I felt like this book... tried too hard. It was overdescriptive and convoluted in many parts. It was confusing, and didn't give much aid to the confusion, even though the descriptions were thorough. The writing style is beautiful, but it just didn't mesh well with me.

To be entirely fair, I ran into some health problems during the time I was reading this, so maybe I will give it another chance soon.

3/5 stars because I enjoyed it, but the writing style was not for me.

This was a gothic mix of Phantom of the Opera and Beauty and the Beast. Had a nice mix of historical and mystical. I enjoyed the twist in the plot.

I was in the mood for a shorter book that I could finish quickly; instead, I got a book that was short in terms of pages but immensely long in terms of everything else. Don't misunderstand--the writing is beautiful and, as the description says, lyrical. But it was so rich and so florid that it became difficult to read. The story itself was lost behind long passages of tediously poetic prose without even short chapters to provide easy times to breathe. If something could be described once, it was described three times, as if the author couldn't decide which option to choose and believed including all of them would be best. This method could have worked if employed sparingly, but it wasn't--it was applied to everything throughout the book. Dialogue was sparse. Because of these things, I found myself pushing myself to keep reading just so I could finish the book.

This author absolutely has a very poetic way of writing, but I would have enjoyed this book more if it hadn't been like walking into a perfume store every time I opened it. However, it even making the book more readable wouldn't have improved my rating beyond 3 stars because I was unsatisfied with the ending.

Note: Writing too rich to be enjoyable. Very, very, very mild occurrence of sex (no description).

Overall I liked it. It had the dreaminess of a fairy tale with that touch of darkness that lets you know something isn’t quite right. The prose was so-so for me, at times it was gorgeous but at other times it fell a bit flat. I had to suspend some disbelief that Grace didn’t put the pieces together sooner than she did because of the play being staged but I can overlook that.

I might’ve enjoyed it more if I had an interest in dance as the fantasy aspect of it (with Death and Sleep) was much more intriguing to me. When we were with those characters was when I was most engaged.

Unfortunately, the ending was just alright. This is totally personal preference but I wanted it to go a certain way, I felt like the magic explanation was there to make it work, but it went a different direction that left me disappointed. So, this part is all on me. Other people might love the end! It’s such a quick read that there’s no reason not to give this one a try.


Note: I received a free electronic edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank them, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to do so.

Haunting, dramatic and dark. This was easy to love and quick to read. I really loved the mix of fantasy, ballet and fairy tales. If you enjoy The Phantom of the Opera, chances are you'll love this one too.

I sincerely appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Nocturne is set in Chicago in the 1930s. Grace Dragotta has always wanted to be a ballering. This dream was created when she once peered through the windows of the Near North Ballet Company. Grace becomes orphaned and decides her home will be with ballet. The Great Depression is now going on in the world, but Grace's world is ballet and in her company. Grace has now become the prima ballerina. But, Grace realizes that the dream of clawing her way up in the ballerina world is not wholly what she envisioned. Grace attracts the attention of Master La Rosa and he becomes her personal patron. Grace will come to learn that others hold secrets and that the world is different than she truly thought.

I first received an dro from NetGalley and truly tried to read it, but I struggled to get into the book. I kept putting off reading more of this book and decided to mood read in the month of February. Then, I got covid right before this book released and as I got more sick and feeling more like crap, I decided to give up on wanting to read more of Nocturne and to just request the audiobook on Libby.

Once I got this audiobook, I thought it could be promising, but I started to notice myself getting bored, which caused my mind to wander off a lot.

As I got more into the book, I found the plot to be confusing since it felt like it truly did not know what truly it wanted to be; this goes for Master La Rosa's character as well. I found the romance in this book to be lacking and that the characters were one dimensional.

As I am writing this review, I hopped onto Goodreads and noticed I read The Waking Forest by this author back in 2019. I happened to give that book 2.5 stars too and I say that the world and writing is beautiful, but at the same time really lacks depth. I go or to defining lack of depth as the character development and world building were utterly one dimensional.

Furthermore, in that review I say it has a promising plot, but if the author focused on building more of the world and work on fleshing out the characters plus not focusing on writing beautiful prose, then it would be a great book.

For Nocturne, I will echo all that I said in my The Waking Forest review is exactly the problems that I had when reading Nocturne.

I am just going to say that Alyssa Wees is not an author for me.

Thought this was a beautiful story but was a bit confusing at times. It took me a little bit to get into the story, but once I started reading I found the writing to be lyrical and I couldn’t stop reading. Also enjoyed the dark romance aspect.

Review from Goodreads

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

3 and a half because I feel like I didn't quite understand the ending, but rounded up to 4 because I actually enjoyed this book quite a bit. More than anything, I enjoyed the atmosphere of this novel. It felt like a winter fairy tale. I loved the lyrical writing and the artistic passion of the characters. I also loved the strong friendship between the two main female characters. Overall, this was right up my alley and the length ensured that the story didn't overstay it's welcome.

Review:

I truly enjoyed this book. Beautifully written, it was a job to simply experience the words. I loved seeing where the spook & the fantasy played out along the way. Beautifully written.

Description
In this haunting, evocative fantasy set in 1930s Chicago, a talented ballerina finds herself torn between her dreams and her desires when she’s pursued by a secretive patron who may be more than he seems.

“An enchanting and lyrical fever dream bursting with dazzling prose and dark romance, Nocturne enthralled me.”—Erin A. Craig, New York Times bestselling author of House of Salt and Sorrows

Growing up in Chicago’s Little Sicily in the years following the Great War, Grace Dragotta has always wanted to be a ballerina, ever since she first peered through the windows of the Near North Ballet company. So when Grace is orphaned, she chooses the ballet as her home, imagining herself forever ensconced in a transcendent world of light and beauty so different from her poor, immigrant upbringing.

