The pianist begins the music and I hear the gentle shuffle of the dancers’ feet as they scramble to places behind Jocelyn. Ballet is not just an atmospheric setting, or an excuse to put the characters in tight lycra, but something the authors themselves have lived.

First Position by Melanie Hamrick | Goodreads First Position by Melanie Hamrick | Goodreads

Readers looking for a thriller in the vein of Black Swan should be aware that this is more of a piece of contemporary fiction. When the two of us make eye contact it’s like a lit match meeting gasoline … She burns bright and hot and fast, often burning those who aren’t afraid to touch her.I push through the outer stage doors and begin my walk of shame up the grand, red velvet aisle of the empty theater. From the moment I picked up this book I found myself utterly intrigued by Sylvie's story and unable to put it down. But it all comes alongside descriptions of prepping pointe shoes, the box of rosin dancers use to stop themselves slipping, itchy stage makeup, and the smells of sweat and hairspray. Hamrick makes her debut with this erotic novel that pulses with Black Swan energy…Hamrick offers up a thrilling meditation on the tension between love, desire, and art by combining the artistry of The Red Shoes with the eroticism of Fifty Shades of Grey.

First Position by Melanie Hamrick Read an excerpt from First Position by Melanie Hamrick

The book definitely got me out of a reading slump, but I felt like the ending was a bit rushed, I wanted more of Sylvie taking back her power and succeeding in life. This is probably one of the best representations of ballet and the ballet world I have read in a fiction book. I also think the politics of ballet are extremely well rendered here, frustrating and infuriating as they may be to read about at times. However the pacing and tension between the timelines and POV switches was fantastic and kept the story constantly moving forward. Hamrick was in the corps de ballet at ABT for 16 years (incidentally, she’s also Mick Jagger’s partner, which doesn’t do the book marketing any harm).An original and engrossing premise that really takes you behind the scenes of the dancers world so you really feel what they do. It's exactly what I needed it to be, but if you aren't a ballet person it might not be worth reading.

First Position by Melanie Hamrick | Waterstones First Position by Melanie Hamrick | Waterstones

You start out thinking poor Sylvie and wanting to know what happened but as it progresses, you realise that you need to know all sides of the story to understand the true tale of events.My expectations were higher after reading the interesting plot line that gave off Black Swan vibes and a promising, dark introduction to the world of ballerinas. now the rest of us have a chance"--and I found that tension to be delicious, and I wanted more of THAT. I don’t know about my fellow readers, but I rarely read a book featuring a ballerina or dance as a sport. It has chapters from both of their view points and from different times too so it gives the back story to main plot lines.