I have to start this review by congratulating and thanking Kati Gardner for this beautiful and brilliant debut novel. As someone who loves books about ballet dancers, I knew I had to read this one as soon as I read the synopsis. Although there is a twist in this story; the ballerina has cancer.

Cason Martin is a prima ballerina for Atlanta Ballet Company. She became a prima ballerina not only because of her brilliance but also because of her over-bearing mum who also happens to be her creative director, Natalie. The book starts with Cason feeling pain in her thigh while rehearsing for her audition. During her audition for the New York-based American Ballet Theatre, she broke her leg. Soon after, she found out that she has an aggressive form of cancer called Ewings Sarcoma and with that, her dream of becoming a dancer for the American Ballet Theatre is gone.

Davis Channing is a cancer survivor and a recovering drug addict. He's sentenced to community service in the hospital wing for cancer patients. Although he has been sober for almost a year, he still fights with his demon and the thoughts of taking drugs "just once" is always in his mind, especially when things got tough. It doesn’t help that his ex-girlfriend, who is also an addict, keeps on popping up to see him; asking him for a fix or begging him to pay Ethan - Davis' ex-dealer. His ex-girlfriend also always tells him that she's an addict because of him whenever she's trying to manipulate him for drugs or money, causing him to feel guilty.

The story begins when the two meet when Cason is in chemotherapy and Davis is doing his community service. The two have heard of each other because they both go to the same school; although they barely see each other because Cason missed schools due to her ballet schedules. Their friendship developed slowly and organically. Davis is drawn to Cason the moment he saw her. The two soon bonded over cancer and Davis always tries to help Cason overcome her fear and worries. Cason also soon finds herself cares of Davis more than she's care to admit.

Honestly, I don't think my words are enough to tell you how beautifully written this book is. Throughout the book, you'll see how the two try to navigate this new chapter in their life; Cason being an amputee who may never dance again and Davis who's trying to stay sober. They are each other anchor. Every word written feels raw. You can feel Cason's anger that this happens to her. You can feel her fear and confusion of losing not just her ability to dance but also who she is. You can feel how hard Davis tries to stay sober, how hard he fights his thoughts and find ways to focus on what truly matters to distract himself from ever wanting to take the pills again. 

It's been a while since I read a book that truly stirs my emotions and Brave Enough did just that. I couldn't help but to root for Cason and Davis, for Cason to get through her cancer, get through her confusion, and feel happy and confident again in herself. For Davis to stay sober, to erase his guilts, and not feeling like he lets everyone he loves down.

The side characters are also very fun to read about. Noah, Mari, Jase, and Heather are truly wonderful additions to the story. They bring the support that Cason and Davis need. Mari and Noah are also amputees and having them around definitely help Cason to be more comfortable and explore her options. There was a part of this book where Noah, Jase, and Davis talk about being a cancer survivor and amputee for Noah and how it defines their life. I think that part of the book gives someone like me, who never has any experience with disabilities, a perspective of how it is for them. How people treat them differently if they know their stories.

Brave Enough is a book need to be read. It's rare to come across books that has representations for cancer survivor, amputees, and recovering drug addict. I was surprised to read the author note and read that Kati Gardner herself is a cancer survivor. I think that is one of the many factors on why this book is amazing. She knows how it feels and she is able to pour them to this book.

I would recommend everyone to read this book. I think people with disabilities, cancer, or cancer survivors who read this book will be able to relate to the struggle and the emotions these characters go through. For those who are not, this book will give you an insight to a life so many people live that we are not familiar with.

This is one of those teen books that deals with tough situations however it is a good read for everyone regardless of age similar to John Green's "The fault in our stars". This book deals with main characters Carson and Davis. Carson is a ballerina who unfortunately gets diagnosed with bone cancer and might have to lose her leg, and Davis is a young man who is a cancer survivor and a recovering addict. I found this book really sad and inspiring at the same time it showed the struggles that poor Carson had to go through in everything her illness, her desire to dance, and her self centered mother but it also showed some of the good things like the blooming relationships and friendships. I liked how Carson stands up for herself even against her own mother it was nice to see the character have a backbone instead of being a shrinking violet. I found the main characters very interesting and you were really rooting for them to survive as well as be happy together. This book showed the strength that each character had alone but as well as the strength they had together. Not a bad read the only thing that I wasn't to fond of was I really hoped that the two main characters would have had more chemistry between them. Not that I wanted a romantic relationship I just expected them to get a little closer than they
did. Nice read and I'm glad I got the chance to read it.

