A new Erin Kelly novel is always a treat and this one doesn’t disappoint. It’s set in the world of ballet which I loved – based around a performance of Swan Lake directed by Nikolai Kirilov, legendary director of the London Russian Theatre. Ava Kirilov, Nikolai’s daughter is due to perform the dual title role of Odette/Odile.

The book is set mainly in two locations, one the ballet theatre and the other Ava’s flat. I loved the theme of black and white, plus there is a lot of playing around with characters and nothing is as it seems. Wonderful twists happen, characters reflect what’s happening in the ballet and the writing is excellent.

Five stars from me for this one.

I did enjoy the book but it seemed to be one story inside another and have to admit I preferred the one dealing with the ballet and how the characters felt about one another. Interesting read.

Watch Her Fall is set in the demanding and punishing world of ballet and the staging of a performance of Swan Lake. Ava, the principal and star, is struggling with pressures from her father and a dancer rising up the ranks who is seeking to emulate her success and potentially replace her. Told from the perspective of a few different narrators, the story slowly builds to then reveal many twists and turns as Ava deals with the fall-out of what happens after the first performance of Swan Lake. This started too slowly for me but definitely picks up pace in the second half of the book to reveal some interesting twists.

Thank you to Netgalley, Erin Kelly and Hodder & Stoughton for my arc of Watch Her Fall in exchange for an honest review.

Published: 1st April 2021

Watch Her Fall takes the reader into the cutthroat world of ballet. Ava Kirilova has waited her whole life to play the starring roles of Odette and Odile in her father's production of Swan Lake. Now about to embark on a world wide tour she has finally reached the peak of her ballet career. It has all been worth it.
But things don't always turn out the way we want them to and someone wants to see Ava fall....

I read Erin's He Said She Said a few years ago and really enjoyed it so I was excited to get my hands on her most recent thriller. I find the world of ballet fascinating and thought it had the opportunity for a really good thriller.
Sadly, I found this book to be quite disappointing. There was so much going on that in parts it became confusing, and often times too far fetched. I love a good twist as much as the next person but I mean some elements were really far fetched. I also didn't really like the idea of how certain things turned out, the ending in particular being very frustrating. I think this book had a lot of potential and the first part which focused on Ava was very descriptive and well written drawing the reader into the world of ballet and creating empathy for Ava's character. But it sort of went downhill from there. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it enough to star it any higher.

This book is living rent-free in my head
And I’d like to start charging it digs.

My only experience with ballet was when I was like 7 or 8. Picture a bunch of sugared-up kids at the ballet version of Peter Pan for the dancer kid’s birthday and the screams when Tinkerbell’s wings fell off. That’s all I can think about if you mention ballet around me and it definitely tainted my thoughts.

So when I saw this book float around, my finger hovered over the request button numerous times umming and ahhing. I presumed it wasn’t my usual jam and, like, how interesting could a ballet actually be? Clicking that little green button was probably one of the best choices I’ve made in my book life and this book is one of my favourites this year. Here’s why:

✨ A ballet master/genius who wants his version of Swan Lake to be the best shit around.
✨ Ava, his protégé and daughter (talk about major pressure), is ready to spin all those magical spins as the lead Swan.
✨ Someone’s out to sabotage her career. Some might say they’re going to watch her fall…

This is a story told from three different viewpoints; Nikolai, Ava and Juliet.

Let’s kick it off by making one thing very clear – Nikolai Kirilov is a dick. There are no two ways to describe it. He’s old-school, treats his dancers like performing minions (God help you if you have any technology in your dorm), calls them his creatures and makes them numb to the world ultimately ensuring they have no life skills.

His dancers go along with it because he happens to be the owner of the London Russian Ballet – world-renowned and the place where people flock to see the magic created on stage. Whilst he essentially runs a prison, he gets results and that’s fucking annoying. Boo him.

Swan Lake will be the best ballet he’s ever produced – even if it takes people’s careers out with it.

Enter his daughter – Ava Kirilova. Nik’s star (his standards apply to Ava as well) and principal ballerina who’s cast in the lead role of Odette and Odile. At the ripe ol’ age of 30(ish), she’s getting past her prime so this role will be a career-high to end on. It has to be hers and nothing will get in her way. Also a bit of a dick, but when you’ve been nurtured to think you’re better than everyone else, then it’s bound to happen.

