Finding Balance by Kati Gardner is an upcoming YA contemporary novel set for publication in May 2020. It follows two teens - Mari and Jace - as they reunite after summer camp for young people with cancer and the struggles they face dealing with their condition(s) and learning to embrace themselves.

I was so excited to hear that this was a sequel to Brave Enough. I read that book last year and absolutely adored it. Saying that, you can read this as a standalone. Coming from an #ownvoices author, I loved hearing about the characters experiences with cancer and the difficulties they faced at school, the community and within themselves. I have not had personal experience with cancer/amputation myself, however; as someone who lives with a physical disability themselves, I really connected with Mari's experience of bullying - people asking inconsiderate/inappropriate questions and neither characters feeling of being classed as "disabled enough", yet are still impacted greatly by their condition(s). Only small qualm I have with this book is that I always didn't agree with Mari's/Jace's actions towards one another. Saying that, I understand the protagonists are younger than me and I would have done the same at their age, realistically.

I am so happy this came in to existence and I can't wait to read more from this author - 4.5 stars

This was a really sweet and at the same time heartbreaking and empowering story. Although it is fiction, it still felt real because these are real-life struggles. I am sure the author used many of her personal experiences to inform the story and that gave it a rich depth.
Mari was a champion of a character. Despite the fact that people continued to degrade her for her physical appearance, she kept her pride and continued to soldier on. In the book, she keeps saying how she’s not some sort of hero, but I think this previous fact makes her a hero. At times, even those with less challenging situations are not as strong as her.
At the beginning, I totally disliked Jase. However, I did eventually warm up to him. I think, though, that the transition from them being hostile to liking each other was a little quick. Suddenly, they were totally in love and I still had 30% of the novel to go. With that said, I did find that there was a good deal of unnecessary dialogue and this made the story drag. Other than that, though, the plot was fairly solid.

Unfortunately, this was not a clean read. There was a fair amount of coarse language.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

There was a lot to like about this book. It deals with two different experiences of being a cancer survivor which is not something I've seen in a book before.

Mari can't hide the fact she's had cancer. It took one of her legs and because of the nature of her amputation, a prosthetic leg isn't comfortable or the best option for her. She's used to people looking at her as she navigates the world on her pink crutches, and even deals with the odd fall now and then with humor and grace.

Jase had leukemia as a young child and barely remembers the experience. When he started high school, he made the conscious decision not to tell anyone about it after dealing with some vicious bullying in middle school. The only time he ever really thinks about being a survivor is at the summer camp for cancer survivors he's been going to for years. A summer camp where he and Mari are best friends.

When Mari transfers to Jase's school, he's terrified their cancer connection might be discovered and his secret revealed. So instead of helping Mari settle in, he's a jerk to her. But he can't deny the attraction he feels for her.

Mari is hurt by Jase's attitude to her, and further humiliated by his girlfriend's ignorant and insensitive remarks. She and Jase were so close at camp. What happened to change that?

The book navigates these two survivors' stories as they struggle to understand their feelings for each other and a world that sees each of them differently.

I liked the way this book explored the idea of visible and invisible disability and how people view them differently. It's not a subject I've seen covered often in YA books and it's something so many people deal with every day. Jase was a jerk through a lot of the book, but I felt like this behavior was realistic given his past and his desire not to been seen through the cancer lens. His growth through the book was the most significant and it was gratifying to see the way his friendship with Mari changed his perspective on the world and his place in it.

Some of the characters, particularly Jase's ex-girlfriend Lindsay and her friends were painted a little too broadly for my liking. They were too clueless and too mean to feel realistic. I mean, at seventeen you should know cancer isn't contagious...

But overall, this was an interesting book that I enjoyed reading. I didn't even realize it was the second book in a series until after I'd finished it! Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read it in advance.

I really liked this book, I think overall it was a very entertaining and fun read. It is a beautiful story of two teenagers who's lives have been forever affected by cancer. I think what was very special about this book is that it is not a cancer book, but rather a what comes next. It explores the lives of these teenagers after their battle with cancer, how they choose to live their lives, and how they choose that cancer does not define their lives. Besides the wonderful story being told, I loved the characters. The story is told in the point of views of Mari, who is a fierce cancer survivor who lost her leg in the process, but does not let that stop her from doing anything. Then we have Jase who is also a survivor of cancer, but he struggles with defining his truth and letting others know the truth about his cancer. I really enjoyed this book, so if you are looking for a heartfelt, beautiful, and fun story then this one is for you!

The Quick Cut: A teen boy finds the secret of his cancer past threatening to come out when a girl from cancer camp starts going to his school.

A Real Review:
Thank you to Flux for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cancer. It's one of a few conditions that make the general population shudder when they hear the word and if you survive it, your life is never the same again. Like a stain you can't wash away, there's just no way to rid it's influence on your life and relationships. This is the life story for Mari and Jase.

Mari enjoyed Camp Chemo, but she especially enjoyed the flirtation that she had with fellow camper Jase. Talking about her life and crying on his shoulder, she enjoyed having someone to confide in. Except when she goes back to school, an unfortunate incident forces her to switch from a public school to a private one: the same one Jase goes to. There, she sees the mean side of Jase as he pretends not to know her and treats her unfairly. Is there a reason behind it all or will her new environment be a toxic one?

This is a sequel book, but each one is a standalone story. You can easily read this one without having read the first. That being said, I can't say I'd recommend reading this one and it all is due to one reason: Jace.

