Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with The Ballerinas: A Novel by Rachel Kapelke-Dale in exchange for my honest opinion.

Having a hard time getting into this book, I’ve put it aside a few times and picked it back up. Hoping that it’s just me with off-timing for this story, I have to admit that this story is one I'm struggling with.

It definitely starts out slow as you get to know the characters, and learn that the world of ballet is not how it looks from the outside. I didn't find much to like about the competitive world of ballet. I'm sure many will find much to like as other reviewers did, but I admit that life is too short to continue with a book that isn't working for me.

<The Ballerinas</i> is categorized as a thriller and a mystery, which it is, but not in the traditional sense. The mystery? What did Delphine, the narrator, do to her best friend when they were in high school? And why is it still haunting her?

Delphine, Margaux, and Lindsay are ballerinas. They've known one another most of their lives, having spent all their time together as students of the Paris Opera Ballet (POB). Each young girl, then woman, works tirelessly for the company eager to become a principal.

The story moves back and forth between present day and their history. It covers a wide range of years from youth up until right before the current storyline. Delphine is the protagonist and narrator. She has recently returned to Paris after a decade in Russia where she shifted from dancing to choreography. Now, as choreographer at POB, she has the chance to make Lindsay a star and prove herself. But nothing is going to plan. Delphine can't quite fit in with Margaux and Lindsay. She's not sure what to do about her first love, Jacques, who is front and center at POB. And she's constantly at odds with Nathalie, the POB head honcho.

This is a bit of a slow burn. For the first 100 or so pages, I wondered when we would finally learn what happened. It takes a long time to get there, but I eventually became caught up enough in the story that my impatience subsided. Its attitude toward feminism surprised me: initially condescending with a build toward female empowerment. I didn't quite know what to make of it, but, in its way, it was thought-provoking, especially as it relates to the roles of female dancers. Overall, enjoyed this and recommend.

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Favorite quotes:
<i>"'Everything good is risky,' she said. 'The thing that you have to remember is that if you don't risk anything, you risk everything.'"

"'They tell you that you can grow up to be anybody you want. Do anything you set your mind to. Just hang in there, aim for the moon, and you'll hit a star--what's that saying?' She saw the expression on my face. 'Whatever, it's a thing in America. There's just this idea that you can do whatever you want. But no one ever tells you there's going to be so much judgment.'"

14 years ago Delphine left her soloist spot at the Paris Opera Ballet to choreograph in St. Petersburg. She left with a secret that would ruin the lives/relationship of her and her friends. Now at 36, Delphine comes home to Palais Garnier Opera House, to choreograph the ballet that will kickstart the next phase of her career and connect with her old friends. She realizes quickly that things have changed.

I was totally pulled to this by cover/title alone. As someone who danced for 6 years (ballet mostly) it is close to my heart. This book focuses between two timelines of past and present of Delphine and her friends. This is labeled as a thriller but it is definitely in NO WAY one so don’t pick this up if that’s what you are looking for. The book focuses on the dark drive of perfection in ballet culture, the difficulties in female friendships and the way secrets can destroy your life. It is VERY character driven and slow. I loved all the French and Ballet terms used but that’s my jam so it may not be for you. I did enjoy the darkness of determination and competition that this sheds light on.

Thank you Netgalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

Oh and I want to print this cover and hang it on the wall! 🩰

So many little girls dream of being ballerinas. They love the idea without knowing the truth about how hard a dancer's life really is. This book is a study of three young girls who begin dance classes at the Paris Opera Ballet. The characters are well developed as the girls progress to their 30's and remain in the dance world. The book held my interest from start to finish.
I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from St Martin's Press through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.
#theBallerinas #NetGalley

I dove right into The Ballerinas without having read anything about it. About 25% into the book, decided to read to blurb. I am not sure that this could be compared to Black Swan. Actually, I am not entirely sure how I would classify this book. Maybe equal parts Coming of Age and Chick Lit with a sprinkle of mystery and an extra helping of girl power in the second half?

Delphine has returned to her stomping grounds at the Paris Opera Ballet from St. Petersburg to begin her career as a choreographer. Here, she is able to reunite with her childhood friends and fellow dancers, Margaux and Lindsey. The story jumps around from the trio's early teenage years to the present day where they are in their late thirties (which is apparently ancient for a ballerina) and we learn that Delphine has a dark secret that she has been hiding from one of her friends.

