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girliekatie's review against another edition
5.0
This story was heavy and heartbreaking. But it was also gorgeous and full of hope. I loved every part of it. And it's extremely important.
kbroshous's review against another edition
3.0
A promising ballerina has to put her dreams on hold due to a diagnosis of bone cancer.
Davis, a cancer survivor almost loses his new license on life due to a drug addiction.
This story is when their paths cross.
This book was great- a story about cancer, drug addiction and of course, love. It was a relatively "feel good" young adult novel that was cute and quick. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book as an ARC.
Davis, a cancer survivor almost loses his new license on life due to a drug addiction.
This story is when their paths cross.
This book was great- a story about cancer, drug addiction and of course, love. It was a relatively "feel good" young adult novel that was cute and quick. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book as an ARC.
trinitynoel's review against another edition
3.0
The story line of this book was actually pretty interesting, as I have made a point not to read cringy “ill girl falls in love with ill guy” stories. And even the characters weren’t too bad. They really grew on me. But the continuity and spelling errors made this book a three star novel for me. At one point the mom is referred to as “Mr.”, and once he says “I had never seen her blush before.”, even though only a few pages before he says “She blushed a deep crimson.” If you are strong enough to put those errors aside, I would probably give this book a read. Cason’s character was fun to read about and to read through her point of view. Overall, an okay plot and good characters.
morganboyd's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars- This book reminded me so much of an old show I watched called the Red Band Society. I love reading to gain a new perspective, and that is exactly what this book gave me. Reading it, I realized I had never read a book where the mc was someone with an amputation. This book delved in to the issues of addiction and ableism in our society in such a thought-provoking way. There was some romance, but not too much where it overshadowed the main themes. I think that this is an important read and cannot wait to see what happens in the next one.
sleepysamreads's review against another edition
4.0
You can find this review and others on my blog SleepySamReads!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Flux for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I requested Brave Enough on NetGalley because of the beautiful cover. I don't even remember if I read the summary. If I had, I don't know if I would have requested it. Most of the time with books about cancer and sick kids, I find that the authors very rarely have any idea what they're talking about. They're usually written by able-bodied people who think they've done enough research. I was about 30% into Brave Enough when I realized that the author must be disabled herself.
I've never had cancer, but I've been disabled my entire life. I spent most of my childhood in a children's hospital and the rest of the time at doctor appointments. I would go to infusion centers monthly. So I was very skeptical going into this book. I've read dozens of books by able-bodied authors who think they know what they're talking about, when they really don't.
The moment I realized that this book might be different was when a child life specialist was introduced. I have never seen one in a book, but have met many in real life. I actually wanted to be one for the majority of my teen years.
I didn't care too much about the romance in the book, but I really enjoyed each of the characters separate stories.
I could feel Cason's heartbreak over losing her leg. I can relate to so many things that she had to go through. When Cason tried to shower by herself and fell was one of the things I understood all too well. That loss of independence and privacy is devastating. One thing that really made me chuckle was how much Cason loathed her physical therapist. It's absolutely something I relate with. I had to learn how to walk again when I was 13, which involved seeing a physical therapist 3-4 times a week for months. It was the most frustrated and angry I've ever been. I was thankful when it was all over though.
I couldn't relate as much to Davis's addiction, but I appreciate how visceral the author wrote him. Addiction is also a very real problem that so many chronically ill/disabled patients have.
One thing that really really got to me was one of the characters talking about how able-bodied people want to call someone who's disabled 'an inspiration' for doing anything they think we shouldn't be able to do. That's one of the my biggest pet peeves. I don't want to be an inspiration to any able-bodied people.
I really did not like Cason's mom in the beginning. I would say she was one of the worst parents I've read in YA. Luckily, she changed a lot throughout the book and was a great mother by the end.
In the author's note Gardner talks about having childhood cancer and having her leg amputated at the age of eight. She also talks about how desperate she was to find a character like herself. I'm intensely thankful she decided to write this book.
I really recommend this book to those who are disabled. It's one of the best representations I've ever seen. Those who are not will also do good to read it as it would give them an insight into the life so many live.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Flux for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I requested Brave Enough on NetGalley because of the beautiful cover. I don't even remember if I read the summary. If I had, I don't know if I would have requested it. Most of the time with books about cancer and sick kids, I find that the authors very rarely have any idea what they're talking about. They're usually written by able-bodied people who think they've done enough research. I was about 30% into Brave Enough when I realized that the author must be disabled herself.
