I don't know about this one. I liked the idea in a way--mother dies, the historic house has to be dealt with, proteges, piano playing. collegiate donation drama, dealing with past trauma but I didn't feel like it really clicked. The first page set it up like it was going to be a thriller which is wasn't. It's fine it wasn't (preferable even) but it did seem like a bait and switch. I didn't really connect with any of the characters at all, they all seemed flat. I didn't think it needed to go back and forth in time in the structured way it did. Whatever happened to the old-fashioned flashback? I thought maybe we'd get a better sense of her mom in the 1990s stories but we really didn't. I had no idea what motivated anyone and why anyone did what they did. Yes, there was abuse she didn't realize was abuse until later (timely, important) but we somehow didn't quite see how that effected her beyond not playing the piano? Not going home a lot? Living alone?

I did like the older woman curator character who simply did not care if the man was abusive because he was an artist. That's horrible but I actually think a lot of people are like that and it was good to see that side of the story honestly. Many books about this subject are so black and white and here was a woman who was so wrong yet so steadfast and unbothered.

I felt like it needed a strong editorial hand and it didn't get that.

This is my second book by Rachel Kapelke-Dale and although this one isn't as close to heart as Ballerinas, I still loved it. A little bit Hard Candy mixed with My Dark Vanessa, The Ingenue alternates between past and present, teens and adulthood. The representation of trauma and how it changes a person is remarkable. Too many good quotes to mention.

"...she has always taken comfort in the image of herself Miss Havisham– ing it up as she and the Elf House aged together."

"You can love a dog like you loved people when you were a child. Without fear. Only this happens for opposite reasons: as a child, you love without the knowledge and thus the threat of death; with a dog, you love despite death’s ever-presence. Because each dog (except, perhaps, your last dog) will die before you, you can love them fully and accept their coming death fully, both simultaneously."

Saskia Kreis, a former piano prodigy, returns to her family's estate after the passing of her mother, who she had not seen in years. She presumes that she will be inheriting the Elf House, which has been in their family for generations; but she quickly discovers that is not the case because the Will bequeathed the home to a family friend that shares a complicated past with Saskia. She refuses to believe those are her mother's actual wishes and investigates the matter further bringing to light complicated events/relationships of the past.

I adored how each chapter opened with feminist fairytale from Saskia's mother's book. I would legitimately read Fairy Tales for Little Feminists if it was actually published. The gothic descriptions of the Elf House really brought the scenery to life for me and I could vividly picture it all. The story volleys back and forth between Saskia's past (describing her piano focused childhood and the secret inappropriate relationship she had with Patrick) and the present. I rooted for her to come to terms with her past and find herself in a better place. Ultimately, I enjoyed this book despite its dark subject matter and thought that Stephanie Willis did a good job narrating.

Rating: 4 🌟 🌟🌟🌟

Special thanks to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the ARC/ALC of The Ingenue for voluntary review purposes. All opinions are my own.

The Ingenue genuinely surprised me. Even after reading the blurb, I thought I knew what to expect but the story was more exhilarating and full of suspense than I had imagined. Saskia is a complex and complicated character that is so well written, certain to not be everyone's cup of tea, but she is the perfect main character for this dark and atmospheric story. The story itself was very well constructed and fast paced and I enjoyed it very much!

This book was so well done. It started really slow but the pace picked up about a third of the way through and it was fantastic. And where are the feminist fairy tales by Saskia's mother in real life. Let's get those published! I've seen the comparison of My Dark Vanessa mixed with The Queen's Gambit, and I think that's spot on. I don't want to say much more. But definitely check this suspense novel out - it will keep you guessing!!

The Ingenue by Rachel Kapelke-Dale

Read this if you liked The Queen’s Gambit, mother-daughter relationships and if you are in the mood for something serious and dramatic.

When former piano prodigy Saskia Kreis returns home to Milwaukee after her mother’s unexpected death, she expects to inherit the family estate, the Elf House. But with the discovery that her mother’s will bequeathed the Elf House to a man that Saskia shares a complicated history with, she is forced to reexamine her own past––and the romantic relationship that changed the course of her life––for answers. Can she find a way to claim her heritage while keeping her secrets buried, or will the fallout from digging too deep destroy her?

