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lisaluvsliterature's review
5.0
So, I got this book from the publisher at the AASL convention in November 2019. Originally it was supposed to be published in May of 2020, but because of all the COVID-19 stuff, it got postponed until September. However I wanted to go ahead and get my review done while the story was fresh in my mind, and I’ll come back and revisit with a promo post probably in September.
Now, I haven’t read the first book in this series, Brave Enough, and I don’t know when or if I’ll get it read, although I am definitely intrigued now. I was told you didn’t have to read that book to understand and enjoy this one, and I’m guessing that is true, because I didn’t feel like anything was missing from the story.
This was a really emotional read, but so good. There are a lot of books about kids with cancer out there, but I feel this one had something unique, or at least not often seen. The main character, Mari, lost one of her legs due to cancer when she was younger. The other main character, Jase, had cancer when he was very young, so young he doesn’t really remember it. And he is able to hide it. In fact, even though every summer he’s gone to a camp for kids who have had or do have cancer, since middle school, when his friends got cruel and teased him about having cancer when they found out, he’s been able to hide it at his new school. He and Mari are great friends at camp, possibly even summer love interests. But since he wants that part of his life kept away from his new friends, even at his new private school, when Mari shows up, he is cruel to her, and does everything he can to make sure no one finds out.
I totally hate him for this at first. Even though it is soon apparent from how the girls in his crowd treat Mari when she arrives, that he probably isn’t wrong to be worried about it. Because wow, the things the girls say are so mean. I mean Mean Girl on steroids! Now Mari does make friends at her new school, and is able to ignore the mean girls, and even move past the friendship she thought she’d already have in place with Jase. But they end up going back and forth, as he can’t stay away from her because he really does like her. But he also refuses to come clean.
There’s so much more to this story than their romance though. A lot of things about having cancer that we don’t always get in YA books. How getting a prosthetic leg isn’t as straight-forward and easy as it might be thought. How maybe someone might not even want one. The fact about how people with those types of handicaps are considered to be such miracles when they do get a leg or arm and are able to “do so many things.” Not wanting to be in the spotlight as being inspirational, just wanting to be a normal teenager.
There were a lot of tears for me in this, but a lot of smiles and laughs at times too. It was a feel good story in the end, and I was able to read it in less than two days because it was so hard to put down. I’ll be looking into getting this for my school library when it gets published next fall.
Review first published on Lisa Loves Literature.
Now, I haven’t read the first book in this series, Brave Enough, and I don’t know when or if I’ll get it read, although I am definitely intrigued now. I was told you didn’t have to read that book to understand and enjoy this one, and I’m guessing that is true, because I didn’t feel like anything was missing from the story.
This was a really emotional read, but so good. There are a lot of books about kids with cancer out there, but I feel this one had something unique, or at least not often seen. The main character, Mari, lost one of her legs due to cancer when she was younger. The other main character, Jase, had cancer when he was very young, so young he doesn’t really remember it. And he is able to hide it. In fact, even though every summer he’s gone to a camp for kids who have had or do have cancer, since middle school, when his friends got cruel and teased him about having cancer when they found out, he’s been able to hide it at his new school. He and Mari are great friends at camp, possibly even summer love interests. But since he wants that part of his life kept away from his new friends, even at his new private school, when Mari shows up, he is cruel to her, and does everything he can to make sure no one finds out.
I totally hate him for this at first. Even though it is soon apparent from how the girls in his crowd treat Mari when she arrives, that he probably isn’t wrong to be worried about it. Because wow, the things the girls say are so mean. I mean Mean Girl on steroids! Now Mari does make friends at her new school, and is able to ignore the mean girls, and even move past the friendship she thought she’d already have in place with Jase. But they end up going back and forth, as he can’t stay away from her because he really does like her. But he also refuses to come clean.
There’s so much more to this story than their romance though. A lot of things about having cancer that we don’t always get in YA books. How getting a prosthetic leg isn’t as straight-forward and easy as it might be thought. How maybe someone might not even want one. The fact about how people with those types of handicaps are considered to be such miracles when they do get a leg or arm and are able to “do so many things.” Not wanting to be in the spotlight as being inspirational, just wanting to be a normal teenager.
There were a lot of tears for me in this, but a lot of smiles and laughs at times too. It was a feel good story in the end, and I was able to read it in less than two days because it was so hard to put down. I’ll be looking into getting this for my school library when it gets published next fall.