I've never had cancer, but I've been disabled my entire life. I spent most of my childhood in a children's hospital and the rest of the time at doctor appointments. I would go to infusion centers monthly. So I was very skeptical going into this book. I've read dozens of books by able-bodied authors who think they know what they're talking about, when they really don't.
The moment I realized that this book might be different was when a child life specialist was introduced. I have never seen one in a book, but have met many in real life. I actually wanted to be one for the majority of my teen years.
I didn't care too much about the romance in the book, but I really enjoyed each of the characters separate stories.
I could feel Cason's heartbreak over losing her leg. I can relate to so many things that she had to go through. When Cason tried to shower by herself and fell was one of the things I understood all too well. That loss of independence and privacy is devastating. One thing that really made me chuckle was how much Cason loathed her physical therapist. It's absolutely something I relate with. I had to learn how to walk again when I was 13, which involved seeing a physical therapist 3-4 times a week for months. It was the most frustrated and angry I've ever been. I was thankful when it was all over though.
I couldn't relate as much to Davis's addiction, but I appreciate how visceral the author wrote him. Addiction is also a very real problem that so many chronically ill/disabled patients have.
One thing that really really got to me was one of the characters talking about how able-bodied people want to call someone who's disabled 'an inspiration' for doing anything they think we shouldn't be able to do. That's one of the my biggest pet peeves. I don't want to be an inspiration to any able-bodied people.
I really did not like Cason's mom in the beginning. I would say she was one of the worst parents I've read in YA. Luckily, she changed a lot throughout the book and was a great mother by the end.
In the author's note Gardner talks about having childhood cancer and having her leg amputated at the age of eight. She also talks about how desperate she was to find a character like herself. I'm intensely thankful she decided to write this book.
I really recommend this book to those who are disabled. It's one of the best representations I've ever seen. Those who are not will also do good to read it as it would give them an insight into the life so many live.
thatlizhunter's review against another edition
4.0
Oh, wow, wow, wow. This book is intense, and good, and so powerful. For some reason, no one told me it's an own voices story? And even though I didn't know that while reading it, I could certainly tell as I was reading it that the author has experience with the topic.
Cason is a ballerina. And not just any ballerina. The prima dancer for Atlanta Ballet. The entire dancing world is in front of her, but she starts feeling a consistent pain in her knee. That knee pain won't go away and might come in the way of the most important audition in her life.
Davis is a former cancer patient and a recovering drug addict. He's fighting to stay away from drugs, and part of that fight is volunteering in a cancer ward.
These two characters are incredible! Cason and Davis are both strong individuals with compelling stories that taught me so much. The way Cason dealt with her cancer diagnosis, her depression and wanting to overcome the diagnosis, it was so real.
And Davis fighting his drug addiction was overwhelmingly incredible. I mean, the pain, the mental fight was intense. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire book, cheering for Davis to keep fighting.
Some of the side characters were super annoying or plain stereotyping. Cason's mom and Davis' ex-girlfriend were both very frustrating. I'm sure there's people like that in real life but it felt a bit forced and unreal to this story.
Overall, I enjoyed this story a great deal. My mom was diagnosed with Cancer this spring, and seeing Cason and her mom deal with the cancer diagnosis and treatment was super helpful to understanding what my mom is going through.
ARC received from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
Cason is a ballerina. And not just any ballerina. The prima dancer for Atlanta Ballet. The entire dancing world is in front of her, but she starts feeling a consistent pain in her knee. That knee pain won't go away and might come in the way of the most important audition in her life.
Davis is a former cancer patient and a recovering drug addict. He's fighting to stay away from drugs, and part of that fight is volunteering in a cancer ward.
These two characters are incredible! Cason and Davis are both strong individuals with compelling stories that taught me so much. The way Cason dealt with her cancer diagnosis, her depression and wanting to overcome the diagnosis, it was so real.
And Davis fighting his drug addiction was overwhelmingly incredible. I mean, the pain, the mental fight was intense. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire book, cheering for Davis to keep fighting.
Some of the side characters were super annoying or plain stereotyping. Cason's mom and Davis' ex-girlfriend were both very frustrating. I'm sure there's people like that in real life but it felt a bit forced and unreal to this story.
Overall, I enjoyed this story a great deal. My mom was diagnosed with Cancer this spring, and seeing Cason and her mom deal with the cancer diagnosis and treatment was super helpful to understanding what my mom is going through.
