This is the first book I think I have ever read a book that is based in the world of ballet and I think looking at some of the reviews of this book that it is going to be very divisive. Prima ballerina Natalia Leonova or Natasha Leonova, she's referred to both Natasha and Natalia, she was once praised worldwide - a famous ballerina but an accident caused an early retirement. At the beginning of the novel she has returned to St Petersburg and has been asked to dance again her Giselle and then we have the story flashing backwards and forwards. Natasha as a child falling in love with ballet, wanting to be a ballerina, her journey to become this famous ballerina, her love affairs, her friendships but even though she's got love affairs and friendships they seem to be taking a second place to ballet ballet; the dance is everything to her, it is her raison d'etre. Relationships, lovers. they’re something that happens as well but it doesn't seem to be what's driving her because she's driven almost to the point of obsession with dance. The book takes you behind the scenes of ballet companies, he Bolshoi Ballet to name one and you experience in the book the hard work, the determination, the pain - you read descriptions of taking the shoes off that have been stained with blood because of the point work. You also see the rivalries between the dancers as well Natasha’a relationships with the other dancers, with Sasha, with Dimi, with Nina - they're all explored and I liked her but I liked Nina'a story particularly, I thought Nina was a lovely character. I actually preferred Nina to Natalia actually, maybe because Natalia is so obsessed and Nina isn't so much, Nina was more real to me than Natalia .I think the way this novel will divide and I have seen one star reviews because there's a subtle reference to the current Russia / Ukraine conflict and it's because of this that people are absolutely slamming the book, but I tend to think it's not a political statement but more look at how art has or hasn't a role in politics, how it almost sort of transcends politics but that that's my opinion. I saw it not as a political novel, I saw it as a Coming of Age novel - Natasha's coming of age. I saw it as her story but I know that some of reviewers have absolutely slammed it because of the reference to the conflict. For me this is Natalia's story of
her obsessions, her affairs, her friendships, her lovers and it was a look at the world of ballet. I enjoyed it although I did prefer Nina to Natalia but that's just me anyway.

I absolutely adored this book. With all the grip, tension and narrative intrigue as The Queen's Gambit, I was hooked from the first page. Everything about it, the structure, the characters, was luminary. Natasha is one of the greatest prima ballerinas in the world, and this is the story of how she earned that title. It's about art and love, friendship and sacrifice. Every memory so vividly drawn, I truly lost myself in the telling - the edges of my screen melted away, I cannot remember a time I have been more transported by a story. I've not yet read Kim's debut novel, but it is now at the top of my list!

This is a sweeping, epic novel about art and its toll, set in the cutthroat world of Russian ballet. I adore ballet and I'm fascinated by its inner workings, so I loved the minutiae of training, auditioning, and embodying roles: clearly the author has done hours of research on each ballet, each move, and how they may be interpreted, which really paid off. It feels like a true epic and an ode to dance.

However, a few parts of the book just didn't work for me, which stopped me from being fully immersed. I had two big unanswered questions: Why does Natalia agree to dance for Dmitri, when his treachery is so destructive for her? Why, at the start of the book, would she ever trust him? And why does she return to Alexander when she's about to leave him, only for their relationship to immediately deteriorate and collapse? This feels like a really strange choice. Because the two men are so central to her journey, and her choices at these moments are so pivotal, I found the confusion around these quite unfulfilling, and it was difficult to fully understand her journey.

I also struggled a little with her motivations for leaving Alexander: I think the implication is that she's betrayed by him choosing her enemy, but since this wasn't clearly stated, it felt quite biphobic to me: like her issue is with him choosing a man. I really don't think this was the author's intention, and possibly I'm overly sensitive to this issue, but I do wonder if other readers may misinterpret this moment too.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7012336382

I have not read the author's previous book but I loved this one. It's rare to find a book which is both beautifully written, so you can admire it as a work of art, and something you actually want to read. The setting - life inside a prestigious ballet company - lends itself to a good story - and the narrator, Natasha, felt real and sympathetic to me. I felt it was also a book with something to say - in a non-pretentious way - about the meaning and benefits of art. So I will definitely be reading the author's previous book in the near future, and anything else she writes too.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

This is a good solid book about a woman who is a first rank ballet dancer. It covers her life from a child to her final retirement from dancing and at times it read like a real autobiography. I love to read about ballet, the art, the drive, the passion the pain, the rivalry, the partnerships, the choreography, the training, the schools, the ballets themselves so I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The descriptions of the great ballet cities of the world are vivid, especially the description of St Petersburg.

Natasha is well drawn and entirely believable and the minor characters of Nina, Sasha and Dmitri seem authentic too. A lot of things happen to Natasha both personally and professionally and it is an engrossing read. I did occasionally get a bit mixed up about what period of her life we were in, it might have been helpful to have started the sections with a date.

I am not that keen on the title. One of the characters uses the phrase once I think. I would have called it "how many summers, how many winters".

Excellent, engrossing read, full of interest and happenings.

A beautiful book about artistry, coming-of-age, dance, and ambition describing the making of a dancer with profound intimacy and breathtaking scope.

Prima ballerina Natalia Leonova was once celebrated across the world, but at the top of her career, an accident forces her into sudden retirement.
Jumping back in time to the start of Natasha’s love for ballet, this books vividly shows the ruthless ambition, precious friendships, and desire of someone so enamoured with her art, she becomes trapped by it.

As an ex-competitive dancer myself (obviously not to this level), Kim put into words something that I’ve always felt but never been able to express, except in my own action of dancing.

What stood out to me was Natasha’s sole focus on her passion. Her obsessive nature grated and exhausted her and others without a proper focus. While this can be a strength in such a driven world, it can also cause your downfall - isolation, poor self-confidence and worth, an unhealthy relationship with food, exercise, and your self-care.

<b>“I don't think any dance is just movement. No art is pure abstraction. There is always meaning behind it.”
</b>
I always find myself disappointed by fictional books writing about dance as it never feels realistic. To me, this was authentic and intimately real.

Don’t go into this expecting a sports romance. This is more lit fic.

The second half gets more political, bringing in the war between Russia and Ukraine. I think this might alienate some readers (why the sudden change in tone, pace, tension). However, I do think this is a very relevant element to consider.

Can we separate art and politics? The artist from the political? The artist from the art?
How can we condone enjoying art, spending money, time, resources, when people are dying?

The romance was not the biggest tension for me. Similarly, the present plot line didn’t grab me as much as Natasha’s initial rise.
This was very nearly a five stars except for me not buying into the romance and relationship.

<b>“People think loving someone means letting them be who they are. What a widespread lie that is. Love doesn't set anyone free. Art does."
</b>
Beautiful descriptions of both dance, atmosphere, place, and the intricacies of relationships, this was breathtaking.

Thank you to Oneworld publications for sending me the physical arc in exchange for a review. My cover is very different to this one shown here and I hope that is released to the public.

I love books set in the ballet world and this one was unbelievable! Definitely worthy of a book club or being made into a movie. Kept me gripped throughout every page. I was so invested to know what was happening next,