Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

This book was around a 3.5 for me. I thought it was very slow to get moving and then just felt a little unbelievable at the end. The first third of the book is dense and not in a good way. Saskia comes home after her mother's death to take control of her family legacy, Elf House, only to discover her mother has bequeathed it to a man from Sas's past. It's a lot of trying to figure out the will at first and financial stuff and it weighs the novel down significantly. Around midway, the narrative picks up, and the book becomes more interesting.

Saskia's life is shaped around being a piano prodigy and this relationship with a man from a very young age. It shapes her dynamic with her parents, with her life, and with future romantic relationships. Watching her come to realize how damaging that relationship was. I thought there could have been more elaboration on her relationship with her mother. Was Evie a stage mom or just point her in the right direction? There were hints, but too often that relationship was left to langiush to focus on her grooming by the older man.

All in all, this was a decent read. I'd read it again or recommend it to others.

According to Merriam-Webster.com- “an ingenue person is: a naive girl or young woman”. This small definition will give you big details to what this book is about. This is also somewhat of a dark, disturbing read. There are often times when I felt angry and depressed for that of our main character, Saskia. This book has been compared to My Dark Vanessa, and if you are familiar with that book (which I am), I can agree that it is.

The Ingenue deals with the present day and the teenage years of Saskia. It also deals with growing up and coming home to the mansion she grew up in, known as the Elf House. I wouldn’t say that Saskia had a complex relationship with her mother/parents, so much as she had an independent relationship from them. So many secrets were kept, and the Elf House didn’t necessarily keep them either…

I’m still processing this book, as it wasn’t an easy read. Still reflecting on the fact that everything that happens to us in our childhood/teenage years does affect our adult years and the choices we make. Did I like the ending of the book? I’m not sure? I don’t think it was realistic, and probably wouldn’t work for the other “ingenue” out there, but that’s just my thoughts on that right now.

I previously read The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale, which I loved, so I was excited to read this newest release. I do recommend reading this book as well, although it’s not a light, easy read. The Ingenue covers a topic/topics that are not being discussed enough.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book. Publication date: December 6, 2022.

One of the breakout books of the YA genre was Go Ask Alice, the purported diary of a nameless teenage drug addict and runaway. However, the story behind that book and its follow-up, Jay's Journal, is far more convoluted and amorally exploitative than anyone would expect.

I have actually read Go Ask Alice. I was interested in it because of the controversy surrounding its reality, and reading the protagonist's wild dash through various illicit drugs made it pretty clear that it was indeed not real. The overblown writing and frantic plot rather made it a pain to read. But, as Emerson reveals in this book, Go Ask Alice was indeed an enormous hit, winning awards and selling millions of copies.

The story behind the book is far more fascinating though, I found. Emerson deftly weaves the tale of conservative America in the seventies and eighties into the story, creating a vivid backdrop to the hoax. The story has jaw-dropping twists and turns, and I spent a great deal of time astonished by Beatrice Sparks's audacity and how she kept managing to get away with things. I also appreciated the emphasis on veracity that Emerson had in this book, which really is necessary after the murkiness of Go Ask Alice and the books that followed it.

However, I did think the section that centered on Jay's Journal was a little overly long. We learn a lot about the real and tragic life of Alden Barrett, whose actual diary Sparks perverted for publication, and Emerson does not pull any punches in exploring Alden's story. Unfortunately I thought the book would have worked a bit better if he had! It's a slightly odd change of pace to be pulled out of the main story for so long, waiting to be braided back in.

Ultimately, a really interesting subject, and a well-written book.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.
Saskia (love that name), a piano prodigy, returns home to Milwaukee after her mother's death and is ready for her inheritance of Elf House, the family home, when she finds out her mother left it to Patrick, Saskia's former love. Both her father, Mike, and her are absolutely shocked and determined to contest the will.
We go back and forth between today and Saskia's teen years between the ages of 14 and 18.
The book is so good, it took my breath away. The conclusions Saskia comes to are mind blowing and her fury and determination to right the wrongs, plus the stunning ending, make for an incredible read. I loved Saskia, Mike and Wolfie, their beloved dog. Kudos to the author! Highly recommended!

I enjoyed this book. I liked the feminist fairy tales. I did find it a bit hard to get into at first. Overall, a good read!

I have never loved a book's epigraphs as much as I have this one's. They are excerpts from the protagonist's mother's feminist fairy tale retellings that I wish existed in full. To them, I give a full five stars. To the rest of the book, I give three stars. It took me a while to get into it (except for the epigraphs), but once I did, it was engaging and interesting.

I received a free ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wooo! So, this was a quite a ride especially towards the end. I did not expect the book to go this way. I must say that I saw the first plot twist coming but what the MC did towards the end? 🤯 Oh. My. God.

