spellcheckbagel's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Really beautiful descriptions of dance and bodies.
bunnieslikediamonds's review
4.0
I'm about as graceful as a drunken sloth, so I get all wide-eyed and impressed just reading about elegant, athletic ballerinas. The world of ballet is fascinating, and Shipstead does a great job describing both the beauty of the dance and the hard work it requires. The story shifts effortlessly between decades, following two generations of dancers and the people who love them. As I also have a soft spot for Cold War stories, I was delighted to find that part of the story takes place in the seventies, where a Baryshnikov-like Russian dancer defects to Canada. More books need to be written about ballerinas and the Cold War! I will read them all.
bgg0823's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
mbeacom's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rachel_mft's review against another edition
2.0
Technically this was well done, but I just could not muster enough interest in the plot or any of the characters, so I was bored.
reyes_sf's review
2.0
I'm giving this 2 stars, but it's more like 1.5 annoyed stars. I actually finished this yesterday, but I needed some time to calm down to write a coherent review because I was so, so pissed off >_<
I picked up this book because it was about ballet, and I love ballet. Not a single cell in my body can dance, but there's something just so pretty, so astonishing (the title is the only thing this book got right) about ballet... Instead I got a bad soap opera. All the characters are so self-centred, so selfish that there was absolutely no one I liked in this book, let alone connect with them at any level. It didn't help that as the story went on the plot got more and more ridiculous, so much that by end I just wanted to be done with it.
Which takes me to actual end of the story. It was an open end. Not a cliffhanger (which I may not love, but I do understand the value of a good cliffhanger) but a think-whatever-you-want-to-think end. I so hate those. I like my ends neat and tied up with a nice ribbon, thank you very much. Seriously, I feel like open ends are a cheap way out when the story has become so ludicrous that not even the author knows what to do with it anymore, which is exactly what I think happened in this case. I'm only giving this two stars because the bits about ballet, about the sacrifice and the pain and love and mostly the passion about ballet were awesome. I just wish the rest of the story would had been that good.
I picked up this book because it was about ballet, and I love ballet. Not a single cell in my body can dance, but there's something just so pretty, so astonishing (the title is the only thing this book got right) about ballet... Instead I got a bad soap opera. All the characters are so self-centred, so selfish that there was absolutely no one I liked in this book, let alone connect with them at any level. It didn't help that as the story went on the plot got more and more ridiculous, so much that by end I just wanted to be done with it.
Which takes me to actual end of the story. It was an open end. Not a cliffhanger (which I may not love, but I do understand the value of a good cliffhanger) but a think-whatever-you-want-to-think end. I so hate those. I like my ends neat and tied up with a nice ribbon, thank you very much. Seriously, I feel like open ends are a cheap way out when the story has become so ludicrous that not even the author knows what to do with it anymore, which is exactly what I think happened in this case. I'm only giving this two stars because the bits about ballet, about the sacrifice and the pain and love and mostly the passion about ballet were awesome. I just wish the rest of the story would had been that good.
valdez's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
kiara_adir's review against another edition
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
aristeegan's review
3.0
The book is beautifully written which is why I gave it 3 stars. The story, however, is slow paced and lackluster.
kellyroberson's review
4.0
A better than average summer perfect read that slumped a little in the middle.