Thank you North Star & NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book - all opinions are my own.

This is an absolutely delightful YA read - compelling, heartwarming and inspiring in all the right ways. I completely flew through this read, it was so fast paced and filled with tiny cliffhangers that kept you holding on, desperate to see what is going to happen to these characters you fall in love with.

Synopsis: Cason is a tremendously talented ballerina, who has been hiding an injury that explodes to destroy her entire life as she knew it. Davis is a cancer survivor and recovering drug addict who is struggling to put the pieces of his life back together. Their worlds collide one day in the children's ward of the oncology hospital where Cason is learning a new normal, and Davis is fighting to stay sober and reset his path.


Kati Gardener is wonderfully talented at writing characters who you can connect with, sympathize for and cheer on wildly, hoping that they are going to get a happy ever after, after all. I completely appreciated that she wrote both Cason and Davis as very real, struggling humans, who weren't able to immediately rebound from every setback, and who spent good chunks of time in dark places. It felt very honest and true to the paths they were on - and didn't shy away from the fact that a cancer diagnosis and drug addiction are not going to be easy to fight through.

While there was some sense of repetitiveness to their individual mental spaces, it made sense for who they are, and didn't slow down the story in any way. I loved that the plot clipped along, never getting to heavily weighted down by heaviness of the content.

This was a wonderful story, and one that readers will fall head over heels in love with in no time at all.

Trigger Warning: This book blatantly deals with a struggling drug recovery, and the realities of the desire to use. If addiction is a trigger for you, please proceed with caution.

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

2.5 ⭐️

Right off the bat we are thrown straight into the story, which can be a good thing, but in this case I wasn’t a fan.

Cason, the main character, was my least favourite character. I found her to be annoying and whiny. The only character that I slightly liked and cared about was Davis. I also found the romance between Davis and Cason to be very much insta love.

Overall I found the plot to be pretty boring and almost nonexistent. Around the last 25% off the book it starts to pick up slightly and get a bit more interesting which helped redeem this book for me.

I did really like the message the author was trying to convey, but in my opinion it wasn’t executed as well as it could have been and I think it was because of the characters that the message didn’t convey as well as it could have been.

The message the author try’s to convey and the ending of the book are the only things that helped redeem this book for me and are the only reason I gave it a 2.5 star rating and not lower. I also have to say the cover of this book is really beautiful and was the main reason this book caught my attention in the first place.

In the end I probably wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone.

I love the setting of the story and I really loved how much the characters developed over the length of the book. It was very fast-paced and I was able to dive deep into it immediately. Overall it was a super cute story

My Review: I was immediately attracted to this book because of the cover and the mention of ballet. I have always loved books where the character is involved with dance in some way, though I don't often read YA contemporary anymore, I really wanted to give this one a shot. I found it to be very reminiscent of the Lurlene McDaniels books I consumed as a teenager. The one major difference was that Cason's perspective was much more true to life with major emotions. I really liked reading her story and the way she developed as a character and influenced those around her. On the other hand I was not a fan of Davis, I clearly did not read the full synopsis because I am not a fan of drug abuse being a part of the books I read, even recovery and sober. Though again his struggle was very real and it was clear that one never fully recovers from an addiction, it is a constant battle. I am glad that the bit of romance did not completely take over the story line but it did add that bit of connection and support that was needed for the characters to move forward.

My Rating: Being that this is a bit out of my wheel house, I still enjoyed the story and the character development. I give it a rating of Three Paws.

The intensity & grit of Ellen Hopkins meets Fault in Our Stars to create an unlikely captivating teenage romance. I’m... floored. I read more than half in one sitting because I couldn’t believe the events that were occurring. Trying to decide if I’d have liked it more if there was more beautiful prose to surround the raw story, but I’m leaning towards no. Everything happens fast and it’s easy to inhale, a perfect YA. Wow. Will have to look out for more from Gardner, who also experienced & survived childhood cancer, in the future.

Title: Brave Enough
Author: Kati Gardner
Genre: YA
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Cason Martin is the youngest dancer at the Atlanta Ballet Conservatory. She’s driven and determined, and she’s never really even considered if she wanted to dance. She never had a choice: her mother is the demanding artistic director at the conservatory and will not accept Cason being anything less than the best.

