughter Annie sets foot in a ballet class, she's hooked—and Lydia knows she'll do anything in her power to keep Annie happy and dancing.

(Content warnings in a footnote because they're somewhat spoilery*)

What worked well for me:
I love a ballet book, so I was eager to pick this one up. It's interesting to get a small peek into competitive dance, too—Annie eventually wants to dance professionally, but a lot of her classes end up being about other types of dance, like acro, and about preparing for competitions. And...to an extent I appreciate that Lydia is making calculated decisions throughout the book: she's constantly weighing her reservations about the ballet studio against Annie's happiness, and everything she does is in pursuit of that happiness. She's very much a dance mom, and she may have lost touch with what is healthy, but what she does *not* do is push Annie to do anything she doesn't want to.

What worked less well for me:
First, the stress about money is real in this book, from almost the very beginning. Lydia throws financial caution to the wind in pursuit of Annie's dance education. Aside from wishing the studio's vulture aspect had been more gradually introduced, I just find reading that kind of financial imprudence really stressful to read about. Personal preference, but it honestly stressed me out to read about it.

Second, although Lydia does try not to be *that* kind of dance mom...in her head, she's every bit as bad as the others. The word "bitch" appeared at least 19 times, and almost every one of those instances is in Lydia's thoughts—mostly referring to either the other dance moms or to their daughters, whether the daughter is 7 or 17. It's not great. The main portion of the book spans about fifteen years, from when Annie is two to when she's a teenager, but Lydia never really grows; she neither has nor wants any kind of life outside Annie's dance. It never occurs to her that there is any kind of middle ground; e.g., that she could look for a different studio for her daughter. And...although she says she does everything for her daughter, she's *incredibly* passive, to the point that when her daughter faces something that Lydia knows *from personal experience* can be deadly, she continues to do nothing...and then eventually blames the studio for not telling her their suspicions sooner, even though she'd known about (and done nothing) for months as well. Maybe some of this is supposed to be explained by Lydia's past, but I wanted her to take *some* kind of normal step to set them on a different path, and she never did.

And third—this is the biggest point—I think the book has been mismarketed. At the time that I picked it up, it was labelled "entertainment & pop culture," "general fiction (adult)," and "women's fiction." And...to an extent that's true. But there are periodically chapters set in Lydia's own teenaged years, and in the middle of the book, things take a very dark, violent, and graphic turn. Once we're in there, the book refuses to back off, going in directions that take this to...well, a genre that is way more violent and graphic than I'd expect from something labelled "entertainment & pop culture" and "women's fiction." Then again, if this had been a thriller, I'd have gone in a bit more prepared...but I'd still have been unpleasantly surprised by some of the violence here.

I imagine this one will find its readers, but it was not for me. I wish I'd had a better idea, going in, of what to expect; this took my expectations and bashed them against the wall until they were bruised and bloody.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

*Content warnings: eating disorder; graphic depictions of multiple-assailant sexual assault; graphic depiction of nonsexual violence

As a childhood competitive dancer and now studio manager myself, who is also a huge dance moms fan, I requested this as I thought it would be right up my alley.

Ultimately, I think I didn’t enjoy the way this story was told. It seemed to be a character study on ‘crazy dance moms’ and a critique of the competitive dance world, but I don’t think it hit that mark. And then ending just absolutely threw me for a loop in a way I completely didn’t expect. The book was almost a thriller in a way that didn’t work for me at all. I think there was some potential with the story, but the way it was told was just not for me.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for a fair review.

2.5 stars.
I thought this book was a darker version of dance moms. From the beginning, that’s what it seemed like. But for majority of the book, I felt like I was waiting for some big tragic event to happen that unlocked the rest. And then we took a huuuuge turn to the mom’s past trauma. The two storylines were oddly opposing each other. Got into some really serious topics without enough closure.

Thank you Book Guild for the arc.

TW: SA, ED.

4 ⭐️

This was a great read! My 11 year old self certainly would’ve relished in all the dance drama this book had. I know all dance mom lovers will enjoy this!

Lydia is kind of insane which worked well throughout the story even if I started to hate her. This book certainly shows a lot of the behind the scenes of what it means to live vicariously through your child and the lengths you’ll go for their (your?) happiness and success.

I loved little Annie and most of the girls throughout and felt they were written in such an amazing way it genuinely felt like I was watching a Dance Moms spin-off! All of the moms were depicted well and annoyed me the whole time! (in the right way) I also loved the addition of Nancy as a side character and felt that Jemima’s family plot line was incredibly realistic and a nice touch even as a small addition!

The ending really had me thinking and shocked overall. I could feel Lydia spiraling throughout and it felt full circle to have it end the way it did. Miss Victoria and the whole studio suck like everyone else did and I was growing with frustration and anger as I continued to read and was just glad this was fiction and not real life anymore!

This book does deal with some heavier topics as well and I felt they were handled with care and well written.

Overall a great read and a perfect book for all the Dance Moms fans out there to satisfy that guilty pleasure without the pain of real little girls going through it!

Thank you to NetGalley and The Book Guild for this ARC!

