A review by sfbookgirl
The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale

tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Forgive me; I read this book almost two months ago and don’t remember a lot of it except for the fact that it was about ballet students in France who have a lot of friend group drama. The Ballerinas is categorized as a thriller, but it is anything but. There is some mystery as to why the main character, Delphine, gave up her prestigious soloist spot at the Paris Opera Ballet for a very different life in St. Petersburg, but there is little build-up or suspense that kept me wanting to know what Delphine did and what caused her to move to Russia. 
 
While it was not much of a thriller, I enjoyed The Ballerinas for its interpretation of the intense atmosphere found in the ballet world in Paris and in Russia. The drama between Delphine and her friends keeps the story moving forward, but overall, I found the novel to be just OK.
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