Rating: 3.5 ⭐️
Pages: 304
Pace: steady
Genre: contemporary fiction

Themes: physical perfection, career ambition, cutthroat competitiveness, brutality of ballet world, gender disparity, controlling your own body, public judgments, childhood friendships

My thoughts: as a former ballerina, I loved being in the world of dance while reading this book. The setting, a ballet company in Paris, was just so atmospheric and magical. And the dual timelines—shifting between the girls as students on campus, and the adult ballerinas they had become—was done really well. I also really liked how it showed so much of the dark side of the dance world—the gender disparities, the lengths people will go to for stardom, and the jealousies and competitiveness created by the institution itself. It had some really heavy feminist themes, which I enjoyed. As for the downsides, the characters were largely unlikeable, (which is realistic for the competitive world the book painted), but I would have liked to root for someone. And it is definitely NOT a THRILLER. It was much more of a character-driven story about the dark side of ballet and how destructive it can be, specifically to the women.

Who should read: it’s a bit darker than CENTER STAGE, with heavy feminist themes, but much lighter than BLACK SWAN.

This book was fine, but the synopsis will make a lot of people dislike it. It is billed as a thriller, which it is not. The many mentions of what Delphine did are revealed and it is like hmm? That's it? After the build up?

Critiques aside it is not a bad read but should probably be described differently.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

This is going to be the book of the year! Watch!

I couldn't put my Kindle down. It was so intriguing and interesting following these ladies lives in the dance world!
The story focuses on the relationship between three best friends who have spent their entire lives training in Paris to become the ballerinas that every little girl hopes to be.
This was a cutthroat book! Full of tension and surprises. It will leave your jaw on the damn floor!
Thus book isn't just about a couple of dancers. Its about hardships of friendship.
About women being used. Its about putting in the work.
Full of jealousy, competition as they climb the ranks in the dance world!
This was a world wind book! And I was there for it!
The description and the writing many a times gave me goose bumps as the writing was so thrilling and chilling.
Beautifully woven together, excellent and very well paced.
Our characters are so in-depth and real.... Its breathtaking.
Simply an amazing read that will be huge this year!
Rachel really is something spectacular! And I can't wait to see more of her work in the future!

This book consumed me. And I loved every second of it.
I didn't want it to end. And that right there makes it worth every freaking star rating ever!

St. Martin's Press,
Thank You for this beautiful ebook copy!
NetGalley, thank you!
And Rachel Kapelke-Dale you girl Rock!

The Ballerinas is a dark coming of age tale that follows three young dancers as they transition from ‘getting older’ to ‘growing up’. The dancers face extreme pressure to succeed—both as dancers and in relationships. This pressure causes the dancers to act in ways that have disastrous consequences.

Overall, I enjoyed this tale, although at times it was difficult to understand what the author’s overall message was.

Who knew the world of ballet was so dark, deadly and intense? I surely didn’t.

The Ballerinas spins us into the ultra competitive world of Ballet. When the competition is fierce- and also happen to be your best friends- how far are you willing to go to push to the top?

The intricate (and delicate) female dynamics were SPOT ON. Having female friendships can be HARD to begin with, not to mention being competitors- there are bound to be secrets and betrayal.

I struggled through the first half, I’ll be honest. I couldn’t connect with the characters, and I felt lost with the technical ballet jargon. The stage was being set, the motives being revealed and I’m glad I stuck with this one! What started off a slow-burn had me hooked by the second half when things GOT. REAL.

The secrets came flying full speed right at our face, at the same time a past relationship comes back to haunt every inch of the pages right up until the end. It’s rich, it’s raw, and it’s real.

Wait for it.

The powerful and poignant conversations regarding female rights and choices I found to be perfectly placed and sadly- relatable. The political issues are male dominated- creating a world where dancers are striving for perfection- set by whom? Why are women held to a different standard than the men?

Kapelke-Dale gives us so much more to unpack involving hot, controversial topics and I’m here for it- I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author!

