Brave Enough

by Kati Gardner

Teenager Cason Martin is the youngest ballerina in the Atlanta Ballet Conservatory. She never really had a choice of whether she learned to dance or not. Her mother, the conservatory's artistic director, has made all the decisions in Cason's life. But that's about to change. Cason has been hiding an injury, and it's much worse than anyone imagines. Davis Channing understands all too well what it's like to give up control of your life. He's survived cancer, but his drug addiction nearly killed him. Now he's been sober for seven months and enjoying his community service at the hospital. But just when he thinks he's got it together, Davis's ex-girlfriend, who is still battling her addiction, barrels back into his life. Cason and Davis are not friends. But, as their worlds collide, they will start to depend on one another. Can they both be brave enough to beat the odds?

• ISBN13: 9781635830200
• Publish Date: 21 August 2018
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Flux
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

Cason was already living her dream. As a part-time high school student, she was dancing professionally with a ballet company, and it looked like she might just earn a spot with ABT in NY. Then she fell, and what she originally thought to be a leg injury ended up being a cancerous tumor. Chemo, amputation, and prosthesis seem to be in her future now, however, Cason's new friends were there to help her find her new dream.

I was reading the author's note at the end of the book, and she talked about how she wanted to see herself in the books she read. She wanted to read a book, featuring a girl who gets diagnosed with cancer and lives, and she did so with this beautiful story.

Cason's journey was a tough one. She had dedicated her life to ballet, and couldn't imagine her world without it. It was a huge loss for her, and Gardner did a nice job taking us through her process of dealing with that change, as well as many of the others, that she experienced after her cancer was discovered.

Luckily, she didn't have to go it alone. Not only did Cason catch the eye of Davis, a cancer survivor and hospital volunteer, but he introduced her to his Camp Chemo friends, who were a vital part of her navigating her new norm. Because of their shared experiences, they were able to offer her insight or simply some empathy for what she was dealing with. They were a rather lovely group, and I was really happy Cason had them in her life.

I found Davis an interesting love interest for Cason. While she was battling the loss of her ballet dream, he was battling his addiction. It was never specified how he became addicted to opiates, but the story takes up with him less than a year into his sobriety. The guilt he carried about his past was heartbreaking, as was his constant inner struggle to not use and stay sober.

I was glad we got to spend a bit of time at camp, because it was one of my favorite parts of the story. It warmed my heart to know that kids with cancer and survivors have places like this. It's also where Cason had a big breakthrough, and what a wonderful last impression for me to be left with.

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[shannonmiz]

Well that was quite lovely!!!