On the day of Cason’s injury, that ceases to matter, as an injury she’s been hiding turns out to be cancer. Now she finds herself in a children’s cancer ward, fighting to live and to come to terms with her new normal. Davis Channing knows how that feels. He survived cancer, and then beat drug addiction, although he lives with the temptation to use again every day. Volunteering at the cancer ward is his way to give back.

Cason and Davis’s friendship is tenuous, but what they both need, until his ex-girlfriend appears in his life, eager to lure him down old roads again, while the unthinkable happens to Cason. Turning their backs on each other is easiest, but is it what they really need?

Let me first say that I’ve never read The Fault in Our Stars, so I can’t make any comparisons to that novel (and I have no intention of reading it, because almost never will I choose to read a book that I know will make me cry. #sorrynotsorry). I found Brave Enough to be one of the most touching and inspiring books I’ve read this year. I felt for Cason on a deep level, and truly experienced her grief and other emotions along with her. Davis’s struggle was so well-done and brought an addict’s struggle to gut-wrenching life. Highly recommend!

Katie Gardner is a childhood cancer survivor, amputee, and a recovering actor. Brave Enough is her debut novel.

(Galley provided by North Star Editions/Flux in exchange for an honest review.)

This book follows two main protagonists, Cason and Davis, a girl and boy with very different lives, that intersect in the most unexpected way - cancer. What I love about the depiction of cancer in this book was that it was not referred to as something you 'just get over', but as something that you live with for the rest of your life. Basically, it is your lifestyle...

Cason was a stunning ballet dancer, before tragedy struck her. And Davis was in remission, but had a drug problem. With this, I also like that the addiction is not shown as something with a permanent cure, but something you learn to live with.

Both of their moms are complete opposites from one another. Cason's mom is this perfectionist ballet fanatic, who clearly wants to deny that Cason is sick in the first place, thinking of cancer as a minor setback. But she does do a complete 180 later when tragedy strikes them a second time. Davis' mother is the wonderful, warm and caring kind. She completely supports her child and makes time to also support others too.

The writing is superb! This book has so many layers and I've only touched the edges of the main plot. If you enjoy yelling at characters and having books drive you to tears, I would highly suggest picking this novel up. Kati's raw and real depiction of the situations present in this book will have you enamoured with the characters and want to keep reading...

This is my first book by Kati Gardner and I was instantly drawn to the cover. It is absolutely gorgeous! When I read what the story was about I was a bit hesitant as a mother of a child with cancer. But I decided it give it a try and am so glad that I did.

This story was beautifully written. It was deep, heartbreaking, and I couldn't put it down. The author did a wonderful job of writing from both perspectives. It made me feel all the feels and I ugly cried a few times.

I am so glad that I gave this story a chance. It dealt with some really deep issues, including cancer and substance abuse, and I think it really gave an in depth look at these difficult issues. I look forward to many more books by this author. (4.5 stars)

I loved this book. I laughed, I cried and really felt for both of the main characters.

Cason and Davis have very different histories but their worlds collide in the children's cancer unit. Davis is a survivor, but nearly lost his life to addiction and is carrying out community service when he meets Cason, a ballerina who's world has just crumbled. Faced with possible amputation, all she knows is that her dream to be a dancer will be over, and no-one can understand how that feels. She feels alone, but slowly comes to trust Davis and his friends, while he battles demons of his own. Can they both be brave enough to face the future, whatever that might look like?

I loved the way the story alternated its focus on the 2 main characters and how their emotions were so succinctly
written. I could sense Cason's heartbreak and frustration as she realised her dream was over, and Davis' battle with his demons, trying to convince him that one hit would take away all he was feeling.

I ended up reading over 60% of this book in one sitting despite the fact I should have been sleeping. It's an important story with characters that many teens may be able to relate to, who have never before been represented in fiction, and I hope it will lead the way for similar books.

Brave Enough was both lovely and heartbreaking. It's hard to read about people, especially children, going through cancer. The loss of health, hair, and sometimes limbs makes it even more tragic and hard to fathom. No one should have to go through something like this, but it's a reality many people (and their families) face.

It was hard for me to understand Davis and his survivor's guilt after beating cancer. I would hope that people in his situation would be thankful for a second chance at life, and want to live that life to the fullest. I'm sure there are people that get depressed afterwards, and the author did a wonderful job conveying his erratic emotions, but it wasn't something I could personally comprehend. It didn't make sense to me. His actions following cancer created more problems than his cancer ever did. Addiction is a disease, and I fully agree with that statement, but I wish the author had explained why Davis chose to go that route. I didn't understand his guilt or what led to his choices, and I wanted to know his reasons.

