The Finalist - Large Print by Faith Gladwin (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Seven ballerinas. One fallen primadonna. The audition of a lifetime. And a mysterious house that swallows the weakest one by one ...

There is no performance art as punishing as ballet--and no top-tier ballerina is as punished as Eden. While others practice their steps over and over, Eden waits, knowing her body can perform only so many times before it breaks. But Eden will need to be perfect--or even better--at Deveraux Manor, secluded amid snowy mountains, where she and six other hopefuls are sequestered in a month-long audition for the mysterious, alluring, tragic former ballerina Leanora Karagianni.

Only one finalist will join Leanora's company and dance the lead. Eden wants it more than anything, but not more than anyone. Her competitors will take every advantage they can. And the cursed house twisting around them will push each ballerina to the bloody edge--and over it. As Eden fights her attraction to the seductive Leonora and the stakes turn lethal, she'll discover that only the dancer who pays the house's terrible price can become the finalist.

Review Quotes

"Gladwin crafts a spine-tingling tale with precision and effective pacing... A proper gothic haunting with a strong dose of body horror and a real final girl."--Kirkus Reviews

"Sharp-edged, bloodthirsty, and beautifully written, The Finalist is as brutal as it is brilliant. A dark and vicious tale that reckons with the cost of ambition and the intersection of pain and desire. This book will absolutely ruin you!"--Kelsea Yu, Shirley Jackson Award-nominated author of BOUND FEET

"The Finalist explores the psychological and body horrors that hide behind ballet's graceful facade, in a sinister setting that looms as large and threateningly as a prima donna's ego. This unique take on the gothic had me hooked to the blistering end."--E.L. Chen, USA TODAY bestselling author of SLASHER

"The Finalist is a showstopping debut, dripping with dread and dressed in blood-spattered tulle. The horror is delicious and the atmosphere is en pointe. This book gives new meaning to the phrase 'dance until you die.'" --Luke Dumas, bestselling author of NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD

"A terrifying and claustrophobic debut, Faith Gladwin's The Finalist combines atmospheric queer horror with the brutal world of ballet, in an unputdownable novel that will keep you up at night."--Annie Summerlee, author of THE BOOK OF BLOOD AND ROSES

"An intensely choreographed page-turner that left me as breathless as the ballerinas competing in this darkly twisted manor. Sapphic Black Swan with a deadly competition? Don't threaten me with a good time! Gladwin has established herself as a superb new voice in the horror space--truly thrilling!"--Hazel McBride, SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author of A FATE FORGED IN FIRE

"Rich in atmosphere, dripping with menace, and offering an insider's view of ruthless competition between would-be ballerina stars, The Finalist is a haunting story about how far some will go to win and what it costs them--whether they win fairly or not. It got under my skin and had it crawling."--Craig DiLouie, author of EPISODE THIRTEEN

About the Author

Faith Gladwin grew up in Nova Scotia, Canada, and studied Political Science at Dalhousie University in Halifax. She now works at a museum, and in between research work and writing, she tries to keep her houseplants alive and safe from her cat, Cleo.