More an insight to close-knit female friendships and the competitive world of French Ballet than the thriller I was anticipating, but an enjoyable and immersive read none-the-less. The writing was sublime.

When Delphine ditched her soloist position in favor of learning to choreograph ballet with her boyfriend in Russia, she thought everything in her life was finally falling into place. Several years later, she returns to the Paris Opera Ballet as a choreographer and ready to kickstart her career. Everything will be the same as it was when she left, right? Except everything is different, and Delphine faces setback after setback as old secrets begin to surface.

Told in dual timelines, we follow Delphine from the time she first meets her two best friends in ballet school leading up to the present as we also follow Delphine in the present after her life begins to implode. In the past, we see how close she once was with Margaux and Lindsay as well as how her friendship with them eventually became the distant and bitter friendship she has with them today. I thought it was an interesting story full of drama between friends and family while facing the pressures of the ballet world.

While this is described as a mystery, it is actually a contemporary adult fiction novel with a smidge of mystery thrown in. The core of the story are the lives of Delphine and her two best friends as well as how the dark side of ballet drove them to become the people they are in the present. I really like that many of Delphine’s relationship problems with friends as well as her mother figure are the result of her own actions. While she does have problems due to other people’s actions, it was good to see her face the results of her own actions and force herself to try to make a change if she wants to keep these relationships. It was also quite interesting to see the number of characters who are not what they seem in both good and bad ways.

All in all, I think I would’ve been disappointed about this not actually being a mystery novel if I didn’t like the story so much. At some point, I forgot that this was supposed to be a mystery and was fully enjoying the story for what it is. If you’re looking for a good contemporary novel that’s heavily character driven, I think this will be a good read for you. However, if you are looking for a contemporary mystery or a something that is primarily a mystery novel, I would recommend passing on this.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book!

I was really looking forward to reading it and I don't regret taking the four days to read it.

However, I think it missed the mark for me. It was marketed as a ballet thriller and I think it heavily leaned into the ballet part, not so much the thriller. Parts of this book were very good. It was character driven with an engaging narrator, the relationships between the women felt substantial (especially the one with her mother and with Stella), and I was hooked from about 15% of the way through to 65% of the way through. It really had a spectacular middle half (which is really hard to do).

However, I think the plot lost its way a little bit. It felt like there was too much going on. The past and the present were a bit too close together to achieve the dual narrative it tried and it left me checking dates on the chapter headings too often. Additionally it felt like there were three different climaxes throughout the book (which I don't inherently object to) and it made each of them less impactful. Each did a good job at illustrating just what women are forced to put themselves through and what men take from them. But three was overkill and cheapened the moral of the story for me. It made it seem a little disingenuous. But i'm willing to overlook that because each did to a really good job on their own.

2.5 stars, rounded to 3. While the author has a strong voice and the book was generally well-written, I struggled to truly connect with the characters. I also didn't particularly like them. I enjoyed the flipping back and forth between past and present, but sometimes the jumps skipped the pertinent details that would have allowed the reader to be able to embrace the friendships that we are told about but can't fully experience. For example, we see the first time Delphine meets Lindsay and experiences jealousy, but then they're suddenly friends and the reader has no clue how they made that transition.

One particularly well-done scene is a flashback to when the girls are sixteen and they begin their pas de deux class for the first time. The chemistry between Delphine and Jacques is extraordinary.

Unfortunately, the more I read, the darker the story became. I simply didn't want to step into Delphine's toe shoes and ultimately couldn't bring myself to finish the book. I'm rounding this rating to a three to give the author the benefit of the doubt. Maybe other readers are okay with going into dark places, but personally, I prefer the light.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Unfortunately, this is was not what I was expecting and I just couldn’t get into it and finish. Will update if able to finish at a later date, but with blurb expected a thriller, which this doesn’t seem to be.

this is one of the most polished books i've received from netgalley.

immersive & atmospheric, this books transcends the "suspense" genre & goes into deeper themes of male gaze, gender dynamics & feminism.

I know nothing about the world of ballet and found that aspect of The Ballerinas very interesting especially with the beautifully written Paris backdrop. I also enjoyed the dual time frames that slowly gave the reader a glimpse into Delphines background. I did not feel the “sisterhood” the trip of friends called themselves but instead felt like their lives were merely bonded together by working and fighting their way up the heirarchy in the ballet world. I was also surprised to see this book was categorized as a thriller because it’s not. There was a lot going on (a big secret between two of the girls, sexual exploitation, and a murder). A murder?? Not needed in this novel at all but it was Still an enjoyable read even with the few big flaws.

This story was fascinating for me to read. I knew nothing about the dance world or the field of ballet. So much work involved in practicing, so much competition and so many sacrifices to achieve the level you dream of. An enjoyable read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is intense and so worth it! I love the dual time frames that help the reader to experience all the memories and motivations behind the main characters. Delphine gives us such a glimpse into what a French Ballet dancer's life is like.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The strength the characters have, and the difficulties with which they are faced make this a book hard to put down. There is also something to be said about how life changes us and how we can't ever go back to where we were growing up.

Highly recommend this book.

The Ballerinas was an interesting exploration into female friendships placed under pressure, and the results that may come from that. Spoiler alert: lots of drama. The story started out a bit slow, but backstory and character building were obviously needed and the author did a good job with that. There was a nice twisted secret in there that I didn’t exactly see coming, so that was fun. Overall, it was entertaining and I certainly wouldn’t say it was time wasted. If you like stories of dramatic female friendships, this is for you!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC of The Ballerinas!

