This book is pretty accurate about some stage mums, the dark side of wanting to be the best in competitive dance and how cut throat it is, it’s a warning of how it better be worth it and you better love it to go through it all,
Triggering if you’ve not been aware of this, memories if you’ve been through it- a good read though!
Thank you to NetGalley for this arc.

“I always liked the analogy about the piece of paper screwed up into a tiny ball. When flattened out, the damage done could still be seen. No amount of stroking it flat, apologising to it, or trying to bend the creases back in the opposite direction could turn back time and make that piece of paper what it once was”.

I was verging on 3 stars, but the last half pushed it up to 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Revenge is a dish best served cold! Isn’t that the truth. Lydia Moffat takes her 2 year old daughter Annie to ballet, and what was supposed to be just a bit of fun learning to dance in a non-competitive environment takes a turn when the dance studio takes their pupils to a convention. There starts the descent into competitive Dance, competitive Mums and competitive Kids.

Lydia has a tragic and traumatic past, which we find out about in chapters sprinkled throughout the story, these become more frequent throughout the second half of the book, and almost take on more significance than the present day story with Annie. However, Annie’s story is littered with drama throughout and gives an inside view into the life of competitive dance.

I enjoyed this story way more than I thought I would after reading some of the reviews, I think it’s a book where you probably need to have an interest in the dance world to enjoy it. I love dance, having danced (non-competitively thankfully 😮) throughout my childhood, where we put on shows and pantos, so reading about this was definitely a blast from the past! However the world of competitive dance is a dark one. 😈

The story really does centre on Lydia and Annie, I would have liked a little more of Lydia’s husband Rob, who was portrayed as being thoroughly unsupportive, even when his child was going through her issues. I felt this was slightly unrealistic and was brushed under the carpet somewhat. Also some of the other supporting characters could have had a little more depth and storyline too.

That being said, the book kept me engaged and interested enough that I wanted to find out how it ended. 👍

There are multiple triggers in this book, so if you tend to stay away from books with these, then you might want to avoid this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and The Book Guild for a digital ARC of this book. 📖

First, a big thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Sophie Wiggins’ novel “Making the Cut" – “In the cutthroat world of competitive dance, how far will Lydia go to protect what matters most?”

The cover and synopses of this book drew me in right away. The world of ballet is so fascinating to me. The book is about a single mom who struggles after putting her two-year-old into ballet and being sucked into the world of dance: the costs, the joys, the drama, the tears, the competition... the pain. All for small rewards (if you are lucky). As the book progresses, it also highlights the price you pay when you are considered good: pettiness, parent drama/fights, financial and marital problems, studio hierarchy, and the emotional toll it takes on people.

The author did an amazing job peering behind the curtain of elite dance studios, capturing the truth behind the performance, right down to the costs accrued from their own studios. In essence, every opportunity has a price tag, no matter how talented the dancer is.

The shifts in POVs were difficult to track at times. It was a little challenging sussing out Lydia’s experience with her daughter from her own experiences, and I'm still unsure how it all ties together. I wanted less of the flashback’s from Lydia and more for the present story. I enjoyed Lydia's perspective as a dance mom, but I do think that the character development and overall plot can be worked on.

The storyline turns very dark after the halfway mark; however, it does reflect that no matter what we go through as a dance parent, the dancer is likely enduring their own issues--especially if they are good and dancing on a competitive level. The author was able to show that a parent's job is to safeguard their child and showcased that good can come out of separating yourself from a toxic environment. I would definitely recommend this for fans of dance moms.

I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Making the Cut

by Sophie Wiggins

🌟🌟🌟

Published July 28, 2025, by The Book Guild

Thank you @NetGalley for the eARC for my honest review.

The cover and synopses of this book drew me in right away. My daughter just got on point and is going into her final year of competitive dance, so I thought it would be a great relatable experience. The book is about a single mom who struggles after putting her two-year-old into ballet and being sucked into the world of dance: the costs, the joys, the drama, the tears, the competition... the pain. All for small rewards (if you are lucky). As the book progresses, it also highlights the price you pay when you are good: pettiness, parent drama/fights, marital problems, studio hierarchy, etc., and the emotional toll it takes on even the most sane of people.