Brave Enough by Kati Gardner

5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Cason and Davis came from two different places basically. All Cason knew was Dancing, Ballet. She hadn't allowed time for much else. Of course mom Natalie pushed back harder as well. Always pushing Cason to push herself further.
Davis however, had his own struggles. He battled not only his cancer but also his addiction. And ever constant reminder, girlfriend Alexis keeps reeling him in. Until one day tragedy strikes her, and Davis blames himself.
However, the two manage to find each other when Cason gets news she has a cancerous tumor, and her leg is decaying. She may never be able to dance the same again, but Davis makes her feel different. He brings a more optimistic outlook to Casons' despair of never dancing again.
Can they overcome their obstacle, and remain in love despite their faults? Can Natalie turn herself into the Mother she hasn't been for Cason? Can they push each other to be brave enough in their struggles to smile, to not give up?!

An inspiring, heartfelt, tear jerker that brought everything emotion I know to surface. The characters and their stories before now, and just all of the feels.. I felt sad at first, then began having hope the character hadn't even had yet!! I cried and smiled, and my heart dropped at times!! And amazing novel, and a picture into the devastation, and trials as well as the positive side of Childrens cancer. Such an important topic, not often enough talked about. Purely amazing and inspiring, I cant say it enough!!

Full review is now posted on my Goodreads account: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2475170419

Don't let the pretty cover deceive you. This book is hella emotional. I can't say how many times I was crying.

Cason Martin is a dancer. She lives and breathes ballet. But her life gets flipped upside down when she finds out she has cancer. Her time at the Atlanta Ballet Conservatory is now being spent at the Children's Hospital. Then Davis Channing walks in. Davis has spent most of his childhood at the hospital since he had battle cancer, but he is now back volunteering because of his probation. As both of their lives become intertwined, they realize how much they need each other.

I haven't been this emotional invested in a couple in a contemporary in a long time. I instantly became attached to Cason and Davis and was rooting for them the whole time. They're just so adorable together it makes me cry.

This book reminded me a lot of the show Red Band Society , which I loved. That was one of my favorite shows and seeing similarities just made me feel so nostalgic. In the hospital, I loved seeing everyone come together when Cason needed it and just friendships grow in general. It warmed my heart and I wanted to protect everyone.

I noticed a few spelling and grammar errors, but since this is an arc I'm assuming that those were fixed so that's not effecting my rating that much.

Overall, this was a happy surprise for me. This novel was fluffy while still tackling heavy topics like cancer and drug addiction. This is a novel is a quick read and that I highly recommend if you want to cry happy tears.

AHHHH! Beautiful! I loved the story and the diverse representation! And the development that we got for not only the main characters, but side characters as well! And the romance between Cason and Davis! And… and … and… all of it. Just all of it!
If you want to be absolutely crushed by a cutesy-summer-contemporary then you should definitely pick this book up!! It was just the perfect balance between warm-hearted fluff and series/heavy themes and I will definitely be purchasing this one when it hits shelves. (Also – can we talk about how pretty that cover is?? 😍 )

I have to say that this book was sooooo good. It's not your typical book about teen Cancer patients. It definitely has a different story line than other books. It's one of those books that has you hoping that the ending isn't going to crush you. If you like a story of perservance, then this is the book for you.

I’m so grateful to NetGalley for sending me an arc of this book!

I love books about dance, I feel like YA is seriously lacking dance stories that are wide and diverse considering how large of a culture it is with so many subsets and facets. So I was extremely excited to pick up this book about a dancer faced with childhood cancer. The book reads as if John Green and Lurlene McDaniel melded their minds and put the thoughts onto paper. The research and detail is thorough, and the love and care put into this book is obvious. It’s a heart-warming and heart-wrenching story of finding yourself, finding your people, and finding love.

