Read-Alikes for 'The Ballerinas' by Rachel Kapelke-Dale | LibraryReads

LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale.

The Ballerinas by Rachel Kapelke-Dale (St. Martin’s), is the top holds title of the week (12/6/21). LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.

The toll of ballet on the body and secrets on the soul play out against the lavish backdrop of the Paris Opera Ballet academy. LJ picked the novel as a top winter debut, calling it “deliciously observed.”


Read-Alikes:

Her Every Fear by Peter Swanson (William Morrow; LJ starred review)

Appeared on the January 2017 LibraryReads list

“Kate Priddy is moving to Boston to swap apartments with her cousin. Haunted by an abusive ex, she wants to leave behind her previous life. But when her neighbor, Audrey Marshall, is murdered, Kate is drawn into a web of fear even darker than her past. Varying points of view add new perspectives to the narrative as the book goes on; the mystery of what really happened to Audrey is just a part of the intrigue as we delve into the minds of imperfect, broken people. As a fan of Swanson’s previous work, I was not disappointed.“ —Cari Dubiel, Twinsburg Public Library, Twinsburg, OH 

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth (St. Martin's; LJ starred review)

Appeared on the April 2021 LibraryReads list

“Rose and Fern have a strong sisterly bond, but their dark secrets may bind them more strongly than they think. How far would you go to project your sister? Dark and compelling, this psychological suspense story has a taut pace and plenty of twists to keep readers guessing.”—Jen Ohzourk, St. Louis Public Library, St. Louis, MO

Trust Exercise by Susan Choi (Holt)

Appeared on the April 2021 LibraryReads list

In the first half of this latest novel from Choi (My Education), Sarah is studying at a performing arts high school in the 1980s. Owing to adolescent miscommunication, her summer romance with fellow student David crumbles once school resumes in the fall. Drama teacher Mr. Kingsley takes his students through acting exercises that seem to cross boundaries of appropriateness, particularly when involving teenagers with raging hormones and volatile emotions. A visiting theater troupe from England adds to the chaos, which has repercussions decades later. The novel's second section takes a somewhat metafictional approach, as "Karen," a minor character in the first half, objects to the fictional approach taken by "Sarah" in recounting the events in her novel. Throughout, Choi neither sentimentalizes nor trivializes the emotional lives of the teens. Whether by design or chance, the first half of the novel feels "truer" than the more contrived plot machinations of the second half, in which several characters reencounter one another during a play production a decade later. The latter, retrospective approach serves best in examining the confusion and ambiguity of teenage sexuality and how that can be exploited. VERDICT Recommended for readers who invite direct challenges to the novelistic form." —Christine DeZelar-Tiedman, Univ. of Minnesota Libs., Minneapolis
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