Set against a post #MeToo landscape, Rachel Kapelke-Dale’s The Ingenue delves into mother-daughter relationships, the expectations of talent, the stories we tell ourselves, and what happens when the things that once made you special are taken from you. Moving between Saskia’s childhood and the present day, this dark, contemporary fairy tale pulses with desire, longing, and uncertainty, as it builds to its spectacular, shocking climax.

Out on December 6

Following her mother's death, Saskia, a thirty-something former piano prodigy who now earns a living writing SAT questions, learns that her mother bequeathed their ancestral home to a family friend in her will. But Saskia has history with the beneficiary. Something doesn't feel quite right about this inheritance, and Saskia sets out to prove that her mother must have been swindled.

This book was fine. While I didn't hate reading The Ingenue, it didn't totally blow me away either. The pace was slow-moving, and the author spent a lot of time describing the home. While her attempt might have been to create the home as another character in the story, at times it felt like I was reading HGTV magazine. Perhaps slow, but pleasant to read when you need to pass the time. The pacing was kind of all over the place, and not totally congruous with the content of the scene. Situations that should've been fast often dragged on, while I felt like she glossed over more major considerations.

I did enjoy the structure of The Ingenue - it was similar to Kapelke-Dale's last book, Ballerinas, in which each chapter is split between a flashback and present day. This was an excellent way to set the tone for each chapter, and helped with connecting themes between past and present.

All of the characters were somewhat bland. Saskia embarks on a romantic exploration with the lawyer who wrote her mother's will (which just kind of falls out of the story?), but she has significantly more chemistry with her own lawyer, Tara. Still, Saskia was definitely relatable at times. I felt connected to her raw emotions, especially her fear of being unremarkable.

Still, the story was twisty and enjoyable. If you're looking for a groundbreaking mystery-thriller that will add something new to the genre, move on. The Ingenue is perfect for fans of the "Good For Her" book (otherwise known as "I Support Women's Wrongs"). Formulaic, perhaps, but it makes for a fun, quick read.

After the death of her mother from an unknown illness, Saskia returns home to Milwaukee. As a child Saskia was a prodigy playing piano at a level far above her young age but for reasons not immediately know she has abandoned her ambitions.
Saskia is a direct Harper descendent and as such will inherit the family mansion known as “The Elf House”. When her mother’s will is read Saskia receives devastating and unexpected news that her mother has left The Elf House, not to her as tradition has promised, but to Patrick a colleague at the college with whom her mother seemingly had only a professional relationship. Told in dual timeframes, it is not until midway into the book that we come to know that Saskia’s past may have influenced her mother’s motivation for not honoring the family’s Elf House tradition. This is a story of exceptional talents, parental expectations, mother-daughter relationships, teen-age angst, what determines self image and the impact of the experiences of youth. Strong character development.

When I started reading this story, I put it down several times because it really wasn't grabbing me. I'm not one to give up on a story because I'm usually surprised in the end, and this one was no exception. The story flipped from past to 2020 (present) in a way that was jarring at first but made so much sense later on. Saskia, while not necessarily remembering completely new memories, begins to see her past in a completely new light while trying to unravel the mystery of her mother's bequest. Sometimes triggering to read, the author did a great job with the support system she had (unrealized until then). The ending was a bit....surprising to me, but I found the story to be satisfying in the end

This dark thriller really embraces the #metoo era.

It starts off with Saskia coming back to the Elf House only to discover that her mother did not pass it down to family in her will. Saskia digs into why and the dark spiral of bad memories and realizations begins. Even the house adds to the creepiness.

I enjoyed the suspense toward the end and the explanations at the beginning, but the middle was really slow. I get reaching out to the other girls, but that could have been minimal and still had the same impact.

Snipets of Saskias mom's children's book were spread throughout giving a little more perspective. This book does jump between past and present, so hold on.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

This is going to be a different sort of review because this is a different sort of book. I think you should read it because I’m a feminist and I think there are good lessons to be shared throughout this book. It isn’t an easy or a light read.

