Delphine was a ballet prodigy at the Paris Opera Ballet, one of the most exclusive ballet companies in the world. She was following in the footsteps of her mother, a star at the POB, until the day she decided to quit, move to St. Petersburg, and become a choreographer. With that move, she left behind her two best friends, fellow dancers Lindsay and Margaux. Fourteen years later, Delphine decides to move back to Paris to choreograph a work for her old company, returning her to the world she left behind. Told by alternating between the past and the present, this story illustrates why young girls pursuing their dreams should never be underestimated.

As far as genre goes, I’m not exactly sure what genre it is in; it takes place mostly in 2018, with flashbacks as far back as the 1990s. It’s a bit of a mystery, and a bit of a thriller, but there’s not a murder to solve or a scary man hunting them in the woods (can you tell I don’t read thrillers often?). I feel like it can best be described as general fiction that dips its toes into mystery waters.

Being a ballerina for at least 15 years of my life, I immediately picked up this book when given the opportunity. Delphine, Lindsay, and Margaux are all characters I could relate to at least a bit, specifically all the intricacies of being a dancer, including all the pressure to constantly prefrom better. Reading Delphine’s story from alternating timelines was actually incredibly intriguing and helped suck me in as a reader - about half the novel was referring to a mistake she had made in the past, which made me want to keep reading to figure out what that was. The contrast between the portions of her past we see and the present that she’s currently in make for an extremely compelling read.

While I strongly feel that ballet does not have to be female-centric, this book definitely is meant for females. I was shocked towards the end of the book when I realized that all of the main male characters, and even most of the male side characters, were pretty awful people in their own ways. This helps hit the point home about the small ways females are oppressed, with the main trio finding their own small ways to fight against it. Add in the surprising ending twist that I truly did not see coming, and you have a narrative that explores what happens when females finally find their power.

As much good things as I have to say about this novel, I could not rate it a full 5 stars. I found that while I loved reading it, and had trouble putting it down, at the end of the day, I was never emotionally invested in the story. This story will probably will go into the pile of books that, while loved, I will probably forget. I’d encourage you to read it for yourself if you’d find it interesting; it’s entirely possible that it was just my overall mood while reading it that led me to give it 4 stars instead of 5.

An insider’s look into the world of ballerinas. Evocative, dark, and enlightening all at once. Delphine is the storyteller, flipping from current day events to days when she was a young ballerina, growing up in the company. A story that focuses on friendships, growing up and maturing. I thought I knew for sure where it was going and then unimaginable plot twists at the end left me riveted. True to the description, I will not soon forget the characters in this tale.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

I found this to be an enjoyable read, keeping me on my toes throughout. The storyline was written well and flowed seamlessly. I look forward to reading more by this author!

Kapelke-Dale gives us a peak into the everyday lives of three ballerinas.  Friends from a young age, Delphine, Margaux, and Lindsay live their lives completely for the dance.  As friends, they are often competing for the same parts and the same promotions.  Year in and year out, their daily life rarely changes.  Told in dual timelines, we see their friendship ebb and flow, and as they grow the choices they make.  Choices that aren’t always the best.  In a cut throat world of striving to be the best, and being under the abusive thumb of the men in their lives, this is a good story, although on the slower side.  At times depressing, but in the end the three figure out what really matters most in life, even if it means changing their lifelong dreams.

The competitive world of Parisian ballet and all of its intricacies and sordidness is brought to life in this psychological drama. The story revolves around 3 friends, Delphine, Lindsay and Margaux, and the ups and downs of their relationships and the deep, dark secrets that continue to haunt them even years later. It is a fascinating exposé into the lives of the most elite ballerinas in the world, while highlighting themes of competition, jealousy, misogyny and, ultimately, deep friendship. I found the plot to be interesting, captivating and original.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Edelweiss, St.Martin’s Press and Rachel Kalpelke-Dale for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Friendship. Ambition. Secrets. Betrayals. All with the Paris Opera Ballet as a backdrop. Sounds great, right?

