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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
Reviewed for Wit and Sin
The Ballerinas is a study in duality; it’s beautiful and ugly, strong and fragile, perfect and messy. Rachel Kapelke-Dale brings her world of the Paris Opera Ballet to life, showing the stunning highs, the athletic perfection, along with the cost and the all-consuming nature of ballet. At the center of it all are the titular ballerinas, women of immense power who appear fragile, women who are objectified by one and all.
After thirteen years away, Delphine has returned to Paris. The former ballerina turned choreographer is eager to be reunited with her best friends, Margaux and Lindsay. Kapelke-Dale takes readers between past and present, through the blood, sweat, and tears as the students turned professional ballerinas strive to become the best of the best. The past is filled with triumph, ambition, friendship, and pain; the present with strained relationships, broken dreams, and Delphine’s desperate hope for more, though hanging over her is a secret that could ruin everything she holds dear.
The Ballerinas is atmospheric, Kapelke-Dale’s writing sucking me in even though I will admit the first half of the book is rather slow. I loved the descriptions of ballet, the beautiful and the painful moments that make up everything. The author’s love of the subject is there, even though she doesn’t shy away from the realistic moments which break the fantasy you see on stage. The objectification of women, the rampant misogyny, the imbalance of power is all given it’s due attention and it was fascinating to watch Delphine’s understanding of these topics deepen as she grows older. Even when I wondered where the plot was going, Kapelke-Dale’s writing was beautiful. Halfway through the story hits its stride and from there it’s an intense, interesting read. The characters aren’t likeable, but they’re engaging and I wanted Delphine in particular to break free and claim her power. I didn’t know where the story would take Delphine, Margaux, and Lindsay, but I was hooked and didn’t want to put it down until Kapelke-Dale spun everything together at the end.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Ballerinas is a study in duality; it’s beautiful and ugly, strong and fragile, perfect and messy. Rachel Kapelke-Dale brings her world of the Paris Opera Ballet to life, showing the stunning highs, the athletic perfection, along with the cost and the all-consuming nature of ballet. At the center of it all are the titular ballerinas, women of immense power who appear fragile, women who are objectified by one and all.
After thirteen years away, Delphine has returned to Paris. The former ballerina turned choreographer is eager to be reunited with her best friends, Margaux and Lindsay. Kapelke-Dale takes readers between past and present, through the blood, sweat, and tears as the students turned professional ballerinas strive to become the best of the best. The past is filled with triumph, ambition, friendship, and pain; the present with strained relationships, broken dreams, and Delphine’s desperate hope for more, though hanging over her is a secret that could ruin everything she holds dear.
The Ballerinas is atmospheric, Kapelke-Dale’s writing sucking me in even though I will admit the first half of the book is rather slow. I loved the descriptions of ballet, the beautiful and the painful moments that make up everything. The author’s love of the subject is there, even though she doesn’t shy away from the realistic moments which break the fantasy you see on stage. The objectification of women, the rampant misogyny, the imbalance of power is all given it’s due attention and it was fascinating to watch Delphine’s understanding of these topics deepen as she grows older. Even when I wondered where the plot was going, Kapelke-Dale’s writing was beautiful. Halfway through the story hits its stride and from there it’s an intense, interesting read. The characters aren’t likeable, but they’re engaging and I wanted Delphine in particular to break free and claim her power. I didn’t know where the story would take Delphine, Margaux, and Lindsay, but I was hooked and didn’t want to put it down until Kapelke-Dale spun everything together at the end.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If I didn't have the lovely time to kill and space to read this, no way would I have finished it.
1. It was a little too slow moving for my taste.
2. The reveal of what they did to Lindsey was a little lame? Which sounds silly because they basically caused her to get run over by a cab but the logistics of it feel questionable? A shoe lace? Really? I thought the original plan with the pill to be wayyy more interesting and more aligned to that whole ballet culture.
- speaking of, I love the whole ballet culture. I found it utterly fascinating and those elements were my favorite. The way the narrator talked about the constant analysis of bodies, I mean I just find that whole realm of reality to be fascinating. But additionally, I did not care at all about the paragraphs-long explanations about Russian ballets. Now that was just too niche. But it made sense with the character soooo... it's fine I guess.
3. The climax.WTF. A window? It felt sooooo out of left field - and then with NO repercussions? Look, I'm all for female rage but when it comes out of absolutely nowhere it feels like a strange feminist gimmick. And the 3/4 of the book was not feministy at all. I almost with the thing with Jock (ew what a name) happened closer to the beginning/middle and that rage against the entire male species could grow over time.
4. Honestly Lindsey's situation was the most interesting. Maybe it should've been told from her POV?
5. Trigger warnings... there's just somethings I had to skip because I just can't read about certain topics.
I didn't hate the book, but I had to muscle my way through it and I felt very unsatisfied at the end.
1. It was a little too slow moving for my taste.
2. The reveal of what they did to Lindsey was a little lame?
- speaking of, I love the whole ballet culture. I found it utterly fascinating and those elements were my favorite. The way the narrator talked about the constant analysis of bodies, I mean I just find that whole realm of reality to be fascinating. But additionally, I did not care at all about the paragraphs-long explanations about Russian ballets. Now that was just too niche. But it made sense with the character soooo... it's fine I guess.
