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Review: The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale



Blurb from Goodreads:
Fourteen years ago, Delphine abandoned her prestigious soloist spot at the Paris Opera Ballet for a new life in St. Petersburg––taking with her a secret that could upend the lives of her best friends, fellow dancers Lindsay and Margaux. Now 36 years old, Delphine has returned to her former home and to the legendary Palais Garnier Opera House, to choreograph the ballet that will kickstart the next phase of her career––and, she hopes, finally make things right with her former friends. But Delphine quickly discovers that things have changed while she's been away...and some secrets can't stay buried forever.

Moving between the trio's adolescent years and the present day, The Ballerinas explores the complexities of female friendship, the dark drive towards physical perfection in the name of artistic expression, the double-edged sword of ambition and passion, and the sublimated rage that so many women hold inside––all culminating in a twist you won't see coming, with magnetic characters you won't soon forget.

 
I enjoyed this a lot and definitely would compare it to Luckiest Girl Alive meets ballet. The characters were well written and the pace was good.  I liked the interplay between past and present and kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.  I have to say I wasn't too surprised by anything that happened but I still really liked this book.  Definitely recommend, especially if you like ballet.

The Ballerinas comes out next week on December 7, 2021 and you can purchase HERE.  
When you're the best at something, your world is small-- your life is small. And for a few years, I was one of the best dancers on the planet.

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