*I received this book for free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Picked this up because the genre says thriller. It wasn't. It never picks up and none of the characters were interesting. The writing is not my thing. The audio reader fit the subject matter. Overall, this lacked interesting qualities to make me want to keep reading.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the arc!

The Ballerinas is a great character study, focusing on three friends and the ties that bind them. I found the characters to be relatable, with good and bad parts to them. The story jumps between several timelines, which I love, but some readers may prefer a linear timeline. The narrator did a nice job embodying each character’s personality while reading as well. I look forward to the author’s next book!

The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale seemed like an interesting book from the synopsis and the cover art. But as the old saying goes, don’t judge a book by its cover. I also was interested in this novel because my daughter has been dancing for years and recently started pointe and I love the ballet world.

Synopsis:
The Ballerinas explored the world of ballet from the viewpoint of Delphine a prestigious soloist, daughter of a famous ballerina. She has a dancing career at the Paris Opera Ballet and is fighting her way to be seen outside of her mother’s shadow. But when a secret rocks her friend group she leaves Paris for a new life in St. Petersburg. She brings the secret with her and never reveals how one bad decision could change the dynamic of her friendship with fellow dancers, Lindsay and Margaux. Now, fourteen years later, Delphine is back to choreograph the ballet that will kickstart the next phase of her career. She also hopes to mend the friendships that she has missed all these years away.

Thoughts:
Not sure this book was for me. The beginning was slow going and the story did not pick up.

The characters were unlikeable and extremely selfish.

The build up to the secret is so intense that once I found out what it was I was like “that’s it?”. I mean it’s bad but just goes to show how unlikeable the characters are.

The narrator did a fantastic job and she may have been the only reason I was able to finish this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed all of the details about the ins and outs of ballet. From choreography to performances and the drama back stage. Overall this book has twists and an underlying mystery that I enjoyed listening to it unravel. The narrator has a fantastic sense of tension with this book. The cover caught my attention and I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to listen to this book!

I found the audiobook of this just so addicting. I had a bit of hard time getting into the e-book but I highly suggest the audio version. The narrator did a fantastic job reading it and keeping my attention. It heavily revolves around ballerinas so a lot of these terms were new to me but it was still easy to follow along.

This was a deliciously dark story about the inner workings and life of a ballet company and three friends who grow up dancing together. Told in both the past and present we get to slowly learn about the early dancing career of Delphine and 14 years later when she's become a choreographer and returned to her beloved Paris Ballet Company. Full of dark secrets and hidden motives, this was compulsively readable and perfect for fans of Center Stage or The turnout. I really enjoyed how the author wove in the various perspectives of different characters involved in the Ballet company, from the young students, to the veterans fighting off retirement, to the Director and the main focus on Delphine. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ALC!

I was drawn in by the cover of THE BALLERINAS and intrigued by its description, especially, "Dare Me meets Black Swan and Luckiest Girl Alive."

The book follows ballerina Delphine Léger both in the present day (well, 2018) and in the mid-90s on. Then, she was a student at the Paris Opera Ballet academy training to become a star; now, she's back at POB with her two closest friends from her teenage years/early 20s, Margaux and Lindsay. It's not an effortless reunion though, she and Margaux did something to hurt Lindsay 14 years earlier and have kept that secret since.

I really liked THE BALLERINAS' exploration of the costs of ambition -- in particular, women's ambition. What do we put ourselves through, what's expected of us, and what must we put up with? What makes it worth it?

The setting and scenes were interesting; I wasn't quite feverishly turning pages, but I did read this one in two days. The audiobook narrator did an excellent job getting me into Delphine's head. Once I began listening, I switched between the audio and text (I don't think you can go wrong with either).

Note: I've seen THE BALLERINAS described as a thriller and crime fiction; to me, it read as more contemporary fiction (...in which the reader's told of a killing on page 1).

Delphine, Margaux, and Lindsay were the elite girls at school—trained in the classic Parisian style, and willing to do anything to make it to the top. Each girl strived to make the company, snag one of the few coveted solo spots, and dreamed of one day being a star in the Paris Opera Ballet.

How far would the girls go to get to the top? What are they willing to sacrifice? Can their friendship survive the competition?

