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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
DNF at about 30%. I love ballet books and read every one I come across. I love thrillers, I love nasty female leads--I don't need likable characters to keep going with a book. But I do need something interesting to happen, plotwise, and I wasn't finding that here. The writing is also pretty average; no lyrical sentences or thought-provoking turns of phrase.
I really think this is miscategorized as a thriller. The tone, at least in the first third, is more women's fiction. There's not a constant sense of foreboding or a feeling that something awful is just around the corner, which is what someone picking up a thriller is going to expect.
I really think this is miscategorized as a thriller. The tone, at least in the first third, is more women's fiction. There's not a constant sense of foreboding or a feeling that something awful is just around the corner, which is what someone picking up a thriller is going to expect.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Ballerina’s is the story of three women who basically grew up in the Paris Opera Ballet company. Delphine, central character, Margeaux and Lindsay. None of the characters are particularly likable, though they are quite intense.
While I found the book an interesting read it was not one of my favorites. I found the storyline a bit confusing at times and without explanation as to what and why were happening.
Thank you #NetGalley., #Ballentine Books & Rachel Kapelke-Dale for the ARC.
My review is strictly voluntary.
While I found the book an interesting read it was not one of my favorites. I found the storyline a bit confusing at times and without explanation as to what and why were happening.
Thank you #NetGalley., #Ballentine Books & Rachel Kapelke-Dale for the ARC.
My review is strictly voluntary.
Written by a former ballerina who knows what of she writes, this is the story of three ballet dancers, now 36, who have been friends since adolescence. Moving back and forth between present and past via flashbacks, it delves into the world of competitive ballet: the ambition, artistry, commitment, passion, sacrifice. It also explores female friendships and family dynamics, with some first love and marriage thrown in. Most important to the story though, are the secrets among these three, the fact that the narrator reveals that she has killed someone on PAGE ONE, and the twists and mystery within its pages. So yeah, this isn't just a sweet dance story. As the inside cover says, "Ballerinas are like pointe shoes: you have to break them down before they're of any use."
For me, The Ballerinas was just ok, and that's ok. I love to watch ballet and I love a pretty book cover, so it was a foregone conclusion that I would be reading this one. A lack of depth and a fairly unfocused plot and unappealing characters meant I was mostly turning the pages to learn what happened.
For me, The Ballerinas was just ok, and that's ok. I love to watch ballet and I love a pretty book cover, so it was a foregone conclusion that I would be reading this one. A lack of depth and a fairly unfocused plot and unappealing characters meant I was mostly turning the pages to learn what happened.
*Thanks to St. Martin's Press + NetGalley for the ARC!*
I too was hustled, bamboozled, and led astray - this blurb is
I too was hustled, bamboozled, and led astray - this blurb is
To be entirely honest, I was bored through the entire first half of the book and I almost stopped reading it altogether. However, I gave it 3 stars because it ended up turning around and giving me something to look forward to. This isn't the first book that I would recommend, but it's also not the last. I feel like the story could have been more intriguing from the start, especially considering the content of the ending. For the most part, I feel pretty indifferent about this book.
I enjoyed it and really wanted to know what happened, but the characters were at times so incredibly unlikeable that I got distracted by how annoyed I was with them. It's not so much a thriller as a bunch of drama between old friends, although there is quite a surprise at the end. I'm still deciding whether I liked the ending.
I’m disappointed with how slow this book started because ultimately I ended up really liking it. I just feel that it could have been better paced.
The novel is told over two storylines - one starting in the late 1990s with three dancers Delphine, Margaux, and Lindsay as they make their way in the elite Paris Opera Ballet. The second is more present day (2018) and focuses on Delphine as she returns to the POB as a choreographer where Margaux and Lindsay still dance. Delphine is holding on to a secret from their past that is slowly exposed through the other narrative and threatens to destroy her friendships and everything she has worked for. Additionally, more drama with other cast members and colleagues at the school also keep her in a precarious position professionally and personally.
I always love a good school setting so this book already had a major leg up in that regard. And what could be better than a super elite school full of perfect humans?! I loved the drama between the dancers at the school, the gossip, and the sordid relationships. I wanted more!!
Delphine was a selfish and self centered individual and I enjoyed the “coming of age” arc with her character. However, I had expected more to come out of the ballets Delphine was choreographing and was a little disappointed in how that all played out. I felt like the big secret was drawn out for too long and could’ve been better exposed. Ultimately it felt a little underwhelming.
The book takes a darker turn about halfway through and that’s when my interest was really piqued. I appreciate that the author was likely setting the scene and creating the image of these used and abused women, but I think if some of the ending scenes had been previewed much earlier, the pacing of the novel would have been significantly better.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy of this novel.
The novel is told over two storylines - one starting in the late 1990s with three dancers Delphine, Margaux, and Lindsay as they make their way in the elite Paris Opera Ballet. The second is more present day (2018) and focuses on Delphine as she returns to the POB as a choreographer where Margaux and Lindsay still dance. Delphine is holding on to a secret from their past that is slowly exposed through the other narrative and threatens to destroy her friendships and everything she has worked for. Additionally, more drama with other cast members and colleagues at the school also keep her in a precarious position professionally and personally.
I always love a good school setting so this book already had a major leg up in that regard. And what could be better than a super elite school full of perfect humans?! I loved the drama between the dancers at the school, the gossip, and the sordid relationships. I wanted more!!
Delphine was a selfish and self centered individual and I enjoyed the “coming of age” arc with her character. However, I had expected more to come out of the ballets Delphine was choreographing and was a little disappointed in how that all played out. I felt like the big secret was drawn out for too long and could’ve been better exposed. Ultimately it felt a little underwhelming.
The book takes a darker turn about halfway through and that’s when my interest was really piqued. I appreciate that the author was likely setting the scene and creating the image of these used and abused women, but I think if some of the ending scenes had been previewed much earlier, the pacing of the novel would have been significantly better.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy of this novel.
I was SO READY to love this book!! I was obsessed with Dance Academy. I was obsessed with Tiny Pretty Things. And this seemed like it had the perfect premise to be similar vibes but just a little more adult. And...it definitely...had vibes.
That is, in fact, all it had for like the first half.
I guess you could say the second half made up for that by having ALL OF THE PLOTS. But also no good payoff for anything that was set up in the beginning??? It was just completely different book. And a worse one.
CW: abortion, abusive relationships, revenge porn, murder, alcoholism, cancer, lots of discussion around weight and diets
That is, in fact, all it had for like the first half.
I guess you could say the second half made up for that by having ALL OF THE PLOTS. But also no good payoff for anything that was set up in the beginning??? It was just completely different book. And a worse one.
CW: abortion, abusive relationships, revenge porn, murder, alcoholism, cancer, lots of discussion around weight and diets