I am a dance mom and had no idea what that world entailed until I was in it, and I have had many, many arguments with our studio and dance friends' parents about what is 'the norm' in the dance world. For anyone going into this blind, I 100% recommend the first 1/2 of this book as it absolutely highlights the costs, the feelings of guilt to not do something for your child, the sacrifices, and more than anything, the joy when they find happiness. The author did an amazing job at capturing the truth behind the performance, right down to the costs of the 'swag' dancers get from their own studio. In essence, every opportunity has a price tag, no matter how talented the dancer is. Every parent should question it and not allow their child to think they are going to be granted special privileges because of money.

It took a while for me to get into the different POV's from Lydia talking about her daughter to remembering her own crisis, and I'm still unsure how it all ties together. As these scenes unfolded, I would guess the author was trying to show that everyone has trauma and that every trauma can make someone do things they normally wouldn't--or that the character was capable of the extreme actions she took in the end because of the past trauma triggering her during the trauma her daughter went through. To be honest, I think the book was better without the flashbacks from Lydia.

All in all, I rate this as 3* because I really enjoyed the truth in Lydia's perspective as a dance mom, but I do think that the character development and overall plot can be worked on. The storyline turns very dark after the halfway mark, and I would recommend anyone who is triggered to tread carefully; however, it does reflect that no matter what we go through as a dance parent, the dancer is likely enduring their own issues--especially if they are good and dancing on a competitive level. The author was able to show that a parent's job is to safeguard their child and showcased that good can come out of separating yourself from a toxic environment.

I'd still recommend the first half to first-time dance parents--it's all true!!

Thank you to the book guild and NetGalley for this arc.

If you like dance moms or are into wanting to learn about the dark side, cut throat world of competitive dance, this is for you. Just check your trigger warnings if you are easily triggered.

The tension in this book is palpable.

Lydia’s spiralling inner monologue felt so real that at times I wanted to hug her and then gently shake her. The world of competitive ballet is portrayed with surprising savagery – who knew tulle and leotards could be so cutthroat?

While the story has plenty of drama, it is not just about dance. At its heart, it explores legacy, control, fear and the heavy weight of motherhood when you are still trying to mend yourself.

Lydia’s determination to protect her daughter is fierce, but the constant push and pull between ambition and safeguarding felt slightly repetitive in places, which slowed the pace for me.

An emotional and at times uncomfortable read, with moments that really hit home, but for me it did not fully sustain the intensity it promised.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

If you enjoyed Dance Moms, you will relate to this book. It is an inside look at the dance world. The competitions are on a whole other level. The things these dancers go through to be the best is unbelievable. It was difficult to read at times due to the suffering of these girls. Check you trigger warnings. It kept my interest the whole time. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

When I first started reading Making the Cut, I found it a little challenging to get into the flow of the story. The opening chapters felt slower, and it took me some time to connect with the characters and their world. However, as the narrative unfolded, the depth of the characters and the emotional layers of the plot began to reveal themselves.

By the halfway point, I found myself more invested in their journeys, and the pace started to feel more natural and engaging. The final part of the book completely drew me in. The tension, emotional stakes, and resolution all came together beautifully, leaving me with a strong and satisfying impression.

Although the beginning required a bit of patience, I am glad I kept reading, because the ending made the whole experience worthwhile. Sophie Wiggins delivers a conclusion that resonates long after the last page.

2.5 stars

TW: SA (graphic description), eating disorders, fatphobia, graphic violence

Okay? I’m not really sure what the point was. Some parts were fine, but the protagonist is such a passive character I ended up hating her. Just take her to another studio? Most of it I was just bored, I had expected more of a thriller pace and reveal. If you really like dance moms and want a super edgy version of that, maybe give this a try.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy to form opinions from.

Who would've thought an innocent toddler ballet class would forever change the lives of everyone in Lydia Moffatt's family? When her daughter Annie falls in love with dance, Lydia is willing to do anything to support her. As Annie grows, it becomes increasingly clear that the dance studio (VCS) is taking all of their time, money, and Annie's innocence and joy. As Annie's world starts to bring forth memories of her own teenhood, Lydia must confront not only Annie's present, but her own past as well.

I loved this book. It was a 5-star read for over half of the book... but towards the end of the book, there were some themes that I did not sign on for.