The Ballerinas shows us how ballet is much more than just dance, it’s a lifestyle. We get a peek into this world—how much they practice, how they eat, what it does to their bodies and their minds. Kapelke-Dale shows us both the beauty in the performances and the grittier side of ballet---the jealousy and physical toll it takes on their growing bodies.

As someone with a background in dance, I appreciated many aspects of this book, but it will likely appeal to only those interested in the arts. It’s not a light-hearted book, and there are a lot of darker themes—don’t be fooled by the ballerina pink and tutus on the cover.

I did struggle a little with this book as I couldn’t find a character I liked, other than an older woman who served as a mother figure to the narrator, and her role was minor. The writing was excellent, but it’s hard for me to get into a book where I find all of the characters petty and selfish.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and of course Rachel Kapelke-Dale for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own. The Ballerinas comes out on Tuesday.

Wow. I have just finished listening to “The Ballerinas” from MacMillan Audio! (Pre-order it now to start binge-listening when it releases Tuesday, December 7.) I listen to audio books pretty incessantly as I do hand stitching, and have become a stern critic of the form.

Ahem. Here’s my personal take on the piece. In this reading, Elle Potter is actually wonderful as this novel’s narrator, seamlessly shifting between British English and French accents while capturing the dark and dramatic tone this new novel so deserves.

“The Ballerinas” follows three women whose stories coincide in a dark twist that the reader will find inevitable yet surprising. Each has her own challenging arc of career and personal life running throughout the novel, and we watch them with fingers crossed as they parse their way through to the tops of their careers, to becoming the rare superstars of ballet. Rachel Kapelke-Dale writes with an expert voice — it’s hard to imagine that she hasn’t spent years in the studio herself.

It is interesting to see that there is now a virtual canon of fiction written about the segment of super-ballerinas we designate as “étoile”, and it is usually very dark indeed. These novels seem to be aimed at: the pre-career, 13 to twenty-somethings, to the divine feminine running amuck and redeeming herself, or to those who ever wished to be a ballet dancer but somehow did not become one. Yet Kapelke-Dale makes writes a novel with a depth of character that will hold its own against any other piece of literature. She adds a fairly rare fictional voice of a budding ballet company choreographer: concise, accurate, and lethal - by the character’s own telling from the outset. This is no simple romance novel.

In my listening, I came back again and again to one real life fact: there has always been a clique of incredibly talented adolescent-personality dancers who demonstrate bitingly dark behavior in on the dance floor and in dressing rooms, and in the past they have done all but rule a couple of the world’s finest dance companies. But this terrorizing behavior is now fleeting. To survive as an étoile in today’s world you must be a winning personality both with your peers and your fans, in person as well as in the classroom, studio, and on stage. The cellphone and camera are watching every moment.

But perhaps this all awaits in the next novel. I’ll be waiting eagerly. In the meantime, I loved listening to “The Ballerinas” with an advance copy thanks to NetGalleys, St. Martins press and MacMillan Audio in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Would I use it in a Classroom: No
Was it Great Fun anyway? Yes!

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. If it weren’t an ARC from NetGalley, I probably would’ve DNF’d it. None of the characters, with one exception, were likable at all, both the women and the men. That would have been fine but the first half of the book also was boring, and the time jumps were too frequent, making the story very choppy. The publisher billed this as a mystery/thriller and it most definitely isn’t one. It’s more a story about female friendship and men who take advantage of women. This book is only 304 pages but it felt much longer. I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title. Even the excellent narration by Ell Potter couldn’t save this story for me.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook and to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I was given an advance copy for an honest review of The Ballerinas. I couldn’t wait to be able to listen to this book. I have been a backstage mom to my own ballerinas and surrogate mom to the many backstage dancers who needed just one more Bobby pin, bandaid, adjust a bun, quick change, quick stitching, for sharing a joy, , dry the tears.I enjoyed the audiobook immensely.. This story is through the eyes of Delphine, one of the trio of closest of friends including Lindsey and Margaux. This story revolves around the nitty gritty side of dance into the intricacies of dance, of dance friendships, friendships with boys, their changing of body forms to fit the artistic style or just whim of the choreographer, the dancer abilities, etc. and then for Delphine to leave quickly Lindsay must never know this ballet was for her. Then the plot thickens. And becomes twisted. Then twisted back. I enjoyed this thriller tucked inside a pristine book of ballet.so much.. Friends truly know your deepest darkest secrets and still remain your friends anyway through to adulthood. I enjoyed the secret thriller inside this pristine book of ballet. Special thanks to #NetGalley, #McMillanAudio, #StMartinsPress, #RachelKapelke-Dale. for the advance copy.