And then there’s little Juliet. Oh, you sweetie pie. All you ever wanted was to impress, but the minute tragedy hit her knee, everything changed.

This is a dark story about manipulation in a very cut-throat world with twists and turns coming out of your ears.

Holeeeeeee–eyyy shit. I loved it. Every damn minute of it. Granted I got about halfway through and was like ‘Hey Erin, pal. Where’s the ballet at?’, but I get it. I GET IT NOW.

Give me more.

In Erin Kelly’s latest thriller „Watch her fall“ we get to know the world of high-class Russian Ballet 🩰, rivalry, competiveness and obsession.

Ava Kirilova has climbed her way to the top after years of pain and sacrifice, she is about to play both leading roles in Swan Lake - the pure Odette and the seductive Odile. She is aware that her time in the limelight is coming to an end and therefore numerous talented girls are here to steal her spot.

The beginning was a bit slow, but after finding my way into the story, it got fast-paced and builded up a lot of tension. I personally never read a book about ballet before, that’s why this was so outstanding and remarkable for me.
If you like reading clever, compelling and surprising thrillers with unpredictable twists with great characterization of doubling then you should definitely try this out.

Thank you NetGalley / Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with this arc in return for a honest review.

There are some writers that have the ability to tackle any subject and capture their reader's attention like no other - Erin Kelly is one such talented author..

This psychological thriller is set in the world of ballet. Beyond reading ballet shoes and taking a very small daughter to baby ballet classes, this is not a world I am familiar with. But no matter. With a crash course in the story of swan lake with its white and black scenes I was quickly immersed in the almost cultish world inhabited by the ballet school attended by Ava Kirilova and run by her father she is finally starring in the ballet and about to embark on a world tour. Who would possibly want to see her fall?

But you would be mistaken to think that this is just about the claustrophobic world of a ballet school, there is far more to this story although I won't say more because this is definitely a story to approach without having too much background.

What I will say is this is a stunning read. As always the characters are detailed and fully=formed. Not once do you find a caricature instead you get a person, with a mixture of admirable traits as well as those that are much darker. The plot is intricate and truly clever. The way that the various strands of the stories form the basis of the story only becomes more impressive as time goes on, and with reflection.

Up there with the very best of the best that Erin Kelly has written.

Another cleverly written, twisted thriller from Erin Kelly! Watch Her Fall was a super quick read for me, which I was just in the mood for; a tough one to put down that had me reading 'just one more chapter' again and again. This is written from different POVs, but instead of swapping back and forth, we follow through one persons story to where it intersects with another, and then follow along with the other, until the end when the way they are all intertwined becomes clear. Interestingly, I find the blurb puts a lot of focus on the ballet theme, when much of this novel is set outside of the world of ballet, and though that was my initial fascination with this read, I continued to enjoy all aspects just as much. This really is an extremely readable novel!

There's little that can be said without giving too much away, but Watch Her Falls does a brilliant job of exploring power and obsession, loss and love, ambition and discipline. It's a surprisingly easy-to-follow read given the intricacies and number of storylines it follows and twists it beholds. This is a dark thriller and I loved how the combination of perspective and plot added to the sense of unease running through this. 4 stars from me!

*I received an advance review copy of Watch Her Fall from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is a very twisty mystery story set against the backdrop of an infamous London ballet school and a highly anticipated production of Swan Lake. The plot is complicated and, I thought, highly implausible, but it is extremely engrossing and hugely entertaining. A fun read to get lost in, particularly for fans of all things ballet.

This is a fabulous book. A tour de force. Erin Kelly’s book caught me up in the ballet dancers’ world and never let go once. The precision and expertise of her writing brought me inside the London Russian Ballet Theatre where its autocratic director Nikolai Kirilov is determined that his dancers shall follow his choreography without exception. Here there is only his way. No room for personality, no room for distractions. His dancers shall give their all and if they fail to do so they are gone without compunction.

