At first instance, I was only interested in reading The Still Point because of its unique plot about ballet dance moms and their daughters. But it turned out to be an unexpected gem that I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. The chaotic events, gossip, secrets, and just all around drama made it a very entertaining read. Though, certain aspects of the book did feel childish at times, it didn’t take away from me enjoying the book as a whole.

The Still Point, by Tammy Greenwood, follows the lives of young aspiring ballet dancers and their troubled relationships with their mothers. The novel focuses on Bea, a talented ballet dancer with lots of raw potential, who is driven by her dream of one day becoming a prima ballerina. A once-in-a-generation title, so rare that only a handful of dancers since the 19th century have held this title. But Bea’s fellow dance friends also share the same dream and the unfortunate reality is that there can only be one prima ballerina. Bourne out of this competitive dream, is a toxic rivalry between the girls and their mothers who all want their daughter to be the best of the best. The Still Point is a unique novel that exposes the ugly feelings, destructive relationships, and the toxic rivalry that plague the world of dance.

Greenwood’s writing style, is captivating from the first turn of the page, throwing the reader instantly into the dance world drama. It alters between the perspectives of the young ballet dancers and their mothers, giving a more in-depth understanding into the complex relationships that dance mothers have with their daughters and each other. Greenwood clearly taps into her own experience as a mother of a professional ballet dancer and pours into each of these characters the polarising feelings between the love of dance and the hate that can come as a result of it— The Still Point.

Throughout the novel, a mystery which led to a rift between Bea and her fellow dance friends, particularly her best friend Olive, is tugged on here and there. When the mystery is finally revealed, it seemed arbitrary to the plot of the novel as a whole and slightly childish, (though they are children the mystery just didn’t fit the storyline). Also, the way Bea and Olive resolved their friendship, felt rushed and clumsy. And, Ever’s, Bea’s mother, storyline didn’t resonate with me at all . By the end of the novel it seemed like her storyline was also rushed to a conclusion which slightly took away the impact the novel had.

Though overall, The Still Point is still an enlightening read, which explores a range of important themes like, toxic rivalry, overbearing parental pressure, romance, and chaotic family drama. Shedding light on the true nature of the world of dance beyond the dazzling plays and bright spotlights. It uncovers the hidden sacrifices and burdens that comes with pursuing ballet. Almost warning mothers, of the still point between wanting the best for their daughters careers and burdening them with their expectations. Though I felt the multiple storylines seemed to reach a rush conclusion, it doesn’t negate the important overarching question it leaves the reader with — is thrusting children into the world of competitive dance truly worth crossing that still point and jeopardising cherished mother-daughter relationships?

*Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.*

“You moms. You’re worse than we are, you know. You’re supposed to be the grown-ups, but when it comes down to it, you’re all vicious and jealous and awful.”

Truth be told, while I love opera and classical music, I’ve never been much of a ballet fan. But I love stories of hypercompetitive environments, where parents are trying to live (or relive) dreams through their child. And this is what I got in The Still Point.

This novel revolves around a southern California ballet school, where the moms are way too involved in their daughters’ lives. The story is told through alternating perspectives of ballet moms Ever, Lindsay and Josie, and Ever’s daughter, Bea. Competition is mild until the day ballet bad boy Etienne Bernay arrives from Paris, with his distinctive teaching style, and offering a full scholarship to the Ballet de Paris Academie … for one lucky girl.

“May the best young woman win” isn’t an option with this clutch of clingy ballet moms, and the tensions rise, both between once cordial mothers and the girls who have trained together from first grade. The alternating chapters move the action along and I enjoyed the various perspectives made this an enjoyable tale. That said, I’m sure ballet moms or those who love ballet would enjoy it more and recognize the grueling practices and certain types. An enjoyable, voyeuristic view into the world of ballet.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy - all thoughts are my own.

Another compulsively readable, beautifully crafted novel by Tammy Greenwood. “The Still Point” highlights the competitive, back-biting world of developing ballet dancers-and their parents. Set against a backdrop of real-life love, loss, uncertainty and regret, this book will take your heart on a breathless ride. Highly recommend.

Welcome to the world of ballet! It’s filled with mothers and daughters acting badly, ambition, jealousy and manipulation. Watch the behind the scenes struggles as three mothers push their daughters to compete for the best roles and prime internships. Then see what happens when ballet master, the charismatic Etienne Bernay enters as a guest teacher and promises a full scholarship to the prestigious Ballet de Paris Academie. Ever, Josie and Lindsay have been friends since their daughters, Bea, Savvy and Olive, first began lessons. However, ambition beats friendship and the fight for the scholarship is on.

The Still Point is impossible to put down. Ever, Josie and Lindsay are so well described, you’ll feel like you know them. Ever, a recent widow with money problems is heartbreaking. Josie is so desperate to have Savvy win that she loses sight of the other important things in her life. And Lindsay is worried about what exists in her imagination. The daughters must struggle with the physical pain of dance, teenage angst and social media. The Still Point is totally unique, exceptional and a must read. Kudos to Tammy Greenwood! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Books and Tammy Greenwood for this ARC.

