This was a good, gossipy book that will resonate with anyone who’s ever been involved in the ballet world. I enjoyed the different characters’ points of view, and the ending was satisfying. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Still Point by Tammy Greenwood.

Seeing T. Greenwood's name under a new release is always a thrill! She's easily one of my favorite authors, weaving the most intricate stories that draw you in immediately, this being no exception.

This is a story of a group of ballerinas and their moms, and who is more cutthroat, more competitive when it comes to lead roles and scholarships? But add in complications like loss, grief, lust, betrayal, pregnancy and lies, and now you have a whole new level of competition.

This was so readable, heartwarming, and fun. I loved it from beginning to end and I already can't wait for Greenwood to release her next one!

The novel is an engrossing, emotional read that delves into the complex relationships between mothers and daughters, friends and rivals, and artists and mentors.
Tammy Greenwood herself is a ballet mom and she writes the novel from her experience. The novel has a certain authenticity. It provides insight about the happiness of seeing your children dance so gracefully, as well as the pressures and expectations that come with this short and fleeting dream.
The novel also explores themes such as grief, loss, identity, betrayal, love, and forgiveness.

This is my first read from Tammy Greenwood and I have enjoyed every moment of it. I will definitely be picking up the rest of the books and I would definitely recommend anyone who loves a good read about ballet, friendship and the pressures of society.
#TheStillPoint #NetGalley

As a former dance mom, albeit an unenthusiastic one, I really enjoyed this book about a group of dancers and their mothers. It’s fast paced and the plot is full of great twists and turns. The mothers are so well drawn that I did feel some sympathy, even for the worst ones by the end of the book.

I've been reading Tammy Greenwood's books since her second one (Nearer Than the Sky) and with each one I tell myself "this is her best one yet." The Still Point is a technically challenging story in terms of the plot, and she pulls it off along with her signature strong characters and complex emotions. I loved how it moved between the dance moms and the ballet dancers, and the stakes were so high throughout. I cried at one point because I was so invested. I stayed up late and blew off work because I just had to know how it would all turn out. As a mom I know what it's like to want things for your kids that you have no control over, and she captures perfectly what it's like to watch your children leave the nest without resorting to sentiment or cliche. I loved it and will be gifting it to lots of people once it comes out.

A book set in California, in a small suburb and we follow three ballet dancers at 17, and their mothers.
The chapters are short and alternate in narration.
The tone of voice unfortunately doesn’t differentiate enough for the girls to be believable teens.
Still if you like ballet or are a parent of someone doing a competitive sport, this will interest you.
The pacing is very slow.
Beatrice (Bea) used to be best friends with Olive, who has now become bffs with Savvy (Savanah). Her mom Ever, lost her husband Ethan a year ago and is a writer and teaches writing.
Savvy’s mother Josie is only 36, and a spitfire and houses the artist in residence in her pool house on the DL.
Olive’s mom Lindsay works in real estate. Her weight fluctuates a lot. She thinks that is one of the reasons her husband and her aren’t doing well.
I know it’s just a character, but it it truly embarrassing she doesn’t know more about her body. If I met her I would take her to a course on sex ed.
Comparing this book to dance moms and Little fires everywhere wasn’t smart. It isn’t at all as vicious as dance moms (which I guess is good). And tonaly Celeste Ng writes very differently from this author.
I read this as an ebook, and with the glossary in the back, I hadn’t noticed it till the end. I would put it after the introduction.
The author uses a lot of words and adjectives that could’ve been skipped.
I wish we went deeper into the characters, some seemed a little one dimensional.
I feel like more editing would have done this book well.
Overall it was a bit of a mixed bag for me.

This is a compelling novel perfect for fans of Lianne Moriarty and Megan Abbott. While not quite as dark as Megan Abbott's books, the general vibe is similar. The reader feels a sense of delicious dread and anticipation.
This is a competitive world where people don't think twice about betraying and back stabbing. Assisted by her own personal experience raising a competitive dancer, Greenwood evokes the atmosphere and world in a remarkably realistic way. You feel like you are at the studio along with the characters. The plot moves along at a nice pace. I could definitely see this one as a movie or tv series because there's a lovely cinematic quality to the storytelling. The drama, while super entertaining, isn't too over the top; everything that happens still feels like something that might actually occur in the real world.

I received a complimentary e-galley from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my review; all opinions are my own.

This book focuses on the dancers and their moms. Each chapter is written from the point of view of each character. The book is more than just dancing, competition, and dance moms; it's about their lives, dreams, and other things.

Thank you to Kensingston Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an review.

A great read! Girls and their moms in the dance world. Friends become competitors, each mom trying to make their daughters dreams come true.
I am a huge fan of this author, she draws you into the ballet world and the things us moms do for our kids!

