This book made me want to go see a ballet and dance around my house, but some of the time jumps in this book made it hard to follow, and the characters weren't all that loveable as some of them seemed cold and one-dimensional.

I REALLY wanted to love this one. I was intrigued right away from the beautiful cover. Unfortunately that pacing didn’t work for me. I found it to be quite slow. However, the writing was lovely and I have a tremendous amount of respect for the author for speaking her truth. Thank you for the opportunity to listen.

Natalia was a prima ballerina, first in her native Russia and then in Paris.  After her career was stalled due to an accident, she is invited back to Russia to star in one last show - except the invitation came from Dimitri, a man who she despises because of his betrayal.  Once back in Russia her past haunts her on every block, old friends, old loves and her family.  Natalia has to regain her skills and confidence and also revisit and make peace with her past.

This was a beautiful story of a woman who had and lost almost everything.  There were times where the story felt a bit slow but there were enough parts that had me completely engrossed in the story and made me forget about the slower parts.  The narrator was wonderful however with the complex timelines and stories, I do wish I had had the book as well as the audio.  If you like a good story with complicated relationships, then I would definitely recommend this one.

4.25 stars

Thank you to Harper Audio and NetGalley for the ALC

City of Night Birds offers a compelling glimpse into the high-stakes world of Russian ballet, blending artistry, ambition, and personal turmoil. Natalia Leonova’s journey—navigating past traumas, addiction, and the lure of a second chance—creates a layered and emotionally charged narrative. Juhea Kim’s writing is rich and evocative, particularly in its depiction of the ballet world’s beauty and brutality.

However, the novel’s pacing may feel uneven, with some sections lingering on introspection while others rush through pivotal moments. The characters, though complex, occasionally lean into familiar archetypes—the tortured artist, the ruthless genius, the lost love—making some plot developments predictable.

That said, the book’s strengths lie in its atmosphere and emotional depth. Readers who enjoy introspective, character-driven stories with a strong sense of place will likely appreciate City of Night Birds, while those seeking a more fast-paced or plot-heavy read might find it slower to unfold.

City of Night Birds is about a prima ballerina, Natalia Leonova, returning to St. Petersburg to attempt to mount a comeback. Will her body allow her to dance? Will she be able to mentally and emotionally handle the pain?

I really liked the first half of this book, both the current timeline and the flashbacks. It lost me a bit in the second half (I think a matter of pacing). I liked narrator Amy Landon.

This story takes you deep into the world of ballet and the strive to get to the top and stay at the top. It centers around Natasha, a famous Russian prima ballerina, who retired after a devastating accident. Now coping with alcohol and pills she is given the opportunity to take to the stage again.

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Kim paints Natalia as a dedicated and disciplined artist and gives a peek into what goes on behind the stage. I enjoyed learning about the ballet culture and what the dancers go through to achieve such beauty, but there is A LOT of ballet. Overall, the writing is lovely, if a bit dark and pessimistic but that seemed to fit the Russian setting. The plot was slow and the only character that got any development was Natalia. I would have like to have more insight into her boyfriend, Alexander. Amy Landon’s narration was a pleasure and generally I enjoyed this, despite the somewhat plodding pace.

Wow, ‘City of Night Birds’ by Juhea Kim was an intriguing story about a Natasha, a ballerina during her prime years as dancer. I am always drawn towards historical fiction and enjoyed peaking into the lives of what a ballerina may go through in life and how they overcome their obstacles.

For me to grasp the other languages and how words are spelled with the proper pronunciation, I listened to the audio as well as reading along with the physical book. With that being said I think Amy Landon did a wonderful job narrating.

** Thank you NetGalley, Harper Audio, and Juhea Kim for an eARC copy of ‘City of Night Birds’

BOOK REVIEW

Thank you to @harperaudio for my copy of City of Night Birds by Juhea Kim.

I am not a dance girl, but as I’ve gotten older, my girlfriends have made me grow to love the ballet (admittedly, I go for the dinner and cocktails and yap more than the actual ballet, but still). This, combined with a few solid reviews from friends I trust made me excited to read this one.

