The Turnout by Megan Abbott

 

            Reviewed by Christy

            The turnout, the ability to rotate one’s legs outward at the hips, is an important technique in building a good foundation for ballet. Dara and Marie Durant have been dancing ballet since they were very young. Dara remembers vividly the exultation she felt the first time she executed the turnout. Their French dancer mother ran her own dance school, and now the sisters have taken over the family business. Though the building is old and badly in need of renovation, the women, along with Dara’s husband Charlie, enjoy a bustling clientele. During their busiest season of the year (rehearsals for The Nutcracker), a fire breaks out in one of their studios destroying it completely. Enter contractor Derek.

            Derek convinces the trio it’s time to undertake the long-needed remodeling. Dara, the de facto leader, is skeptical but reluctantly agrees after some persuasion from Charlie. None of them are prepared for the havoc this intruder will wreak.

            I’m a fan of Megan Abbott but her previous novel, Give Me Your Hand, was a little underwhelming for me. I was delighted to discover that The Turnout, however, reminded me of why I enjoy the author so much. In her books, Abbott likes to focus on a competitive micro community – for example, cheerleading in Dare Me or gymnastics in You Will Know Me – and peel back layers of secrets to reveal the sleazy truth underneath the sheen. The run down little dance studio in The Turnout is no exception. Abbott is really good at writing about slimy misdeeds in a way that is almost effervescent. The characters are interesting (stoic Dara and mousy yet impulsive Marie in particular), but I also enjoyed the atmosphere of the writing. The creak of the wooden stairs in the sisters’ old home, the frost in the winter air, and the scrape of razors on the soles of the pink slippers all made for an immersive read.

            As the novel went on and new tidbits of truth were casually revealed piece by piece, The Turnout became quite the page-turner. I think it might be my new favorite Abbott book.

** I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. **