DNF 80%. i had high hopes.
as soon as i started this is was literally dance moms lmao.
i was expecting a murder to happen tbh. it was a thriller but nothing happened? like help
lemme tell you how the whole boo went:
single mum takes daughter to over priced dance.
shitty mums talking shit
repeat

i was board out my mind.

thankyou so much for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!!

Amazing book loved the characters abd plot. I couldn't stop reading I stayed up all night. Ii loved the book so much thank you for the arc.

Making the Cut is a gripping, effortlessly readable debut that hooks you from page one. I devoured it in a single sitting. A world of competitive parenting and dance mums with characters that feel scarily familiar. We all know parents like those in the book.

The writing is smooth and well-paced, making it an easy read. There’s a twist I genuinely didn’t see coming, though I have to admit I felt a little let down by the final chapter. I was hoping for a more emotionally resolution.

“You should bring Annie,” a casual invitation from a friend introduces Lydia to the captivating, competetive and expensive world of dance. After a few lessons, Annie is an eager student and Lydia is a dance mom. Her afternoons and weekends are spent driving to classes, watching classes and paying exorbitant fees for classes while Annie blooms with natural talent. As the years pass, Lydia sees the darker side of the dance academy and Annie reacts to her fellow dancers’ jealousy and bullying.

Making the Cut is not just a simple behind the scenes, Reality TV type look at a ballet school. Behind the glamorous costumes and competitions are worrying, unsettling secrets. Lydia’s story is told in horrifying flashbacks. The trauma she suffered as a teenager has affected her whole life, seeping into some disturbing actions. As Lydia often wonders, would Annie now be a different child is she had never studied dance? If the ballet school staff been less money oriented and more focused on each student, would Annie have received the help she needed? This issues raised in Making the Cut will stay with you long after you finish the final pages. 5 stars.

Thank you to NatGalley, The Book Guild and Sophie Wiggins for this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC! This book was nothing like I’ve really read before. I loved how it started out similar to dance moms then took a darker turn. The book goes back and forth between Lydia as an adult and as a teenager, it was dark at times. I think this book just needed a little something more, I felt that there was a little disconnect between what happened to Lydia then and why she does what she does now. At times her decision making skills were very frustrating. But overall it was an interesting read!

Making the Cut by Sophie Wiggins offers an interesting glimpse into the high-pressure world of competitive dance, told through the eyes of Lydia, who is a devoted dance mom, and her daughter, Annie. The story captures the tense dynamics of the dance circuit, touching on themes of mean girls, cost of participation, bullying, and the way parents sometimes push their children to live out unfulfilled dreams.

What makes this book more layered is its use of flashbacks to Lydia’s own teen years. These glimpses into her past add emotional depth and offer insight into her motivations, making her more than just a stereotypical “dance mom.” As the story progresses, it takes a darker turn, which adds an unexpected edge.

While some elements feel familiar in this genre, the dual timelines and complex mother-daughter relationship make it worth a read. A solid 4 stars for its emotional beats and thought-provoking themes.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing the eARC.

3 stars

Lydia Moffatt takes her two year old daughter Annie to a ballet class and Annie is hooked. Lydia becomes a dance mom, along with all that entails as Annie becomes absorbed in the world of competitive dance.

This book is a bit hard to fully describe because about half to three quarters of the way through two more plots come up, so there’s a fair amount of meandering around. I enjoyed the book overall, though.

Story written from the point of view of the mother of an aspiring ballerina. The child takes to dance as a toddler, and the mother invests all her time, energy, and money into her daughter's ballet school. There are other ballet moms and dramas with them, and as the girls in the ballet school grow up relationships and tensions become very complicated- between the ballet moms, the school personnel, and the kids all vying to be special.

Towards the middle of the book, the mother relates a horrific abuse of her own during her teenage years and parallels that with the neglect she sees at the school when the ballet teachers notice struggling kids. The book takes a very dark turn and quite shocking and violent conclusion.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.

When starting this book I thought it would be a soap opera type of story similar to the reality Dance Moms but I was completely mistaken. This book follows a mother and her beloved daughter over the course of many years as they navigate the world of dance. But, this book is about so much more than that as we begin to learn about the mother’s past and hidden secrets. The mom Lydia is a character which is constantly stirring up conflicting emotions. In one chapter you can go from loving her, to feeling sorry for her, to wanting to grab her and shake her with rage. As a mother it is almost impossible to navigate the winding paths of parenthood. It can be easy from the outside to judge another parent but we don’t dare use our skills of observation to see ourselves. As we come to see past unresolved traumas will hurt those we love the most. Lydia is such a complex character but the story really begins to unfold and reveal itself in the last chapters of this book. Be ready for the unexpected! This is a fantastic book and I will beg everyone I know to do themselves a favor and pick this one up.

As someone who binged every episode of Dance Moms, I was super excited to dive into “Making the Cut”. The early parts of the book are the ones I enjoyed the most, but farther on into the story things get a little too out of hand and unbelievable. I also found the writing style to be a little too flat. I think this book wants to be a thriller but mostly reads like a memoir. Things also get pretty dark so definitely check the trigger warnings.

