A very specific milieu. I appreciated the in-depth look at life for a ballerina near the end of her useful career. The big reveal wasn't nearly as horrific as I'd anticipated. Not one decent man in the book. Well written, in-depth characters.

I was expecting to read a chilling thriller, so I got a little disappointed about the genre but overall it was solid, engaging, well written novel presents us a thought provoking perspective of ballerinas’ lives.

‘The Ballerinas’ is, at its core, a story about relationships and how they evolve and change as time moves forward and circumstances change. It’s also a story about womanhood, what that looks like and what that means, especially in a context where the bodily autonomy of the female characters in this book is threatened in various ways.

The narrative focuses on Delphine, a former soloist with the Paris Opera Ballet, who returns 14 years after her departure to choreograph a new ballet. Her childhood best friends, Lindsay and Margaux, are still dancing at the company, and Delphine’s return forces them all to grapple with their friendship dynamic and how they fit into each other’s lives all these years later. Delphine also has a secret that she fears may tear them all apart once again.

Where this book shines is in its compelling interrogation of relationships in their various iterations. The intricacies of female friendship, unrequited-turned-requited love, parent/child affiliation, simultaneous friendship and rivalry, and romantic relationships are all mined with the exacting and enthralling world of professional ballet as its backdrop. Flashback chapters are interspersed with what’s happening in the present, to a mostly effective end. It also unflinchingly examines some of the abuses that have been brought to light in this industry in the real world, and addresses them accordingly. I’ll echo what I’ve read in a few other reviews, that this isn’t really a thriller/mystery… it’s more general fiction/women's fiction. There are definitely a few secrets to be unearthed, but tonally it’s more meditative than it is mysterious.

The writing is compelling, and I found myself completely enthralled. This is a novel I’ll be thinking about for a while.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

First of all, this cover is amazing! I'd read it just for the cover. The book is great. Character driven with lots of great insights about ballerinas, their discipline and true world.

As someone who loves ballet, I wanted to love this more! But while there was much I enjoyed about it, it didn't quite click for me, particularly the reveal that was teased throughout and the ending didn't quite work for me either. Wished it had also included more actual ballet.

I’ve always enjoyed the looks into the world of Ballet and I found this book extremely hard to put down.

The characters were all so different and had a lot of depth and I felt they all melded together very well. The plot was very intriguing and the alternating time perspective worked well and I felt it was very balanced.

I was intrigued at the secrets whirling around the characters and the main character’s growth was enjoyable to read.

My only issue, was that I feel like things weren’t very well wrapped up. I felt like it was building up to something…then just stopped or took a different turn and then ended.

All in all it was a great read and I would encourage any fans of a good fiction with a dash of suspense.

'The Ballerinas' is a well-written and interesting drama about the pressures placed on dancers and the strive for perfection. It is less of a thriller/mystery than a drama about friendship and sacrifices that are made for success. There is a mystery involved, but it is not really a mystery story.

The behind-the-scenes portrayal of world of ballet seems very realistic. The characters are well-developed and flawed; they are driven and flawed people.

Overall this is an interesting story and a worthwhile read.

I had to read this book with two ballerinas in my family. The story didn't disappoint...Three girls, in Paris, who became best friends as they struggle for perfection in the world of dance. It's competitive and unforgiving, it is a dream and nightmare at times but embraced willingly, wanting nothing less than perfection and the top achievement. It's in your blood and your heart. The three girls this story is about, need and help each other throughout the learning and development years, each achieving soloist success, not the top, but respectable. All wanting more. When one leaves for love and maybe running from guilt, two are left to dance on. When she returns years later she wants the same connection they had before but so much is changed. She is now an excellent dance choreographer and wants to make their dreams of success come true. But some can bury the guilt and some it eats them up. Others must overcome the effects of what happened. And then there's the murder. I loved the book. The story is well-written and heartfelt. The story features one predominant character and her side of the trio relationship. The characters are believable and Interesting. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press NY for the eARC allowing me to read and express my honest opinion. I liked this story!