Review first published on Lisa Loves Literature.
kmjones's review
4.0
This was freaking adorable. So so cute. What an adorable love story between two imperfect characters. They honestly complement each other perfectly.
moriahtsharpe's review
3.0
Three and a half stars. I enjoyed this book and appreciated the look into the life of a childhood cancer survivor and amputee, but the characters were very realistic teenagers and it got a bit too YA for my taste at times.
stitchsaddiction's review
5.0
Thank you to Netgalley and Flux Books for my eARC of Kati Gardner's 'Finding Balance'.
I was initially drawn to the book because when I was in school my close friend passed from Leukemia. I have also had family members these last couple of years fighting forms of Cancer and I welcomed any book that might give a perspective about this cruel disease that would help my children.
Finding Balance was everything I could have hoped for in a book that deals with topics that are often not in the forefront of any novels never mind those for a younger audience. I had moments of laughter, and moments were I cried; the emotional rollercoaster had me at every turn and I know without doubt I would and will read this tale again along with the first book by Kati Gardner.
It is an insightful read both during both the good moments and the bad and it was apparent that this story truly mattered to the author and that it was a true labour of love. The scenes at 'Camp Chemo' were wonderful and showed how anyone can feel more 'themselves' when surrounded by others who truly understand what they have gone through. I think all too often, childhood Cancer is shown about the fragility of the sufferer and not so much the survivor who simply wants to be who they are or where before they got sick. I couldn't help but laugh at how our two main protagonists were your typical teenagers who had crushes on one another - especially how Jase doesn't even register the fact Mari is an amputee, she is just his friend and her only have one leg doesn't affect how he sees her. I confess that there were smiles and tears as it is abundantly clear that to him, she is still so beautiful to him - as it should be.
Although Finding Balance's main characters are both Cancer survivors I liked how there was so much more to the story than just that. You saw how people judge others all too often by how someone looks than rather who they are; something we are all often guilty of doing.
It was interesting seeing Mari's battle in regards to whether she should have another prosthetic leg or be as she is when we meet her using her hot pink crutches and having her old prosthetic as a 'very expensive doorstop'. Her refusal to essentially make others more comfortable with her disability by going through the painful process to be fitted for a leg had me cheering her on. She is only sixteen but a true warrior and very comfortable with who she is and what she needs to make her life better. I found myself wanting to hug this fictional girl and cheer her on as she acknowledges how she is so much more than a leg that hasn't been there longer than it was. Her vulnerabilities are obviously still there but she fights through them and is an excellent role model for anyone who finds themselves in that situation.
I felt for Jase whose demons linger in the back of his mind and make him reticent to be truthful to his friends. His determination to keep the two parts of his life separate from one another is a hard thing to do but also a very human thing when we're afraid. His Cancer doesn't so much haunt him but the cruelty of children who don't fully understand, (thinking it is contagious for example). However, he does deserve everything he gets when he treats Mari the way he does and I can guarantee you will feel the same.
I am wary of ruining the story with too many spoilers, but I will say that if you want an emotional insightful and wonderful story of love, of life and the fragility of being human? Finding Balance is a must for your to be read pile. I am eager to read more from Kati Gardner.
I was initially drawn to the book because when I was in school my close friend passed from Leukemia. I have also had family members these last couple of years fighting forms of Cancer and I welcomed any book that might give a perspective about this cruel disease that would help my children.
Finding Balance was everything I could have hoped for in a book that deals with topics that are often not in the forefront of any novels never mind those for a younger audience. I had moments of laughter, and moments were I cried; the emotional rollercoaster had me at every turn and I know without doubt I would and will read this tale again along with the first book by Kati Gardner.
It is an insightful read both during both the good moments and the bad and it was apparent that this story truly mattered to the author and that it was a true labour of love. The scenes at 'Camp Chemo' were wonderful and showed how anyone can feel more 'themselves' when surrounded by others who truly understand what they have gone through. I think all too often, childhood Cancer is shown about the fragility of the sufferer and not so much the survivor who simply wants to be who they are or where before they got sick. I couldn't help but laugh at how our two main protagonists were your typical teenagers who had crushes on one another - especially how Jase doesn't even register the fact Mari is an amputee, she is just his friend and her only have one leg doesn't affect how he sees her. I confess that there were smiles and tears as it is abundantly clear that to him, she is still so beautiful to him - as it should be.
Although Finding Balance's main characters are both Cancer survivors I liked how there was so much more to the story than just that. You saw how people judge others all too often by how someone looks than rather who they are; something we are all often guilty of doing.
