Scan barcode
A review by nicolemhewitt
The Chance to Fly by Stacy Davidowitz, Ali Stroker
5.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
An utterly empowering book for anyone with a disability, The Chance to Fly follows Nat, a young girl with a spectacular singing voice who has always wanted her chance to shine in the spotlight. The only problem? She’s in a wheelchair, and her overprotective but well-meaning parents don’t want her to get her hopes up (and then dashed in the process). She sneaks away and auditions for the musical of her dreams, and she gets a part! But there are many obstacles to overcome, and Nat sometimes questions if her parents may have been right after all.
The book is co-written by Ali Stroker and Stacy Davidowitz. Some of you might recognize the first name—Ali was recently the first person in a wheelchair to win a Tony award (and, not long before that, the first person in a wheelchair to appear on Broadway). Not surprisingly, the story is semi-autobiographical; while the actual plotline is fictional, the experiences that Nat has, the challenges she faces, and the emotions she goes through are very obviously based on Ali’s own, making the story feel very authentic. Since Stacy has also been long involved in the theatre, she understands that side of the story as well and is able to help the reader feel like they’re a part of this close-knit cast. While the story definitely focuses on ableism and Nat’s day-to-day experiences as a person in a wheelchair, those aren’t the only themes explored. Nat has just moved and is dealing with the unknowns and frustrations of leaving her best friend and starting over in a whole new town. She develops a crush on a boy in the show and wonders if he feels the same. She deals with broken friendships and rivalries. All of these are things that every kid can relate to—and it’s important to remind the “average” middle-grader that kids with disabilities have all of the same hopes, fears, dreams, and disappointments that they do. In the end, Nat’s story (and Ali’s) is utterly inspirational!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley for review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
An utterly empowering book for anyone with a disability, The Chance to Fly follows Nat, a young girl with a spectacular singing voice who has always wanted her chance to shine in the spotlight. The only problem? She’s in a wheelchair, and her overprotective but well-meaning parents don’t want her to get her hopes up (and then dashed in the process). She sneaks away and auditions for the musical of her dreams, and she gets a part! But there are many obstacles to overcome, and Nat sometimes questions if her parents may have been right after all.
The book is co-written by Ali Stroker and Stacy Davidowitz. Some of you might recognize the first name—Ali was recently the first person in a wheelchair to win a Tony award (and, not long before that, the first person in a wheelchair to appear on Broadway). Not surprisingly, the story is semi-autobiographical; while the actual plotline is fictional, the experiences that Nat has, the challenges she faces, and the emotions she goes through are very obviously based on Ali’s own, making the story feel very authentic. Since Stacy has also been long involved in the theatre, she understands that side of the story as well and is able to help the reader feel like they’re a part of this close-knit cast. While the story definitely focuses on ableism and Nat’s day-to-day experiences as a person in a wheelchair, those aren’t the only themes explored. Nat has just moved and is dealing with the unknowns and frustrations of leaving her best friend and starting over in a whole new town. She develops a crush on a boy in the show and wonders if he feels the same. She deals with broken friendships and rivalries. All of these are things that every kid can relate to—and it’s important to remind the “average” middle-grader that kids with disabilities have all of the same hopes, fears, dreams, and disappointments that they do. In the end, Nat’s story (and Ali’s) is utterly inspirational!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley for review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***