Kirilov is no hypocrite, either. His exacting standards apply to his daughter Ava, just as they do to the youngest ballerina in the corps. Ava is about to take on the role of her life. She will play Odile and Odette in Kirilov’s production of Swan Lake which will tour only the biggest theatres across the world. It is a role for which she has trained since her earliest years and she is ready. Lucas, her dance partner will play the Prince but everyone understands that the audience will only have their eyes on her.

The pressure is intense and Kirilov’s expectations sky high. It’s felt by everyone in the company and when one dancer whose part is very small but significant, fails to meet those expectations, another is immediately drafted in.

Then one night everything changes. The black feathers from Odette’s costume begin to fall to the floor and that’s the recurring motif for this astounding, unexpected story.

There’s not a great deal of sympathy can be evoked for many of the characters at the beginning if this novel. Some are intensely unlikeable, living in a hothouse atmosphere where ambition is respected and that drive is what keeps the dancers going. There’s no room here for sentiment or even much friendship; it’s all rivalry and fighting the way to the top by being as competitive as possible.

But when tragedy strikes, everything changes.

I saw Margot Fonteyn dance these dual roles when I was young and I have never forgotten it. The pain, emotion and intensity stays with you and I know this book will stay with me for similar reasons.

This is a story told from three perspectives. Ava, Juliet a young dancer and a man named Roman. Without the reader really noticing, Kelly reveals that everything you thought you knew is perhaps not quite as it seemed. She does this so cleverly, so discreetly that it is as if her sleight of hand has lulled the reader into a false sense of assurance.

Watch Her Fall is an intense, dramatic and highly emotive experience. Kelly explores themes of love and loss; of dedication and duty and of what family really means. There is exploration of moral and ethical choices. Her characters become real, wrapping you in their expectations, in their highs and so you feel it acutely when the lows come. Alongside this, Erin Kelly weaves in psychological suspense, deceit, intrigue, betrayal and some quite shocking violence.

Verdict: I love this book and give it my highest recommendation. You really will be missing out if you don’t read it.

This book centres around a ballet company, where the director expects nothing but perfection from his dancers. After years of hard work, Ava Kirilova feels like she has reached the top of her profession after she is cast in the lead role as Odette and Odile.

The start of the book does a great job of building the atmosphere. I don't know a lot about ballet, but I felt like I'd been fully absorbed into the world, and I could really feel the tension between the characters.

Then the perspective switches, and I felt very confused. The plot seemed to be going off on a completely different tangent. But when everything started to come together, there were moments where my jaw dropped as the realisation slowly dawned on me.

If you love dark and twisty thrillers then I would definitely recommend this book. I loved the writing style and I'd definitely like to read more books by this author.

I was looking forward to reading this one and was pleased to get started. However, I soon found myself getting confused with the characters, the change of narrators, people switching identities, and reading the same events from a different persons point of view made it a very difficult read.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I hate thrillers but I love Erin Kelly, and both these things are why I loved a lot of this book but also disliked a lot of it.

I was hooked right from the start by the ballet plot line. I grew up dancing and know the pain and the dedication and the struggles so I while I was never exactly good, I absolutely loved this setting. I was completely intrigued by the story and it is completely gripping.

It’s hard to talk about much of the next part of the book without spoilers but I 1) didn’t need this subplot at all and 2) found everything way too twisty. I also felt a bit manipulated by the narrative, which while I know it is the point, I didn’t really like how it was done.

For me, the ballet story was fascinating and interesting and I loved it. But the rest of the plot, especially all the twists, didn’t do it for me at all.

However, I demolished this in 2 days and couldn’t put it down, so I still want to give it 4 stars. I’m a bit disappointed as I went on a huge Erin Kelly binge at the start of the year and thought this would be my favourite but it ended up a bit too “thriller-y” for me. However I think people who love thrillers will really enjoy this!

Wow. This is an astonishing piece of writing by Erin Kelly and, I think, her best work yet. This dark, emotive, thrilling story will have you gripped from the opening page. Much like the ballet it centres around, the story is complex, delicate, intense and beautifully orchestrated. It transports you to a world in which the rich, layered characters out-wit, out-perform - literally and metaphorically - and out-dance each other. The plot is genius, the twist so unexpected it hits you like a freight train. Every character is believable and two-dimensional - in one way good, another bad. You want them to win, you want them to lose. They are all unlikeable, and yet you root for every one of them. It really is an extraordinary novel and I highly recommend it.