While this secret slowly (and I mean SLOOOOOWWWWLLLLY) unfolds, we catch of glimpse of what it is to be ballerina. The very graphic description of their battered feet, the constant need to strive to be better, and the all around lack-of-a-life when all they do is dance. I am actually really grateful that the author chose not to focus on eating disorders and malnutrition issues. It was touched on very briefly, but I am just exhausted from only hearing about anorexic ballet dancers from other works of fiction. Like, I get it! They are skinny! The author instead focused in on the strength and dedication to their passion.

On that note, the second half of this book made me want to root for women everywhere (GIRL POWER!!!)! Aside from unfair standards for female ballet dancers against male dancers, this book also touched on toxic male/female relationships, abortions, and the strength of female friendship. This book really was SO MUCH. In fact, toward the end, I thought some of these issues were rushed and deserved more book time that what they did. I know it would have been too much a burden for so much heavy material, but I still felt like "THAT'S IT??" when it was all said and done. My only other problem with this book would be the character development. I felt like Delphine was the only character that was consistent in her personality. I couldn't help but feel like Lindsay was all over the place. This made it hard to care about any of her struggles.

If you are getting into this for a thriller or a mystery, you will be extremely let down. If you wanted a good feminism read with a really slow burn, this is exactly what you are looking for!

A story about ballet dancers studying at the Palais Garnier in Paris? Yes, please! (Even though I'm not much of a thriller reader.) This story is about ballet, friendships, feminism and body autonomy. I'm not sure this falls into the thriller category, but I'm okay with that. Yes, there is a mystery involving some sort of horrible thing one of the characters has done. When we find out what happened with this supposedly huge plot element, the response is a bit overwhelming. <spoiler>"Meh, I knew you did it. No big deal."</spoiler>

I found later events even twistier than the original mystery, so that was quite interesting. The final twist was a bit too much for me. <spoiler>I'm sorry, you murdered a guy because he had broken his wife's foot? I get that her feet are her life in ballet, but you had to push him out a window? And the wife's not really made about it? And you suffer no legal consequences? Okay. . .</spoiler>

Aside from that, I really did enjoy getting to follow the three man characters as they move through the Paris Opera Ballet School. And I loved the character of Stella. She's just awesome.

If you're into ballet this would probably be a good pick, but I'm not sure it is thriller enough to captivate the thriller enthusiasts.

I definitely love a book about friendships that are sometimes toxic and healthy or unhealthy competition. I have always loved Degas ballerina paintings and I felt like this was those come to life. I would definitely recommend for people who are into rivalries and the lengths we will go to get what we want.

Loved it!

Finally something different. I was in a major reading slump and was looking for something new and different. This was it.

I loved reading about the dancing and what ballerinas go through. It was fascinating and horrifying. - I dont know that I will look at ballet the same.
I loved reading about the friendship and how it evolved.
I loved how the main character changed and became so much more self aware.
I loved the whole book.

This is one of those books that you love not only for destination,, but for the journey it takes you on.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review.

This is a gritty look behind the scenes of ballet...the drive, disappointment, jealousy and dysfunction behind the beauty and romance. This is a tale of female friendship, but do not mistake it for fluffy chick-lit. While not feel-good or even “likeable” in a conventional sense, it was a compelling read.