Thank you NetGalley for an audio-ARC of the Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale.
This book is an immersive portrayal of the sacrifices made to become a professional ballerina. The story follows three friends remembering the past as they navigate through the present. The book is listed as a mystery/thriller, but it is more a work of literary fiction. The narrator's voice was perfect for this book. Her tone was quiet and thoughtful, slow and contemplative.

Lackluster first half and clunky second half

The Ballerinas focuses on three women: Margaux, Lindsay, and Delphine, three dancers who have grown up together. After an extended absence, Delphine returns to Paris to choreograph a ballet, giving her an opportunity to reconnect with her besties. Can Delphine make amends with Margaux and Lindsay for what happened in the past?

The first half of The Ballerinas was rather slow. The second half of The Ballerinas was a mixture of topics that didn’t seem to blend well together.

Some things that didn’t sit well with me:
1) Delphine waxes poetic by stating that all she has in the world is the friendship of Margaux and Lindsay. Um, Delphine, you haven’t seen these women in 13 years! They clearly aren’t that important to you if you never bothered yourself to see them.
2) Stella. I have no idea why this character was even in the book other than to provide some over the type Lifetime Movie style feelings. This character felt quite random. Also, if my mother figure texts me, I would drop everything to answer her, certainly would not blow her off for a date.
3) I am going to scream the next time I read about an “enlightened” female character who thinks that having unprotected relations with someone while not being in a monogamous relationship is a great idea. Barf muffins! The character in question would talk about her body, blah blah blah, and then she exposes it to viruses and infections? Face palm.

Overall, a fair effort by the author, although earlier this year, there was a book entitled The Turnout which was also partly about the ballet which is much more entertaining.

From the book description, The Ballerinas seemed to have everything that I enjoy in a book. However, as I plunged into it, I found that this book wasn't quite what I anticipated. I still managed to find it an enjoyable read for the most part, most likely because I enjoy stories tied to dance and ballet.

This novel follows three friends from their early years at a dance academy to present day. Frankly, I found all three of these women to be fairly unlikable. Even though I probably had the most empathy for the main character, Delphine, she still did things that I found frustrating.

There was a feminist touch to the storyline which I thought was well done - - especially considering the stress placed on ballerinas to have the perfect body and so forth. The fact that others seem to believe that women don't own their own bodies was a strong theme in the book. In addition, the author did a nice job of trying to display how women don't always support one another. Unfortunately, we are often thrown into competition with one another and forget that we should lift one another up instead of tearing each other down. Obviously, ballet is a cut throat competition where few slots are available for advancement.

The only thing that disappointed me about The Ballerinas was that the author chose to make every male in the book have a dark side to them. I'm all for showing that men can't always relate to women's issues and sometimes think they may "own" women in a way. However, I think that message could have still been passed along without leaving the book with no men of integrity. There was a minor male character toward the end of the book that seemed to be somewhat decent. However, every other one had proven to be a strong disappointment over the course of the book. I, personally, found that to be a bit extreme. I believe the strength and resiliency of women does show through in this book. It demonstrates that things are definitely messy and we often fail one another, but there is still hope to pull together and stand strong.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Audiobook Review: I both read and listened to this book. I found the narrator for the audiobook to be quite talented. She drew me into the story and made it a more enjoyable experience for me.

As someone who grew up doing 13 years of ballet, I devour any books about the twisted world of dance. I've read many, and this was by far one of the better ones. Kapelke-Dale does a fantastic job exploring the dark reality that is professional ballet. This story brings together the psychological and physical stress of professional dance with relevant social issues including sexual assault, alcoholism, and mental health. Highly recommend for any ex-wannabe ballerinas, or anyone else looking for a dark story about friendship, competition and pursuing one's dreams at all costs.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for my honest feedback.