We follow Saskia as she goes back to her childhood home for her estranged mother's funeral. We fast learn they had a complicated relationship and Saskia was never made aware that her mom was sick. Being in that house brings back a ton of memories so we travel back and forth between the past and the present.

Saskia was a child prodigy. She played piano like no-one else but that also meant she had no time for social life. The house has always been in the family and Saskia is supposed to inherit it. That's until the will is read and that the house is gifted to Patrick, a much older man from Saskia's past. Not in a good way. She now has to fight to understand what made her mom give away the house to that man.

Before reading this book, please check TW as there are implies and mentions of grooming, major age gap with a teenager (not to say the P word) and drug abuse.

Thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for a review.

Saskia is a former piano prodigy who moved away from her piano career as she became an adult. She returns from New York to her childhood home in Milwaukee after her mother dies. She expects that the family home (which is a character in itself), will be her inheritance, but instead her mother has left it to a colleague that Saskia knew well as a teenager. Saskia faces things that she had never even admitted to herself, as she fights for her inheritance and grieves for her mother. The #metoo movement is part of this novel, as is the life of a musical prodigy. This was a good read, 4.25 stars for me. #theingenue @rachelkapelkedale #bookstagram #booklover #booksbooksbooks #lovetoread #reader #metoo #metoomovement #bookblogger #bookreview #bookrecommendations #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #netgalley

i really liked this book! i wasn’t sure at first, just kinda the vibe i got but as i read on, i think we’re supposed to feel like that in the beginning. i finished it pretty quickly and liked the ending. it kinda came out of left field but i was like alright i can get on board with it.

This was a DNF for me. I blame myself though because I didn't realize it was going to be a fantastical story - not what I thought I was getting. I'm sure it was a great book (judging by the many positive reviews) but it was just not a genre I would have chosen.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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 6, 2022
Saskia Kreis, former child piano prodigy, returns home to Wisconsin to bury her mother. Her beloved childhood home, Elf House, has fallen into disrepair but it holds so many pleasant memories for Saskia and has been in the family for so long that Saskia is devastated when she finds out her mother has left Elf House to her mother’s former colleague, Peter. Saskia knows she has to reach out to Peter and find out his motivations, and even Saskia’s strained and tenuous relationship with him won’t get in her way. As she fights to save the only house she has ever known, Saskia also must fight to find her place in an unfamiliar world.
Rachel Kapelke-Dale returns with her new novel, “The Ingenue”. After a cleverly well developed story like her previous work, “The Ballerinas”, I had high hopes for this one, and Kapelke-Dale did not let me down. Similar in theme, “The Ingenue” follows a piano prodigy, struggling to deal with the normal expectations of adult life, after her childhood dreams were literally ripped away.
The novel was difficult to get into at first, as characters are mentioned out of context, with no background, so it seemed like I was missing something. However, the story is told in two time periods, and each chapter is divided into the current era, and various points of Saskia’s history, and as the story unfolds, all of the questions are answered. Saskia narrates the entire novel, and her perspective is gripping and uncomfortable, in all the right ways.
“The Ingenue” has so many overt themes at its core- exceptional talent, family relationships, and, of course, inappropriate conduct and sexual assault. It is not a novel to be taken lightly, but it is so moving and engaging that it will definitely stick with you. Regardless of Saskia’s actions, I rooted for her throughout, and the ending was unexpected, yet exactly what the novel needed.
Kapelke-Dale has a way of bringing to light the pressures of exceptional talent, and the devastation that follows when the light burns out, while still providing relatable characters and a novel full of emotional, heartstring-pulling plotlines. This novel left me with all the feels, and it seems that Kapelke-Dale is only getting better. I look forward to her future novels.

Saskia Kreis was a child piano prodigy. She grows up in the huge family estate in Milwaukee, The Elf House. When she has to return to Milwaukee from New York due to her mother's unexpected death, she is hoping to inherit her beloved Elf House but she discovers that the house was gifted by her mother to a man from her teenage past that changed her life forever. It wasn't necessarily for the better either. As her father and her try to discover the truth behind the million dollar estate giveway, her secret past is trudged up and she has to decide if the truth is worth telling this many years later and how that will look for her future.

Honestly, what drew me to this ARC was the mention of it being a bit like My Dark Vanessa (one of my favorite books). Though it has some similarities, this book can easily stand all on its own without the popular books name drop.

The beginning of each chapter features an excert from her mother's fairy tales for little feminist's collection and I found them humourous and a great way to introduce each part. Each chapter is written from the perspective of her teen years and the present of her adult years. I loved this style.

I knocked a star off because it did take me awhile to get into the book but once it got going, it was great.

I enjoyed the start of each chapter as we read her mothers words on her take on fairytales with a feminist view of saving themselves and having choices. And all she wanted was the same for her daughter. Beautifully written allowing us to think on various topics of feminist views, sexual abuse, family, and innocence

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Ingenue.

I didn't read the author's first book so I went into The Ingenue with an open mind.