This story, at its heart, is about friendship... the entertwining lives of friends through adolescence to adulthood. There are a few gut-wrenching moments that keep you engaged.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: December 7, 2021
Delphine left the Paris Opera Ballet school fourteen years ago to follow a boy, and ended up staying in St. Petersburg for years, trying to start her career as a choreographer. Now that she’s returned to Paris, as choreographer for her former school, she is eager to reunite with Lindsay and Margaux, her former best friends. The three of them were always together, dreaming the same dream of being the star of the Paris Ballet. Now the three of them are adults, and their dreams are quickly disappearing. Delphine is left with a feeling of disappointment, especially when she realizes that her relationship with Margaux has become even more strained as a result of the tragic “accident” that they planned, and kept secret, fourteen years ago. Trying to start over, Delphine needs her friends by her side and she is willing to do anything to reunite them all.
“The Ballerinas” is the second novel by Rachel Kapelke-Dale, and it reads like a twisted “Centre Stage” (or “Black Swan”). The first part of the novel is thick with ballet; the moves, the language, the lifestyle, and is focused on the three ballerinas that have dedicated their life to the art. It is heartbreaking and compelling, the young girls’ striving and competing against each other to be the best, all while trying to maintain their positive friendships. There is definitely some realism in the depiction of young, developing female friendships, and it will touch an emotional chord. However, if you are not a fan of ballet, or have never been a ballet dancer in the ballet world, the beginning can be slow moving.
The story is told in reverse order, back when Delphine and her friends were students at the POB and when they are adults, reuniting after fourteen years. The sections are clearly marked and easy to follow, and it makes obvious sense why the story is told this way.
The characters are actually charming, and it surprised me how much I liked them. As the story went on, I felt a camaraderie of sorts with all three of the lead characters, which is not something I normally feel with female characters who are so very different from myself.
More than halfway through the story, the novel’s plot picked up and it became a tense and gripping story, with ballet as the backstory. THIS was more of the novel I expected, and I thoroughly enjoyed the telling. Kapelke-Dale is absolutely a creative and enjoyable storyteller, and this novel will charm and delight most readers. Not everyone will connect with the plot, especially at the beginning, but the growth and maturity of the main characters bring an emotional component to the story that makes it worth reading!

4.5 Stars

Even though I've never danced, I've always loved the ballet. I was definitely the girl hitting replay on Center Stage (which is still one of my favorite guilty pleasure movies, tbh), so it should be no surprise that I smashed the request button on The Ballerinas and was thrilled to get started.

Following a tumultuous breakup in St. Petersburg, Delphine returns to the Paris Opera Ballet, a place she called home for most of her childhood years, in order to choreograph a new piece. She is eager to reunite with her two best friends, Margaux and Lindsay, despite the terrible secret she's carried with her for years. No longer children, their lives begin to unravel as secrets come to light, and Delphine realizes that things can never be the same.

I really liked this book.

The alternating past/present structure worked well. I loved seeing the girls in their early years juxtaposed with their current lives. It worked well to create an uneasy tension that kept the plot moving, much like the ballet Delphine wanted to choreograph. The dance element was authentic, and I could've read about the practices, grueling demands, and training all day. The respect, honor, and prestige to which Delphine holds herself and her friends is enamoring and engaging, and it was clear how devoted they were.

This is especially important to the final chapters, as the fine strands of chaos begin tying together. I know one of the comp titles was Black Swan, but I would say this book was much quieter than that, and most of it reminded me of the subtle seduction of Unfaithful. The characters collide and separate with grace and aggression that builds until the climactic conclusion.

What struck me most was the raw honesty and insight Kapelke-Dale inserted into the text. This isn't just a book about the super-competitive nature of dance--although that is a part of it. The "secret" plays second fiddle to the reality these women face. At its core, this is a stark examination of the objectification of women's bodies, both inside the world of ballet and the larger world in general. How interchangeability essentially makes them props while putting them on a pedestal as the ideal. How difficult it is to break out from the male gaze. I loved these moments the most, and found myself reflecting on the overarching issues long after I stopped reading.

At its core, The Ballerinas is a book about women taking ownership of their bodies and lives, of navigating their places in the world. It is a story about friendship, coming-of-age at any age, and redemption. I'd recommend to fans of Showtime's Flesh and Bone, quiet female-driven suspense, or anyone looking for an international lit fic with feminist perspectives.

Big thanks to St. Martin's and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

If ballet or Paris are your hook, you will catch me nearly every time. If you put them together, it's nearly a guarantee. This gorgeous cover is like the trifecta. And thankfully, I really enjoyed this book. I definitely recommend it. If you miss traveling (especially to Paris), it somehow fills that need as well, though the scene is pretty insular. But the Palais Garnier is pretty epic on its own, so there you go.

Three young girls are students in the Paris Opera Ballet and they grow up through the book. It takes place in the present, but also in the past. Both parts of the story unfold simultaneously. It's really quite genius and it's well written. It just flows well. Ultimately, it's about finding yourself in a world that treats you as an object.

I definitely recommend it.

This is a story of a woman finding her own voice and identity as she also learns about the women and events that shaped her. The Ballerinas follows the the main character, who spent her life training for and working in the ballet from "before I killed anyone" through getting older and growing up, which she learns are not the same thing. The characters, relationships and events are intriguing with a number of unexpected twists.

