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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
More of a 2.5 - an easy read but the story was just a bit of a letdown with men seeming to be the enemy at all times and tragedies and crises of all kinds
Easily my favorite book I’ve read this year. Every dancer should read it.
I received a copy of The Ballerinas from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
And, honestly? I loved this book, but it hit on some strong loves for me- Paris, ballet, and drama. I could understand if someone else only liked the book, instead of devouring it in a few days, staying up entirely too late, and becoming a coffee zombie.
Delphine, Margaux, and Lindsay grew up in a ballet academy together and were the best of friends. But life happens, and Delphine is returning to Paris for the first time in 23 years. She is eager to reunite their close friendships, but secrets and lies keep them from fully trusting one another again.
The writing was very good, I enjoyed how feminism as a concept was portrayed as many different things.
And, honestly? I loved this book, but it hit on some strong loves for me- Paris, ballet, and drama. I could understand if someone else only liked the book, instead of devouring it in a few days, staying up entirely too late, and becoming a coffee zombie.
Delphine, Margaux, and Lindsay grew up in a ballet academy together and were the best of friends. But life happens, and Delphine is returning to Paris for the first time in 23 years. She is eager to reunite their close friendships, but secrets and lies keep them from fully trusting one another again.
The writing was very good, I enjoyed how feminism as a concept was portrayed as many different things.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I couldn't put it down once I got invested in the characters. This book is a showcase of women's relationships with each other, in equal parts beautiful and terribly sad. It's about women's bodies as well, and the stories they tell, the way they are used and seen and judged. It was captivating and beautifully written.
I am not sure the ending worked for me, though. I appreciate the attempt at catharsis, but I just couldn't follow the narrator to that emotional space when she...well, does a big thing. I love the gradual understanding she has of what's really happening, her rage. I might need to think about it for a while.
I am not sure the ending worked for me, though. I appreciate the attempt at catharsis, but I just couldn't follow the narrator to that emotional space when she...well, does a big thing. I love the gradual understanding she has of what's really happening, her rage. I might need to think about it for a while.
I expected this book to be a dark brooding thriller centered around a ballet school, and that's not what I got. It's definitely more of a drama, though there are dark themes. That being said, I couldn't put it down! I loved the cast of characters, especially when we got to follow them in an dual timeline from when they're in school to the present. This is a female-focused book, specifically on how a friendship can evolve over time and on the strength of relationships.I just wish that it hadn't been marketed as Black Swan meets Dare Me, as it skewed my expectations of the book.
*Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*
*Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*
Loveable characters:
No
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
I loved the characters but…. The writing did not capture my attention, it was very slow and all over the place. It took a while to get what the plot of the story was.
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Interesting story, not loveable characters.
3.75 stars. I enjoyed this story about the bonds of friendship, the tolls of being a ballerina and the lengths we will go to get what we want. Throw in a little me too movement and a death with the dual timeline and you have quite a story.