This is a book about a woman who comes home lost for her mother’s memorial and ends up finding herself because of her mother’s death. It’s a powerful novel about loss, abuse, resilience. About never giving up yourself. But then, I’m an optimist and am seeing it through that lens. If you are not an optimist, you might find this a bit depressing. The resolution isn’t particularly satisfying.

The main character didn’t really grow. I suppose she changed (not necessarily for the better) but it was very subtle. It made better sense and it felt more authentic, but less satisfying. I’m not sure anyone likes what Saskia finds; including Saskia. The ending is quite shocking.

Saskia feels very real. She’s in full 3D and since the book lives inside her head you get a very good grasp of what she’s feeling and thinking. She’s flawed, but also a victim. She’s not very “nice” and certainly not a role model. Those characteristics make the idea of her abuse questionable, especially because Saskia questions it. Yet, at the same time, there is no doubt it was abuse. This paints a very accurate portrait of real-life abuse and how it looks different for everyone. How it’s not always so cut and dried.

The other characters weren’t flat. They seemed not quite alive; like memories. You live so much in Saskia’s head that everything else falls in her shadow.

After finishing the book, it felt like the author was trying to parallel one of her feminist fairy tales. Each chapter begins with a short clip from a fairy tale that has been turned on its head. It was a beautiful feature of the book that I looked forward to reading and I’d love to read full scale versions of some of those stories. One of those stories was Demeter and Persephone, which was also the relationship it felt like the author was trying to mirror. Looking back, I see that parallel can’t be denied, but I still feel ambivalent about whether it worked properly as a plot device.

The famous myth is that Persephone gets kidnapped to the underworld by Hades. The author twists it to make you question whether it was actually a kidnapping after all. The question becomes maybe Persephone wanted an adventure away from her mother and was a more willing participant than anyone wants to admit. Except, was she? Could she be? She’s a teenager, which is the entire problem. Can a teenager really choose?

Then later (much later in the novel) Persephone realizes it’s the Underworld and Hades isn’t quite the benevolent god she wanted. When she wants out, she’s stuck. She’s eaten those pomegranate seeds and she’s fundamentally changed. She must always return here. This is the most solid parallel for victims, and Saskia in particular. It’s a raw deal but there’s no way out of it. It made me angry for Saskia.

Up until here the parallels are quite solid. It is getting Persephone/Saskia out of the Underworld that felt vague; partially because she is both saved and saves herself. But Demeter’s sacrifice is the entire point of the novel and Saskia rails against it. She spends the entire book wrestling with it and continues to deny it to the very end.

Saskia’s teenage experience is read in tandem with the present day. Saskia is changed by her experiences as a pre-teen through eighteen. Irrevocably changed. Her mother’s sacrifice and her journey of self-discovery help her rebuild but they don’t and can’t undo her foundation. It’s sad. I feel sorry for her experiences.

Saskia has spent so many years in the dark that she doesn’t come out of it triumphant. She comes out a victim and a survivor. She is stronger for the experience but still utterly defined by that trauma and the years denying it to herself; reveling in it. She was unable to move on. When she is finally forced to acknowledge the truth and move forward she must also confront the knowledge that this has changed the course of her life and she is on a different path because of that choice. That is hard to accept in a novel that preaches feminism. She spent so many years not choosing herself that now everything she does feels tainted by those choices. It’s not fair that a man gets to set her path that way.

It’s a lesson to get it right the first time. But who can? It leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It feels like a criticism of the teenaged Saskia’s choice. How could she get drawn in? I don’t think the author meant it that way. Yet, I can’t help but feel like there’s a bit of victim blaming going on. While that feels authentic to real life experience, it shouldn’t be. In a book, you can control that narrative.

I know women will like this novel but I also know they won’t. It deals with the hard things. I’m not sure who I’d recommend it to, because it isn’t my typical read. The summary compares it to the Queen’s Gambit. I’d agree with that comparison. I didn’t read that novel but I watched the Netflix series and loved it; the visuals were stunning but the story was also intriguing in the same way this novel was.

I also looked up My Dark Vanessa and this is obviously much like that book from the summary alone. I haven’t read it but the premise is very similar. It is described as a Lolita retelling from her perspective.