I kept wanting to read Cason as Carson, and I'm really not sure why. I just know that it lasted the entire book and wasn't just a few mistakes at the beginning. Her life before cancer was also a mystery to me. The author mentioned she was a professional (she was a dancer), so she only had to attend school for her core classes. She went for half a day at the most, but I'm not familiar with that arrangement. I would have liked more details surrounding her school and work life, and how she was able to skip the high school experience in favor of training to be the best dancer (her mother was her dance instructor).

Cason's mom was awful at the beginning. Her daughter was sick, but she was too stubborn to accept it. She was selfish, mean to the staff (they were just trying to help Cason adjust), oblivious to her surroundings, and unwilling to accept the truth. She should have put her own desires aside when it became clear her child really needed her. She needed her mom and not her overbearing, demanding dance instructor. She slowly started to soften about halfway through, but the change wasn't immediately clear. There wasn't really a transition between selfish mom and supportive mom. It just sort of happened.

I think some of my biggest issues with this book were the transitions. It seemed like the characters would grow exponentially from one sentence to the next, and it felt abrupt. I wanted more details about their individual journeys, but instead felt like I was skipping crucial information about their character development. It was like a light switched on and people started acting differently, and I wanted to know what caused the revelations. More details!

There is an insta-love vibe, but I'm not entirely sure where or how it started. They were smiling at each other and making small talk one minute, and the next he's dancing with her and trying not to kiss her. I'm not sure if they were able to connect on a deeper level due to their shared experiences, or if there was just something in the air that day. They just sort of were after awhile. Cason and Davis cared deeply for one another, but I don't think they really knew anything about their new love interest.

In the end, I think the author did a wonderful job of describing addiction and what it feels like to be an addict. Davis has been sober for almost a year, and he still struggles with his addiction. It's a choice for him every single day to not use. He has to constantly remind himself why he wants to be sober, and how using will only hurt him in the end. He can taste the high, remember the feel of it, and it's hard to block those thoughts and focus on what's right in front of him. He has a good support system, but his past is always there to knock him back a few steps. It was so sad watching him struggle with himself and the people around him.

“He wanted to claw at his mind, rake his nails down the synapses and neurons as they fired, and he begged to just forget everything in his own head.”

Kati Gardner also conveyed cancer and treatments very realistically. I believe a lot of it came from personal experience, which makes the story even more emotional and bittersweet.

"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."

Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? on August 21, 2018.

Brave Enough tells the story of Cason Martin, a ballerina/high school student and Davis Channing a cancer survivor/drug addict/high school student.
The story starts as Cason takes the audition of her life that will make her part of a huge dance company… But as she finishes it, she can feel something break in her knee and latter learns that she has bone cancer.
Meanwhile, Chase is coming out of rehab and is sentenced to community service at the cancer clinic where he was a patient.
This is how they meet, well, meet again, because they go to the same school though they were never really in each other orbits.
We then follow their story, through their two points of view.

I enjoyed this book. It was touching.
The characters were endearing, I liked getting to know them.
The plot was well laid and interesting.
It made me feel a lot, I got teary several times.
The romance was okay, it made sense but it wasn’t the most compelling part of the book, in my opinion.
The relationship between Cason and her mother was really layered and gripping.

All in all, this book was a short, agreeable read that I would recommend.

Wow simply wow. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading this book because I have no experience whatsoever with cancer or drug addiction but that's what makes reading so amazing that you can pick up a book, crack it open and learn about something that you didn't know about before. It's a dazzling raw and emotional rollercoaster of a book that you simply can't pass up. Happy reading!

I adored this book. I couldn't stop smiling the whole way through, Davis and Cason were so cute. My favorite character was Cason, but I loved Davis and Mari and Heather too. I was really able to feel for Cason and what she was going through, being blindsided like that and who whole future being derailed. I was so happy when she was able to preform at the end.
These are just some of my thoughts, my full review will be up at somebooksandramblings.blogspot.com before the weekend, hopefully.

