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 was excited to get my hands on this after reading the blurb. My sister was heavily involved in dance when she was growing up so I wanted to get a behind the scenes look at the competition and back stabbing that can go on. Unfortunately this ended up being much darker than I anticipated. There were some cruelties that seemed to be added for shock factor more than how I think the characters would have actually acted. There is also a lot of cursing which is a big turn off for me.

The audiobook was very well done and I appreciated someone who spoke French to correctly pronounce the ballet terms and French locations.

I found myself having a really difficult time connecting with the characters and the story. I ended up dnfing this book after 40%. I normally don't dnf books let alone audiobooks but this one was putting me to sleep unfortunately.

I might try to read it again at a later date but right now it's not for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for an audio copy of the book I'm exchange of an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martins Press and Rachel Dale for the free audiobook!

“Everything good is risky....The thing that you have to remember is that if you -don't- risk anything, you risk everything.”

Delphine, Lindsay, and Margaux are a trio of ballet dancers/best friends who end up keeping a deep secret for years throughout their lives. After a falling out, Delphine is determined to get the trio back together. Throughout the book, we come to find out the intensity behind the world of ballet and just how far some will go to shine.

I listened to this via audiobook and then the last quarter of the book I actually read it. I felt like had I actually read the book, I might have enjoyed it more. The first half was a bit slow for me as I was trying to navigate where exactly this storyline was going. But, it definitely picked up the second half of the book. I wasn’t expecting it to turn the way it did but it made up for the portions I wasn’t crazy about. I loved the cover of this book as well. However, all in all, it was an okay read.

Delphine is returning to the Paris Opera Ballet as a choreographer after ten years in St Petersburg. Delphine and Margaux came together at POB at eight years old, and Lindsay joined them a few years later from the US. They grew up together, making the cut, while many other dancers fell by the wayside.
In this dual timeline novel, the friendship over the course of time is revealed. Something happened in the past, and Delphine feels like she owes Lindsay the role of a lifetime.
I have seen really mixed reviews for this. If you’re expecting a thriller, you’d be disappointed. It’s not. It’s an incredibly written character study behind the scenes in the world of dance. I don’t think any of the characters were particularly likable, but the writing was. It seemed to be an authentic narrative of the realities of being a ballerina, the challenges, sacrifice and pressure to succeed.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

For my third audiobook experience, I picked a general fiction. I’d like to again reiterate that I am not sure I captured it all. But from what I did capture, the audiobook based on Rachel Kapelke-Dale’s The Ballerinas was deeply engrossing and beautifully written. I found myself both envying the long-term friendship between the three main characters and getting annoyed by their self-centeredness. I was intrigued by the relationship between their chosen profession—ballerina—and the emergence and strengthening of this self-centeredness. I also appreciated the exploration of how even the deepest of friendships could be severely tested by this self-centeredness, and how in the midst of it, moments of selflessness can pierce through. I also found the presence of misogyny and sexism in an environment one might assume (ha) is catered to and centered on the women (i.e. a famous ballet company) the trigger for many a potential explorations of how to weed it out not only there, but in the general population.

The Ballerinas
by Rachel Kapelke-Dale
Pub Date: 07 Dec 2021
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Pub Date: 07 Dec 2021
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narrated by Ell Potter

“I was so sick of men.“

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞: For fans of Liane Moriarty, this debut novel felt like Big Little Lies meets Black Swan. It’s a story woven through three decades about a trio of ballerinas Delphine, Lindsay, and Margaux.

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. 


“I thought you were the nice one.”

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝: There were some very good passages about female relationships, competition within schooling and the professional world, and the power dynamics of sexism within the ballet world. I love a good time dash as well—lots of that here.

“People show you who they are...”

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐝: This would’ve been a 4 star review but it was a bit too long to hold my attention, even with a very engaging narrator, and the last hour was A LOT. The jacket promises a twist you won’t see coming, but I sort of did? And I felt like the reason it wouldn’t be expected was because it was underdeveloped not necessarily because it was a well done gotcha.

This is a debut novel, and I felt it shows great promise for Kapelke-Dale. I would read more from her.

Read if you:
🏡Loved Big Little Lies
🏡Have a background in dance
🏡Are in a three-way friendship
🏡Wanna live out a revenge fantasy vicariously

Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

#theballerinas #NetGalley #books #bookstagram #bookclubreads #bookclub #booklover #ballet #ilovebooks #bookreview #book #bookstagrammer #bookrecommendations #bookblog #inbookstoresnow #audiobook #literaryfiction #debut #novel

A book that begins with “Paris is always a good idea”, is definitely a book that will entice me to read on.

As the book opens, the reader is introduced the prestigious Paris Opera Ballet (school), and three adolescent ballerinas, Delphine, Lindsay and Margaux. The timeline skips ahead 22 years, and Delphine returns to the Paris Opera Ballet after an absence of 14 years, not as a dancer, ready to kickstart her new career, as a choreographer, and, to reconnect with fellow ballerinas Lindsay and Margaux.

As the story alternates between the two timelines, the #ballerinas backstories are uncovered, and Delphine (of the “present”), learns that a lot has changed for her friends in the 14 years she has been away.

While reading Kapelke Dale’s, The Ballerinas, I literally felt like a fly on the wall, getting an inside view of the international world of ballet. The story covers the gamut of all the #struggles and competition, endured by these young girls, in order to #makeit in the Paris Opera Ballet. In fact, these struggles are really the same struggles all women face (at one time or another in their lifetimes), be it, on a much higher, and, much more competitive level.

I have to comment both on the cover design by @bookcoverbyoj, (it is beautiful), and the audiobook narration (fantastic) by @potterell.

Thank you to #netgalley, @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for the advanced ebook and audiobook in return for my honest review. #5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!

