Corpse de Ballet

by Megan Kearney

In her solo graphic novel debut, Megan Kearney weaves a fresh tale of dark academia and brutal competition. This psychological thriller is perfect for fans of Black Swan!

Arriving at Saint Anselmus in the middle of the year, Rosamund Hammond is ready to practice hard and prove she deserves to be there. But something at this boarding school doesn’t feel right.

It turns out that just before Rosamund enrolled, a student disappeared without telling anyone. Was it really a leave of absence—or something more sinister? Together with her new roommate, Rosamund spirals deeper and deeper into an obsession with the truth. As the school prepares for its showcase performance of Coppélia, can she commit to her hard-earned ballet dreams while solving the mystery that’s haunting her—or will she lose herself in the process?

Genres: Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Horror, Mystery, Dark Academia, Comics, Thriller

336 pages, Paperback

Expected publication July 7, 2026

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published July 7, 2026.

3 stars

Rosamund Hammond is admitted to prestigious Saint Anselmus dance academy, from the waitlist, after another student disappears. She is told the other girl took a leave of absence but she isn’t sure that is true. Can Rosamund trust the other students? Her roommate, Eugenie? The staff? Herself?

This will appeal to younger readers and gets pretty down in the weeds about ballet. Nice pallet used for illustrations.

[Reading Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted creepy ballet academy and that's what exactly what I got. I really enjoyed the artwork and the story equally. I was surprised that it still gave me some of the beauty of ballet 🩰. A good read for anyone who enjoys ballet, dark academia and light horror.

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing representation of a ballerinas descent. The cracks in the psyche. The toxic expectations. Corpse de Ballet is hauntingly beautiful.

[SJARR ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The horrors of fine arts school.
3.5 stars. RTC closer to official publication date.

[Raaven💖 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

This is a pretty solid psychological thriller set in a ballet school. Rosie is our MC and she is the late transfer to a prestigious ballet academy. Her roommate Eugenie is seen as unlikable by all the other girls and they try to warn Rosie about her. Rosie and Eugenie begin to investigate the disappearance of Eugenie’s last roommate, believing she was murdered and is haunting them.

This book is about gaslighting and how bad & petty teenage friendships can be. Especially in the cutthroat market of competitive ballet. This graphic novel was a pretty straightforward formula. We have a secret society hiding in the background, a new girl with no friends who has great potential, and a roommate who is more than meets the eye.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gothic dark academia YA graphic novel debut set in a converted ballet school that has a new transfer student struggling to fit in with her roommate and feeling like she's losing her mind after she starts seeing ghosts. The illustrations in this volume were great and the muted, two toned coloring lent to the atmospheric vibes. It was both haunting, relatable and had some fantastic classic fairy tale horror vibes. Recommended for fans of graphic novels like Hungry Ghosts or This place kills me. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

CW: gaslighting, disordered eating, burnout

[Sacha · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Anyone who has ever participated in The Arts in some kind of semi-serious way, including performing arts school and competitive work, will find this hauntingly relatable. Everyone else? Still haunting!

Rosamund Hammond is a new student at Saint Anselmus, and unlike her classmates, she does not come with a long list of advantages and opportunities backing her. That noted, someone believes in her enough to have recommended her. She's trying her best academically and physically, but on the interior, she's experiencing a full meltdown that appears to include intervention from the other side.

It did not surprise me to learn in the author's note that Kearney has an affinity for folk and fairy tales. This effort shows that in a positive way. Because tales are intentionally formulaic and cyclical, readers may find more familiar inspiration here than original ideas, but the presentation is still fresh and engaging. In a nutshell, it's giving _Suspiria_ light.

This is great for fans of Dark Academia, supernatural ballet s**t, and twisty, unreliable characters and events. Brava.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and First Second for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

[Hannah Rowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What to expect:
🩰 cut throat performing arts school
🩰 psychological thriller
🩰 dark academia
🩰 toxic friendships
🩰 Black Swan ambiance

This book made me feel just as crazy as our main character. I don’t know what was real or what wasn’t. For me, that’s what makes a psychological thriller successful. This was such a dark, tense, mind boggling graphic novel. Expect to be confused most of the time. If you’re looking for a clear cut ending, this is not the book for you. I’m still not entirely sure how this ended. I understand the intention of the ending being ambiguous, but for me I wish it was a little less vague. I needed just a little bit more closure at the end of the story. I’m still confused even after rereading the ending. It certainly makes the reader feel as much psychological distress as the characters by the end. I just need a little bit more answers or even just another page or two. I really loved the melancholic art style with its muted tones and eerie imagery. The style makes the story even more immersive. I loved the parallels between our story and the ballet, Coppélia. The author does an amazing job of depicting toxic female friendships and the competitive nature of performing arts schools. There is a very tense tone throughout the story. From the very beginning I felt unsettled. The images of moths, marionettes, ghosts, etc. give this story a gothic fairytale feel. Overall, I really enjoyed this graphic novel. I just wished the ending was a little cleaner. Dark academia and psychological thrillers aren’t typically seen in graphic novels. It was refreshing to experience those sub genres in this form of media.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!*