I expected a dark, twisty thriller and that is not what I got. The Ballerinas is really more of a character driven drama/women’s fiction type novel. It started slow, but eventually picked up pace a little. A few things to mention:

1. The author did a wonderful job painting a picture of the life of a professional ballerina. The dedication, the cut-throat competition, the sacrifices made… that said…
2. I wouldn’t say any of the characters were particularly likable…not even the ballerinas. About half-way through, the book took a #MeToo turn that I just wasn’t expecting. As another reviewer pointed out, every male character turned into a predator and control freak. Not what I was expecting from this novel at all.
3. The story is told in two timelines by the main character, Delphine. While other reviewers stated this made it hard for them to keep track of the story, I didn’t think it was an issue. For me, it was more that they didn’t always flow well.
4. Overall, I think there were just too many things going on in this novel. I wish the author had picked a path, stuck to it, and developed it more rather than jumping around so many topics.
5. Trigger warnings: alcohol abuse, miscarriage, abortion, adultery, murder

Thank you to the author, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. You can pick up a copy when it is published on December 7.

I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to others who like this type of book. The characters were engaging and it was a very fast paced read.

I enjoyed learning about the world of ballet while reading this book. I have never danced but I feel like this is exactly how it would be. This book has powerful female friendships, complicated relationships, a little LGTBQ+, and a lot of dancing!

My only complaint about this book is that it was a little slow. There was a secret that happened when the girls were young but you don't find out what it is until pretty far into the book.

DNF @ 46%. I feel like the marketing for this book is not right. At the 46% mark there were only a handful of references to a secret from the past and no current mystery or suspense. This felt much more like a contemporary fiction novel about a woman trying to navigate her life.

This book is less a thriller in the traditional sense, and more of a simmering rage stoked forth by societal expectations, misogyny, and complicated relationships built from both. We follow Delphine, a Parisian woman who has devoted her life to dancing and ballet, as she returns to the Paris Opera Ballet after leaving when she was young. Now she is returning after a toxic relationship, and reconnecting with her old friends Margeaux and Lindsay, dancers whom she used to be incredibly close to, in spite of the complexities of their relationship built all around competition. We slowly see how these friendships grew, changed, and damaged each other, and how a lot of it is traced back to the way ballerinas are supposed to be seen and how they are supposed in the ballet culture, while still being desirable and acceptable women. It's a dark but tense character study, and while I don't think that it's a thriller as it is being advertised, I do think it's intense for other reasons. And cathartic in some ways, while being devastating in others. That said, I kind of wish we got to know Margeaux and Lindsay a bit more, not solely through Delphine's eyes, as they don't quite branch past somewhat two dimensional characterizations. They get close! But there could have been a little bit more.

Overall THE BALLERINAS is definitely a rewarding read. But I don't think it's advertising itself correctly. Had I gone in knowing it wasn't a thriller at heart, I probably would have enjoyed it more, but my expectations tainted that a bit.

The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke Dale/ Beautiful debut novel where the reader can wander into the world of Ballerinas

Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the gifted galley!

This debut novel was such an eye opening read into the day to day lives of Ballerinas and how,UCB hard work, perseverance and struggles go into those mesmerizing performances!

This is a story of three friends, three ballerinas who are separated by time and secrets. A secret that was buried a long time ago when the friends go different route I their adulthood. I really liked the writing style of the author and she kept me on edge throughout the read!

The Ballerinas releases on Dec 7, 2021 and I highly recommend this mystery thriller to all you mystery lovers out there!

This was a fascinating story about the lifelong friendship between 3 women trying to make it together in a highly competitive ballet world. There are tons of secrets and heartaches, and the story flips between the past and present so quickly that it almost blends the two together to the point where it can be hard to tell which timeline you're in because they blend so well together. It was amazing to me as someone who only took ballet classes for fun as an adult to see some of the lengths teenage ballerinas would go to in order to land the perfect parts. I really enjoyed this story, and anyone who is a fan of the ballet world (or perhaps liked Black Swan) will really enjoy this book.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to give an honest review of this book!

Oh I love books about the ballet! This was a superb novel centering on the female friendship of Delphine, Lindsey and Margeaux, ballerinas who have been friends since childhood and have grown up together at the Paris Opera Ballet. The little intrigues and toxicity of the ballet culture is in full force in this novel. I'm not giving anything away other than this should be read by one and all. It's pure perfection!