It was interesting seeing Mari's battle in regards to whether she should have another prosthetic leg or be as she is when we meet her using her hot pink crutches and having her old prosthetic as a 'very expensive doorstop'. Her refusal to essentially make others more comfortable with her disability by going through the painful process to be fitted for a leg had me cheering her on. She is only sixteen but a true warrior and very comfortable with who she is and what she needs to make her life better. I found myself wanting to hug this fictional girl and cheer her on as she acknowledges how she is so much more than a leg that hasn't been there longer than it was. Her vulnerabilities are obviously still there but she fights through them and is an excellent role model for anyone who finds themselves in that situation.
I felt for Jase whose demons linger in the back of his mind and make him reticent to be truthful to his friends. His determination to keep the two parts of his life separate from one another is a hard thing to do but also a very human thing when we're afraid. His Cancer doesn't so much haunt him but the cruelty of children who don't fully understand, (thinking it is contagious for example). However, he does deserve everything he gets when he treats Mari the way he does and I can guarantee you will feel the same.
I am wary of ruining the story with too many spoilers, but I will say that if you want an emotional insightful and wonderful story of love, of life and the fragility of being human? Finding Balance is a must for your to be read pile. I am eager to read more from Kati Gardner.
cocoafiend's review
3.0
Mari and Jase have a lot in common--their mutual attraction, their love for the camp they attend for a week each year, and the fact that they both had cancer when they were children. But while Jase can (and does) hide it, Mari, whose leg was amputated to save her from a life-threatening infection, can't. And while their attraction bloomed at camp, when Mari transfers to Jase's school, he's far more concerned about his secret getting out than pursuing his camp flirtation with Mari. But despite Jase's determination to stay away from Mari, something just keeps pulling him back in, and she can't help feeling the same way.
I was super hyped for BRAVE ENOUGH after reading the remise, but I found it disappointed in the execution. with FINDING BALANCE, Kati Gardner's second novel, she's really blossomed as a writer, and while BRAVE ENOUGH was realistic in its depiction of Cason's struggle with cancer, in FINDING BALANCE it's really clear that Gardner left her heart on the page. All the characters were lovingly realized, and Mari's big, charming, and loving family was a joy to discover on every page they appeared. The arc of the story is predictable but enjoyable, and Gardner clearly laces Mari's experiences with her own as a cancer survivor and a disabled person. Mari's experiences are important for teens to discover, and I will absolutely be purchasing this for my collection.
I was super hyped for BRAVE ENOUGH after reading the remise, but I found it disappointed in the execution. with FINDING BALANCE, Kati Gardner's second novel, she's really blossomed as a writer, and while BRAVE ENOUGH was realistic in its depiction of Cason's struggle with cancer, in FINDING BALANCE it's really clear that Gardner left her heart on the page. All the characters were lovingly realized, and Mari's big, charming, and loving family was a joy to discover on every page they appeared. The arc of the story is predictable but enjoyable, and Gardner clearly laces Mari's experiences with her own as a cancer survivor and a disabled person. Mari's experiences are important for teens to discover, and I will absolutely be purchasing this for my collection.
teresa_lynn's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer
saffyre's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Car accident, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Chronic illness, Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, and Medical content
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Addiction, and Grief
Minor: Death, Vomit, Child death, Cursing, and Panic attacks/disorders
alli_the_bookaholic13's review
4.0
Thank you to Flux Books for sending me an ARC via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
4/5 stars.
I want to start off this review by saying that I have never experienced anything like what Mari and Jason have had to go through. I do not have the same experiences as these characters, and I would ask that people try to prioritize Own Voices reviews over my own.
Mari Manos is a cancer survivor. This is something that is a big part of her life, particularly because of her amputation. Not only is Mari a cancer survivor, but she is a disabled person. Mari possesses so much strength, and I really admired the character and the way that she lived her life the way she wanted to. Mari doesn’t want to use a prosthetic because it’s uncomfortable, but situations and people keep pushing her towards feeling like it’s something she has to do. This was a totally new perspective to me, and I found it really interesting. I got so annoyed and angry on Mari’s behalf while reading this because of the comments that people made and the way that she was treated.
Jason Ellison is a cancer survivor, but none of his friends at school know. Jase had cancer when he was a young kid, and he barely remembers it himself. When Mari shows up at Jase’s school, Jase reacts pretty badly. Mari and Jase go to Camp Chemo together in the summers, and Jase doesn’t want his friends to know that he and Mari know each other. While trying to figure out a balance to both sides of his life, Jase has to come to terms with something he doesn’t really remember, but that might come back to remind him.