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Being a Middle School teacher I am always looking for new YA books to share with my students. Especially ones that are graphic novels and follow a spooky vibe. This book demonstrates gaslighting, petty friendships, manipulation within a friendship. I think the book showed these things very nicely and how easily it can cause someone to feel overwhelmed and in what students call today “crash out”. I will be making sure to share this story with my students who are looking for a psychological thriller, gothic theme book. Aside from the theme, I thought the art was lovely and I loved that the book didn’t really have a lot of
color, the blueish gray went well with the gothic theme. I also like that for each part of the story it showed a different stance.

[dommie · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow! what can i say about this wonderful graphic novel? first thank you netgalley and first second for allowing me to read this arc! i've always loved dancing every since i was a little girl so when i saw this book i knew i had to read it! the book takes place at an all girls art/dance school. rosamund is a new student off the waitlist after the semester had already started. she is immediately being bullied, taken under the wing of her roommate, invited to a secret society(sort of) meeting with the headmaster of the school! while all that is happening her roommate, eugenie, is trying to solve why her previous roommate disappeared. rosie agrees to help and things quickly went south. from there she is seeing ghosts, to moths everywhere, not remembering where she is and how she ended up there, and not to mention being stressed about getting the lead of the dance recital that is coming up. will she rise up even with all of the pressure or will she lose everything including herself and who she thought was her friend? this book literally had me on the edge of my seat and i couldn't put it down! i HAD to see what would happen next and this book didn't disappoint me at all! so if you love reading about dance/the history of classical dance, a girl trying to find herself, and a spooky mystery? this book is for you! can't wait to have this book physically in my hands and also can't wait to read more from this author!

[Ariela Strombeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all thanks so much to the folks at NetGalley for this ARC!

Wow! This was fantastic! I genuinely didn’t expect Corpse De Ballet to be so haunting and philosophical. The pacing is strong from page one. I found myself completely immersed in the story and I devoured this graphic novel within a few hours. The novel weaves all the classic tenets of the dark academia genre– obsession with one’s art, legacy, and the pursuit of perfection that leads characters to do truly horrific things–while also viewing it from the unconventional lens of ballet. I liked how the author chose ballet as the central art form since it is a discipline that literally breaks down the body to create something ephemeral and beautiful. From its metaphors and symbolism to its recurring artistic motifs there was genuinely so SO much to dissect in this graphic novel.

The book starts out with Rosamund, the main character, as a famous dancer on the verge of retirement. She’s one of the ones who “made it.” The story is her reflecting on all the things she sacrificed and did to get to her position. One of the more compelling aspects of the story is the sustained dialogue and debate surrounding ballet and dance. The headmistress, in particular, views ballet as the preservation of a long cultural tradition, one in which dancers are vessels meant to recreate the past, not reinterpret it or deviate significantly from the technical form. She describes the process as “preserving butterflies under glass.” In other words, ballet is an inherently ephemeral medium in a way that other art forms are not. Performances only exist for a brief moment on stage, beautiful and fleeting, before being reborn again and again as the tradition is passed on from master to protege. The headmistress explains, “as long as we exist to channel the past, our works are immortal.” From this framework, the art form endures even as the individual dancers who perform burn bright for only a brief period of time. Like a butterfly, a dancer’s career is beautiful, brief, and incredibly fragile.

The headmistress repeatedly invokes Coppelia, a doll, as a symbol of the ideal dancer. The doll is beautiful, technical in her precision, and contains no life of her own– an object which warmth and energy is projected (in this case by the lead dancer Swanilda) rather than creating any meaning of her own. In one gorgeous frame of artwork we get a visual representation of this. A doll is depicted cracked and filled with butterflies. Ie. the ballerina’s body is a container for the ‘spirit of dance’. She is “the charming puppet through which art is executed” rather than artist in the creative sense. At the same time, dancers are paradoxically expected to carve out individuality within the rigid lines of the academy and ballet as a tradition. The things that that rise to prominence may cost is immense.

