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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
My Review:⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/ 5 stars
This is a story about Delphine and her two best friends Lindsay and Margaux. They are ballerinas at the prestigious Paris Opera Ballet School. The timeline shifts back between when the girls are just starting out at the company, competitively growing up the ranks to hopefully one day be a Principal to when Delphine eventually comes back to POB as a choreographer. Delphine mysteriously leaves her position as a soloist and goes to St. Petersburg. The story eventually unfolds why she suddenly leaves her friends and why she is trying to mend the relationships of her past in the present.
This is a slow burn and takes a while to get into the story coming from someone that loves everything Ballet (and Paris for that matter). This is a cross between a more serious Centerstage meets Black Swan. My favorite part is the relationship and the evolution of Delphine’s relationship with Stella, her neighbor. Delphine is not supposed to be likable, she has many different facets and flaws to her personality that make her very self-involved and ignorant. She gets called out for it a few times - and it is very satisfying to watch her character’s growth. The ending surprised me - it definitely took a turn I wasn’t expecting and then I had to re-read it to make sure that’s what really happened. A very strong debut from Kapelke-Dale and definitely recommended for any ballet lovers.
Thank you to St. Martins Press & Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
This is a story about Delphine and her two best friends Lindsay and Margaux. They are ballerinas at the prestigious Paris Opera Ballet School. The timeline shifts back between when the girls are just starting out at the company, competitively growing up the ranks to hopefully one day be a Principal to when Delphine eventually comes back to POB as a choreographer. Delphine mysteriously leaves her position as a soloist and goes to St. Petersburg. The story eventually unfolds why she suddenly leaves her friends and why she is trying to mend the relationships of her past in the present.
This is a slow burn and takes a while to get into the story coming from someone that loves everything Ballet (and Paris for that matter). This is a cross between a more serious Centerstage meets Black Swan. My favorite part is the relationship and the evolution of Delphine’s relationship with Stella, her neighbor. Delphine is not supposed to be likable, she has many different facets and flaws to her personality that make her very self-involved and ignorant. She gets called out for it a few times - and it is very satisfying to watch her character’s growth. The ending surprised me - it definitely took a turn I wasn’t expecting and then I had to re-read it to make sure that’s what really happened. A very strong debut from Kapelke-Dale and definitely recommended for any ballet lovers.
Thank you to St. Martins Press & Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!
dark
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
idk why this is categorized as a thriller, its not quite that, but definitely some black swan parallels of course
no one knows power and control like a ballerina!!!!
no one knows power and control like a ballerina!!!!
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Just finished this book. Great October read with just the right amount of mystery, dread and shock. I loved getting to hear about the ballet. It was inspiring. Though the story is very dark.
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
DNF. I wanted to know the big secret, but there's only so much I can sit through before I get bored out of my mind.
Definitely not a mystery/thriller but I still really enjoyed this book. I felt so immersed and connected to the characters and the world that the author created. It almost felt like a coming of age drama for adult women except I usually don’t like coming of age books and I loved this book.
I received a NetGalley copy for review.
This story, at its heart, is about friendship... the entertwining lives of friends through adolescence to adulthood. There are a few gut-wrenching moments that keep you engaged.
This story, at its heart, is about friendship... the entertwining lives of friends through adolescence to adulthood. There are a few gut-wrenching moments that keep you engaged.
I read this book as part of a book club for writers - so reviewing as a writer: The plotting and pacing are fast and the writing is very good. There are some really beautiful lines in the book and the settings are vivid. If you are a writer looking for a novel that clearly hits all the beats of a Save the Cat or The Act Structure, the plotting in this book is very clear. If I had to put this book on a shelf so that readers who would like it could find it, I would call it a beach read. The novel moves at a rapid clip. It's never boring. It hits all the right notes for a fast and easy read. You have to be okay with an unsympathetic MC.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Eating disorder, Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Infertility, Infidelity, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail