Review: The Still Point

The Still Point by Tammy Greenwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love novels that deal with competition. Why? Because I love to read about how back-stabbing everyone can get, from the competitors right down to the teachers and parents. Rest assured, if you like novels of this nature, you are going to love this book! It could have been a tad more back-stabby, but this book kept it all in good taste!

This book deals with a lot of other issues besides the ballet competition for a scholarship; it deals with death, loss, going from a child to an adult, love, and, yes, retribution.

It can bog down in spots, but there is something compelling about this novel that just makes you want to keep reading to see how it ends. There are enough red herrings and surprises to keep even mystery lovers happy.

There is a handy glossary of ballet terms at the back of the book.

*ARC supplied by Kensington Books Publishing, the author, and ATTL/Edelweiss. My thanks.

If you like books about ballet and what goes on behind the scenes, like this novel, may I suggest: Ballerina: A Novel. This book is set in the 1970's so please be aware of the differences of that time period.

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SYNOPSIS: "Dance Moms meets Little Fires Everywhere in award winning author Tammy Greenwood’s addictive new novel set in the hyper cutthroat world of ballet girls and their mothers as they compete for a prestigious prize…

“She had never seen Bea dance like this. Ever sat spellbound as her daughter grew from a little girl into a woman before her eyes…”

Ever, Lindsay, and Josie have ushered their daughters—Bea, Olive, and Savvy—through years of dance classes in their coastal California town. They’ve tended bloodied feet, stitched ribbons to countless pairs of pointe shoes, and in the process, forged friendships that seem to transcend rivalry.

But now Etienne Bernay, enfant terrible of French ballet, has come to their conservatory. Not only will he direct this year’s production of The Nutcracker , but he’s brought along a film crew to document his search for one special student who will receive a full scholarship to the Ballet de Paris Academie. For the girls, this is the chance to fulfill lifelong dreams. For Ever, recently widowed and struggling financially, it may be the only way to keep Bea dancing. And Bea is a truly gifted dancer—poetic and ethereal, breathtaking to watch.

Lindsay, meanwhile, frets that Olive is growing tired of the punishing reality of training, while Josie has no such qualms about Savvy, who is a powerhouse of ambition.

From auditions to casting to rehearsals, the cameras capture the selection process, with its backstabbing and jealousy, disappointment and triumph. But it’s behind the scenes that Bernay’s arrival will yield the most shocking revelations, exposing the secrets and lies at the heart of all three families—and the sacrifices women make for their children, for friendship, and for art.