We also get an opposing perspective from another one of the students who argues that dance is a living thing. Instead of using her body as merely a tool, dance is instead the tool of expression. It is living art that is subject to constant reinterpretation and change. Outside of the academy dance is actually much more diverse and failure to be the best is not necessarily the end of the world that the students are led to believe.

I also really appreciated this story’s realistic depiction of bullying, manipulation, and toxic behavior. I think the relative length of this graphic novel really helped in that regard. We start off seeing Eugenie as Rosamund’s sole friend in the hyper competitive dance academy. She helps Rosamund, making her feel as though she is seen and special. The red flags are subtle but grow as the story progresses. It is unsettling to see the character we are initially endeared to, berate the other dancers, and justify her cutthroat actions through the lens of necessary competition. Part of the horror and suspense is how easily it seems to be drawn in by Eugenie’s initial friendliness only for her cruelty and selfishness to be revealed later on. It is entirely believable why Rosamund would rationalize this behavior, and would even go so far as to use it to form her own sense of self such that– when her Eugenie’s true character is revealed— Rosamund’s breakdown feels grounded and deeply unsettling.

The graphic novel makes such good use of the visual medium! I loved how the visual motifs (the dolls, butterflies, etc…) actually meant something in terms of the story’s philosophy. Much like the transformation of Rosamund–they are beautiful, fragile things that are made horrific. Rosamund is isolated, loses her sense of self through manipulation, hallucinations, and mental unravelling, before she ultimately becomes rebuilt anew (with the help of the headmistress) as a creature of her art and of the ballet tradition. I liked how the author alluded to this process with Rosamund’s late nights dancing. She wakes up with no knowledge of what she's done or where she is. She *loses* herself in dance. In the end Rosamund becomes this perfect vessel for ballet, helped on by the literal and metaphorical erasure of herself as an individual. It is the classic dark academia spiral, dressed up in gorgeous costumes and choreography.

[Kelsey Vargo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!

Given the chance of a lifetime joining the prestigious Saint Anselmus School for dance, Rosamund Hammond believes her dreams are just around the corner. The truth of the situation may be a bit more dire, as something isn't quite right at the academy. A previous student went missing and seemingly no one cares.

Will Rosamund chase the answer to this mystery until she reaches a satisfactory conclusion?–or will she focus on her future gracing the stage as a famous prima ballerina?

I loved the use of a minimal color palette in this graphic novel! The dreamy pastel blues and mysterious darker shades set such a delightfully somber tone. The combination of round forms and clean lines of moment bring the dance scenes to life!! And the moths!!!!!!!

As a "ballet kid" who did go to private school for a majority of my education, a great deal of this story hit home. Thankfully or perhaps not, depending on who you ask, my own future in the art form stopped early after a series of health concerns. Yet even at the not-so-rigorous level I found myself at, there was steep competition and constant comparison. This story pairs the expected tropes of the Dark Academia subgenre with the delights and pitfalls of prestigious dance halls quite well.

I loved the little history lessons around classical shows, and appreciated that the reality of ballerinas' lives wasn't glossed over. The art form began with sex workers after all, pretending that isn't the case invalidates their experiences and sacrifices. Additionally the running commentary about old and new shows holding different weights in the upper echelons felt timely. The classical shows were all new once too afterall... And while the author also notes that some facts have been muddied for narrative purposes, the ethos remains in my opinion.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Corpse de Ballet” by Megan Kearney is dark academia with a ballet twist. If you’ve seen either of the “Suspira” films then a ballet school with supernatural happenings isn’t new to you, the beginning of this graphic novel has a similar set up, a young dark haired girl arriving at an old ballet school where her promising predecessor has disappeared mysteriously. Our protagonist Rosamund arrives and is taken under the wing of the missing girl's roommate Eugenie. Eugenie says her roommate may have been murdered and drags Rosamund along on her investigation, filling her head with paranoia that perhaps her misfortunes are due to the ghost of the missing girl. The story subverted my expectations, one moment I think the haunting could all be in her head and the next I’m convinced that something sinister is really after Rosamund. The themes of being consumed by the arts to an unhealthy degree, athletes/artists used up and thrown away by their profession aren’t anything new, especially with stories of ballet dancers, but I think “Corpse de Ballet” was an engaging take on it. Eugenie and Rosamund's complex relationship was a highlight, and one I won’t spoil. I loved the expressive art style and visual storytelling, important revelations aren’t given only in text bubbles but on the page for the reader to discover and interpret. I’ll be sharing this graphic novel with my young adult library readers, and I look forward to reading more of Megan Kearney’s future work!

