A review by elliotalderson
The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale

3.0

The Ballerinas is about a dancer named Delphine. The story unfolds in two timelines, one in the past, one in the present. The past is her career as a ballerina, the present is her career as a choreographer for the ballet. She goes back to Paris from St. Petersburg, reuniting with people from her adolescence, mainly Margaux and Lindsay.

The cast of characters were layered, each one coming to life off the page. They each had their own personality and were very different, which I appreciate. I enjoyed reading about the highs and lows of Delphine's life, especially her relationships with Margaux and Lindsay. There was a lot of complexity in the characters and the story.

The twist really did catch me off guard and I really, really liked that! I've gotten better at seeing things coming in books but I really didn't see *that* coming at all.

This was almost a 4 star read but the whole time I was reading, as much as I enjoyed myself, I was waiting for SOMETHING. I don't know what. And then there's this:

Spoiler

the "big" secret that Delphine and Margaux kept from Lindsay all those years was resolved so, so simply. I understand that it was explained that Lindsay knew the whole time and that she forgave them but it felt underwhelming as a reader.