The Ballerinas was an interesting read, driven by the characters and their relationship with each other. I truly enjoyed the story and most of the characters except for the main character Delphine. I found her very unlikeable and at no point in the story did she redeem herself in my mind - perhaps that is why I liked the book.

Delphine, Lindsay, and Margaux are three friends who met and competed against each other at the Paris Opera Ballet. Told from Delphine's perspective, she leaves Paris for St. Petersburg, only to return many years later with hopes for career growth and an idea to rekindle her friendship with her two oldest friends. Only things are not as she thought they would be, and she has to rediscover herself in a place she always thought of as home.

Overall, I really liked this book. I liked that all of the characters were well developed and played an important role in the story. The shifting timeline kept me focused and engaged. I listened to the audiobook, and was somewhat thrown by the fact the narrator did not have a French accent, especially since there were several references to them speaking in French.

Thank you in advance to Macmillan Audio, the author and NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley #TheBallerinas

Rating: 4/5

This is character driven for sure and the characters are amazing!
I loved them all, but Delphine was the perfect center for this story.
Drama, deceit, and did I mention drama?
Sooo freaking good!!!
I was switching between ebook and audio and I think the audio is the way to go.
The narrator is is stellar!
Much love to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for my DRC's.

4.25

I’ve been hanging onto this one for quite some time, and while I had an idea of what I thought it would be like, that idea was mostly wrong. I thought it was going to be a thriller, which really wasn’t the case; it was actually a lot more than that, and I appreciated the inclusion of and focus on some social issues as they pertain to the dance world but also to society in general. The protagonist is an interesting mix of traits; she’s kind of a terrible friend for most of her character arc, and it’s satisfying (if a touch unbelievable) to see how much she tries to grow and change by the conclusion of the story. I enjoyed the focus on ballet, language, and relationships throughout the book, and something about the narrative style and structure did work for me. The story was compelling, even though it didn’t create suspense in the way that I was expecting. Either way, I enjoyed it. It’s likely that I’ll pick up other books by this writer in the future.

An insider’s look into the world of ballerinas. Evocative, dark, and enlightening all at once. Delphine is the storyteller, flipping from current day events to days when she was a young ballerina, growing up in the company. A story that focuses on friendships, growing up and maturing. I thought I knew for sure where it was going and then unimaginable plot twists at the end left me riveted. True to the description, I will not soon forget the characters in this tale. I had the added bonus of listening to an audio version as well and the narrator did a stellar job of representing all characters, nuances and accents.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

Delphine, Lindsey, and Margeaux are best friends and dancers. Delphine left the Paris Opera Ballet for St. Petersburg. 14 years later, she's ready to return to her old life but didn't realize just how much has changed.

I feel like I just sat through the longest book ever, but still couldn't really tell you what happened. I liked the dynamic of the friendship between Delphine, Lindsey, and Margeaux. But this book was so slow and the "big event" at the end was so.....unnecessary? I feel it added absolutely nothing. And this was not at all a thriller, as it is described to be. I don't know, I really did not like this one.

Great ya thriller! Loved the story and plot kept me guessing. Would definitely recommend! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

Kapelke-Dale gives us a peak into the everyday lives of three ballerinas.  Friends from a young age, Delphine, Margaux, and Lindsay live their lives completely for the dance.  As friends, they are often competing for the same parts and the same promotions.  Year in and year out, their daily life rarely changes.  Told in dual timelines, we see their friendship ebb and flow, and as they grow the choices they make.  Choices that aren’t always the best.  In a cut throat world of striving to be the best, and being under the abusive thumb of the men in their lives, this is a good story, although on the slower side.  At times depressing, but in the end the three figure out what really matters most in life, even if it means changing their lifelong dreams. The voice on the audio was perfect and made the reader feel like they were sitting right beside a friend in Paris listening to her tell her life story.

The competitive world of Parisian ballet and all of its intricacies and sordidness is brought to life in this psychological drama. The story revolves around 3 friends, Delphine, Lindsay and Margaux, and the ups and downs of their relationships and the deep, dark secrets that continue to haunt them even years later. It is a fascinating exposé into the lives of the most elite ballerinas in the world, while highlighting themes of competition, jealousy, misogyny and, ultimately, deep friendship. I found the plot to be interesting, captivating and original. The audio version had a nice flow to it and the narrator was excellent. I was able to follow along easily.

The Ballerinas is a mystery/suspense novel about a former ballerina, Delphine, her two best friends, and the trajectory her life has taken. I don't typically read suspense (I'm impatient and search for spoilers online) but I really enjoyed this story more than I expected. I loved the narrator and thought she did a wonderful job with her characterizations.