(Thank you NetGalley and First Second Books for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!)

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Corpse de Ballet is a YA graphic novel by Megan Kearney. The story follows Rosamund, a young dancer, who is chosen mid-year to finish out the year at a prestigious ballet school. The story of her arrival is shrouded in mystery even to herself. She takes the place of a student who mysteriously disappeared. Rosamund's new roommate is suspicious of the disappearance and wants to figure it out. Meanwhile, the students are auditioning for an important performance for their senior year, and Rosamund is not fitting in, acting more and more disrupted in her daily life.

To call this story a horror story is a bit of a misconception to a student. The first half of the book is suspenseful and creepy with dabbling in the occult and secret societies, but it's more a psychological thriller and dark academia, which it's also labelled as and should probably be at the forefront in any book talks especially as the tension slowly builds more toward the second half the book and really comes to a pace at the end. The book would be good for students who would like reading about ballet with a twist of darkness to it. The whole piece is done in blue/gray shading and is easy to follow. Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for this ARC.

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love a good graphic novel of a variety of artistic styles. On top of that, I love a good mystery/thriller. When I saw “Corpse de Ballet” was available as an ARC, I requested it immediately.

The art is atmospheric in nature. I loved most of it. However, some of the faces, especially one of the main characters, was odd. The rest of the faces and characters almost look like a Disney cartoon. The dark colors fits the subject perfectly.

I am not a big fan of the use of tarot cards and a “Ouija board” (you would have to read to understand the quotation marks). I don’t think it’s necessary even to deal with the supernatural.

For me, this just was bland. Not much to it. But maybe that is just me.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ebook in return for an honest review.
4.5/5 stars, rounded up to 5
I’m going to start this off by saying that I’m not usually a horror person, but I try to read broadly so sometimes I end up reading horror anyways. That was the case with Corpse de Ballet.
I really loved this. It promised dark academia, gothic horror, and a ballerina losing her grip on what is real, and it really delivered. The art style was beautiful; it did justice to the grace of ballet, but it also perfectly showed the increasing desperation in Rosie’s face as she struggled to figure out what’s real and what’s not. The reveal at the end is hinted at during the story in several scenes, but it still gave me chills. It’s excellently done, satisfying horror, with absolutely zero blood, gore, or body horror.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Corpse de Ballet is a dark academia tale of a new girl who is thrust into the competitive school of ballet, and possibly haunted by a long lost student.
Rosamund Hammond is the scholarship student. As soon as she arrives, there are whispers as to how she got in, what is she doing there, is she good enough to join? The only girl who she feels like she is friends with is her roommate, but even her roommate is hiding things.
And so the story goes as the school and the girls prepare for the big showcase, Rosamund has to decide who she can trust and ask her, is she really strong enough to be there.

I like the dark tone of the book, the art is well done and lends itself nicely to the mood and mystery surrounding the story. The plot is interesting and kept me reading, but I wouldn't say it was fast paced. It was more carefully constructed and creepy. People lied. Ghosts lurked. Questions upon questions arose as each chapter went. It's probably just me, but I did want to scream at Rosie a few times. Like, come on, are you really that naive?
But it went well with the general aura of the story. I liked the school and setting, but the supporting characters didn't feel particularly well established besides her roommate. The author did a very good job of making the reader feel Rosie's vulnerability and how unstable she was in her environment. Toxic teenage friendships, jealousy and ballet. What could possibly go wrong.

[Cathy Newman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think I've ever read dark academia in graphic novel form before. This story was interesting and engaging. Spooky without being scary. I loved the goth-style illustrations. The story involves themes of friendship, loyalty, academic/athletics stress, eating disorders, gaslighting. I felt like the end was a bit rushed though, and I didn't really understand what all was going on. Were we supposed to take the depicted scenes at face value? or was this all in the character's head? What really happened to Eugenie? But all in all, a solid YA dark academia graphic novel sure to interest anyone drawn to those genres.

Thank you to First Second and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

[Jayme Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and First Second Books for this eARC.

My favorite kinds of graphic novels are the ones having to do with dance. It's something about how the dance (especially ballet) is illustrated on the page that is both captivating and aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Unlike the other dance novels that I've read, this one was quite dark and I very much enjoyed the thrilling aspects of it. I was pleasantly surprised by the ending and thought that the pacing was consistent. I would have liked to explore Eugenie's toxicity a bit more and I would have liked more information about Rosamund's past prior to her being accepted to Saint Anselmus. This of course, would have resulted in a longer graphic novel, which I'd be more than happy to read. I hope that the author chooses to return to this world and give us more stories about the other characters in the future.