Wow, where to start with this book? Watch Her Fall offers up a unique backdrop of a production of Swan Lake at the London Russian Ballet Theatre which instantly intrigued me. I don't have a personal interest in ballet but I really enjoyed discovering what it was like for those who were part of the theatre, working and existing under the iron fist of director Nikolai Kirilov. Although some of the details feel a little unrealistic (e.g. the dancers not having phones/being paid in cash), I do feel they were necessary to make the plot work. It was fascinating observing the many relationships of those in the theatre, especially Nicky and his daughter, principal dancer Ava.

I really enjoyed how the book was broken up, to be told from the different perspectives, all connected in some way. I thought Roman's chapters were particularly insightful and I liked that Erin shone a light on immigration, even if some of it felt somewhat stereotypical at times, but sadly it was also realistic too.

I wasn't entirely sure where the story was going and was completely enthralled throughout the twists and turns of the plot as the dots began to join up and the story weaved together, a fuller picture forming. Erin is a fantastic writer and this is such a clever plot, that was the perfect escape in lockdown. Having read Erin's books previously this in undoubtedly one of the best and I thoroughly recommend.

An expansive thriller that copes with all of the human emotions but focusing on loss, bereavement and finally acceptance. Well crafted and with a fascinating insight into ballet, a world I'm not that familiar with.

I spent 2/3 of the book enjoying it, but not being blown away. The characters were intriguing and the premise was good, but I couldn’t see where it was going. After a twist that left me gaping, I was completely gripped and couldn’t put it down. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

The story is split between three narrations: Juliet and Ava – both injured dancers – and Max, an immigrant worker mourning the loss of his family.

Ava is entitled and spoilt for most of the book. But, as the first narrator, you see from her perspective which allows you to connect and warm to her. She deals with intense pressure the entire time, and is only human – she cracks.

Juliet has a bitterness to her after her career is destroyed, but – again – you empathise with her. You can tell she’s a good person in an impossible situation, and her actions are understandable. She softens and grows as the book progresses.

Max is out of his depth the entire time. But he’s got a good heart and you see him trying to make things right. He was definitely my favourite – there’s more of a vulnerability to him you don’t see in the girls.

Watch Her Fall covers a lot! From shattered dreams to acceptance, from destroyed relationships to finding a new direction in life. Greed and ambition play a strong role – these characters feel they are owed something, and will do whatever it takes to get it.

I really liked the directions this took. You see the characters grow, in their relationships and in themselves. Never being good enough is an underlying theme throughout, as is how far people will go to seek approval.
There’s so much packed in this book that I can’t even scrape the surface trying to explore it all!

Oh my gosh.

The writing.

Watch Her Fall is one of those books I enjoyed at the time. Then on reflection realised just how much!
The writing is so clever. From misdirection to omission of details so subtle you don’t notice, complicated characters and the switching narration building suspense. It works!

It’s hard writing this to make sure I don’t spoil anything, but I was stunned by the direction it took. A few plot-points felt a little out there, and the ending perhaps weaker than I anticipated. But I never would’ve guessed where this was going – and I love that!

I had high hopes for Watch Her Fall – and it didn’t disappoint. I knew I enjoyed it while I was reading, but writing the review is making me realise just how much.

Want to be kept guessing with no idea where a book is going? I highly recommend this one!

I had really high expectations from this- it is a good gripping read, but not quite the standard I expected because of the author’s previous book I read. It is well written and interesting enough to keep me entertained.

A very exciting and gripping ballet thriller!
I adore Erin Kelly’s books I really find that they grip me and keep me wanting more and this one was no different. At times I did wonder where the story was going but twists in the right places kept me hooked. Another gripping read from Erin Kelly

I really enjoyed this book. Set in a ballet company, it is the story of Ava Kirulova, the prima ballerina and daughter of Mr K, the tyrannical director. Ava is dancing the lead in the company's production of Swan Lake. However, the life of a ballerina is harsh and there is always someone waiting to see you fail. This is a story of revenge, identity and love which will keep you guessing to the end. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
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