This is a contemporary YA book, and so the plot feels like it’s on the lower-energy side but I still found it to be really interesting. A pretty character-driven story, the relationships between the characters, and the interactions were what was furthering the story. I really enjoyed the romance between Mari and Jase, and I liked the back-and-forth nature (even though it was so frustrating!) because it felt realistic for the characters and the situations.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one, and I think everyone should check it out because it highlights a disabled perspective in a way that I haven’t seen often in the wider umbrella of YA.
Content warnings: sick kids (we’re talking about cancer survivors here. There will be mention of others, and of various treatments that they went through), mentions of drug abuse.
4/5 stars.
I want to start off this review by saying that I have never experienced anything like what Mari and Jason have had to go through. I do not have the same experiences as these characters, and I would ask that people try to prioritize Own Voices reviews over my own.
Mari Manos is a cancer survivor. This is something that is a big part of her life, particularly because of her amputation. Not only is Mari a cancer survivor, but she is a disabled person. Mari possesses so much strength, and I really admired the character and the way that she lived her life the way she wanted to. Mari doesn’t want to use a prosthetic because it’s uncomfortable, but situations and people keep pushing her towards feeling like it’s something she has to do. This was a totally new perspective to me, and I found it really interesting. I got so annoyed and angry on Mari’s behalf while reading this because of the comments that people made and the way that she was treated.
Jason Ellison is a cancer survivor, but none of his friends at school know. Jase had cancer when he was a young kid, and he barely remembers it himself. When Mari shows up at Jase’s school, Jase reacts pretty badly. Mari and Jase go to Camp Chemo together in the summers, and Jase doesn’t want his friends to know that he and Mari know each other. While trying to figure out a balance to both sides of his life, Jase has to come to terms with something he doesn’t really remember, but that might come back to remind him.
This is a contemporary YA book, and so the plot feels like it’s on the lower-energy side but I still found it to be really interesting. A pretty character-driven story, the relationships between the characters, and the interactions were what was furthering the story. I really enjoyed the romance between Mari and Jase, and I liked the back-and-forth nature (even though it was so frustrating!) because it felt realistic for the characters and the situations.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one, and I think everyone should check it out because it highlights a disabled perspective in a way that I haven’t seen often in the wider umbrella of YA.
Content warnings: sick kids (we’re talking about cancer survivors here. There will be mention of others, and of various treatments that they went through), mentions of drug abuse.
shirleycuypers's review
4.0
3.5/5*
Original review
This book was provided by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Flux and Netgalley!
Finding Balance is the second book in the Brave Enough series and tells the story of Mari and Jase. Although this is the second book in the series, it can be read as a standalone.
It’s been a while since I read the first book, Brave Enough, but I do remember enjoying the book because I learnt so much about what it means to be a survivor. I liked this book as well because I learnt so much more about being a survivor but also about the consequences of having cancer. I think there need to be more books about this topic!
Mari is a strong character because she’s an amputee and she tries to be as strong as she can when people ask her so many questions or say mean things about her missing a leg. Jase, on the other hand, doesn’t want to share his story because he doesn’t want people to say mean things to him. I kinda have a love/hate relationship with Jase but he redeemed himself at the end of the book.
Finding Balance was a good book with a beautiful message. I enjoyed reading this book and I really liked learning more about cancer, amputees and their struggles. This story is a story that I will not forget because I definitely learnt a few things and I liked the fact that this story is so personal to the author!
Original review
This book was provided by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Flux and Netgalley!
Finding Balance is the second book in the Brave Enough series and tells the story of Mari and Jase. Although this is the second book in the series, it can be read as a standalone.
It’s been a while since I read the first book, Brave Enough, but I do remember enjoying the book because I learnt so much about what it means to be a survivor. I liked this book as well because I learnt so much more about being a survivor but also about the consequences of having cancer. I think there need to be more books about this topic!
Mari is a strong character because she’s an amputee and she tries to be as strong as she can when people ask her so many questions or say mean things about her missing a leg. Jase, on the other hand, doesn’t want to share his story because he doesn’t want people to say mean things to him. I kinda have a love/hate relationship with Jase but he redeemed himself at the end of the book.
Finding Balance was a good book with a beautiful message. I enjoyed reading this book and I really liked learning more about cancer, amputees and their struggles. This story is a story that I will not forget because I definitely learnt a few things and I liked the fact that this story is so personal to the author!