✨Thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review

Thank you St. Martin's Press for my copy of THE BALLERINAS by Rachel Kapelke-Dale in exchange for my honest review.  This title publishes December 7, 2021.

I would like to first shout out the marketing team for the cover on this one - it's BEAUTIFUL and is one of the reasons I gravitated toward this book. That, and my fascination with ballet and the life of a ballerina.

This was a great debut about the experiences of a group pf ballerinas in a prestigious ballet school in the heart of Paris.  The story explores the friendships between these women and the internal conflict of the they face with wanting to be the best in their league while battling the constant judgment about their bodies and the pressure of becoming a "principle" or main stage dancer.

It was a slow burn for the first half of the book, as the author built her characters and their stories are told in alternating POVs between the past and the present day.  The pace really picks up in the second half of the book and this is when you really uncover the darkness of the story and the ballet aspect was no longer at the forefront. You really see the characters mature from when we are first introduced to them at the start of their careers to present day.  The tension starts building at a stronger pace in teh second half of the book and the story really comes together in the end.  I encourage you to be patient with this one and appreciate the character build in the first half because it will only add to your overall enjoyment of the story.

2.5⭐️

Thank you, NetGalley for an e-arc of The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale.

I think I may have gone into this book with the wrong expectations. I thought I was getting a mysterious thriller, but it ended up being closer to women’s fiction. Don’t get me wrong, women’s fiction is fine- actually, I love that genre- but I kept waiting to be sitting at the edge of my seat and that never happened.

I may have still loved this book- getting a backstage view to ballet was pretty interesting- but I didn’t love any of the characters. (Well, any of the main characters- I really liked Stella.) Considering this was more of a character driven book than a plot driven book, it makes it a little hard to enjoy when you don’t love the characters.

The last third of the book does pick up and while that made for a quicker/ easier read, I still didn’t like any of the characters or their decisions, nor did I like how any of those decisions played out. I’m actually still pretty bothered by what one character did at the end and the way that situation was handled.

But you might enjoy this book if you go into it with the right expectations. Again, I think I was just in the wrong mindset going in. If you love the ballet, character-driven novels, and dual nonlinear timelines, this may be the right book for you!

While compared to Black Swan for its showcase of the less glamorous side of ballet, this one is highly character driven, focusing on the past and present of 3 dancers. And while billed as a thriller, you will be disappointed if that is why you pick this one up. It is more of a drama.

It is told in dual timelines. Not sure if it is the characters or me, but I didn’t really connect with any of them. That always makes it a harder hill for me to like the book as I need something else to draw me in and this one fell a little short for me, I'm sorry to say.

I do think this will appeal to anyone with ballet in their background.

The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale seemed like an interesting book from the synopsis and the cover art. But as the old saying goes, don’t judge a book by its cover. I also was interested in this novel because my daughter has been dancing for years and recently started pointe and I love the ballet world.

Synopsis:
The Ballerinas explored the world of ballet from the viewpoint of Delphine a prestigious soloist, daughter of a famous ballerina. She has a dancing career at the Paris Opera Ballet and is fighting her way to be seen outside of her mother’s shadow. But when a secret rocks her friend group she leaves Paris for a new life in St. Petersburg. She brings the secret with her and never reveals how one bad decision could change the dynamic of her friendship with fellow dancers, Lindsay and Margaux. Now, fourteen years later, Delphine is back to choreograph the ballet that will kickstart the next phase of her career. She also hopes to mend the friendships that she has missed all these years away.

Thoughts:
Not sure this book was for me. The beginning was slow going and the story did not pick up.

The characters were unlikeable and extremely selfish.

The build up to the secret is so intense that once I found out what it was I was like “that’s it?”. I mean it’s bad but just goes to show how unlikeable the characters are.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed all of the details about the ins and outs of ballet. From choreography to performances and the drama back stage. Overall this book has twists and an underlying mystery that I enjoyed it unravel. The cover caught my attention but I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to read this book. The first part was a bit technical and heavy but my advice is to hang in there for the back story because it just gets better and better!