This is such an important book that will undoubtedly help so many people, and the author did an amazing job of giving a voice to other young girls who went through childhood cancer like she did. However, for my own personal tastes, the story fell a little flat.

We have Cason, a trained ballerina en route to becoming a professional who has just been diagnosed with cancer, and Davis, a cancer survivor and recovering drug addict. Their worlds collide and the romance moves a little too quickly for it to feel believable. Cason’s mother is the artistic director of her Ballet Company, and rubbed me the wrong way the entire book, making the resolution not feel as sweet as intended.

The book is emotional and dramatic, and sometimes felt rushed or cliché, and maybe that’s where it lost me. It’s a beautiful and important story that I’m overjoyed is being published, and I’m so grateful that I was able to read it, but for my personal taste it wasn’t my perfect read.

It is the kind of book that leaves you with a smile on your face, despite the tragic events going on. It leaves you with positive thoughts and feelings The fact that the main character Cason was inspired from the author's personal story gives it a personal endearing touch.
The story follows the lead, Cason, through her journey from being diagnosed with cancer to her finally accepting it happily. It is a feel good story that is easy to follow and very well written by Kati Gardner. The characters are so affable, you are instantly drawn in. You feel compassion for the characters and want to take away their pain. You get so invested, the book truly takes you on a emotional journey. Thankfully, the destination is happy.
It is one of the better contemporaries I have read in awhile. It is not my genre of choice, but I was not disappointed. I would definitely recommend this to all the readers, regardless of their choice of genre.

I loved this YA book about Cason, a dancer who deals with leg cancer..

Things I loved
--The character Davis. He was probably the most fleshed out and the parts about his drug abuse were very real.
--Cason's journey with cancer. The author herself dealt with childhood cancer and her very realistic, authentic portrayal made those pages come alive.
--Overall the plot was very good/a great YA read.
--The title is great.

The things I wish were done differently...
--I wanted more of the backstory before we jumped right into Cason's diagnosis. There was a lot of Cason's "internal dialogue" about being a great dancer but we didn't really get to see that except for a tiny bit at the very beginning. That beginning scene where she auditions is amazing. I wanted to know what happened there. I didn't want to flash forward so much and so quickly.
---I felt like the mom was a shell of a character who changed her ways too quickly/easily.
--The story was so fast paced. I wanted the author to slow down and really dig deeper because I liked all the characters and wanted more of them, instead of surface level observations.

3.5 starts, would definitely recommend!
Thank you NetGalley and publisher North Star Editions for the advance copy!

Brave Enough is an interesting read but I am really struggling to go beyond that adjective. I did finish the book but I felt like I was finishing it for the sake of it and not because I wanted to. The characters, in my opinion, are underdeveloped. Even by the end of the book, I could not envisage them (and I consider myself to be a pretty imaginative person!) or really feel any emotion towards them. That is not to say that I necessarily expected to empathise with them – I have never had cancer – but I couldn’t relate to them on any level.

There are some interesting storylines, such as Davis’ struggle to stay sober, and I definitely got caught up in the violent dynamic between Davis and his former dealer. I think this was the only time I felt an emotion when reading the book and kept hoping Davis would stay sober.

I really grappled with Cason as a character. I wanted to feel something for her – love, compassion, hate, anger – just something. And I didn’t. Not a thing. She goes through a really intense situation in the book and I found the descriptions of her physical and emotional being lacked depth.

A positive message that comes from this book is that you do not have to be defined by your past or your present and that your future is still in your control – it just might not be what you originally thought it might be. For any young people reading this and going through a difficult situation, this is a great take-home message. There is also a lot of discussion about confidence and self-esteem which I think may be empowering for some people.

There’s a saying that goes something like “It’s the journey that matters, not the destination”, and I had to remind myself of this when reading Brave Enough. I reminded myself that this was about Davis’ and Carson’s journeys, individually and together, rather than there being some huge climax and wonderful conclusion to the book. But my experience was one of watching their journeys from afar (very far) rather than being there with them.