[Greta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Corpse de Ballet is a beautiful graphic novel following the psychological breakdown of Rosamund, a ballet dancer destined for fame. Coming from a different background than all the other girls at this elite dance school, Rosamund has to work extra hard to prove that she deserves the main part, Swanhilda, in their senior ballet showcase, Coppelia. She shows that she will do whatever it takes for the limelight. Publishing in July of 2026, this graphic novel has beautiful art and a haunting story suitable for all ages. Thank you to NetGalley, First Second books, and Megan Kearney for this arc. I will definitely be reading this again before it is published.

[Tala W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you First Second Books for providing this book for review consideration via Net Galley. All opinions are my own.
Dark academia meets psychological thriller: I was never quite sure where this novel was going to go, although I had my suspicions. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride along this chaotic plot, and I felt significant chills in all the right scenes.
The art was beautiful and often unnerving, and the sedateness of the color palate was a perfect complement.
This book would easily find a home in any library's YA graphic novel collection.

[Tye Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the artwork in Corpse de Ballet. The movement and flow of the dancing was really well done and enjoyable. While I enjoyed the way that stress was depicted, I'm not entirely sure I understood some of this story, especially the ending. That may be because I am not familiar with ballet in general (there is a lot of discourse on particular ballets), but I really don't know what was being said in the end. Still a lovely read, especially if you have experience with ballet or the arts.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc!

[Nadine Sturgill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having taken ballet as a youth, this was definitely somewhat reminiscent a smidge. Gave off vibes of Black Swan and Suspiria. Really great artwork and the story was pretty intense. Eugenie was a bit of a nuisance if I'm honest. Rosamund is a fragile character who is also a fighter. I would definitely recommend this to my friends for a quick graphic novel read.

Thank you NetGalley, First Second Books and Megan Kearney for the opportunity to read this early! I will absolutely be purchasing once it is available.

[Lilly S · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had such a good time with this one! I didn’t really know what to expect but it was a pleasant surprise. I really grew to hate Eugenie. There were some parts that were a little confusing and hard to follow. I don’t know a lot of the technicalities of ballet so that was a bit of a hindrance. However, the story was good and that bit of mystery kept me intrigued. I loved the art style and the ending really gives you a little tingle down your spine!

[Zaidee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eerie and tense, Corpse de Ballet is a satisfying read for spooky season. Though there were some changes in the art style that I found distracting, I thought the illustrations of dance were beautifully done. Double page spreads were very effective, and set a proper stage for the mystery and symbolism of the story. I'm torn between wanting to know more about the creepy cultish ghost story of the school, and feeling like leaving things up to interpretation added to the atmosphere.

[Allison Maddox · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dark and captivating story about a young ballerina as she deals with the pressures of a professional dance school, determining who to trust, being gaslit by someone she trusts, hallucinations and hauntings, and finding her place in the world of ballet. The delirium she feels is palpable, and the complete 360 of a "friend" is so relatable to anyone whose dealt with a manipulator.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

[eiros · Rating 5 out of 5]

The art is so cute and creepy. It fits the vibe and really transported me to the world of the story. The chapter numbers being ballet positions is such a nice touch. The fancy school with ✨secrets✨ is giving nevermore I Love It. Also perhaps has my favorite trope: the somewhat unreliable narrator 🫶 love all my manipulated girlies. It’s just such a good fucking book, top tier illustrations and story building. Drink a rose/strawberry tea with this one, with a sugar cube 🩷

[Danielle Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC! 4/5 stars for me! This is a haunting ballet story that’s perfect parts creepy ghosts, beautiful ballet, and drama! The color scheme adds to the creepy factor. The ending really made this for me, I’m a big fan of descent into madness stories in general but being able to see it all with Rosamund and essentially as her made it even better. Definitely recommend!

[Amelia Gutche · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and First Second Books for an eARC of this graphic novel in exchange for my review!

At like 30% of the way through I was worried that I picked a graphic novel that was a bit too young for my taste, about childhood rivalries and jealousy. However, as we got more into the ghost lore I became more invested. I thought the artwork was beautiful and I really enjoyed learning some background on the ballet featured. The ending was spooky and while I would appreciate a bit more clarity I liked how it all seemed to tie together.

[Autumn (Nerdy Silly Goose) · Rating 5 out of 5]

As much as I wanted to read this book, it wouldn't send to my Kindle, so I was unable to read it. :( Here's 5 stars for letting me have it even though I couldn't read it! Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!