Cason Martin is a teenager with high ambitions: she is one of the finest ballerinas, and one day she is going to be the best there is. But things start to change when Cason, for the sake of an audition, hides a painful injury. As her knee snaps, things start to go downhill: Cason is diagnosed with cancer, and her life changes dramatically.

Davis Channing has already been twice close to dying: once when he had cancer, and once as a drug addict. After an arrest, he has sobered himself and works in the Children's Cancer Wing as community service. He expects many days of hard work and , maybe, boredom. What he doesn't expect is to find someone that will help him change his life.

Davis and Cason are both at their hardest point in life right now. But although problems and hardships make it difficult for them, they will be drawn together. Each of them has a valuable life lesson for the other one. Are they willing to overcome their life's hardships and move on?

Brave Enough is a unique story which is both very hard to describe, and very hard not to love. This is a book that portrays so many struggles: from cancer to fear of death, as well as fear of never being the same again, to losing normalcy, the struggles of addiction and physical, as well as emotional pain. But it all comes to the decision to regain control of your life, pursuit happiness in challenging times, and the will to do more than merely survive.

Kati Gardner's story was moving, made me emotional on more than one occasion, and felt incredibly real. The characters - not only Cason and Davis, but also all those surrounding them- were beautifully created, and each one had an important part to play in this story. This is an incredible book that I would definitely recommend to all fans of fiction, YA and general fiction alike.

My thanks to Netgalley, Flux, and Kati Gardner for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The opinions are mine and independent of receiving an advanced copy.

So I don’t even know what to say. It has been few days and I thought if I had time to process maybe I would know what to write, but still, I can’t find the words. Giving it a 5 star rating should be enough of a clue because I don’t give those very often. This book hit all the right notes for me. It was truth all wrapped up in every chapter. I took my time reading it because I didn’t want to rush through anything and needed to feel the feelings as I was reading. I was taken completely by surprise. It is a fiction, young adult novel and I wasn’t expecting that much rawness and reality. After I read a book blurb and decide if I am interested in a book I put it on my TBR list. It can be months before I receive it as a giveaway or purchase it, and more months before I might read it. I never go back to the blurb, or read about the author. I just dive in. So to be fair, I didn’t know what I was getting into.

Let me start off by saying that I am a cancer survivor. I am just moving into the phase of calling myself a survivor and it feel weird. I have been sick for the past few years but I am in a good place now. So, I didn’t realize that it was a book about cancer. I am sure when I read the blurb that probably interested me. But it isn’t only about cancer. It is about addiction, young love and other stuff and that is also why it interested me. I have not read much in the way of “cancer” books, fiction or non fiction. I have been “in it” and reading other people’s stories has felt too much for me. Boy, am I glad I read this. I think everyone, adult, young adult, children, should read this book because it talks about the experience in such an accessible way. It lets you look at the anger, the fear, the pain and the good that can come from the cancer “journey (uchh - I hate that word but I just can’t .

I should have known that the author is also a cancer survivor. It is not her exact story but it is everyones story, in a way. There is no real way for someone to write so accurately about the experience unless you’ve walked it. It also is a story about addiction and again, how it doesn’t follow a straight line, how difficult it is, and how sometimes, you just need a miracle.

Briefly, it is a story about a girl named Cason. She is a ballerina. Ballet is her life and she is just about to go professional when the pain in her leg turns out to be cancer. While going through treatment she meets a boy named Davis. He is a cancer survivor who then became a drug addict. Their love story is cute and sweet and not a straight line. When Cason gets her leg amputated she feels like she can’t be with him anymore. I understand because when you lose a body part you don’t feel like yourself. You don’t feel worthy and a relationship can be difficult. Davis has his own problems. His ex-girlfriend just overdosed and he feels responsible. The need to use again is so strong he can’t be there for Cason. Cason has a difficult relationship with her mom, who was her ballet director and drove her very hard. This is a typical storyline of tough mother who breaks down and they become closer than ever because of cancer storyline. I didn’t buy this but knew why it was there. Family relationships are tough and they don’t always survive. The story also focuses on camp for kids going through cancer and what a rewarding experience that can be. It is a unique place that is so important for many reasons and cannot be replicated. Cason does get to go and find out for herself.