Kati Gardner is bringing the reader an endearing coming of age contemporary romance following Cason and Davis. These two young adults that had very lives for multiple reasons. Lives change when your doctor tells you that you have cancer, but to feel like you have lost who you are as well as your dreams and the future that was laid out before you.. This book leaves the reader full of hope, when there was not a lot to find while reading stories of youth who were dealt really bad hands of Uno. I think this book is perfect for fans of John Green and like YA stories that have a message. I am so glad that I received an ARC from Netgalley and get the privilege to tell people that they should pick this up and they will not regret it.

**This book was provided to me as an advanced reader copy from Netgalley. All views contained within this review are my own.**

Brave Enough features a young woman named Cason, and a young man named Davis. Cason has everything ahead of her, until suddenly her dreams have been shattered. Davis is recovering, and finding his own dreams. The two connect, and help each other through their separate, but intertwined trials.

This was a quick, emotional read. The writing was very good, though there were lots of moments that should have been surprising, but were not. I feel as though the portrayal of Cason and Davis was very good, but none of the other characters seemed to have any real depth to them. They were simply plot fodder.

Overall, an enjoyable read that I would recommend to someone looking for something easy, but emotional.

I first was attracted to this book because of the dancing aspect. My daughter is 7 and a dancer and she wants to be a professional ballerina and she is already working towards that dream. I loved the author's note. However, that may have been the best part of the book. I had a hard time connecting to the characters and believing their relationship which made it hard to enjoy the book. However, other people may love it and relate more!

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.

3.5 stars

I have mixed feelings about this.

If I'm being completely honest this was way too fluffy and cheery for me.

On the other hand, Gardner did have a lot of conflict that I liked. If only there was more depth. As a recovering addict I know first hand what it's like to want just.one.more.hit. But writing it over and over and over in a novel is repetitive and boring. Since Davis' addiction is so central to his character I would have liked that to be explored more than just being told he wanted to do drugs and attended N/A meetings. That didn't work for me.

Cason. I never really clicked with her. I felt for her struggle but Gardner's writing didn't ever pull at my heartstrings. I couldn't find one quote in 320 pages that really stood out to me.

Also:
Don't get the point of Ethan. That whole scenario was ridiculous and took away from the primary characters.

I was so so so disappointed in this book and was so hopefully , especially since the description sounded so interesting and the cover is just absolutely beautiful. But sadly this just didn't turn out the way I thought it would. This is an ownvoices novel and the author went through very similar/the same experiences as one of the main characters in this book, which that aspect I did enjoy and it felt like a closer and more realistic look at the events and emotions a person has to go through while having cancer (some of which i was unaware of before). That being said, that is one of the very very few things I enjoyed about this book.

CHARACTERS
So if I was rating the two main characters on a scale of 1 star to 5 star id give them a solid 2. I do understand that the book was short, but to me, the characters felt very underdeveloped and I only knew like 2 things about both Davis and Cason. That made me not like them or get as attached to their characters as much. I did like their individual stories and watching them have strength and be… brave enough. I felt like watching Casons development and life changes after what happened to her was very heart-touching and made me really start thinking about myself and my strength. Cason did annoy me extremely sometimes and may have acted like a 10 year old, but I do understand why she said stuff sometimes, yet it still got on my freaking nerves. Davis really did have an actual character arc and storyline dealing with his sobriety and I really really liked his ending and coming full circle. Oh and Casons mom is literally trash ew I don't understand how quickly she did a 360 and became such a great mom??
PLOT/WRITING
I hated !! the writing so much. Honestly it felt like a poorly written Wattpad story with very little actual plot and of course, instalove. That being said I do not think the point of this book was to have absolutely incredible writing it was more of an emotional journey to learn about strength and get to know more about what it is like to live through these events in a young person’s eyes. If someone were to ask me what the plot of this book was I would have no answer. There wasn't one really. Sometimes I can deal with books that don't necessarily have a plot or goal but this one bored me to death. I never wanted to pick this up or just couldn't wait to keep reading. I did like how indepth we got to see into situations dealing with cancer and drug abuse that most people may not have seen or known about otherwise and all of the other problems they have to deal with other than just what is shown on the outside. Overall the plot was nonexistent and the writing was pretty terrible but I guess it could have been a lot worse.