Minor thematic spoilers will follow.

I am a dancer. I danced for over 20 years and my mom danced for over 50 years. The world of dance is super entertaining to me... but when I pick up a book about the dance world, I do not expect to read about a brutal sexual assault (in vivid detail). Once I got past the shock of that, I continued to enjoy my read... until the epilogue. I understand that we don't get to pick how a book ends, that is the author's privilege, but if I could go back and read the book again for the first time, I wouldn't read the final chapter. I'd rather a cliffhanger ending than the ending we got. The "plot twist" was entirely unneeded and I feel it destroyed the character of Lydia. This book is a Read It but for heaven's sake, don't read the last chapter!

Note: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

(This review contains spoilers.)This book was of great interest to me as the show Dance Moms was a guilty pleasure for me for many years. The book tells the story of Annie, a young student of dance and the lengths that her Mum, Lydia, would go through in order to protect her child and further her career at all costs. Her obsession with "helping" her daughter came at the expense of her marriage, her daughter's health, her financial well-being and her own mental health. While the author did a fantastic job of mimicking the show with her descriptive account of the competitive world of dance and the financial and emotional burden that is often attached to such a hobby, I felt like I was absolutely reading two stories; that of the dance world and then that of Lydia's past. To be honest, I found myself much more engaged in Lydia's back story and how her own coming of age story centered around her sexual assault by boys in her school. The description of her emotional state, shame, isolation and loss of friendships was supposed to parallel the life of her daughter as she navigated the world of dance with its cut-throat moms, carefree instructors and selfish studio owner, I was unable to connect the two as the author would have liked us to. Lydia's dance mum persona became one of blame and anger at the studio and its instructors but not many instances where she looks inward at her own power to remove Annie from this toxic environment. The notion that her dance instructors would be the only adults that could see a dramatic weight loss and a child slipping into an eating disorder is ridiculous. This child was the focus of Annie's life, yet when she spoke of the "mean girls" at the studio or the ignorant teachers, she never self-reflected on her own power to remove this child from such an environment. If the author's intent was to show the parallel of Lydia's childhood rape with the symbolic raping of young dancer in a truly cut throat world, it missed the mark entirely. Instead, Lydia goes crazy to get her revenge all of the way around in an unbelievable course of events that supposedly brought her justice and peace. I could have read an entire story of Lydia's background story with her final revenge as the main story. I think the author told this part very authentically and I was invested in that journey. The marrying of the two stories just didn't do it for me and that is what my rating is based on.

I have a great-niece who does competitive dancing, and I worked at a school with a lot of ballet dancers, so I know something about this world. And while I think the author understands the world and does a good job showing it, the bigger problem is Lydia.

As becomes clear during the book, she has A History that may (or may not) have bearing on the present and her supporting Annie's dancing. That history gets shared in flashbacks, and to be honest, some of that does relate directly to the current day. However, there's a whole large formative part that really doesn't. If that had been cut out, the book would have been far tighter and better, and the dance part could have been expanded somewhat.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

This was a quick and entertaining read that I finished in a few hours.
A well written story that kept me hooked from the very beginning.
The characters draw you in and keeps you flipping the pages.
They are realistic and very well developed.
I really enjoyed the writing style. I found myself hooked, turning the pages.

If you love the drama of a Dance Moms-style reality show—without the stress of actually watching real kids go through it—this book delivers. My inner gossip was hooked from page one.

Lydia is a devoted mother who only wants the best for her daughter, whose greatest passion in life is dance. Naturally, keeping her in an elite academy seems worth the cost, the demanding schedule, and the drama-filled world of competitive dance…right?

The story doesn’t shy away from heavy topics, including eating disorders and sexual assault, so the trigger warnings are important to note. That said, I personally appreciate when a book tackles difficult themes respectfully, and this one does so with purpose. At its core, the novel is about holding close the people you love and finding the strength to push through even the hardest times.