This is yet another book with a theme riding on the #MeToo movement.

First, what I liked:

The brief snippets of the feminist fairytales at the beginning of each chapter.

The origins of Elf House and how it must be bequeathed to a living descendant of the original owner.

The ending: I love when the bad guy gets his or her comeuppance.

What I didn't like:

Saskia. She's not a sympathetic character, and despite what happened to her when she was a young teenager, I didn't empathize with her.

She's selfish, bratty, and rude; it felt like she only wanted Elf House because she was entitled to it as her mother's daughter, not because she was proud of her family heritage and legacy.

The premise: it's getting old reading about young girls being taken advantage of by disgusting older men.

I read to be entertained and be amused; I don't want to be reminded of society and the world's problems.

The story had a decent start but then the narrative dragged, filled with legalese about Elf House, Saskia's ruminations about Patrick, searching for his other victims.

I generally dislike dual timelines, but I think it worked here because the past narrative was short.

Still, the past timeline took too much time to get to the point, though I knew exposition was necessary to detail how Saskia became a piano prodigy and when her path crossed with Patrick.

The writing was good, but dull characters and an unoriginal premise made this an underwhelming read for me.

I read the Ballerinas last year, so when I heard Rachel was coming up with a new novel I was so excited to get my hands on it, and when I got the ARC from NetGalley I just couldn’t be happier. This book has all the plot twist and the drama that I look for in a thriller. This is coming at the end of 2022, so I highly recommend you buy this as a Holiday gift for all your readers friends, you will not regret it!

The beginning is a little slow but man, when it does pick up you'll never put it down. I had heard The Intense being compared to My Dark Vanessa (which I loved) and while there are similarities, Rachel Kapelke-Dale has a way with words that far exceeded that of the aforementioned book. The characters are well written which helps you develop relationships with them and that is important to me as a reader, connecting with them. A well deserved five stars! I can't wait for more from this author. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a chance to read this advance copy. Grab yours because you will NOT be disappointed!

A perfect book club pick - Heavy but ethereal, “The Ingenue” is a fairytale for feminists that weaves trauma and growth as Saskia copes with her past and determines her own legacy.

3.5

I found this to be a pretty interesting read -- definitely reminded me of "My Dark Vanessa" but more compelling in a way. I really liked the musical elements of it, but the estate law handlings got a little tedious after a while. The little fairy tales at the beginning of each chapter were lovely. The constant time skipping could get tiring. All in all, I felt like there were multiple aspects I wanted more of (the finale, the characterizations) but the book still felt longer than it needed to, and by the time I got to the finale I was ready for it end.

I'm not sure I liked the way the ending was handled (though part of me wanted that to happen from the very beginning) but I also understand that it doesn't matter if I like it or not -- because it's the justice that Saskia wished to see.

Received a free copy from Netgalley.

This was my second outing with Rachel Kapelke-Dale, after reading her first novel, THE BALLERINAS, last year—and funny enough, this one had the exactly opposite problem. Whereas THE BALLERINAS gripped me from the start only to fade fast at the end, the first two-thirds of THE INGENUE were a bit of a slog—and the ending, in all its chaos, was fabulous.

Let's start with the positives: obviously I loved the "feminist fairytales" featured at the beginning of every chapter, and on the whole, I found Saskia to be a really dynamic, interesting character. I can totally see Kapelke-Dale's evolution as a novelist here, as she continued playing with and expanding upon themes she introduced in her first book, and that's always an awesome thing to be able to recognise as a reader.

That being said, this is the second book featuring dual timelines I've read so far this month, and I've decided that maybe I'm not a fan. Here, it functioned primarily to contextualise Saskia's relationship with Patrick and her mother, but the segments set in the past were so detailed and involved that they had the effect of really slowing down the action in the present timeline, which is ultimately the storyline I was more interested in. (The "My Dark Vanessa" comparisons were spot-on, though, so I can see where others might disagree.) And as much as I loved the ending, I have to acknowledge that it did come slightly out of nowhere; in every respect, it was pure gothic thriller, and the tone of the rest of the book was very subdued by comparison. I wish she had played up that element more consistently throughout, this would have been unbeatable.

Rachel Kapelke-Dale's new novel The Ingenue follows former piano prodigy Saskia Kreis as she's forced to revisit her traumatic past and the romantic teenage relationship that changed her life. Set against a post #MeToo environment, the author delves into the expectations of talent, mother-daughter relationships, and what happens when you lose the things that once made you exceptional.

A dark read, the story moves back and forth between present time and Saskia's childhood, divulging secrets along the way. I especially enjoyed the revamped feminist versions of fairytales attributed to her author-mother and how Saskia ultimately came to understand her mother's full legacy. Not a read for those wanting something light, I enjoyed this dark, contemporary fairytale and the depth of the character development. This one will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy. Four and half stars.