3. The climax.
4. Honestly Lindsey's situation was the most interesting. Maybe it should've been told from her POV?
5. Trigger warnings... there's just somethings I had to skip because I just can't read about certain topics.
I didn't hate the book, but I had to muscle my way through it and I felt very unsatisfied at the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Abortion
This wasn't really a thriller, but it didn't go in the direction I expected. I definitely don't know how people want to be ballerinas - it seems like a ridiculously difficult life. I think I can see how people crack.
This book was provided to me by netgalley in exhange for a honest review.
" You grow up thinking that you just have to meet the right man, the one who adores you and idolizes you and talks about how much he respects women and all of that shit, and then you'll be safe. But truth is, if you're a woman you're never safe, are you? not really."
I am going to be honest, I didn't think I would finish this book. It started of as slow and all i could do was long for it to end, but im happy I continued it.
The story follows Delphine, who is a ballerina. We follow her first as a child and a teenager and later on as a adult and a middle aged woman. The story starts off with her returning to Paris after being gone to Russia for 13 years. In Paris she reunites with her friends from 13 years ago, Margaux and Lindsey. She has decided to repair her relationship with them while returning home and working at the Paris Opera Ballet school, where she and Margaux and Lindsey met. But she realizes that everything isn't as it seems and that there is something more sinister at play....
This was pitched as a black swan thing, and as soon as I heard that I was on board! However, I was dissapointed to find out that the thriller part didn't take up as much space as I wanted it to. But I did like the overrall story and the pacing and the timejumps, even if it was slow in certain places and i found myself confused. BUT I loved the writing! it was very clever and describtive and i felt like I was part of the story. As a whole I did enjoy the story, It went places I never thought it would and i found myself shocked on multiple occasions. I enjoyed it even with the lack of thriller.
If you are looking for a story about 3 ballerinas, torn apart by time ,together with pinch of black swan and gone girl and loads of feminism, that will make you scream " good for her !" AND will make you feel empowered then THIS is the book for you!
" You grow up thinking that you just have to meet the right man, the one who adores you and idolizes you and talks about how much he respects women and all of that shit, and then you'll be safe. But truth is, if you're a woman you're never safe, are you? not really."
I am going to be honest, I didn't think I would finish this book. It started of as slow and all i could do was long for it to end, but im happy I continued it.
The story follows Delphine, who is a ballerina. We follow her first as a child and a teenager and later on as a adult and a middle aged woman. The story starts off with her returning to Paris after being gone to Russia for 13 years. In Paris she reunites with her friends from 13 years ago, Margaux and Lindsey. She has decided to repair her relationship with them while returning home and working at the Paris Opera Ballet school, where she and Margaux and Lindsey met. But she realizes that everything isn't as it seems and that there is something more sinister at play....
This was pitched as a black swan thing, and as soon as I heard that I was on board! However, I was dissapointed to find out that the thriller part didn't take up as much space as I wanted it to. But I did like the overrall story and the pacing and the timejumps, even if it was slow in certain places and i found myself confused. BUT I loved the writing! it was very clever and describtive and i felt like I was part of the story. As a whole I did enjoy the story, It went places I never thought it would and i found myself shocked on multiple occasions. I enjoyed it even with the lack of thriller.
If you are looking for a story about 3 ballerinas, torn apart by time ,together with pinch of black swan and gone girl and loads of feminism, that will make you scream " good for her !" AND will make you feel empowered then THIS is the book for you!
So, I went into this book, under the assumption that it was a thriller. I kept wondering what Delphine had done to Lindsay, since they kept alluding to it and making it seem like it was a huge, terrible thing. When it was finally revealed, I felt deflated. I did enjoy the look at what life at a ballet school is like. Between the dancing and the choreography, it's always something I've wanted to know more of. I feel like the author did a good job with that. I also thought it all wrapped up pretty nicely.
I thought that this book would be entertaining. Delphine gave up dance 14 years before but has always yearned for and missed it. She returns too take charge of a whole program hoping it will renew her career and start the 2nd phase. I found the characters to be shallow and no one jumped out at you. There is a plot twist a hiccup in the scope of things.
I love reading books about ballerinas, because I did ballet for 15 years. I found this book very interesting. I loved hearing about the past, and the present of these characters.
Delphine, Lindsay, and Margaux had such a great friendship when they were younger. I enjoyed seeing how their lives played out. I love how the story centered around friendship, and how complex it is.
I feel like people would enjoy this, even if they did not have a background in ballet. It’s pretty straightforward and mainly about the complexities of friendships throughout the years.
Delphine, Lindsay, and Margaux had such a great friendship when they were younger. I enjoyed seeing how their lives played out. I love how the story centered around friendship, and how complex it is.
I feel like people would enjoy this, even if they did not have a background in ballet. It’s pretty straightforward and mainly about the complexities of friendships throughout the years.
I really enjoyed this book centered around three aging ballerinas with the Paris Opera Ballet. The characters are all deeply flawed and entirely relatable, and the world of these dancers was fascinating. I learned a bunch about the grueling career and slim chances of ballerinas to become successful. Several elements of the ending took me by surprise, though it was a satisfying conclusion.