Tammy Greenwood did a masterful job of storytelling in this book. I really enjoyed her writing. She begins the book with an author's note which describes her own experiences with a daughter that pursues a career in ballet. I greatly appreciate an author's input, particularly at the beginning of a book, as it gives the reader an idea of how a story becomes a book. Having taken ballet for many years, I could appreciate the terminology and the personalities of the instructors. The mothers were out of my league, but very realistic. Clearly attempting to live their own dreams through their daughters, was the theme, and Greenwood turned it into a mesmerizing read. She focuses on the personalities of the various characters as well as the effect that the mothers' drive for their daughters' success has on the families. It definitely reminded me of Big Little Lies. This is the first book by Ms. Greenwood that I have read, and I am anxious to read more of her books. I highly recommend this book and would like to thank Netgalley and Kengsington Books for the opportunity to preview this book in exchange for an honest review.

As a devoted fan of shows like Dance Moms, I was eagerly anticipating "The Still Point," and I'm pleased to say that it certainly lived up to my expectations. The novel revolves around the world of ballet, with its core narrative told through the perspective of Bea, a teenage ballet dancer, along with three 'dance moms' at her dance company. The story takes an intriguing turn when a prestigious scholarship competition, filmed for the world to see, is announced, setting the stage for a whirlwind of drama and personal dynamics.

What impressed me most about "The Still Point" was its ability to deliver a satisfying dose of drama. The interpersonal dynamics among the characters were rich and intriguing, keeping me fully engaged throughout. The portrayal of the intense dance competition world felt authentic.

"The Still Point" is an enjoyable read for fans of drama, dance, and coming-of-age stories. The novel successfully captures the competitive world of dance and offers a glimpse into the complexities of relationships and personal growth. While some elements felt familiar, the engaging narrative and well-crafted character arcs make this a book I'd recommend to others. I'm looking forward to the author's next endeavor and hope to see even more development in their already strong storytelling skills.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary ebook copy of "The Still Point" from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely loved - was invested from page one and couldn't put down. As a former dancer it was so on point to the culture and mindset. The twists and turns never disappointed!!

This was a really fast enjoyable read. I liked hearing the story from different characters perspectives.

I enjoyed the same level of drama as with Dance Moms but I was expecting more interaction with the mums and their interviews/talking heads with the documentary.

I think Bea, like other characters, wasn’t very established other than being a talented dancer who lost her father. I think more could have been done with the issue at the beach with Nick/ Olive to flesh out a more interesting and three dimensional character.

Despite the length of this book it felt as though the events and characters were only skimming the surface and so much more could have been explored perhaps with a tighter plot. It was fun to read reality tv in novel form but it fell short of my expectations unfortunately. I would however still recommend it as a fun, easy read.

Dance Moms meets Big Little Lies meets Little Fires Everywhere in this ballet-centric suspense-drama.

This book is pitched as being a cross between the iconic reality TV series, Dance Moms, and the Celeste Ng novel-turned-TV-series, Little Fires Everywhere. However, I will go further to add that there is definitely a Big Little Lies vibe here. So if that’s your cup of tea, keep reading to find out what I thought about this book!

The Still Point follows three moms—Ever, Lindsay, and Josie—as they grapple with their daughters’ final year at the California ballet school they’ve come to call home. However, the ante is upped when a controversial figure in the ballet world comes to direct their production of The Nutcracker. Not only that, but he’ll be filming a documentary and selecting one student to receive a full scholarship to the Ballet de Paris Academie.

If there’s one thing I have always loved in fiction, it’s stories about ballet. I’m not even sure why. I did dance for a decade as a kid/teen, but never ballet. But the mystery, the allure of ballet was thrilling to me. I consumed episodes of Dance Academy like it was my lifeline. So when I saw this book pop up on my feed, I knew I had to read it. We always hear about ballet being a cutthroat world, but Tammy Greenwood handles it with such grace and integrity. In her note, she mentions that The Still Point is a “love letter to ballet” and that comes across in each stroke of her pen.

The thing about this book is that it isn’t that these characters are inherently vindictive or ruthless… Okay, maybe some of them are. On the whole, however, it is a group of women and girls who are passionate and strong and enduring. They have a goal before them—whether it’s for themselves or for their daughters—and they are relentless in their pursuit of achieving it. The hitch, however, is Etienne Bernay who arrives on the scene almost solely to stir up trouble. While it makes for a very intriguing novel, I also wanted to throat punch Etienne like ninety percent of the time because he was just causing drama for his own personal amusement and not considering the wellbeing of his pupils.

One of the most intriguing aspects of this novel is the way in which the girls—primarily Bea, Olive, and Savvy—are pitted against one another and how the toxicity of their environment seeps into their lives. Etienne dangles the scholarship in front of the girls’ faces, using it to manipulate situations into very dark and often dangerous situations.

From the get-go, we learn that something has happened between Bea and Olive. Once best friends, they barely acknowledge each other and now Olive has turned her attention to the crown jewel of the studio, Savvy. Tammy Greenwood artfully leaves a breadcrumb trail of evidence between the ensemble of characters that will lead you to the events that lead Bea and Olive’s relationship to unravel.