Lots of people have challenges that they must overcome in life. I was a musician and am no longer able to play. Losing something that is so much a part of who you are is heartbreaking. But you have to move on and find a new way of living. This book talks about hope and how important it is to have that feeling of hope. It also focuses on being brave enough to take that step towards something, towards a new life.
It’s time for me to be Brave Enough. I have recently decided to change my blog to a new domain named "pink, purls and prose". This will be a place where I will not only talk about books and knitting but also about my cancer experience and what I have learned along the way. Someone I respect a great deal has encouraged me to open up and now seems like the right time for me. It will premiere September 4th. I would love for you to come and check it out and don't forget to say hello.

Brave Enough by Kati Gardner is a phenomenal book, one that I am so glad to have been able to read. It follows two teenagers, Cason and Davis, who have both at one point been diagnosed with cancer. It follows both of their stories right after Cason’s diagnosis, and you see their lives far beyond their cancer. You follow Davis as he battles his addiction, and you follow Cason trying to cope with what is happening to her. Cancer wrecked all plans she had for her life, yet she was still able to overcome all of that and have some semblance of hope. This book made my cry. The voice was so authentic, and both Cason and Davis seem so realistic. I cannot personally vouch for the disability and addiction representation in this book, but I sure hope that it is perfect. Brave Enough is a beautiful story following teenagers just trying to live their lives in a new and heartbreaking setting. I wish we had more books like this in the world, and I would highly recommend it to everyone.

Brave Enough is a heartwarming, encouraging story about facing adversity. The book follows Cason, an aspiring ballerina who has just been diagnosed with cancer, and Davis, a former cancer patient recovering from drug addiction. Both characters were well-written, strong, and inspiring. Both of their stories were full of ups and downs as we followed them on their journey. I loved how the author didn't shy away from the hard stuff concerning both diseases; she realistically portrayed Davis' struggles of battling addiction as well as Cason's battle with cancer. Brave Enough is an enjoyable book with a powerful message about being courageous and maintaining hope through life's hardships.

There are so many layers to Brave Enough that I couldn’t get enough of. Davis and Cason are such compelling characters on their own. Seeing both of their perspectives was really like the icing on the cake. Their stories and struggles are more than meaningful, they’re tender. Davis is struggling with guilt, recovery, and trying to piece his life back together. While Cason is also struggling with grief, the necessity for adaptation, and her relationship with her mother.

Even in these two sentences there is more to this. There’s Davis’s group of friends who are mostly cancer survivors and the different ways that their recovery process is effected – the ways society treats them. In Brave Enough there was really great discussion about person first language, about recovering after recovery, about the psychological toll, and about the ways people treat them.

4.5 stars.

Young Adult Fiction is usually not a genre that I read but the summary of this book interested me with two teenage daughters who just happen to be dancers.

This is a quick read that I found enjoyable but also hard to read with the topic of childhood and adolescent cancer. I could tell from reading the book that either Kati Gardner had done her research well or she was a cancer survivor. The author notes at the end of the book answered this question.

I have never read anything by this after previously but will be looking for future releases.

2.5 stars

Brave Enough is about Cason, a prima ballerina struck down with a devastating cancer diagnosis as she takes the biggest audition of her life. Her mother, who manages a ballet company, first refuses to acknowledge the cancer, seeing it as a short distraction on the road to a glittering career for her daughter.

Davis is a recovering cancer survivor and drug addict. He volunteers in the cancer ward as a court imposed community service order. Davis and Cason meet, sparks fly, and they both try to be brave enough to continue their journeys of healing and growing.

I think this book is a good addition to a library, because it's good to see disability and addiction represented in teen fiction. That's about the only diverse thing about this novel, though. The characters are mainly of the same race and sexual orientation, and it's a very typical YA novel in many senses.

The writing was very ordinary with lots of cliches and poor description strung together. It's meant to be a light read anyway I think, but I found myself skimming pages to get through it. The romance is unfortunately very predictable and shallow. We don't get to know a lot about the characters at all really, they're not well built. Davis' addiction to drugs was hammered home in every page, and while as I said before it is good to have it represented, it was grating reading 'I need a hit. I need a hit.' so many times. I think too - (and this may seem harsh) that I would have thought it more realistic if he had actually fallen off the sobriety wagon once or twice. In regards to Cason's amputation - I wish the author had shocked us with that, rather than mentioning it as a possibility early on. I would have enjoyed the emotional pull of that coming out of the blue. As it was it fell a bit flat.

Overall, I would recommend for the disability representation.