Review: Corpse de Ballet

Corpse de Ballet

Author: Megan Kearney

First Second, 2026

ISBN: 9781250824592 (trade paperback)
9781250824585  (hardcover)
9781250470980 (EPUB)
9781250470973 (Nook)

$19.99 CAD (trade paperback)
$25.99 CAD (hardcover)
$12.99 CAD (EPUB)
$12.99 CAD (Nook)

336 pages

Ages: 14 to 18 years old
Recommended library audience: School and public library

Rosamund Hammond gets accepted to a prestigious ballet academy part way through the school year after the mysterious disappearance of another student. She makes fast friends with her roommate, attends the headmistress’s invite-only tea parties, and throws herself into preparing for her school showcase audition; this year, it’s Coppélia. Soon, however, a strange figure begins haunting her, and she begins to suspect her roommate is not everything she claims to be.

The bluescale illustrations effectively create a haunting atmosphere, while the author’s use of ballet history and folklore creates rich parallels between Rosamund’s own story and that of Coppélia. The dark academia setting also creates opportunity for interesting discussion about ballet as art, and the lengths people go to create it. Corpse de Ballet would be an excellent addition to a YA graphic novel collection in a public or school library.