The writing is straightforward and accessible, without unnecessary flowery language or drawn-out symbolism. It feels almost like reading the memoir of a flawed but loving mother who tried her best, only to find herself deep in the whirlwind of competitive child

I’d happily recommend Making the Cut to anyone who enjoys drama from the sidelines—catching up on all the tea without being part of it. It’s especially great for a weekend or vacation read, keeping you entertained for a few days with its mix of tension, heart, and behind-the-scenes chaos.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publishers for this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Thank you for this ARC!
Rating: 4.75 ⭐️
I enjoyed this book so much. I went into it not knowing exactly what it to expect but it kept me captivated throughout.
I really enjoyed the writing style of the book. It kind of reminded me of diary entries in a way.
There are quite a a few TW: SA, eating disorders, death. it can get a bit heavy at times but it was so eye opening.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys deep meaningful books that will leave a lasting imprint.

An insight into a very cut throat world. I think all aspects of dancing and pageants and other activities like this seem to bring out the competitiveness in the parents even more than the kids who are participating. I enjoyed the book. Lots of triggers for those who are might be bothered by them.
Good read.

As a former dance mom this book gave me a little PTSD. The costumes, the other dance moms, the money- oh the money! Annie is nothing but a pawn in an adults game of who can be on top, which was so sad to read. Lydia was likeable at the beginning, but I liked her less and less as the book went on. Hearing her backstory was helpful in understanding her character more, but I still didn't like her. All in all the book was an interesting read that dragged in parts but really picked up at the end.

Coming from a competitive dancer background this book was amazing and very accurate. I really enjoyed it and even though some parts where harder to read than others I really enjoyed itl. You can tell the author really put in research into this world to mak the book authentic.

Just finished Making the Cut by Sophie Wiggins and whew… I need a minute 😵‍💫 Solid 4⭐️!
• The character work? So sharp. Everyone felt uncomfortably real (yes, even the ones I wanted to throttle).
• The mum? Genuinely terrifying. Gave me goosebumps more than once.
• The dad? Iconic in his uselessness.
• And the twists? Unhinged—in the best way. I was flipping pages like my life depended on it.

If messy families, dark secrets, and ballet-fueled tension are your thing, this one will absolutely get under your skin!

we all know of these worlds. weve all seen the good and bad side of them. sadly ive been witness to far to much of the darker side. so for me i was absolutely taken by the cover, title and then premise of this book. to explore this topic without the realities of actual people involved felt like a win. when you read it thought you cant help feeling how sadly realistic it was. and thats where this book managed to hit harder, it was far enough away from a real pers'on and close enough for it to be possible.
Lydia is a single mum trying to be all things. so when she signs her little girl up for ballet class she thinks it will be all the cute feels and something great for her daughter to get involved in. ohhhh but does this not become what she wished it to, because she wasn't ready for the competitive or should i say backstabbing dance parents, pass agg and agg agg world she is about to enter. not to mention the dancing world itself being harsh 'cutting' and at time cruel.
on top of that Lydia has her own issues that are weighting her down both from the present and past traumas. she is trying to hard and something will have to break. you cant hide from these things and neither can you dance them away.
the tension you get from this book takes everything you know about that world to another level. you are there with gripping fingers and angst as the plot moves forward. its that type of weirdly horrid feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when reading books like this because surrounding Lydia is so much i want to hold very tight but also have a firm word with(nicely of course). Lydia was trying to fix everything for her daughter when infact she had so much she needed to fix within herself.
Sophie did this story line such beautiful justice. her writing is emotional and whip smart. she keeps it tight so you feel like you are in this world feeling these feels but all the while able to do nothing as you have to sit and wait out whats to come. this book was deeply emotional and hit so many notes on your heartstrings.
oh and basically lesson number one. gently push your toddler away from life on a stage!(im joking.kind of. not)

i will add this book touches on eating disorders. its done well but this topic is heartbreaking and a book could never give it enough time it needs. so if you are in that space either recovered, in it, or even slightly tingly about the illness id swerve it. sometimes we can think we are find and subconsciously even things like mentioned in this book can awaken a monster. noone in recovery or recovered needs to be fighting that back if they can help it. so be cautious and only do it if you KNOW you can. its better to step away, always better to protect you head with this set of illness.

2.5 stars.
I thought this book was a darker version of dance moms. From the beginning, that’s what it seemed like. But for majority of the book, I felt like I was waiting for some big tragic event to happen that unlocked the rest. And then we took a huuuuge turn to the mom’s past trauma. The two storylines were oddly opposing each other. Got into some really serious topics without enough closure.

