This book was not for me. After reading the authors previous book I was slightly intrigued to read this but the story was bland and the majority of it was just info dumping. i almost did not want to finish it.

I am Endlessly enthralled by Rachel Kapelke-Dales writing! This story is beautiful and dark and twisted and will keep you engaged through its entirety. Absolutely loved, auto-buy author for me!

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was fantastic - reminded me of My Dark Vanessa, but lighter. It felt hopeful for victims, and more palatable for the reader.

So good! It starts out like a tiny snowball that slowly starts to roll down a hill that goes faster and faster and becomes a giant unstoppable mass. Saskia’s story just grows with her realizing what happened to her when she was young. Perfect ending!

This was a quick and engaging read, with a structure that toggled between 2020 and the protagonist Saskia's adolescent years (9-18). Each chapter opens with an excerpt from one of Saskia's mother's feminist re-writings of classic fairytales, and each early section begins by stating Saskia's age, which is central to the plot in multiple ways. I did feel I was a step ahead of each reveal moment in the book, which took away some of the pleasure in discovery, but it was a solid fast read for anyone interested in coming of age/ingenue stories that focus around the arts.

I loved a lot about this book and was intrigued until about halfway.

While I enjoyed the book throughout, I also feel like this was a very subdued attempt at tackling something as big as “Me Too” Movement.

I just wish this book had more depth to the incredibly sensitive subject matter it tackled. Full review on my bookstagram @pinned_pages_!

This is a beautiful book about the complexities of relationships, the perception of relationships, and how our age and place in life effect those perceptions. Saskia’s realization of what actually happened to her as a teenager was written with such grace. It wasn’t a sudden realization, as it isn’t for most people, but a gradual realization. Then there was the acceptance of that realization, which like most, Saskia struggled with as well. The author used differing time periods in each chapter to highlight the polarity of Saskia’s view as a teenager and as an adult. There was also an err of mystery with the book – what happened to Saskia, what is she going to find, and how is it going to help her save her legacy? The ending was quite a surprise, and not the way that I thought the book was going to end. I would love to speak with the author to ask her if she had an alternative ending in mind, and why she chose this one.

Former piano portage Saskia Kreis returns to her childhood home upon the death of her mother. She and her mother had a complicated relationship and she hasn't been home for a number of years. In fact she didn't even know that her mother was dying. After the funeral Saskia and her father learn that her mother bequeathed the family home, The Elf House, to a colleague, the same man that Saskia had a relationship with years prior. Saskia spends the novel trying to figure out how to get this man who wronged her in the past to give up his claim on her family home. This was a really slow read and although I understand it is an important story to tell, I was having a really hard time getting into it. Part of the problem is that I didn't feel that the MC was a very likable character. The story goes between the MC’s childhood and present day when she returns home expecting to inherit the family home. Saskia is an extremely damaged adult who was preyed upon by a family friend during her teen years. Each chapter begins with a “short story paragraph” retelling of feminist princesses which were quite entertaining, but overall the story was very dark and bleak. I really did want the MC to take down her predator, but I didn't agree with how that portion played out. The story was all about empowering women and taking control of their lives, but I felt like the "resolution" cheapened the story. Just my opinion. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

It took me a little bit to really get into the book but once I did, I couldn't stop. Saskia, was not the most likeable character, but i believe that was purposeful in this case. I liked having the dual timelines. I liked how the realization of what happened to her as a teen only made sense to her once she realized she wasn't the only one.. I definitely did not expect the last 1/4 of the book. Completely took me by surprise. Overall I really did love the book.

As someone who adored My Dark Vanessa, I was curious how this book would be! It was definitely a bit slow in the beginning but don't let that deter you! It is an interesting read & I'm grateful to NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC.