THE RELATIONSHIP
Okay so this was definitely not the point of the book and I do understand the deeper meanings of this book but the relationship was one of the better aspects in this book. Sure it was instalove to the max and I was constantly confused how they already we're in love and met like 3 days before but they were very cute together and really helped each other through things and I did enjoy their scenes together.

So yeah, not what I was hoping for but not the worst book in the world. Maybe other people will like it more than me but sadly the inside was nowhere near as beautiful as the outside.

I was really excited to read this book based on the description and the absolutely beautiful cover. I really liked that this book did not just deal with cancer and one character's experience and perspective, but rather touched on illness and later disability through multiple characters with very different experiences. I was intrigued by the idea of a book that dealt with addiction in a teenager as I think this is really important. However, I think this book took on too much with too many characters, themes and issues that it was almost impossible to give a fair window into the life of any one character.

Yes, this book flips narration between the two main characters Cason and Davis, but each section was so short that it never really allowed me as the reader to truly connect with either character or their story. There is a richness and depth missing in both stories due to too much plot trying to get covered in a short span of time. I know this book is written for young adults, so I am not exactly the target audience, but I do work with teenagers every day and have an easy time making connections with a lot of young people. I did not feel like these characters were unique individuals outside of their unique experiences. I do believe that the author wanted the characters to be seen outside of their challenges/illnesses, but there just wasn't enough substance and depth there to get any meaningful voice from either of the main characters.

Then there were the supporting characters who felt like an afterthought with no real story or character developments. I get that the supporting characters supported Cason and Davis' journeys, but they just felt cliche. There were also numerous characters introduced about 70% through the book, which felt like they just weren't important. Cason's mother was inexplicably awful and then changed seemingly overnight to supportive and loving with no real support of how or why this happened. There was also no mention of the rest of Cason's family, which may be limited to she and her mother, but I feel like that should have been at least addressed at some point as in why were there no other family members or friends even mentioned?

Overall, I think I would recommend this book to students who are looking for a high interest story with a lower reading level as I think this may appeal more to students who are more interested in a good story than challenging vocabulary and content.

I'm glad that I read this book, it was really interesting to read this book knowing that the author experienced cancer as a child and wanted to write something for her younger self. I think this could be a great book to help build empathy in teenagers but I just don't think it holds up to its' competition in the same categories.

All her life, the only thing Cason Martin has known is dancing. She's been working toward one goal--becoming a ballerina in a dancing studio in New York. But lately, Cason's been having trouble with her leg, an injury that she's done her best to hide from everyone. When the injury gets to be too much, Cason learns that it was hiding something much more sinister: she has an aggressive form of cancer.



First of all, the cover of this book is absolutely gorgeous. It was one of the reasons I requested it from Net Galley (I know, I know, don't judge a book by its cover. But how can you not like this one?). Luckily, the story ends up being just as beautiful as the cover. Throughout the novel, we switch between Cason's and Davis's points of view. Cason is just starting her cancer journey, where Davis is in remission from his, now recovering from a drug addiction. The two meet, and inevitably, romance brews.



Overall, not much plot wise happened in the book; it was a much more character driven story. While I'm all for character driven books, adding a plot point or two would have pushed this book even further. However, Cason's voice in particular felt so authentic that the extra plot wasn't completely necessary.



The author herself is a cancer survivor, and she said that she wanted to write a book that reflected her own experiences. Her book stands out from other cancer young adult texts, especially since it is filled with such hope; hope that is infectious long after the book has ended.



All in all, a deeply character driven book that will tug at your heartstrings the entire time.

Full review on Goodreads. This one was not for me. I am not sure if it was just too green or if I just did not love the writing or the characters for some other reason, but I really had a hard time finishing it.

it wasn't the writing or the author but i just wasn't gripped by the story and what was being told. i think this story was just meant for someone who is not me.