Thank you Book Guild for the arc.

TW: SA, ED.

Amazing book loved the characters abd plot. I couldn't stop reading I stayed up all night. Ii loved the book so much thank you for the arc.

Making the Cut is a gripping, effortlessly readable debut that hooks you from page one. I devoured it in a single sitting. A world of competitive parenting and dance mums with characters that feel scarily familiar. We all know parents like those in the book.

The writing is smooth and well-paced, making it an easy read. There’s a twist I genuinely didn’t see coming, though I have to admit I felt a little let down by the final chapter. I was hoping for a more emotionally resolution.

“You should bring Annie,” a casual invitation from a friend introduces Lydia to the captivating, competetive and expensive world of dance. After a few lessons, Annie is an eager student and Lydia is a dance mom. Her afternoons and weekends are spent driving to classes, watching classes and paying exorbitant fees for classes while Annie blooms with natural talent. As the years pass, Lydia sees the darker side of the dance academy and Annie reacts to her fellow dancers’ jealousy and bullying.

Making the Cut is not just a simple behind the scenes, Reality TV type look at a ballet school. Behind the glamorous costumes and competitions are worrying, unsettling secrets. Lydia’s story is told in horrifying flashbacks. The trauma she suffered as a teenager has affected her whole life, seeping into some disturbing actions. As Lydia often wonders, would Annie now be a different child is she had never studied dance? If the ballet school staff been less money oriented and more focused on each student, would Annie have received the help she needed? This issues raised in Making the Cut will stay with you long after you finish the final pages. 5 stars.

Thank you to NatGalley, The Book Guild and Sophie Wiggins for this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC! This book was nothing like I’ve really read before. I loved how it started out similar to dance moms then took a darker turn. The book goes back and forth between Lydia as an adult and as a teenager, it was dark at times. I think this book just needed a little something more, I felt that there was a little disconnect between what happened to Lydia then and why she does what she does now. At times her decision making skills were very frustrating. But overall it was an interesting read!

Making the Cut by Sophie Wiggins offers an interesting glimpse into the high-pressure world of competitive dance, told through the eyes of Lydia, who is a devoted dance mom, and her daughter, Annie. The story captures the tense dynamics of the dance circuit, touching on themes of mean girls, cost of participation, bullying, and the way parents sometimes push their children to live out unfulfilled dreams.

What makes this book more layered is its use of flashbacks to Lydia’s own teen years. These glimpses into her past add emotional depth and offer insight into her motivations, making her more than just a stereotypical “dance mom.” As the story progresses, it takes a darker turn, which adds an unexpected edge.

While some elements feel familiar in this genre, the dual timelines and complex mother-daughter relationship make it worth a read. A solid 4 stars for its emotional beats and thought-provoking themes.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing the eARC.

3 stars

Lydia Moffatt takes her two year old daughter Annie to a ballet class and Annie is hooked. Lydia becomes a dance mom, along with all that entails as Annie becomes absorbed in the world of competitive dance.

This book is a bit hard to fully describe because about half to three quarters of the way through two more plots come up, so there’s a fair amount of meandering around. I enjoyed the book overall, though.

Story written from the point of view of the mother of an aspiring ballerina. The child takes to dance as a toddler, and the mother invests all her time, energy, and money into her daughter's ballet school. There are other ballet moms and dramas with them, and as the girls in the ballet school grow up relationships and tensions become very complicated- between the ballet moms, the school personnel, and the kids all vying to be special.

Towards the middle of the book, the mother relates a horrific abuse of her own during her teenage years and parallels that with the neglect she sees at the school when the ballet teachers notice struggling kids. The book takes a very dark turn and quite shocking and violent conclusion.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.

When starting this book I thought it would be a soap opera type of story similar to the reality Dance Moms but I was completely mistaken. This book follows a mother and her beloved daughter over the course of many years as they navigate the world of dance. But, this book is about so much more than that as we begin to learn about the mother’s past and hidden secrets. The mom Lydia is a character which is constantly stirring up conflicting emotions. In one chapter you can go from loving her, to feeling sorry for her, to wanting to grab her and shake her with rage. As a mother it is almost impossible to navigate the winding paths of parenthood. It can be easy from the outside to judge another parent but we don’t dare use our skills of observation to see ourselves. As we come to see past unresolved traumas will hurt those we love the most. Lydia is such a complex character but the story really begins to unfold and reveal itself in the last chapters of this book. Be ready for the unexpected! This is a fantastic book and I will beg everyone I know to do themselves a favor and pick this one up.

