"Brave Enough" by Kati Gardner

*I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

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 into his life.

Cason and Davis are not friends. But, as their worlds collide, they will start to depend on one another. Can they be brave enough to beat the odds?

"When I was a teenager and reading every book I could get my hands on, I was desperate for a girl that looked like me. For a girl who had cancer and lived. And it was really hard to come by. So, I wrote one."

I won't lie, reading this quote from Kati Gardner in the author's notes made my tear up a bit. In four sentences, she hits the nail on the head about why it's so important to have diversity of all kinds in literature. How it's so important for people to be able to see themselves in books.

This book does a great job of telling the story of Cason, a rising ballet star recently diagnosed with cancer, and Davis, a cancer survivor and recovering addict. Both are struggling with their changing lives when they meet at the hospital and become friends. And the stories of both of them are portrayed realistically and respectfully.

The characters are so realistic. Cason struggles with her changing future when cancer gets in the way of her dreams of professional ballet. And her mother struggles, too. In fact, it's the family struggle and the importance of support that are shown in the book that I found to be incredibly meaningful. Illness really does take a strong support system regardless of whether it's mental or physical.

This shows up a lot in Davis' struggle with addiction and how much he relies on his family, friends, and sponsor. While I've never been an addict, I do know what it's like to have mental health issues and how necessary it is to be able to turn to others.

Honestly, the realism of this book is just all around astounding. The kindness of the child life specialist and the support and resources for people like in Camp are amazing.

I particularly appreciated how this book dealt with disability both mental and/or physical. It was well done and the author uses her own experiences a lot in the story.

Overall, it was a powerful story with good themes of family, friendship, and adjusting expectations.

Rating: 4.5 stars