Title: The Ballerinas
Author: Rachel Kapelke-Dale
Genre: Fiction, mystery/thriller
Rating: 3.0 out of 5

Fourteen years ago, Delphine abandoned her prestigious soloist spot at the Paris Opera Ballet for a new life in St. Petersburg––taking with her a secret that could upend the lives of her best friends, fellow dancers Lindsay and Margaux. Now 36 years old, Delphine has returned to her former home and to the legendary Palais Garnier Opera House, to choreograph the ballet that will kickstart the next phase of her career––and, she hopes, finally make things right with her former friends. But Delphine quickly discovers that things have changed while she's been away...and some secrets can't stay buried forever.

This was a hard no for me. I finished reading it—I love reading about ballet life—but I found all the characters unlikable, selfish, and vain. These women are just hateful, and they make only selfish choices. And every single man is portrayed as abusive or a user or a cheater (or all three). I’m sorry. That may well be true for some men—and some women—but you cannot paint every member of a group with the same brush and expect it to be believable.

Rachel Kapelke-Dale lives in Paris. The Ballerinas is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

I love ballet stories, so I requested this as soon as I saw the title and cover. In The Ballerinas, Delphine moves between past and present to tell the story of her and two friends, Lindsay and Margaux, trying to rise the ranks at the Paris Opera Ballet. While this was labeled as a thriller, I’m not sure that’s accurate. It’s a very character driven book. It’s about how the cutthroat world of ballet has changed their lives and relationships. Fair warning, none of these characters are especially likable. They do some horrible things to each other, and they’re all incredibly flawed. But that makes them feel real, and it made me invested in them. I wanted to know how the rift in their relationship formed. I wanted to see if Delphine’s ballet would succeed and if Lindsay would be promoted.

The book also focuses on the timely issues of sexual abuse against women, particularly vulnerable young girls. This could be potentially triggering for some readers, so keep that in mind. But I do think it’s an important theme for literature to explore right now, and Kapelke-Dale handles it well for the most part. There were a few moments of dialogue with male characters that felt a little over the top to me. But the portrayal of how this abuse affects women both physically and emotionally is well done and quite realistic.

Honestly, this was going to be a five star read for me until about 90% in. I hated the ending. It came absolutely out of nowhere and was just too sensational to match the rest of the book. It was almost as if it was thrown in there to make it fit the thriller genre. But that just didn’t work since it came so late in the book. It just ultimately wasn’t satisfying for me and didn’t seem to fit with the story.

Overall, The Ballerinas is a wonderful, character driven story about the relationships between women and the darkness lurking behind their art. The ending wasn’t my cup of tea, but it was definitely worth the read!

This book won’t be for everyone, but I really enjoyed it. Slow in the beginning. I liked the main characters and they were relatable. Great writing and an accurate look into the world of career ballet. Recommend!

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 Stars

Delphine, Lindsay and Margaux are ballerinas in the Paris Opera Ballet. They are always in competition with each other, but they are the best of friends. Thirteen years ago, Delphine left Paris for a choreographer position in St. Petersburg leaving both her soloist spot and a secret that could ruin the girls’ friendship behind. In current time, Delphine returns to Paris with a job at the Opera Ballet to choregraph her own ballet. She’s hoping that this will be the big break in her career and rekindle her friendship with the girls. Lindsay and Margaux have their own lives. Will Delphine’s secret finally be set free; will their friendship survive?

This is a debut novel told through different time periods of Delphine’s life: current time, her adolescence when she was a ballerina and her time in St. Petersburg. The book is described as a mystery/thriller, but it was more of character driven book filled with drama. There was an element of mystery, with Delphine’s “secret” and a twist a the end that I wasn’t excepting.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. I loved the ballerina concept, and I thought the storyline was interesting. I felt like the beginning was a little slow, so it took me a while to get into it, but once I did, I flew through it. If you enjoy dramas with a little mystery then this one is for you!