As someone who binged every episode of Dance Moms, I was super excited to dive into “Making the Cut”. The early parts of the book are the ones I enjoyed the most, but farther on into the story things get a little too out of hand and unbelievable. I also found the writing style to be a little too flat. I think this book wants to be a thriller but mostly reads like a memoir. Things also get pretty dark so definitely check the trigger warnings.

Thank you to The Book Guild and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Making The Cut ended up being much darker than I anticipated so definitely check for trigger warnings. There is detailed descriptions of sexual abuse and eating disorders so go into it with that in mind.

That being said, it was a good read. It was one of those stories that was a quick read but also took a little bit to get through. Reason being, it did get heavy at times and I needed to just put it down and give myself a few minutes. It gives you a bit of an insider point of view when it comes to being a competitive dance mom. I'm sure it's the same in any competitive sport. You get to see the jealousy and rivalry between the children and the parents. You see how something that starts off just for fun can end up completely consuming your life.

The flashbacks give incredible insight into Lydia's psyche and you can see why she became the way she did. Why she struggles to fit in with the other moms or trying to keep up appearances. What she went through was horrific and while I may not agree with the choices she made, it's hard not to cut her some slack because that trauma is real.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

All the drama of a dance moms reality show, with none of the anxiety from watching actual kids go through it all. My inner gossip loved it.

Lydia is a mother who just wants what is best for her daughter. And her daughter loves dance more than anything else in the world. Of course keeping her enrolled at an elite dance academy is worth the money, schedule, judgy moms, and toxic expectations.....right?

I won't lie, it does get quite dark at times. Heed the warnings about eating disorders and sexual assault, for sure. But I happen to quite enjoy when books touch on darker themes, especially when they do so respectfully. Everything in this book has a purpose, and overall the main messages of keeping close to those you love and shoving yourself to the end of hard times get across quite well.

The writing style is simple, mostly straightforward without much flowery language or lingering on symbolism and such. It fits what feels like the autobiography of a mom who isn't perfect, but who did her best end and ended up right in the thick of all the nonsense the world of child dance has to offer.

There are some people who just kind of dropped away from the plot that I wished we'd heard more from, and the story wasn't complex enough to be one I'll rant about for years like some others I've read this year. But it was a very enjoyable read, one I spent hours at a time unable to put down until I'd gotten through just one more chapter.

I highly recommend "Making the Cut" for anyone who enjoys sitting back and listening to all the latest tea about drama they have nothing to do with. Especially if they are looking for a fun read to keep them busy for a few days, maybe over a weekend or vacation.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC. 

This book almost worked for me. I got so sucked in in the beginning, it felt almost like reading a memoir. 

The writing in this is excellent. I loved that it tackled the harsh truths about these kinds of environments. As a former dance kid who grew up binging dance moms this was a great encapsulation of a lot of the issues that shows like that brush over. 

My problem is with how over the top things got. I just couldn't take this book seriously anymore and that's a problem when dealing with such serious topics. 

Also, the mother being totally unhinged felt like it was supposed to be a twist, but to me it seemed pretty obvious from the beginning. Very much an unreliable narrator.

Please read the trigger warnings, there are a lot of sensitive topics in here and some of them are described in more detail than I think they needed to be.

Wiggins’ storytelling is compelling, blending emotional depth with sharp social commentary. Lydia’s journey—from a well-meaning parent to someone forced to confront her own past traumas—drives the novel’s tension, making it a gripping exploration of maternal protectiveness and personal reckoning. The prose is accessible yet evocative, though some may find the pacing uneven as it shifts between psychological introspection and external drama.

Overall, Making the Cut is a thought-provoking read, particularly for those interested in themes of ambition, motherhood, and the sacrifices made in the name of success. While the narrative occasionally leans into familiar tropes of competitive environments, Wiggins’ fresh perspective and emotional authenticity keep it engaging.