ARC received from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
jesseonyoutube's review against another edition
2.0
Synopsis:
Cason Martin is the youngest ballerina in the Atlanta Ballet Conservatory. With her ruthless mother being the ABC's artistic director, Cason's entire life has evolved around ballet. It encapsulates the entirety of her identity and represents all she knows and loves about herself. When Cason develops a cancerous tumor in her left leg, she meets Davis Channing, a beautiful but haunted boy who overcame his cancer, but succumbed to prescription pill addiction. As Cason loses everything she loves about herself, she gains a community, romance, and for the very first time - a true identity.
Review:
Gardner composes beautiful, rich descriptions of pain and loss. Cason and Davis lose a great deal in this book, which illustrates the reality of fighting diseases - cancer and addiction. Gardner excellently demonstrates the depth of these loses, which she has firsthand experience with being a cancer survivor herself. I loved the premise for this novel, it was enticing and had a depth many YA books are lacking.
However, I felt the characters lacked intricacy and embodied flatness. They fit much too neatly into stereotypical categories - the troubled boy, the cold dance mother, the cheerful hospital aid, the boisterous and inspiring friends. I wanted to love them, but felt they were like neatly packaged dolls that served only to fill a spoiled child's collection. The book was severely undercut by casual writing style, simplistic sentence structure, and jejune language. It eroded the weight of the story, making it extremely difficult become emotionally invested. In fact, the reading level of this book was so simple that I was able to finish this novel in 5 hours. I don't seek out easy reads - i find them to be unrewarding in the ways that "Brave Enough" proved to be.
Nevertheless, "Brave Enough" encapsulates the reality of addiction, non visible disabilities, and the various ways cancer mars its victims - physically, emotionally, and psychologically. It is a protest against the suffering cancer brings. In fact, it is the embodiment of what it means to survive, to fight, and to be brave.
Cason Martin is the youngest ballerina in the Atlanta Ballet Conservatory. With her ruthless mother being the ABC's artistic director, Cason's entire life has evolved around ballet. It encapsulates the entirety of her identity and represents all she knows and loves about herself. When Cason develops a cancerous tumor in her left leg, she meets Davis Channing, a beautiful but haunted boy who overcame his cancer, but succumbed to prescription pill addiction. As Cason loses everything she loves about herself, she gains a community, romance, and for the very first time - a true identity.
Review:
Gardner composes beautiful, rich descriptions of pain and loss. Cason and Davis lose a great deal in this book, which illustrates the reality of fighting diseases - cancer and addiction. Gardner excellently demonstrates the depth of these loses, which she has firsthand experience with being a cancer survivor herself. I loved the premise for this novel, it was enticing and had a depth many YA books are lacking.
However, I felt the characters lacked intricacy and embodied flatness. They fit much too neatly into stereotypical categories - the troubled boy, the cold dance mother, the cheerful hospital aid, the boisterous and inspiring friends. I wanted to love them, but felt they were like neatly packaged dolls that served only to fill a spoiled child's collection. The book was severely undercut by casual writing style, simplistic sentence structure, and jejune language. It eroded the weight of the story, making it extremely difficult become emotionally invested. In fact, the reading level of this book was so simple that I was able to finish this novel in 5 hours. I don't seek out easy reads - i find them to be unrewarding in the ways that "Brave Enough" proved to be.
Nevertheless, "Brave Enough" encapsulates the reality of addiction, non visible disabilities, and the various ways cancer mars its victims - physically, emotionally, and psychologically. It is a protest against the suffering cancer brings. In fact, it is the embodiment of what it means to survive, to fight, and to be brave.
chandlerainsley's review against another edition
buddy read with my OG buddy ready partner in crime & lovely lady who i am a terrible influence on: sara
caveatlectors's review against another edition
5.0
Review: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
I really enjoyed this book and it gave a little more light to the life of a cancer patient or even someone who is disabled. It was sad, enlightening on so many levels, and showed a dark side to coping with drug addiction. The mom of Cason drove me nutty for the first half even though I expected her reaction and sadly, that’s how it is for some families. This is NOT an insta romance! There was chaos, tears, laughter, and joy in this. It will not disappoint!
I really enjoyed this book and it gave a little more light to the life of a cancer patient or even someone who is disabled. It was sad, enlightening on so many levels, and showed a dark side to coping with drug addiction. The mom of Cason drove me nutty for the first half even though I expected her reaction and sadly, that’s how it is for some families. This is NOT an insta romance! There was chaos, tears, laughter, and joy in this. It will not disappoint!