A huge thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love dance & I find the world of ballet fascinating so when I got a chance to read an ARC of The Ballerinas, I naturally jumped at it (thank you NetGalley & St. Martin's Press) . The fact that the story (for the most part) takes place in Paris was just icing on a very yummy cake.

Delphine, Margaux & Lindsay meet as 13 year old at a fictional Paris Ballet Opera and quickly become a super tight trio. The story centers around Delphine, who now in her mid 30s returns to her homestead after living in St. Petersburg for over a decade. The story-line moves back and forth between her early days at the ballet school and her current attempts to reintegrate into life in Paris, as well as into the lives of her friends. Of course there are secrets, competitiveness, passion, first loves, complex family relations which all mix into an interesting combination of genres - contemporary fiction with elements of suspense and historical fiction,

I found Rachel Kapelke-Dale painted a very vivid picture of how simultaneously grueling, isolating and beautiful the art world of ballet is. Though I could not necessarily identify with the (ballerinas') characters, I still found myself fully immersed in all aspects of the story. I think this book will appeal to dance/ballet lovers but also fans of Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies and probably anyone else looking for a fun, entertaining read about complex characters set in beautiful Paris.

This novel touches on many timely issues, including domestic and sexual assault, reproductive choice, body image, and mental health/substance abuse. While told through the lens of dance, these topics can readily be applied to just about any woman. I learned quite a bit about the "ballerina lifestyle" that was quite interesting. What I think I appreciated the most, though, was the dynamics of the friendship between Delphine, Margaux, and Lindsay-the ups and downs, the "2 against 1" that happens in three-sided relationships, the losing touch and reigniting the friendship, and the fact that in the end, they are there for each other when it matters. If you are looking for a mystery/thriller, as this is billed, it's probably not the book for you; but if you are looking for something that touches on so many issues relevant in women's lives, I highly recommend this one.

I had a hard time sitting down to read this story but I found the audiobook of this just so addicting. The audio did a fantastic job of keeping my attention. It heavily revolves around ballerinas so a lot of these terms were new to me but it was still easy to follow along. I just didn’t find it as a thriller.

This is my first novel by Rachel-Kapelke Dale. While this is billed as a thriller, I’m not exactly sure I would call it that.

While there is a mystery to the whole story, and it does have thriller elements, I found that the thriller element was overshadowed by the drama that occurred between the main characters. I wish there had been a bigger twist to the story.

Another thing that I found difficult about this story was the fact that it kept alternating between timelines. At times, that was confusing to me and made the story hard to read.

I don’t think this book was “bad”, I just think that it was marketed wrong – it’s more contemporary fiction than thriller. While it wasn’t my cup of tea, I’d recommend it to anyone who is interested in the ballet world.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Rachel Kapelke-Dale for the opportunity to review this ARC. This review and all opinions are my own.

On Goodreads The Ballerinas is listed as a thriller/mystery which may have set some unrealistic expectations. Lets be honest- this book is NOT a thriller. However, it is a story that explores the ebbs and flows of female friendship set against the landscape of a Parisian ballet company.

Delphine, Margaux and Lindsay have grown up competing with each other but mostly themselves. Their worth is attributed to how far they jump, how high they can lift their legs, and the trust they place in their partners to lift them and throw them in the air. Their mental struggles prove to be even more costly. Now reunited after nearly a decade apart, can they live with their secrets which has led to their success?

While none of the women are truly likable, their devotion to their craft is admirable. The lengths these women are willing to go to reach star status is, quite frankly, shocking. The men do not shine in this story and fair warning- there are trigger warnings galore. Feel free to shoot me a message for more details!

I would recommend this story to readers who enjoy a slow burn with a heavy emphasis on characterization. As someone who loves atmospheric writing that I can be submerged in- The Ballerinas was a complete home run for me! Congratulations Rachel Kapelke-Dale on a beautiful examination of the dark side of the spotlight.

This book was not at all what I expected. It was sort of a slow burn to start with a lot of character building and not much plot. The pace picked up and it was a great read. I'll be recommending this to many.