I typically rate in enjoyment and my opinion of the author’s craftsmanship. I can’t do that here. I was intrigued by the novel. I wanted to know what happened to Saskia in the past and present. I wanted to follow her journey. I was hoping for a better ending. I think she got the best one she could. She found the best available option out of a hand of terrible options.

I LOVED The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale and was so excited to read this new book by her.

This one didn't disappoint! A dark family drama told in multiple timelines of MC Saskia's past (childhood) and present. Full of dysfunctional family dynamics and the pressure that is put on a child piano prodigy. The pressure to be perfect and please adults around her. The allure of a young woman to an older man.

Present day brings the passing of Saskia's mother and the reading of her will which brings more turmoil and shock. Why did Saskia's mom leave the family estate to someone else? Twists and turns wrap the two timelines together beautifully. Solid 4-stars for me!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

The Ingenue, by Rachel Kapelke-Dale was nothing like I thought it would be, in the best possible way. It seemed to combine elements of several different genres, which makes it appealing to almost all readers. it combines some of the best parts of a thriller, mystery, noir, historical fiction, and romance to name a few. The story is ever twisting and turning and revealing new things as you went along. The characters were all well developed and the setting of the Elf House, was so thoroughly thought out and described. I am now very interested in reading other works by this author, such as The Ballerinas.

Huge thank you to NetGalley, st martins press for an advance copy of this book.
After this book, Rachel Kapelke- Dale will be an auto buy author for me. I loved The Ballerinas and The Ingenue does not disappoint.
Saskia is a former child piano prodigy and an adult hot mess. She returns to her childhood home after her mother dies unexpectedly, expecting to inherit the only home she’s ever known, only to discover that it’s been left to a man that Saskia shares a tangled history with. This prompts Saskia to explore her relationship with the man that changed her life and she discovers shocking secrets and she must decide what to do with the knowledge she’s gained.
Solid read, gripped my attention and didn’t let go until I finished. Publication day is December 6, so don’t let it slip by you!

Title: The Ingenue
Author: Rachel Kapelke-Dale
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
"The Ingenue" by Rachel Kapelke-Dale

My Assessment:

'The Ingenue' gives the reader quite interesting 'fairytales, with many themes of an aging prodigy and familial relationships.' We find the main character somewhat complex. However, her growth through the read was good...with the setting ...of the Elf House being mainly gothic. One must keep up with this story because it switches back and forth in time as you read a somewhat twisted and dark tale of what happens to Saskia when she realizes what had happened to her when she was young.

This author did an excellent job of moving this storyline along, giving the reader a well-paced read and a good ending.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me to read this advance copy.

*4.5 Stars On My Instagram Account."

"What's one more performance...one more pretend?!"

Reading those words from a 15 year old piano prodigy who's been living a lie for a long time isn't only heartbreaking but infuriating and demonstrates how powerful the words are in the #metoo psychology thriller The Ingenue by ingenius author Rachel Kapelke Dale.

There are many parts to Saskia's life. We meet her coming home to her family's estate she left years ago. She will inherit it now that her author mother Evie has died but "nothing in life prepares you for a moment like this." Regardless of their tumultuous relationship, she feels a profound loss with her mother's death.

When Saskia finds out she will not inherit the estate but instead it will go to "family friend," Patrick, an art photography professor, she knows something is very wrong. After all she has known Patrick all her life; intimately since she was 14 and he was 37.

All the anger you feel from that last sentence is magnificently displayed by narrator Stephanie Willis as Saskia realizes, as an adult, the horror of what Patrick did to her but even more consequential is when she awakes to the fact that, "Patrick didn't love her despite her age; he loved her because of it." This means when she grew up he found a younger version of her. She wants her home back, her innocence back but most of all she wants payback from Patrick.

I loved the beginning of the chapters that are snippets from Evie's books, Fairy Tales For The Little Feminists,
"...the Beast turned into a prince."
"Wait a minute. People don't just poof! Change...For months, you have treated me with... abuse."
"...she pulled a dagger and struck it through his heart...Now," Beauty said, "...about that library. .."