There are so many good elements of Kapelke-Dale's <I>The Ballerinas</i>. For about 80% of the book, it's a character-driven, intense look at the French ballet world--told in two timelines when the protagonist is a young girl going through the intense training and then as the protagonist is older and trying to find her place in the world as an aging ballerina turned choreographer. I really enjoyed the dynamic of Delphine's relationships with her two best friends as they tried to navigate their place in the ballet world and each other. Even when Delphine is self-involved there's still something likeable about her. However, the book does jump shark almost near the end, taking us on a weird journey that ultimately makes the book feel unsatisfying.


Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Rachel Kapelke-Dale's novel allows the reader to immerse themselves in the world of ballet, warts and all, and see beyond the glossy perfection and beauty of this exquisite art form. It revolves around the complicated relationships and friendships between the three flawed ballerinas at the heart of this emotionally intense and character driven drama. Delphine, harbouring a secret, leaves her soloist role at the prestigious and exclusive Paris Opera Ballet (POB) to go to St Petersburg. After more than a decade later, she returns to POB, this time as a choreographer, only to find time has not stood still and much has changed. Her friends, Margeaux and Lindsay are facing the twilight years of their careers, a harsh truth of a extremely competitive profession, where rising to the status of a prima ballerina are exceedingly slim.

In a story that goes back and forth in time, including where the girls first became friends in childhood as students at the POB, the beginnings of their long roller coaster friendships. The author illustrates her well researched knowledge of ballet with her intricate details and rich descriptions of what it takes to be a ballet dancer through her characters, the commitment, the obsession, the cutthroat culture and nature of competitive rivalries, the challenges, the pressures and the sacrifices required to succeed. There are body issues that emerge, such as beauty, and having to endure horrifying damage to their bodies, like their feet. For women, ballet offers a shorter career than that experienced by male ballet dancers, in fact male dancers have a significantly more positive experience of the profession than the women, although in the book the men have little in the way of redeeming qualities.

The narrative moves slowly to reveal Delphine's secrets and the surprising conclusions, underlining how the past can haunt the present. For me, the most fascinating aspects of the novel are what feel like an authentic picture of the realities of being a ballerina, where women have little power and are surrounded by a misogyny that echoes many women's more mainstream experiences in our contemporary world. It is the men who have the influence and power, it is a profession and art form that acts as a beacon to the predatory male. Whilst I enjoyed reading this dark drama of the nature of friendships, with its underlying feeling of menace, the storytelling did at times feel like a choppy experience and not as coherent as it could have been. Nevertheless, I think, like me, many readers will appreciate the opportunity to understand ballet and the ballerinas in more detail and depth. Many thanks to St Martin's Press for an ARC.

What a fantastic book! I've always loved ballet - watching it transports me. The cover drew me in. The author pulled me in from the very beginning. I could visualize the ballet studio and imagine what these graceful young ballerinas looked like. The author did a fantastic job creating complex, interesting characters that showcase friendship and competitiveness with a plot that wouldn't let you go. Just wonderful! I definitely recommend.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I enjoyed this book, it seemed like the plot was well thought out and developed. My only issue is that this did not seem quite like a thriller book to me. It just seemed to be missing something.

In her debut novel, The Ballerinas, author Rachel Kapelke-Dale scrapes away ballet’s surface beauty and grace, and parts the curtain on a grueling and capricious world, where competition is fierce, pain is constant, bodies are lean, and youth is worshipped. Artfully written in a dual-timeline, Kapelke-Dale follows three dancers—friends since their preteens—as they grapple their way up the ranks of the prestigious Paris Opera Ballet. As the years pile on, their friendship is tested by rivalry, sabotage, secrets, betrayals, and ultimately, reconciliation and forgiveness. The novel hums with electricity, from its captivating beginning to its gasp-inducing climax. I could not put it down.

Thanks to NetGalley, Rachel Kapelke-Dale, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review The Ballerinas. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

2.75 actual stars.

Unfortunately this didn't have the grit or the edge to it that would have made this more of a compelling read. I enjoyed the backdrop of Paris and the world of ballet dancers but somehow the storyline did not have the depth of a thriller. The lives of Delphine, Margaux and Lindsay weren't anything that I could feel emotion for, I wasn't feeling the sisterhood of their friendship as three young woman who had bonded together to take the world by storm as they worked their way up to the top. Again, I enjoyed the descriptions of the ballet and the elegance of Paris.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this arc in exchange for my review.