This is my **first** Netgalley review and, to be honest, I completely selected this book based on the cover. I was enraptured. When I read the synopsis and heard it described as “My Dark Vanessa meets The Queen’s Gambit”, I was a bit worried, because I have read both those books and both felt very dark and disturbing. Though the subject matter isn’t fully revealed until a quarter or so into the book, I enjoyed Rachel Kapelke-Dale’s writing style and I was intrigued by the wealth and the talent of the main character, Saskia. When the major conflict/content of the book presented itself, I was already fully invested and continued to read to find out what would happen.
The novel lobbies back and forth in time, and presents trigger warning content in a way that doesn’t read as raunchy or gross, a detail that I believe the novel The Queen’s Gambit lacked (I was quite astounded by how vulgar The Queen’s Gambit was in certain parts). Ingenue never read as vulgar or trashy, but I think was an accurate example of how a grown woman processes abuse she didn’t recognize as abuse when she was enduring it.
I was quite surprised by Saskia’s actions toward the end of the book and certain parts did unsettle my stomach, but, in truth, the ending was satisfying, and I felt Saskia got her just desserts, even if criminal.
Finally, I was absolutely happily pleased with HOW Kapelke-Dale writes. She is fine writer, who had sentences with interesting turns of phrases, and her description of the setting, though sparse, was intriguing. (I don’t think I have ever read a story set in Milwaukee.)
Though I was initially displeased by the content, I do think the author handled such matters with tact. My one contention with the story is how Patrick convinced Saskia’s mother was never truly resolved. You’d think a crime is a crime and Saskia’s mother would have realized that, but, I suppose, in order to craft a compelling story, details, such as this, can be embellished. Overall, I would gladly read another book by this author.

Thank you to Net galley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this novel.

The premise of this story is very interesting. The beginning of novel starts with an introduction of the Elf house. This is an estate our main character is set to inherit due to the passing of her mother. The story uncovers several mysteries plaguing the protagonist. There are interesting elements of fairy tales and hot button topics (feminism) which were entertaining. Additionally, I could see this book as a great discussion for a book club. Although the first act was a bit slow, I think the last act of the book makes up for it.

I would recommend this story for anyone who loves mother-daughter dynamics and mystery novels.

This book is so well done. While the beginning was a wee bit slow, keep going and you will be rewarded exponentially. The plot was well thought out. Backstories were excellently sprinkled throughout the novel, and the characters were very well developed. I highly recommend this book. It is one of few books that I could not manage to figure out what was going to happen.

4 out of 5 stars! I really liked this one. The writing was great. I loved the family history aspect of the story. The legacy of the house. The secrets. And the totally unexpected ending. As the parent of an extremely gifted artist, who decided not to pursue art in college, I had all the feels. I understood her parents and the things they sacrificed to further her musical career. I understood their frustration when she decided not to continue. As a former teenage girl, I understood her infatuation with her first love (however inappropriate it may be). For a girl, it is all encompassing. It becomes more important than anything else... your parents don't matter, school doesn't matter, friends don't matter...your future (unless it's a future with him) doesn't matter! This story was relatable, which made it so much better. It was easy to read. And, really..that ending. Totally unexpected.

I didn’t love the author’s first novel, The Ballerinas, so I was cautious heading into this one.

Wow. Expectations far exceeded! While it got off to a bit of a slow start, as soon as we got the big reveal, the pacing was perfect for a tense and twisty mystery.

I liked the protagonist much more in this book, and loved her parents as well- the interjections of her mother’s writing at the beginning of every chapter also gave a greater sense of history and context to the book.

And I was VERY satisfied with the ending. Great book, will recommend to my book groups.

This book was fast paced and kept me hooked. Ultimately it fell a little flat compared to the authors previous novel, but I enjoyed it still.

I wasn’t expecting so many twists and turns in this book! There were so many layers and themes that intertwined throughout the story that left me scrambling to finish. The fairytale element really wrapped up the story and I loved the feminist connection as well.

I wanted to read this book because I enjoyed her novel, "The Ballerinas". I also saw this book was vaguely compared to "My Dark Vanessa" by Kate-Elizabeth Russell, so that also intrigued me more. While I did enjoy this one, it was just lacking something that her debut did possess. Her writing is beautiful and elegantly constructed, but I just wasn't fully as invested in the plot and in her main character in a way similar to how I was in her previous novel. Still enjoyed it, but not my favorite.

I absolutely adored The Ballerinas, but unfortunately The ingenue just fell short for me. I still enjoyed it but it wasn’t my favorite. I will still read more by this author.

The Ingenue by Rachel Kapelke-Dale is brilliantly twisted fairy tale that moves between past and present until it's shocking climax. The mother-daughter relationship is fascinating and I absolutely loved the feminist retellings of traditional fairy tales at the beginning of each chapter. So well written, I couldn't put it down.