Thank you to The Book Guild and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Making The Cut ended up being much darker than I anticipated so definitely check for trigger warnings. There is detailed descriptions of sexual abuse and eating disorders so go into it with that in mind.

That being said, it was a good read. It was one of those stories that was a quick read but also took a little bit to get through. Reason being, it did get heavy at times and I needed to just put it down and give myself a few minutes. It gives you a bit of an insider point of view when it comes to being a competitive dance mom. I'm sure it's the same in any competitive sport. You get to see the jealousy and rivalry between the children and the parents. You see how something that starts off just for fun can end up completely consuming your life.

The flashbacks give incredible insight into Lydia's psyche and you can see why she became the way she did. Why she struggles to fit in with the other moms or trying to keep up appearances. What she went through was horrific and while I may not agree with the choices she made, it's hard not to cut her some slack because that trauma is real.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

All the drama of a dance moms reality show, with none of the anxiety from watching actual kids go through it all. My inner gossip loved it.

Lydia is a mother who just wants what is best for her daughter. And her daughter loves dance more than anything else in the world. Of course keeping her enrolled at an elite dance academy is worth the money, schedule, judgy moms, and toxic expectations.....right?

I won't lie, it does get quite dark at times. Heed the warnings about eating disorders and sexual assault, for sure. But I happen to quite enjoy when books touch on darker themes, especially when they do so respectfully. Everything in this book has a purpose, and overall the main messages of keeping close to those you love and shoving yourself to the end of hard times get across quite well.

The writing style is simple, mostly straightforward without much flowery language or lingering on symbolism and such. It fits what feels like the autobiography of a mom who isn't perfect, but who did her best end and ended up right in the thick of all the nonsense the world of child dance has to offer.

There are some people who just kind of dropped away from the plot that I wished we'd heard more from, and the story wasn't complex enough to be one I'll rant about for years like some others I've read this year. But it was a very enjoyable read, one I spent hours at a time unable to put down until I'd gotten through just one more chapter.

I highly recommend "Making the Cut" for anyone who enjoys sitting back and listening to all the latest tea about drama they have nothing to do with. Especially if they are looking for a fun read to keep them busy for a few days, maybe over a weekend or vacation.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC. 

This book almost worked for me. I got so sucked in in the beginning, it felt almost like reading a memoir. 

The writing in this is excellent. I loved that it tackled the harsh truths about these kinds of environments. As a former dance kid who grew up binging dance moms this was a great encapsulation of a lot of the issues that shows like that brush over. 

My problem is with how over the top things got. I just couldn't take this book seriously anymore and that's a problem when dealing with such serious topics. 

Also, the mother being totally unhinged felt like it was supposed to be a twist, but to me it seemed pretty obvious from the beginning. Very much an unreliable narrator.

Please read the trigger warnings, there are a lot of sensitive topics in here and some of them are described in more detail than I think they needed to be.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Making the Cut by Sophie Wiggins
Competitive parenting? Check. Dance mums who’d probably elbow a toddler off stage for a solo? Double check. And one emotionally complicated mother just trying to do right by her kid—without totally losing herself in the process.

Lydia Moffatt is a single mom doing her best. When she signs up her toddler, Annie, for ballet class, she thinks she’s getting a cute photo op and a little routine. What she actually gets? Backstabbing dance mums, passive-aggressive WhatsApp chats, and an industry that chews up kids faster than you can say plié.

Annie has serious potential, and Lydia wants to support her—really. But with unresolved trauma, a complicated past, and a slow-burning identity crisis creeping in… the boundaries between encouragement and obsession get real fuzzy, real fast.

Confession Time

I secretly binged Toddlers & Tiaras like it’s a guilty pleasure snack I pretend I don’t love. So when I saw the premise of this book? Instant click. But don’t get it twisted—this is a million times more refined. No bedazzled chaos or tantrums in tiaras here. Just sharp writing, real stakes, and emotionally layered storytelling that hits you right in the mum-guilt.

What Worked So Well

The tension: Lydia’s spiraling inner monologue was just so real. I wanted to hug her... and then gently shake her.

Ballet world savagery: Who knew tulle and leotards could be so cutthroat?

Emotional punch: This wasn’t just about dance. It was about legacy, control, fear, and the weight of motherhood when you’re still trying to fix yourself.

What Fell a Little Flat

Some of the side characters were more caricature than human—like they walked in straight from an audition for Dance Mom: Villain Edition.

A few plot turns felt inevitable instead of surprising.

Mid-book pacing slowed just a little, but the last act pulled it back together with style.

4 stars for emotionally layered drama, fierce parenting instincts, and tension so tight you could bounce a pointe shoe off it.
It’s sharp, it’s compelling, and it walks that perfect line between polished domestic fiction and just-the-right-amount-of-messy.

If you secretly love a little dance mum drama (hi, it’s me), and want something smart, darkly funny, and surprisingly deep—Making the Cut absolutely delivers. Just maybe keep your toddler off the stage. For everyone's safety.