The Turnout: A Read with Jenna Pick

good book

IMO, this book started out slowly, I did go into this blind, so wasn't too sure what the premise of the story was. Two sisters who had grown up with a ballet teacher as a mother, and as adults themselves, they took over teaching since their parents died. Dara is the older sister, married to Charlie who came to live with them at a young age. Charlie also was a ballet dancer, but as the years of dancing took a toll on his body, he was no longer able to dance or teach, so he took care of all the other aspects of the business. Then there's Marie, the younger sister, who seems to bring problems , but this latest one will tear them all apart.

Megan Abbott once again proves she is the queen of atmospheric, slow-burning suspense with The Turnout, a novel as elegant and brutal as the world of ballet it inhabits. Set within a prestigious dance school run by sisters Dara and Marie Durant, the novel weaves an intricate web of family secrets, repressed desires, and the rigid discipline that both sustains and destroys them.Abbott’s writing is taut and immersive, drawing readers into the claustrophobic, obsessive world of ballet, where bodies are pushed to the breaking point and emotions are held tightly in check—until they aren’t. The tension simmers beneath the surface, heightening as an unwelcome outsider disrupts the sisters' carefully controlled lives, forcing long-buried truths to the surface.What makes The Turnout so compelling isn’t just its mystery, but Abbott’s deep understanding of power dynamics—between sisters, lovers, teachers, and students. The novel pulses with eerie sensuality, psychological complexity, and a creeping dread that lingers long after the final page.

This story was claustrophobic with a growing sense of dread that kept me turning the pages even though I had a feeling I knew what was coming.The two drawbacks were that it was a bit too long and was slow at times and the prose could be a bit purple. But overall a good story

When Dara and Marie’s parents die in a fatal car accident, the sisters take over the ballet studio that their mom had started many years before. The sisters know nothing but the life of a ballerina. They are very successful keeping the studio going. But when suspicious accidents begin happening, everything changes.I enjoyed this book very much. However, as a former ballerina, I enjoyed ‘the ballet talk’. Some readers might become bored by the endless details that our author provides about this intricate art form.In spite of that, Megan Abbot’s book is enjoyable. Her character development is excellent and her imagery is effective, creating characters who realistically populate well-described, clear, easy-to-picture scenes.I enjoyed this book!