I expected more from this book. Advertised as a mix between Celeste Ng books and dance moms, The Still Point immediately piqued my interest. However, it ended up being lackluster and ultimately seemed like it was trying to do too much and failing. So disappointed

Sometimes it is difficult to know who is the most childish in the story - the ballet dancers or their parents. Vicious, vindictive, evil…loads of drama and love in this saga. The book moves along quickly through conflict, surprise, and pain. The Still Point is an interesting insider’s view of the ultra-competitive ballet world.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

A new, French ballet instructor lands at a California ballet school to film a documentary. When he announces he will be sponsoring a scholarship to a ballet school in Paris for one select dancer, the competition brings out the worst in the dancers and their moms.

Overall I enjoyed this book. I liked portrayal of cut throat stage moms that almost felt like an homage to Dance Moms.

I think this book's downfall for me was the pacing. It just took a long time to get where it was going.

I also would have loved to have heard the POV's of some of the dancers other than Bea.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book! It was pacey, gossipy, and the perfect balance between teenage issues and adult. I am praying it gets picked up for TV because I'd love to see it adapted. Just brilliant!

A fascinating peak behind the curtain into the world of ballet. The Still Point follows three mothers and their daughters as the girls apply to a prestigious ballet program.

The many switches of narrator and the fact that their voices weren’t much different was distracting. Each of the stories were slow moving, but at as a whole I enjoyed see inside the cutthroat world of ballet.

I think no book review can ever justify how exceptional this book is! This book has the realest characters. I literally don’t know what to write rn… I’m speechless. It might sound like a lot but I feel like this could be a classic. I said what I said.

I picked this book because it mentioned ballet, but it was so much more than a competition for a ballet scholarship!! I was about love, loss, family, relationships, friendship, motherhood, sacrifices, jealousy, struggles (both parents and children), parenthood, backstabbing, disappointment, victory, acceptance omg the list is never ending!

The characters were so real like everyone in real life, no one is all good or all bad, we act according to the circumstances, according to what felt right, you can never blame a single person for what they did or didn’t and this book covered all this beautifully. I’m just not able to write how I am feeling right now, all I can say is that you need to read this book! Like really! Add this to your tbr, you’ll really thank me for this one 😭😭😭😭😭

The Still Point is entertaining and well crafted. The story takes us in the world of ballet mothers and their talented children. The different point of views throughout the story were enjoyable and the aesthetics of the plot were nice to read. The ending felt satisfying.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy!

The Still Point is a fascinating behind the scenes look at the competitive world ballet. The level 6 girls are hoping to turn pro, and most have been competing against one another since they were young. When a famous male French dancer comes to the studio and begins to shake up the old traditions and hierarchies, the girls and their parents, are concerned. The promise of a full scholarship to a prestigious dance school has everyone trying to catch the visiting teachers attention. Some will quit. Some will be injured. And at the end of the day, one will win.

Thanks to the author and publisher for making this book available for my honest review. I rate this book five stars.

When I saw this book on netgalley, the cover was what drew me in. I'd frankly not read anything by Tammy Greenwood nor do I know a lot about ballet.
The story follows three ballet moms and their daughters as they prepare themselves for The Nutcracker and fight for a chance to get a scholarship to Ballet de Paris.
I found myself wanting to know more about ballet. My one point of critique might be that I don't feel like I've learned a lot about ballet. I like learning stuff about new topics by reading books about that topic. But actually, I think the ballet may just be the background (the set pieces of you will) against which the main story plays out: that of (the relationships between) the moms and the daughters.

Thanks a lot to the publisher for granting me this eARC and to the author for writing this book!

I loved the book. It's entertaining, with a bit of irony and a certain wit, a realistic, tender description of realities. I particularly enjoyed reading it, while waiting for my daughter's girls' ballet class to finish, surrounded by more or less ambitious ballet moms and a few dads. Although in Germany it is still a bit different from the overall schooling setting in the US, I believe. Ballet lovers, moms and daughters will certainly enjoy Tammy Greenwood's novel.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this alluring ballet novel. Definitely was sucked into this book mostly due to the ballet component. Despite the rest of the content I seem to be captivated by books relating to the mystery and demands of the ballet world. If this book were about something else would it have been as good?....probably not but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved the characters, story and seeing how the plot played out. It did feel a little slow at times and I wish there was a little more finality to the story but overall a good read for fellow ballet lovers

The Still Point by Tammy Greenwood

Movingly told from multiple viewpoints, Greenwood’s novel is a realistic deep dive into the challenging and intensely competitive world of young ballet students and their mothers, who confront the same insecurities and inner agonies as their talented daughters. The catalyst for conflict at Costa del Luna Conservatory of Ballet is rogue French dance star Etienne Bernay, visiting ballet master, who arrives at the academy with a documentary crew. He will direct the annual production of The Nutcracker and will also choose one student to receive a scholarship to the Ballet de Paris Académie. Cue the rivalries.