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Rating 3.5

Ingenue - an innocent or unsophisticated young woman, especially in play or film. First I had to understand the meaning of the title.

Needless to say, there's nothing a mother won't do to protect her daughter, even giving up the families $2.9 million dollar home to keep secret.

Saskia has returned to her family home after learning of her mother's death. She's set to inherit the lavish estate that has been left to Harper's for generations only thing the home has been given to someone outside the family. Paul, willed the home, has been a family friend since Saskia was fourteen. His dark past comes into question once the will is read. The story alternates between the present and Saskia youth interacting with Paul.

This is a tough topic to read, but the ending is satisfying. The Ingenue is the opposite of princess story.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the complimentary copy of this novel.

Author Rachel Kapelke-Dale specializes in adolescent prodigies turned adults. In last year's 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐒, about a ballet dancer, and this year's 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐄, about a piano wunderkind, she tells the story from an adult POV reflecting back to the past. She also has a distinctive format where she intertwines both past & present into the same chapter. While unique, I did feel a little jostled trying to keep up with the present & past at the same time.

Shrouded in an air of mystery, our former teen piano prodigy protagonist returns to her childhood home after the death of her mother. Part slow-burn drama and part revenge thriller, this book was not what I expected, and the first twist shook me in the best way. But then it got even darker, in a way that went from shocking to straight-up cuckoo bananas. The author is incredibly knowledgeable, and I think she did a great job of getting into the head of someone who is spectacular in adolescence as they grow into adulthood. However, the far-fetched dark turn and the format- each chapter started with a verse of a feminist fairy tale then a flashback and then the present- lost me in the end.

From the very beginning, THE INGENUE drew me in, holding me close with taut, wonderful prose and intricate plotting, terrific plotting, everything I look for in a novel and then some. At 37, Saskia is a failed prodigy, disappointment as a professional, daughter, lover, and human being -- depending on what point of view you take. Through tight, brilliant scenes, her life with its complicated relationships including that with her recently deceased, chimerical, genius mother is revealed and as it unfurls, so do other possibilities. Gripping, wonderful, all-in read not to be started late at night! I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Having a child with a wonderful gifted ability often makes parents, sometime feel that the child is their ticket to a glorious future. However, in the case of Saskia Kreis, a vulnerable young girl, her life becomes one of abuse, sexual manipulation, and desire. The story begins as Saskia returns home to attend her mother's funeral. She finds out that her beloved home Elf House, is bequeathed to the man who abused her. Why was this done? Saskia then takes matters into her own hands and is determined to capture that home for herself.

The story is interwoven with feminist reworkings starting each chapter with fairy tales, written by her mother Evelyn. This starts us onto levels of teenage angst, and a belief that an older man whom she thinks she loves and who starts sexually using her at fourteen, is divided between the past and the present. We can understand the child Saskia is and as she matures, she begins to see that she is not the prodigy she once was. As an adult, she knows her talent seems to be interrupted by her supposed love for Patrick, the sexual manipulator. She had been a child searching for acceptance and love and as teenagers so often do. Perhaps, once ourselves, we knew the feelings that we thought were love, but nothing more than acceptance, supposed care, and a newly budding sexual desire.

However, the bottom line, was why would Evelyn give the Elf House to Patrick, the abuser?

This complicated story really portrayed the tenuous relationship a child if often in when in relationship with an older man. She becomes a pawn in the search for love and her immature idea of what it constitutes. At eighteen, Patrick ends the "affair" and Sakia returns to her passion for the piano. Patrick is an abuser and when she commits an offense, she confesses to her beloved father, the chain of events. Saskia has taken control of her life, and as Her father rages against the past happenings, perhaps things will spiral out of Saskia's control.

Can Saskia find someone who can love her who doesn't know about her being a prodigy? Is her former skill what made her lovable or is there something else within that makes her worthwhile? She can always retreat back to the Elf House, but can she face life and live up to reality? Can you face the fact that there were others who are better than you, and you are no longer remarkable?

Thank you to Rachel Kapelke-Dale, St Martin's Press, and NetGalley for a copy of this well written book that might revel some of our own hidden memories.