I definitely enjoyed this audiobook! It's listed as both fiction and suspense and there was (some) suspense. It's the story of 3 friends who met as students at the Paris Opera Ballet School. It's told from dual timelines, when the girls were in school and present day, which is about 13 years later. While 2 of the friends still perform with the company, one does not. She returns to choreograph a new Ballet when secrets from past arise. Not only her secrets, but others' and the schools' as well. This was a quick listen and I recommend it if you like stories where women do the right thing regardless of how it will make them "look". You do not have to be a fan of ballet to enjoy!

The Ballerinas is Rachel Kapelke-Dale’s debut novel that follows the lives of three friends at the Paris Opera Ballet.

Delphine, Lindsay, and Margaux were best friends since joining POB, but something happened when they were younger that caused Delphine to leave Paris. Now to make things right, she wants to choreograph her own ballet.

I used to take ballet so I was excited to jeté (leap) into this book. I could picture the dancers on stage and in classes while listening to it. However, I honestly struggled with the nonlinear timeline. This book would have been better if it wasn’t all over the place and started when the girls were 13 and went straight through to when they were 27. The way it was written was hard to follow.

This book is listed as a thriller which is not what I would consider it. There were no big pirouettes (twist and turns) and honestly I didn’t find the storyline thrilling at all. There is a bit of a mystery, but it wasn’t hard to figure out. I would consider this more women’s fiction because the primary storyline is the friendship between the three main characters.

Overall, I think this is a good book for ballet lovers like myself, but I’m not sure it’s a must read for anyone though. There are some content warnings for this book including statutory rape, cancer, and abortion.

I listened to the audiobook and I did enjoy the narrator, ELL Potter. She uses a slight French accent, but is still easy to understand throughout. I think she gave the characters more emotion than I possibly would have gotten had I read the physical book.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for me honest review.

Following the lives of ballerinas during and after their prime this book showcases the drama and difficulties that happen between them. Honestly was hard to read and follow most of the time and wasn’t that captivating. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book had a bit of a slow start to me, but then really picked up and I couldn't' stop listening.

Delphine is our main character, and throughout the book we find out that she abandoned her prestigious spot at the Paris Opera Ballet to go to St. Petersburg - and she takes with her a secret. 13 years later, Delphine returns to take a role as a choreographer and she tries ro make things right with those she left behind.

The book alternates between Delphine and her friend's present day and rate past, explores female friendship, and (in my opinion), the toxic culture that can permeate the ballet world.

The ending had a major twist that I was not expecting...definitely worth the slow start!

TW: Sexual abuse, revenge porn

Great story about female friendship and the strive to find their place in the world. Great narrator.

I enjoyed this book even though it's way outside what I normally read. The narrator on the audiobook is extremely talented and capable of flowing seamlessly through a number of accents. Very impressive.

This story is about three friends that meet while studying at the Paris Opera Ballet in the 1990's, so the book jumps between timelines as we weave through the chapters. However, this also lead to the book feeling choppy and disjointed to me.

I also went into this expecting a suspense/thriller story, but instead just found it to be literary fiction.
Overall, it just fell a little flat for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

I have mixed feelings. First, it was too long, Secondly, it got preachy. The main character annoyed me--yes, she recognized how selfish and immature she is in the end and tried to apologize and make up for it, but still it wasn't enough to make her sympathetic in my eyes. I did enjoy getting a glimpse into what it is like to be a dancer is a prestigious company since I knew nothing about that world going on.

This story definitely has some unexpected twists I did not see coming.

Told from two different points in time, the story doesn’t give anything big away until close to the end and builds well. It has a women’s fiction feel for most of the novel. You get a real feel into the pressures young dancers go through and how cut throat it can be in the industry.

The characters themselves are very different and alike all at the same time. Delphine is one of those people that cares about others a lot but also can’t see when she’s only putting herself first over others. While Margaux acts tough and won’t let anyone push her around. And last Lindsay q naturally talented dancer who is willing to do what it takes to get where she needs to be in her career no matter who it hurts. The personalities are done so well that it helps build an intense tale of the pressures in youth and adulthood alike.

The Ballerinas is an interesting read full of drama and intrigue. I recommend this one if your looking for something a little more women’s fiction.

NARRATION REVIEW

I really liked the audiobook version as well as the novel format. Ell Potter’s voice really brought the characters to life for me and it really suited the main character well. It was a slower paced audiobook though with a lot of slow spread out reading. This is the one thing I didn’t enjoy as much until I sped up the track.

Overall it was a well done narration and I would recommend it as much as the novel format.

This incredible story about a trio of ballerinas in Paris is a thriller and a feminist commentary all in one. I could not put it down!!!

It’s all about the tolls dancing takes on the physical and mental well-being of Paris’s premiere ballerinas. With some #metoo moments in here as well, this is a great one for book clubs!

I loved it so much when I listened to it that I tried to steal Jackie’s copy in this funny instagram reel.

Thanks to @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for my digital and audio copies!

This was such a great audiobook! It took me about 10% to get into it, but once I did I really enjoyed it. The timelines alternate between past in the late 90s and present. I had an easy time following it, and I felt the narrator did a great job of bringing me into the story.

I loved the setting in Paris, and I appreciated the pressures of being an aging woman in an image based career. There was a lot of drama in this story, and was more women’s fiction then dark thriller as I was anticipating. Great debut and will definitely look for more from the author!

This book was all you would expect. The dog-eat-dog world of dancing. The feeling like you are never good enough in an extremely competitive sport or is it a job? The way the girls came off it was more of a job, but one they all wanted to excel, but at what cost and to who? The author did touch on some difficult subjects as well. Body image and abortion are the two big ones that come to mind.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, the start was a bit slow, but it did pick up.