The story ping-pongs between Delphine's childhood and adulthood until the timelines merge in the present. Delphine's two best friends from her childhood, Lindsey and Margeaux, come back into her life when she returns home to Paris after 13 years abroad. Delphine expected to resume the friendships right where they left off but soon finds out life is just not that simple and that her lack of involvement in their lives comes with consequences. The backdrop for the story is the highly competitive world of professional ballet, much of which takes place before the MeToo era and is rife with the victimization of young women and confidence destroying critiques, leaving the women pessimistic and bitter about their successes or lack thereof.

Delphine is not a completely likable character, who seems as if she ceased maturing at age 20 and is clueless about how to view the world from anyone else's perspective although towards the end begins to endeavor to correct this in order to preserve her friendships. I struggled to have sympathy for her throughout much of the book. I did enjoy the glimpse into the world of ballet, Paris, and women who were as passionately driven as this trio was.

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

Oh I love books about the ballet! This was a superb novel centering on the female friendship of Delphine, Lindsey and Margeaux, ballerinas who have been friends since childhood and have grown up together at the Paris Opera Ballet. The little intrigues and toxicity of the ballet culture is in full force in this novel. I'm not giving anything away other than this should be read by one and all. It's pure perfection!

*Thanks to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for this audio version.*

3.5 stars, but needed editing as the story felt bogged down with unnecessary scenes and repetitive details. Otherwise I really enjoyed the audiobook version of this novel, a melodramatic tale of three ballerinas who have grown up together in the Paris Opera Ballet company.
Do not get fooled by the marketing comparing this to other female centric suspense books. While there is some mystery and crime, this is really a character driven novel that focuses on female friendship at its best and worst. The novel also reveals much about the grueling and cutthroat world of professional ballet, where only the rare few can make it to the top. The Ballerinas also examines the power dynamics between women and men, including a highly dramatic Me Too incident. The men in the book are all quite villainous, which seems rather unbalanced on the whole.

The audiobook version was beautifully narrated, and I did find myself wanting to return to the story despite some of my criticisms mentioned above.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for my review.

Delphine, Lindsay, and Margeaux begin training at the Paris Opera Ballet at a young age and experience the harsh and competitive world of ballet. Delphine leaves the ballet for a life in St. Petersburg only to return to it years later as a choreographer. The Ballerinas is a story of friendship, of fighting for your place in the world, and of the ruse of perfection.

I had a complicated journey with this book. It started off being "this book is putting me to sleep" but it ended up being "I need to stay awake to finish this book." The beginning is rough full of a bunch of stuff that I didn't understand and wasn't too interesting, and at about 30% I wanted to give up. I asked someone who had read it if it was worth continuing. She said to stick with it, so I did. At around 48% (give or take) the story gained momentum and thus became more interesting. One thing I think Kapelke-Dale did really well is focus on adult women who were career-driven rather than family driven. So many authors still today (especially in women's fiction) portray adult women characters who are wives and mothers or trying to start a family or want a family in the future. Delphine puts her career above all else, and Linsday fights hard for a life where ballet is her focus (as opposed to focusing on becoming a mother). Both of these women had qualities that made them relatable to me. The ending was so shocking and unexpected.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. I especially appreciate the audiobook of this because the text was riddled with French words I wouldn't have even had the first idea how to pronounce. Ell Potter was a great narrator and really captured the spirit of Delphine. I definitely recommend the audiobook of The Ballerinas.

This novel is a bit of an enigma. It's billed as mystery/thriller, but appears as women's fiction. There are a lot of plot twists, but at it's core this book has a lot to say about how women are viewed as less than human by both society, and sometimes through cultural training, ourselves. There are some deep topics touched here. The narration was wonderful and kept me engaged through the 2nd quarter of the book, which did drag on a bit -- things were being revealed, but the connections not yet drawn. The protagonist is insufferable for much of the novel, but her character does develop and evolve.

Release Date: December 7, 2021.
This was riddled with insecurities, fierce competition and critical, unrealistic expectations. Just to be a ballerina and a girl. I kept wondering why we put children through this and is it really worth it? So because of this picture set before me in the landscape of a ballerina life, I found the characters unlikable. It was an uncomfortable feeling as I finished the story. Almost like a itch that couldn’t be scratched.
I thought it good and written well. I learned a lot about the life, the drive to succeed. And it mad me sad. I wanted… I wanted something like, ohhhh I don’t know, romance? Someone to have it? But I wasn’t promised romance and I had to deal with the raw truth.
Maybe that’s why people either love this or hated it. I’m grateful I read it and it’s given me a lot to think about. Me as a women, taking myself back and accepting me as I am.
Thanks Macmillan Audio via Netgalley.
I chose to listen to this book on audio and Ell Potter was the narrator. She was a delight and added so much to it. This was 13 hours and 21 minutes long.

THE BALLERINAS by Rachel Kapelke-Dale is not like the books the blurb compared it to. Not really.