I initially wanted to read this because I thought it was more on the thriller side, and even though it wasn't I still enjoyed reading this. I liked the stories woven together in this story and getting to know these characters. I was able to escape into this book easily with the setting. The majority of this moved a little slow and I did think the ending was anti-climactic, but all in all I think it presented a story unlike any other I have read before and would still recommend.

The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale is more drama about female friendships and ballet life than thriller but still very much enjoyable. The story centers around Delphine and her friends Lindsay and Margaux and tells the story of their time training and then dancing or choreographing in the Paris Opera Ballet. It leads to a fast paced conclusion that was actually surprising and not something I saw coming. Not going to lie, the first half of the story, although useful in giving background information into Delphine and her friends was quite slow. It took a while to get to the big secret Delphine was holding on to, and once it was revealed I felt that I no longer cared because the men surrounding these women had taken center stage with their misdeeds.
What I appreciated most about this book was the exploration of female friendships over time. Delphine, Lindsay and Margaux were complex and flawed but their bond as friends was believable despite the cut throat nature and the competitiveness of the ballet.
Overall a 4/5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this title.

A trio of Paris Opera Ballet dancers: narrator Delphine, Lindsay the American, and Margaux who happens to be gay make their way through the school, the company, and poor choices. When Delphine, now a choreographer, returns to Paris from St. Petersburg after a breakup, she wants her friendships to resume, and maybe to finally sleep with that hot guy she said no to when she was a virgin.

Good and bad things happen, Delphine is a jerk, and maybe there's a little manslaughter, but everyone learns something in the end. I guess that's my snarky way of saying this book is okay. I didn't love it, but I wouldn't kick it out of bed.

This story was such a nice read to have. It’s an easy read but it isn’t boring in the least. The premise of the two friends having a secret between them that involves the third in their trio is built and worked up to steadily but with hints throughout. The story flips from the past and present of the main character and with each switch to the past it gradually moves forward until it catches up with the present, usually I don’t like when this is done in stories but the way it was written was smartly done and kept me engaged. I did feel the ending was a bit rushed and could’ve used maybe a couple more chapters, but it does wrap their stories up and it does give the finality of the trio.

There is a certain point in the book where one of the characters, who I thought was on a redemption road, does a complete 180. I did not see that coming from them and I have never turned on a character so fast before. I left that chapter, chapter 20, and had to leave the room because I was so angry with them. For it to have that level of effect speaks volumes to the author’s writing abilities.

Thank you Rachel Kapelke-Dale, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy of this book. I found this to be an addictive read from the start. The story follows three girls through years of of together dance study and friendship and their ultimate cumulative break-through both personal and group. The reader is drawn into the world of ballet and all it's struggles. A definite read!

Enjoyable read. While promoted as a thriller I feel it is more of a drama (one tiny part could be a thriller - maybe??). Told in past and present tenses this book shows you the life a ballerina leads, the ups and downs, desires and feelings of failure. In this book, three friends learn what it is to be a ballerina, find love and discover who they are and what they want in life. Through twists and turns of daily life and choices made these characters emerge as concrete people who you find yourself feeling for, cheering on and waiting to see what happens next. If you aren’t familiar with ballet (I wasn’t) this book keeps it basic enough to where you can learn and follow along.

Thank you NetGalley, Rachel Kapelke-Dale and St. Martin’s Press for this edition and hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partner

Unfortunately, I didn't love this book as much as I hoped. I went into it thinking it would be more of a thriller but instead found it to be a bit more drama. The slow burn of the plot didn't help either and I simply didn't WANT to read it for long periods of time. That being said, it's not a bad book and I think the plot is fantastic, it just wasn't what I wanted to read at the time. I may go back and give it another chance in the near future.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my advanced electronic copy of this book.

The Ballerinas is many things, though I wouldn't say that I would classify it as a thriller. It's a love story about ballet and about female friendships, and it is also a story about loss and loneliness. With Delphine as our narrator, we hop back and forth between two timelines. One, where she and her friends are young ballerinas with everything to gain as they embark on their careers, and one decades later where they have everything to lose (and in many ways have already lost so much).

Rachel Kapelke-Dale has written a beautiful story about the harsh, unforgiving world of ballet filled with beautifully flawed women who, while not always entirely likable, are incredibly real. This was a thoroughly enjoyable read, I definitely would recommend it to anyone who loves a good ballet story.

I really enjoyed this book. For a little while at the beginning, I was afraid it might be too character-focused for me, without enough plot driving it. However, by the end it went to some very surprising and satisfying places. I definitely recommend it for anyone interested in ballet, complicated friendships, and women coming into their own power.

“It’s like discovering that all the women you thought were crazy were actually normal, that their actions were a logical response to the conditions of their lives, and oh yeah-now you’re one of them. You’re the kind of woman that men call crazy, too.”

The Ballerinas is a story of women. This is a book about ballet for sure, but more than that, it’s a story of what it is to be female in a male-dominated world. It’s about the need to be perfect; to adhere to the ideas of perfection or what we should or should not do with our bodies. More than that, it’s a story of taking your power back.

I think it’s important to state that The Ballerinas is not remotely a thriller. There are several reviews where people thought this would be an entirely different book than what it was (I actually went into it thinking the same thing, but loved it more because the story was so much more complex). This is a character-driven story through and through.

There’s so much more I want to say about this book, but it just wouldn’t do it justice. I’m honestly pretty sure I highlighted at least 1/4 of the story because a lot of this writing is way too relatable. It hits differently than most novels. I don’t think this book will be for everyone, but it’s going to stay with the ones it belongs with for a long while.
The Ballerinas is undoubtedly a 5 star read for me.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest review! This was absolutely one of the best books of the year.