*Thanks to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for this e-arc.*

4 1/2 Stars

This book read like watching a movie to me. Loved how it was told in past and present sense - and just could see it all slowly unfolding. The characters all were very human - and honestly at times, some were totally unlikeable. But the story itself, the bounds of friendship, the way life leads you and how you can hold onto guilt and how that can shape you - all felt very real. Great read.

A story of 3 women, friends, but first and foremost competitors, who devoted their entire lives to being the greatest. Anything less wasn’t an option. Told from dual timelines, we see the toll of what it takes to become an elite and to be an elite. Where women are revered, but also exploited. Passion, sacrifice, and perfection- healthy drive vs deadly drive. You’ll be sucked into this one until the last curtain falls.


Thank you for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review

Set in Paris at the infamous Paris Opera Ballet, Delphine returns from her days as a student and dancer to become a choreographer.

Set in dual timelines, we meet Delphine, Lindsay and Margaux. They are inseparable when they meet as students at this prestigious school. They come up through the school together and eventually become part of the company, competing for coveted positions. When an incident occurs leading up to an audition, Delphine decides to take an opportunity in Russia to study choreography.

Fast forward 13 years later, she has returned and Lindsay and Margaux are still dancing, though coming to terms with being towards the end of their respective dance careers. Delphine comes in wanting to finally make Lindsay the star she was always destined to be, and is stopped in every way.

This book about half way through goes a bit off the rails, taking on very important topics, but somehow felt that they wanted to make this extremely relevant and timely book and threw in all the headline stories. At that point, the book kind of lost me. I was not expecting it, and felt it was unnecessary, and unfortunately I think will shorten the lifespan of this story.

The book is fine, but I wished it had a ton more substance than headline catching topics.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Somehow my expectations for this book were way off. I'd been ready to read some dark mystery involving ballerinas and Black Swan-esque scenes, but this book was much more historical fiction than anything else.

The book focuses on Delphine, who has been a ballerina since she was three years old, and her friends in the Paris Opera Ballet. After some incident, Delphine moves to Russia and starts a new life. When she moves back to Paris thirteen years later the story finally starts unravelling. It's just not all that exciting in the end.

It took several days to read The Ballerinas because the first half dragged. There was SO much description about ballet. The time setting frequently changed from the early 2000’s to several months in 2018. Fortunately there was only one narrator or POV. Even so, it was hard to keep straight all the characters.

Our narrator Delphine alluded to something she did wrong to a ballerina friend while young. By the time we find out what she did, it wasn’t much of a surprise.

I liked the comparison between Paris and St. Petersburg because I’ve been in both cities. Action started picking up after 60% of the book; we learn more about Delphine and her friends and lovers. Frequent description of the body, much more so than the mind or emotions.

Recommended for people who especially enjoy ballet.

This one was super slow for me. I didn’t find the build up was worth the payoff. I think that for big ballet fans, this one will work well.

In “ Ballerinas” by Rachel Kapelke-Daie we are introduced to Delphine, Lindsay and Margaux three students in Paris Opera School ( POB) from a very young age. They live for a chance at being selected to join the corps and make their way through the highly competitive ranks to an elite dancer. The girls are friends but they are also in competition and can be ruthless.
Delphine knows that she will never be good enough to reach the pinnacle of ballet ranks and after the death of her mother, she leaves Paris to live in St. Petersburg with her lover and trains as a choreographer. She is leaving more than just the ballet behind- she leaves a secret that two of the girls have kept hidden for years. Fourteen years later Delphine is given a chance to return as one of the few female choreographers in POB and she reaches out to her friends to give them coveted positions in her show. On her return, she learns that the world has gone on without her and her self centered and careless disregard for others is no longer tolerated. Delphine is determined to regain all that she left behind and help her friends as well. She will have to fight against a system of misogyny, sexual abuse, self deprivation and stand up for a friend whose dreams of becoming a ballerina do not mesh with the man she married who desperately wants a child. A brutal look at the sacrifice and pain that hides under the tulle and silk shoes. Thank you to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for the advanced e- copy in exchange for my honest opinion. This is available for pre-order now and is due for release December 7,2021.