Years later, with the Great Depression in full swing, Grace has become the company’s new prima ballerina—though achieving her long-held dream is not the triumph she once envisioned. Time and familiarity have tarnished that shining vision, and her new position means the loss of her best friend in the world. Then she attracts the attention of the enigmatic Master La Rosa as her personal patron and realizes the world is not as small or constricted as she had come to fear.

Who is her mysterious patron, and what does he want from her? As Grace begins to unlock the Master’s secrets, she discovers that there is beauty in darkness as well as light, finds that true friendship cannot be broken by time or distance, and realizes there may be another way entirely to achieve the transcendence she has always sought.

This truly had everything you need: stunning imagery, beautiful depictions of ballet and so much more. Loved!

I unfortunately did not have a chance to finish this title before it was published despite having an interest in it. Rated 5stars, did not finish.

Nocturne is a beautifully haunting, dark fairytale that is part Phantom of the Opera and part Hades and Persephone. The story was a little darker than I normally care for, but it drew me in and made me feel immersed in the world.

*I received a review copy from the publisher through Netgalley

Sadly, NOCTURNE wasn't for me and I ended up DNF-ing. I gave it a fair shot but eventually realized I wasn't enjoying it and wasn't invested or interested in the characters or plot. The cover is gorgeous and the author's prose is delightful, but I don't typically read the genre and after some consideration, I decided against finishing it.
Thank you for the ARC and I apologize for my lack of follow-through.

Wow wow wow. This book was really something. Nocturne was beautifully written, magical, chilling, and unlike anything I’ve ever read before. The plot was so unique and interesting to read. While it was a little difficult for me to get through at first I’m glad I pushed through because I really ended up enjoying this.

As I said the author’s writing was absolutely beautiful. Every line felt like a poem. All though at some points it could be too descriptive or to poem like, I really loved reading it. I’ve never read a novel with this sort of writing and it really helped add to the magical vibe of the book.

I enjoyed how the author would easily foreshadow the future of the book. I not only felt like I was truly reading from Grace’s perspective but almost like she was recalling a story to me. As if it was already years following the end of the book but I went back to the beginning to relive her story and how she got to the point she was at when the book finished.

Grace and Emilia’s friendship was so powerful and true during the whole book. Both characters were written well. However, I do think that it took Grace a little too long to figure out certain twists as I had them figured out king before. That, the slow start, and the sometimes surplus of description is why this book was 4 stars for me.

But overall I really enjoyed this book. If anyone is looking for a magical, mysterious, slightly romantic, and unique read, I definitely recommend this book.


Thank you NetGalley for the E-ARC!

I absolutely adored this book that is pure magic at its best. What starts as a historical fiction set in Chicago in the 1930s transforms into a beautiful fantasy about a ballerina, her violin, and the kingdom of death.

When Grace becomes the prima ballerina at The Near North Ballet Company, she is overjoyed that her dream has come true. In accepting this position, she has become a patron of Master LaRosa and must move into his mansion. This is when the book becomes truly magical. As Grace begins to see the world of her patron, she comes to know him and develops feelings for him. But she also questions weather she can trust him.

This Beauty and the Beast retelling is perfect for a list of books like ACOTAR. It is beautiful and absolutely heartbreaking. The writing is lyrical and I savored every minute. It is perfect for anyone who loves to read books like The Night Circus. You will obsess over this haunting pick from ultimate beach reads 2023.

I had to really think about this one because I think the plot isn't that original but the way it's told was so pretty that it lured me into thinking that I'd liked it more than I actually had.
Grace Dragotta is an orphan. She's a violin player and a wonderful ballerina despite starting training way later than those around her in the Near North Ballet Company. Grace is also a survivor who has worked hard to overcome losing all her loved ones in order to achieve her dream of being Prima, even though the reality is not as bright as she had hoped.
Things get dark when it's revealed that her new position is in thanks to the enigmatic Master La Rosa, her personal patron and the man with whom she is sent to live with in an empty but magical mansion. And this is when things start to get fantastical and Wees's lyrical writing style really takes off. It worked okay with the historical fiction aspect of the first part of the story, but you can tell this fantasy of life, dreams, and death is really what Wees was aiming for from the very beginning. The lyrical and songlike prose works wonders in telling this story that's so spectral that I don't want to give away any of the magic.
In the end, even though it's a very familiar plot and the 'surprises' are obvious way before they're revealed, it's told so beautifully that you really do end up falling in the thrall of the story.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for the enchanting read!

Seeing 1930s, Chicago, and fantasy really piqued my interest, but holy moly this is so bogged down by its purple prose. It is overwritten to the point of being distracting, and it just didn't make for an enjoyable reading experience. I really struggled with this one.

I really wanted to enjoy this because I love gothic romances. However, I had a hard time getting into this book because it was very slow. Still, the best of the of the book was the writing. It was very evocative and sensory! I recommend this for fans that love dark stories with ballet settings!

Wow! This was absolutely beautiful. I'm obsessed with Phantom of the Opera and this did brilliant. It's like phantom of the opera but ballet x Hades and Persephone/ beauty and the beast set in old Chicago. The cover beautiful. The writing beautiful. Did I mention it's beautiful? I need to buy a physical copy to keep. Brava, brava, bravissima!

I loved this novel and everything about it! I couldn't put it down and I have purchased a psychical copy for my shelves at home.