It’s difficult to dive into the beauty of this novel without giving away the best parts of the plot, the ones you have to uncover on your own discovery. I will say, there’s nothing I want more than to view the final footage of the documentary that was filmed in this studio. Now that would make for a good show.

The Still Point will capture the attention of both those who love ballet and those who couldn’t tell a plié from an arabesque.

(3.5 stars)
“In the best pas de deux… the audience wasn’t a spectator, but a voyeur.” The Still Point allows you to be a voyeur of would-be prima ballerinas and the mothers who get them there by holding their “breath with every pirouette, every lift”. After being impressed by Such A Pretty Girl, I picked up The Still Point hoping to be transported to another world, like 1970s New York. Set in Costa del la Luna, this book follows three ballet mums and their daughters in fire-ravaged part of North America.

The bushfire is a nice metaphor for the turmoil and competitiveness between the girls, between their mothers, and often in each mother–daughter pair: “It wasn’t Olive, it was her: Lindsay. Before. In a body exactly like Olive’s: perky breasts, flat tummy, a cute little round butt.” These tensions are exacerbated by a competition to win a place and coveted scholarship at a Parisian company. Adding fuel to the fire is a rebellious young and sexy ballet dancer and choreographer, Etienne, and a filmmaker, Lotte, documenting his journey.

The characters are all flawed, and all competitive in their own ways, making it hard to maintain friendships between the women and girls on the cusp of womanhood. The singular focus of each pair on ballet causes rifts in the women’s relationships too. This book will likely make ballet mums question their reasons for being a ballet mum, and whether they have the mettle to enter this bitchy, competitive world.

While I liked reading this book, the world building wasn’t quite as grand as Greenwood’s previous book. I thought more could have been made about why Bea behaved as she did, and how grief plays out on the night with Nick: “It was like the exquisite pain of being en pointe, the agony of muscles stretched to their limits.” I also found the book overall a bit thin in terms of character development, Josie and Savvy in particular were villains without really being fleshed out. Even Olive was a bit hard to relate to and like. It is a love story to ballet though, and its ephemeral nature: “We dance, and then it’s all just a memory.”

Thank you to the publisher for the arc!


Wow I wanted a book that resembled dance moms and that’s exactly what I got. Although this was a more mature take on it. I ended up really enjoying it.

A compelling novel about competitive ballet, where talented girls backed by fierce stage Moms fight for the prize of a Paris scholarship. Recommended!

Enjoyed this suspenseful story. Greenwood knows her stuff about the dance world. It was a pleasure to get sucked into a good book with rich characters. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

"The Still Point" by Tammy Greenwood is an exploration of the tumultuous world of ballet, where dreams, desires, and secrets interweave to shape the lives of three families. Set against the backdrop of a prestigious ballet competition, the novel delves into the lives of dancers, mothers who have dedicated themselves to nurturing their daughters' dance aspirations. As renowned ballet director Etienne Bernay enters their lives, bringing both opportunity and upheaval, the story unfolds with intricate layers of friendship, rivalry, sacrifice, and ambition. Greenwood's prose gracefully captures the essence of the dance world, while her well-crafted characters navigate the complexity of relationships, motherhood, and the pursuit of art.

"The Still Point" deftly examines the intricate connections between motherhood, friendship, and the pursuit of artistic excellence. With its finely tuned balance of drama and introspection, the novel dives into the hidden corners of ambition, exposing the secrets and lies that bind and divide these families. Greenwood's writing exudes a rich tapestry of emotions—love, hope, jealousy, and desire—while the backdrop of ballet provides a mesmerizing stage for the characters to navigate their personal journeys. Fans of stories that seamlessly blend complex relationships with the allure of artistic passion will find "The Still Point" a compelling and beautifully rendered exploration of the sacrifices we make for the ones we love and the dreams we chase.

As someone who has seen all episodes of Dance Moms, I was totally ready to eat up The Still Point and can happily say it delivered. The novel is told from the perspective of teenaged ballet dancer Bea and three 'dance moms' at her dance company after a filmed competition for a prestigious scholarship is announced. Readers will not be left wanting for drama and will enjoy the interpersonal dynamics.

The Still Point was a super fun read and I'd be excited for the author's next book. I dropped the review to 4 stars because there were several characters that didn't seem very consequential, and it was hard to remember who was connected to who. I like that Bea wasn't written to be all perfect (and actually did behave pretty poorly in one instance) against the visage of mean girl Savvy, but the 'snobby rich bully vs the more deserving, but financially struggling protagonist' thing isn't super groundbreaking. Bea got a redemption arc after her terrible behavior, but Savvy was only sent off with a cryptic message about people like her getting what's coming. Ever was a great character from beginning to end, and a bright spot in the book.

Note: I received a free ebook copy of The Still Point from NetGalley in exchange for an honest revie