Brave Enough – Kati Gardner
Young adults, fiction, cancer survivor, drug addiction, recovery
Rating 10/10
Meet two teenagers, Cason Martin and Davis Channing, both have some characteristics similar. They both lack control of their lives and fighting cancer as well as addiction. Cason Martin, a ballerina dancer, not by her own choosing but her mother’s choice for her finds out she had a cancerous tumor on her leg. Her mother thinks this is an easy fix and her daughter will be a ballerina dancer again after this quick fix. Davis Channing, a recovering cancer patient who is free of cancer and a recovering narcotic addict, is serving his time at the hospital volunteering. Davis meets Cason and helps her deal and cope with her new condition as well as dealing with her overly controlling mother. After Cason loses her leg, coping becomes a daily routine. Everyone is encouraging her, and she finds a group of individuals her age who went through a similar situation. On the other hand, Davis struggled with the death of his ex-girlfriend, a dope dealer after him, and trying to remain sober. Davis and Cason become closer and closer as time goes by, both helping each other recover and cope with things that were out of their control but at the same time get control they never thought they would have had. Cason goes through the routine of physical therapy and still cancer treatments just to make sure there were no cancer in any other parts of her body as well as fitting for a new prosthetic leg. In the end, Davis became one year sober and Cason learned that she didn’t need both her legs to dance but found a new form of dancing with silks.
Usually when I read a young adult fiction book that has teenagers with cancer, I shrug off the whole cliché. This book however is different as it were more empowering than other books I’ve read of this genre. I did love this book a lot and possibly will for sure reread it as it does have a happier ending than The Fault in Our Stars by John Green which is about teenagers with cancer and one of them dies. Maybe in the future I will do a book review of that book as inspiration of this book review. I seriously don’t find teenage cancer or any cancer that impacts the youth is something to joke about but I hope this brings awareness to those who struggle with cancer that there is ways to empower themselves at such distressed times.
Gardner, Kati. Brave Enough. North Star Editions, 2018.
Viola's Book Inquiries and Ramblings 