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A review by jessicasilfenroy
Turning by Joy L. Smith
4.0
This book is very emotional yet hopeful. It's all about overcoming a life-changing tragedy and how to pick yourself back up when your world is flipped upside down.
Genie was the star ballerina in her NYC dance school with a successful career ahead of her. That is until she suffered from a devastating fall that left her paralyzed from the waist down. Three months after her accident, Genie is having a hard time coping with life's changes, and she lashes out and detaches from everyone who cares about her, including her mother and best friend, Hannah. One day at her rehab clinic, Genie meets Kyle, another "used-to" who is recovering from a TBI. With Kyle's support to move forward and her friends encouragement to come back to the world of ballet in a new role, Genie garners the strength to confront the past and heal despite all the barriers.
I love how this story combines the themes of grief, denial, regret, identity, love and hope. It beautifully shows a teenager who perseveres despite the obstacles she encounters in all facets of life, which I think many readers can relate to. There was a ton of representation within the story: a black ballet dancer, a hero who stutters, a main character in a wheelchair, another main character recovering from a TBI, a single parent who was in an abusive relationship and honestly so much more.
While the story itself was powerful, I thought at times, parts of the plot were disconnected and some messages and lines were repetitive. Also, when I finished reading, there were still some questions I wanted answered that could have been intertwined into an epilogue or closing chapter. Still, I couldn't put it down and found it to be a fast read despite the heavier content.
Read if you life:
-Emotional reads with some harder themes
-The healing and recovery process after severe injuries
-Accessibility around NYC and barriers when in a wheelchair
-Brooklyn setting
-Black main characters
-The Ballet world
-Nicola Yoon books
Content warning: Abusive relationships, abortion, alcoholism, paralysis, abandonment of a parent
Thanks Simon and Schuster for this ARC in exchange for an honest review
Genie was the star ballerina in her NYC dance school with a successful career ahead of her. That is until she suffered from a devastating fall that left her paralyzed from the waist down. Three months after her accident, Genie is having a hard time coping with life's changes, and she lashes out and detaches from everyone who cares about her, including her mother and best friend, Hannah. One day at her rehab clinic, Genie meets Kyle, another "used-to" who is recovering from a TBI. With Kyle's support to move forward and her friends encouragement to come back to the world of ballet in a new role, Genie garners the strength to confront the past and heal despite all the barriers.
I love how this story combines the themes of grief, denial, regret, identity, love and hope. It beautifully shows a teenager who perseveres despite the obstacles she encounters in all facets of life, which I think many readers can relate to. There was a ton of representation within the story: a black ballet dancer, a hero who stutters, a main character in a wheelchair, another main character recovering from a TBI, a single parent who was in an abusive relationship and honestly so much more.
While the story itself was powerful, I thought at times, parts of the plot were disconnected and some messages and lines were repetitive. Also, when I finished reading, there were still some questions I wanted answered that could have been intertwined into an epilogue or closing chapter. Still, I couldn't put it down and found it to be a fast read despite the heavier content.
Read if you life:
-Emotional reads with some harder themes
-The healing and recovery process after severe injuries
-Accessibility around NYC and barriers when in a wheelchair
-Brooklyn setting
-Black main characters
-The Ballet world
-Nicola Yoon books
Content warning: Abusive relationships, abortion, alcoholism, paralysis, abandonment of a parent
Thanks Simon and Schuster for this ARC in exchange for an honest review