I had really, really high hopes for The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale, Narrated by Ell Potter, but it felt a little too unenthusiastic. First, it was long for a thriller and second, overall it felt more like women's fiction than a thriller. While there was a big overarching mystery to the whole story, it took the backseat to the drama that ensued between the main characters. I wanted more thrill, a crazier twist and some real back stabbing. But it was all a little vanilla, unfortunately. The writing was fantastic but could have been trimmed down. I think the story could have been shorter without losing any punch.

Imagine a ballerina tightly twirling with an unbound copy of a book pressed to her chest, with so much poise and promise, only to stumble and fling the loose pages all over the stage. She gathers most of them up in random order, does an arabesque, and hands the reshuffled, incomplete story over to you to read.

That story is The Ballerinas, Rachel Kapelke-Dale’s debut novel about three friends who meet while studying at the Paris Opera Ballet in the late 1990s. The book takes readers in leaps and backwards bounds to various years between then and 2019 as one of them, Delphine, tries to atone for a past wrong by choreographing a ballet herself.

The world Kapelke-Dale creates is an interesting one that will (obviously) appeal most to people who love ballet. While I do not, I still found the glimpse into the lifestyle of professional ballerinas fascinating. However, the choppy, over-stuffed story just didn’t work for me. Somehow in a mere 304 pages she manages to cram in: mean girl tropes, statutory rape, feminism, cancer (twice), infertility, abortion, adultery, and murder. If the novel were a ballet, it should be called “L’evier de la Cuisine” (“The Kitchen Sink”).

When considering how to shelve The Ballerinas, it seems most apt to blandly call it “fiction.” The suspense isn’t that suspenseful, and the mystery isn’t very mysterious. Because the characters go from teenagers to women in their 30s, it’s also not necessarily YA, new adult, contemporary, or women’s fiction. The audiobook does help mature the characters though given the adult voice of the single narrator (Ell Potter).

I’m rooting for this author’s growth and will be curious to see what she writes next. Should it be a novel with a linear narrative and a more focused plot, she just might find me in her audience. But I’ll leave any further efforts like The Ballerinas to the ballerinas.

I had a really hard time getting into this one. It didn't grab me and make me want to keep reading it and I got only about 30% through. I will not be picking it back up at this time as there wasn't enough story line there for me to get into it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

The Ballerinas is great! This is a coming of age story meets the Me Too movement, that explores the friendships of women across time, what ties them together, and the simple crime of living in a woman's body. This book highlights in a fresh, heart-breaking yet somehow also heart-warming way. This book made me feel all of the things and I loved it. The narrator also helped the story along as well and highlighted everything wonderful and lovely yet so sad about this book.

4.5 stars!

I enjoyed this book much more than I expected to, as I didn’t know much about it going in. It took a long time for something to happen in the plot, but I didn’t mind at all because I enjoyed the setting so much. The elegance of Paris ballet shines in the book, as expected. However, it’s the stories of the individual women in the book that take center stage.

The feminist themes were a pleasant surprise. While this book obviously focuses on issues in the ballet world, women working in other sectors can very likely connect to the characters and their experiences. I have never read a book that so elegantly explains how torn working women can feel between achieving personal goals and satisfying societal expectations, specially balancing careers and families. Through the ballerinas’ stories, we can see how difficult it is to dance that line, never feeling truly in control of our bodies and constantly sacrificing parts of ourselves without feeling like we can talk about it even to those we love most.

There was a rawness to the way that sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and addiction were woven into this plot. None of the experiences were truly given a happy ending. While some readers may find this concerning, I appreciate the realness of it. Trauma doesn’t go away. But, as we saw with the strong women in this book, by taking control of the parts of your life that you can control and leaning on the people you love for support, there is a path forward.

The plot in this is not going to blow you away, but the characters might. I have no idea what genre this book should be in, but I enjoyed it and the cover is beautiful and it is definitely worth a shot. I would specifically recommend listening to it on audio, as I feel that the narration really enhanced my experience with this book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for allowing me to review this audiobook!