Ever Henderson, widowed mother of two, has high hopes for her daughter Bea, who spent the summer studying dance in New York. And indeed, Bea is singled out for attention—more so than Savvy Jacobs, the school’s star. Whose ambitious mother Josie, divorced and divorcing again, believes she’s gained an advantage by securing Etienne as tenant of her guest house. Realtor Lindsay Chase, mother of Bea’s best friend Olive, is troubled by her faltering marriage, worried that her husband is cheating, and is dismayed by her daughter’s sudden transfer of loyalties to privileged, unlikable Savvy.

Bea is tortured by memories of her behavior at a late-night party, which resulted in ostracism by her peers. The preferential treatment and starring role given by Etienne, her prominence in the documentary, and a developing romance with a male classmate can’t compensate for the knowledge that she’s responsible for Savvy’s cruelty and her abandonment by Olive. Just as the mothers must face the realities of their own choices and mistakes, the daughters will each pay a price for theirs. Meanwhile, the enigmatic, charismatic disrupter Etienne choreographs a holiday spectacle that will determine the fates of his dancers and their parents. An intimate, brutally honest yet touching depiction of the demands of the art form and the dedication it demands from all involved, those who study and perform as well as the family members who struggle, sacrifice, and support along the way. (Kensington, 304 pp., paperback/ebook, February, 2024)

This novel follows three mothers and their daughters in the world of ballet as they compete for a scholarship at the Ballet de Paris Academie. Documenting the process of selecting the student who will go to Paris, a film crew is brought in along with Etienne Bernay, who is well known and comes from the French ballet.

As Etienne begins changing how they do things and shining a light on the girls who usually dance in the background, things start to get confusing and heated between the girls and their mothers. Accusations are hurled, friendships are tested, and their passion for ballet hangs in the balance.

This novel had a lot going on, yet the stories remained slightly shallow, with too many soap opera cliffhangers at the end of each chapter. I would have enjoyed less family drama and more behind-the-scenes of the documentary being created.

While I didn’t particularly enjoy the moms in this novel, as they pulled too much energy from the plot, the girls in the ballet conservatory were intriguing. The competitiveness and jealousy felt authentic to the situation, even though the main focus seemed to be more on the mothers at times.

Overall, it was an easy summer read. If you aren’t looking for a heavy book with a lot of substance and just need something light with teenage drama, this is for you.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dramatic with depth and enough ballet to give beautiful visuals, The Still Point is the story of three families—specifically, the moms and their daughters—at a ballet school in California.

When a French ballet master comes to the school to produce his own version of The Nutcracker and grant one girl a scholarship to dance on Paris, the claws come out. The betrayals, the lies, and the losses provide a stark contrast to the beauty and grace of the ballet performances and show the reality of the ballet world: competitive, egotistical, and ambitious to the point of sabotage. While I wish there was more ballet and a little less drama, Greenwood expertly combines the points of view of several characters to create a story that is engaging, educational (assuming you want to learn more about ballet), and full of drama and tragedy. A fun read that will certainly keep readers guessing as to what crazy thing will happen next.

Dives into a world of dancers and moms after a scholarship. Juicy and interesting - the book provides a fun escape and I got fully sucked in. A perfect beach read to power through in one day.

I have been a longtime fan of Tammy Greenwood's novels, so when I saw that she was writing a book revolving around the world of ballet, I was excited because I know that Greenwood has a personal connection to the world of dance through her own talented daughter. Although The Still Point is not autobiographical, snippets of Greenwood's real life are threaded through the pages of this compelling story.

The Still Point is a Dance Moms-esque novel of the elite ballet variety. The story follows three moms - Ever, Lindsay, & Josie - and their respective daughters - Bea, Olive, & Savvy. The girls used to be friends, but after a regrettable incident over the summer, Bea finds herself on the outside of the group. To make matters worse, tensions rise when French ballet master Etienne Bernay shows up on the scene. Etienne is spending the season at their California school, where he will direct the Nutcracker and select one very fortunate student to receive a scholarship to the Ballet de Paris Academie.

Everyone wants the scholarship, but only one student will get it. As the dancers find themselves pitted against each other in a ballet battle of the ages, and the moms attempt to pull strings to place their daughters in favor, long-time trust and relationships are pushed to the wayside in the name of being crowned the best. The stakes are high & the claws are out as the girls dance like their lives depend on it. But who will come out on top and what will be destroyed along the way?

I am always in the mood for a good ballet book, so I quite enjoyed The Still Point, which being told primarily from the POV of the moms, was a different take on dance for me. The Still Point is a book with heart mixed with underhandedness and scandal. It is about the love of a mother for child, and the lengths we, as humans, go to to protect our own.