Here’s what I liked about this one - the fierce female friendships, the raw and honest ambition, and the darker look behind the curtain.

Here’s what I didn’t love - the slower pacing, the lack of development from the supporting characters and the setting / time period. For a character driven novel, none of the other characters really popped for me, and at times during the story found myself having to remind myself that this was a modern novel, not a historical fiction (something about it felt a bit off).

I will say, I JUST finished The Favorites, an Instagram darling that had MANY similarities to this one and in comparison, this one felt less impressive.

This book explored intriguing themes! However, I had a hard time connecting with the story and that is obviously on me and not the book. I recognize that it has great potential to appeal to other readers and I encourage others to try it out! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC of this audio book. If you like ballet, and stories full of drama, this one is for you. The basic premise of the book is, two years after a life altering incident, the main character returns to the cut throat world of ballet in St. Petersburg. The novel is slowly paced, but there's a sense of 'something bad is going to happen'. Set with dual time lines, there's a little of everything, which made it an interesting read.

This is not a book I would normally choose for myself but our local library book club is reading it so I grabbed a copy. This story is lovely and I enjoyed reading Natalia’s adventure through ballet and through life. As she was trying to get herself back ready to perform again after getting hurt she takes the reader through her history of performing at all the great ballet houses after learning to dance at school. I enjoyed Natalia’s friends Nina and the women of the ballet who worked with Natalia to help her get into shape. I learned about the ballet world and I was so happy for Nina when she got promoted, The ending of this story was beautiful and Natalia’s life transformed into something elegant and fulfilling, The narrator was perfect for this story and I was so thankful to have encountered this story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishing for a copy of this audiobook.

I was surprised by how much I liked this book. As a person who mostly reads psychological thrillers, I have been trying to read more books outside my preferred genre. I always trust Reese's Book Club picks, and I am glad I went out of my comfort zone to read this one. "The City of Night Birds" explores the fierce world of ballet. Even though I didn't know much about ballet before reading this book, it was still very intriguing and captivating. The story did jump around a bit, but overall I enjoyed it. It was a compelling story of resilience.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Amy Landon. She really made the story come to life, and I greatly enjoyed her storytelling. She held my attention, and I didn't want to stop listening.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

The world of ballet is beautifully illustrated in Kim’s City of Night Birds. This character driven book digs deep into Natalia’s life from her childhood, to a life changing accident and her return. Her devotion to the art is unwavering and this is felt throughout the heartbreaking narrative. I found myself asking when enough was enough. Amy Landon’s narration of this added to the beauty of this book.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

This book had all the makings of a beautifully haunting story—ballet, love, heartbreak, and the struggle of an artist trying to reclaim herself. The writing was undeniably elegant, and the setting of the Russian ballet world was vividly portrayed, full of ambition and turmoil. However, while I appreciated the themes of redemption and forgiveness, the pacing felt uneven, and I found myself disconnected from Natalia’s journey at times. The emotional weight was there, but it didn’t always hit as hard as I hoped. Overall, it was an interesting read, but it left me wanting more depth and connection.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.
What a great book!
It kept me engaged the entire book. The narration was great and I'll be recommending it to all

I enjoyed the book, but it also felt familiar, like it felt like too many other ballet books I've read.

What a tough person you have to be! To compete and be a ballerina, to strive to be your best amongst physical odds. This book was fascinating. It jumped around a bit. But was a fun read. 4 stars

Many thanks to Net Galley and HarperAudio Adult for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrations was very good. It really helped to make the story very engaging. The main character, Natalia Leonova, is presented in two timelines – one as a rising star at Mariinsky (and its “rivalry” with Bolshoi) and one as a prima ballerina coming back from a devastating injury and a more devastating broken heart. As I read the book I often thought of my youth and Baryshnikov and the ballety movie White Nights. It was an engaging story and was well written.

Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook arc to preview.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This book had me hooked from the very beginning. A dancer returns along with al of her ghost. You wouldn't be able to put this one down once you start it.