This is a strive to be like those books. In my opinion it simply falls short of what it aspires to be. A little like it’s main character actually. Centimeters short…

2cm is what stands between Delphine and her dreams. And what’s 2cm, a few secrets and several sexual encounters between friends?

Well, that’s where I was hoping I would be while reading it. But I was in fact, perplexed by the authors jarring use of words.

*SPOILER*

It reminded me of NO EXIT where the author ponders (for much too long) (imo) on the personal hygiene of the scary,-yet dually afflicted with alopecia and body odor-serial killer who traps girls in cages and then stops to fart at a rest stops (no dna matching here) to refill his coffee and take a piss during a snowstorm.

Oh sorry, that’s not appealing for me to read about.

There are more than a few other words that I felt were inserted (no pun here) just to surprise readers and seem sexy and provocative like female serial killers.

Like the thought of double jointedness making you special, this book rubbed me the wrong way. And I may never need to hear the word *ipecac* again or visualize it working. Thanks for that!

This is not a case of me being a prude. I like my literature dirty. Filthy and fabulous is fine.

I think what’s lacking is an element of necessity. It’s a shock and awe campaign that if the writing were solid, would be unnecessary.

Remember the saying

YOU’RE USING CURSE WORDS BECAUSE YOU LACK THE VOCABULARY TO EXPRESS YOURSELF.

That’s not me saying that. I promise.

What I am saying is that this book is actually more similar to a book I read last year called THE DIVINES.

Both tried to use verbiage and language to incite strong emotions, but fail to realize that it actually does matter how you use those words. It does matter how words are carried within a sentence. How the sentence is structured.

⭐️⭐️ stars.

The Ballerinas highlights the scandals, work-pressures and drama within the ballet community. The story is told in alternating timelines and centers on main characters Delphine, Lindsay and Margeaux. In the past, you read about their quest to become professional ballerinas at the Paris Opera Ballet and in the present, the traumatic memories and aftermath of their success 14 years later when Delphine returns to Paris to choreograph her own show. This book exposes the world that exists behind the scenes of ballet companies and their dancers. One that is hard to see from the outside. I really enjoyed the plot, slow-burn pace and character development within the story. Of note, going in I would disregard the comparison to Luckiest Girl Alive, as it is NOT a thriller, and think of this book more as a women's fiction/ drama.

Thanks Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for this ARC! Pub Date 12/7/21

This book took a little while to get into- the second half is much more interesting than the first. If you’re looking for a thriller about dancers, then this book is not for you. However, if you’re interested in learning more about the inner workings of ballet companies and the sexism, exploitation of young girls, and darkness that is affiliated with ballet as an institution, then this book is absolutely for you. One criticism I have for listening to this book is that the timeline jumps around a lot, and it is difficult to keep up. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the second half and would recommend sticking through the first half- IMO, it was worth it.

As someone with two lifelong best friends, I was excited to read about a triumvirate of strong and unique women. However… The main character is just whiny, selfish, self-indulgent, and unrepentant. And she got worse, and worse as the story went on, culminating in a final, horrific, unpunished crime.

The other women were: 1. Weak and stereotypical and 2. Unfinished, undeveloped, and stereotypical (oh! Wait! She’s a lesbian! That makes the story inclusive, right? ... not!)

The men are sexual creeps, the women are innocent victims. Done?

The story is billed first as a “Mystery & Thriller.” I’m wondering if that was a typo. I had to really think about it, but I guess the “mystery” was something about what two of the characters did to a third. It wasn’t mysterious, it wasn’t interesting, it wasn’t a plot-twist, it was barely mentioned throughout the story, and it was revealed - almost in passing - towards the end. As for thriller... I have no idea. Does pushing a guy out a window count? It wasn’t thrilling.

So.Many.Unpunished.Serious.Crimes.
Am I really expected to have sympathy for a saboteur and murderer because she didn’t like the way her victim treated her friend? This justified a murder?

The biggest problem I had with this story, and it repeated, were the countless sexual predators and perpetrators or actual sex crimes basically unpunished and discussed in such a non-alarming way that it was disturbing. I get it ... ballet (like gymnastics and figure skating) are sports that are primarily young girls and traditionally attract a certain “bad character type.” So, if shining a light on the rampant excused behavior of these rapists and child molesters is the purpose of the novel... make it purposeful. Show a consequence. Explore the victims from a new perspective. Don’t just make it acceptable behavior because of the environment. Ok, so one guy lost his job... seriously, that’s it?

I read to the end, because I kept waiting, and hoping, for some sort of justice. Had I known it wasn’t coming, I would have dropped it when the main character moved to Russia.

As for the narrator, her diction was so sloppy and lazy that there were too many words I found indecipherable. She slurred the endings of words so much that I missed what she said and had to rewind … after the fifth or sixth time, I gave up. The story wasn’t good enough to care and I figured that if the publisher didn’t care if I could understand the words, I didn’t either.