I requested this book because the comparison to Black Swan and Luckiest Girl Alive made me think it was a thriller. While The Ballerinas is definitely not a thriller, it is an interesting story about three friends and how far they will go to become star ballerinas. I enjoyed Delphine’s story and character development but felt parts of the story dragged or could have been edited out to keep the momentum going. Overall I enjoyed The Ballerinas very much especially the Paris setting and the friendship between the three main characters. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this book quite a bit. It was a story of three girls becoming women, of competition, power, love, dedication and passion. It was set in the ballet world in Paris and in Russia. It was both a story of dance and a universal story. As a former dancer, contemporary dancer it brought back lots of memories, though my experience was not as extreme

Fascinating, engrossing and enchanting! The Ballerinas gives us everything we were looking for. Beyond the dark side of ballet life, which we get in Black Swan to great effect, this book skims the dark side to a nice degree but lets us focus on the three friends and their entwined friendships, their secrets and struggles, their bond and their hopes and dreams. We're completely immersed in the the intricate storyline and amazed by this inside view that we get of another bunch of layers in ballet's world. It's perfect for cozy fall reading, and I love this one for book clubs! So much to discuss about the women's relationships. The beauty of their ballet life is secondary. Hang in there through the slow-ish start that's there to establish the characters and their backgrounds without rushing us. Even a great ballet takes a few minutes to really get into.

A realistic look into many dark aspects of the dance world. This book embraces friendships in good and bad of 3 friends growing up in the Paris Ballet.

I really liked the style of this book in telling the stories of the past eventually linking up with current events. The backstory really brought out the depth in the characters and made you feel like you were part of their ballet world.

This book deals with a lot of issues from the drive for success no matter the cost, power over one's own body, #metoo movement, alcoholism, and broken families/relationships. Having friends that have been in the dance world, many of these type of issues really can be pronounced in that particular microcosm.

I think this book read more of a friend's book/drama than a suspense type book even considering the darker parts. The only thing I didn't like was that the ending felt a little rushed and like some suspense was forced at the end due to the way events unfolded.

I did really like and appreciate this book for the raw ways it brought issues in Ballet to the forefront.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was one of my favorite "ballerina" books I've read. Very well done. The characters were interesting, and man, that ending!

Very atmospheric and compelling story. I felt very immersed in the competitive community surrounding ballet.

I enjoy reading fiction books about dance so I was excited when I received this one from NetGalley for review. This dual timeline book follows Delphine and her career as a dancer in the Paris Opera Ballet. It starts when she is getting ready to audition for bigger roles in the company. Her mother, stand offish toward Delphine, is revered by the POB as one of their best dancers. Delphine has big shoes to fill, but she feels that she is ready and is an excellent dancer. Her biggest competition are her two best friends Lindsay and Margaux. While the three girls are best friends they are also competitors who want to earn the top roles at each stage, no matter the cost. But when it comes down to it Delphine leaves the company to follow a Russian choreographer back to St. Petersburg and leave the secrets of her friendship behind. Her time in Russia was well spent and Delphine becomes a talented choreographer herself. and is finally ready t return to Paris to make her mark directing an show for POB with many of her former friends and company in it. But she knows that the secrets of her youth will come out along with new secrets that have been simmering all along.

Somehow, the book was not quite what I expected, but I enjoyed the read. The dual times lines made it interesting to see how things progressed as they get closers and closer to the current time. I would definitely recommend this to a reader that has an interest in dance.

This story was about friendships, secrets and finding who you really are. The characters came to life and the story line was so intriguing, I couldn't stop reading!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!

I have just read The Ballerinas by Author Rachel Kapelke-Dale.

This was a great debut novel by the author.. The characters and storyline were both intriguing and interesting.

The plot moved along well and had a great pace to it.

It was well written, and engaging – taking place primary in Paris, surrounding the life of ballet dancers, from a very young age to adulthood.

Thank you to NetGalley, Author Rachel Kapelke-Dale and St. Martin's Press. for my advanced copy to read and review.

3.5 Stars for me!

#NetGalley

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC.

Well, I am sorry to say, that this book just wasn't for me. I immediately requested it, one, because of the gorgeous cover, and two, because it was supposed to be a thriller. I wanted to read a dark book, something along the line of Dark Swan, maybe, but what I read was not a thriller, and I was just so disappointed. Also, I have very limited knowledge of ballet, and all of the technical talk about ballet, theater, etc. just got overwhelming for me and I got bored. I just couldn't connect or get involved with the characters in any way either. I hate leaving low star reviews, but I was just disappointed in this one. 2.5 stars.

I loved this book from start to finish. Parts of this remind me of the movies Center Stage and Black Swan where the dance world is so competitive and cutthroat but people are also trying to live their personal lives. The characterization was great but I also like how male dancers were portrayed as well. This book was a good ode to the world of dance.

Highly recommended and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future if it is as good as this one.

Thanks to Netgalley, Rachel Kapelke-Dale and St Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 12/7/21

This had all the makings of a great read for me, but I ended up not loving it. I found the plot to be slow and I was uninterested for most of the time.