I can understand and empathize with what Jace went through. Getting bullied for something you can't control can severely mess with your mind. That being said, Jace let's his fear control his life and place blame on everyone else (particularly Mari). It makes him entirely unlikeable. And the flippant back and forth in his attitude only further exacerbates how terrible he is.

Mari is hard on the outside, but life made her that way. She's so strong, fierce, and uniquely herself that it's hard not to adore her. Seeing her continue to fall for Jace's game just made me feel bad for her. Not the type of reaction you want from the reader in your main couple.

A story that turns the male lead into an unlikeable guy.

My rating: 2 out of 5

Finding balance what a great title considering it was the right balance of a terrific book. Great down to earth up lifting characters and an amazing story what’s not to like about this one. I believe it’s s story for all age groups and genders.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Mari is a teenage girl that had cancer. Jace is a fellow survivor but unlike Mari, he kept it a secret from his friends and schoolmates. They met at Camp Chemo, a summer camp where kids who have had or are going through chemotherapy can feel at home and have a normal stay with the proper care and safety precautions. Mari is also an amputee, due to an infection, which makes things harder for her. When Mari moves to the school that Jace attends he fears that she might be the thing that will reveal his secret.

I thought the way the author described the struggles both main characters go through was very appropriate and well done. The relationship between them was really cute, and even though it’s a classic trope, it felt new. The plot was interesting, but I predicted most of it and it was a little cliche. We also get to see a glimpse of the relationship that the characters have with their families and their teachers. They all felt believable and authentic, and it was also nice to see the perspective of the parents on what their children had to deal with. This book was overall diverse, had good representation and delt with difficult topics and body positivity. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and think that this story deserves to be heard.
This review was also posted on my blog. The link is included.

This was a great young adult book, it was for a younger audience though than I anticipated. It was nice to see the character development in Jason, he is a cancer survivor that has kept that part of his life a secret and does not treat his friend Mari very well in the beginning of the book. I'd recommend it!

This is an original and charming book. The main characters might not seem very relatable to a lot of readers - they are both young cancer survivors - but the emotions are well drawn, and the details are vivid. The story brings in themes of identity, class, breaking through from childhood to adulthood, body image and family.

I received this book having never heard of the author or reading any of her work. It always makes me wary as a reader to step out of my comfort zone to read something I’m not familiar with. I’m a reader who invests myself into what I read, so I usually don’t take it lightly.

I’m so glad I took that leap and trusted my gut on this book.

I’ve never read a story like Finding Balance and I think it was a big reason I liked it so much. This was real life fiction where we see real life struggles. Stories of choosing how one wants to define themselves, of personal growth, how important peer support can be, and of young love. The fact that it wasn’t in first person writing, which is what I typically read, didn’t phase me at all. Usually I find myself struggling through third person, but his one was smooth sailing.

While I loved the story plot and completely adored Mari and Jase, I was touched the most at how personal this book was to the author. I was amazed, that while this story was total fiction to me, to someone else it was filled with very real truths. Humbling is the best word I can use to describe that feeling. I even went as far as to read the acknowledgements — which I NEVER do. Never.

I loved the unique story and the characters. I loved the obvious heart the author poured into the pages. I would definitely recommend it to others and I look forward to reading more from this author. Thank you for making this story feel so personal.

Another thank you to Net Galley and Flux publishing for the opportunity to read such a great story.

I thought this was super cute. It had good things, and some not-so-good things, but overall I enjoyed this book and am glad I had the chance to read it. I actually received this as an ARC from the publisher and net galley, but this did not impact my review.

The good
It was a quick easy read.
I liked the writing - I could really picture the characters and the world they were in.
I giggled out loud at times with how clever Mari could be.
I loved the individual stories of each character.


The not-so-good
I didn't always like Jase - I thought he was a bit of a jerk, at times. I know he apologized, but he wasn't as sympathetic as the author probably intended.
Yes, high school kids are mean, but I had a hard time believing the mean girls - nobody is really that mean or stupid, are they?

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this, and devoured it pretty quickly.

Super-realistic when dealing with such serious matters, yet touching and emotional in so many ways! “Finding Balance”, by Kati Gardner (Flux), could be hard to read, but there’s so much hope in these characters, particularly in brave Mari. The leads’ personal and unique stories are more interesting and genuine than the romantic relationship, which is sweet but has some dimensions I didn’t like (Jason’s nastiness towards Mari, Mari’s doormat tendencies sometimes). But all in all an amazing, gripping story.
Kudos for Kati Gardner for having written this story with these characters and for giving so much of herself to us, readers.

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of FINDING BALANCE by Kati Gardner in exchange for my honest review.***

3.5 STARS

Nobody at school knows Jason had cancer when he was three. Cancer took one of Mari’s legs so she can’t hide that she’s a survivor. Friends and maybe more from Camp Chemo now attend the same school and Jason has everything to lose if his peers find out.

Kati Gardner is a cancer survivor who lost her leg and it shows with how much she gets right about survivorship. Though everyone’s experience is different, Gardner captures a variety of stories. BTW my surgeon let me keep my port. At first he said it was medical waste, but he gave it to me anyway and I still have it.

Jason spends a good part of the book acting like a jerk to Mari, we know a good person exists under his unkind behavior, I still liked and rooted for him. I wondered if Gardner wrote Mari after herself. Some of the minor characters felt like tropes, a little too nasty to the new girl with the disability. Kids can be mean, for sure, but most older teens aren’t pathologically nasty like some of the characters.

Gardner’s writing explained a little too much when it could have showed or trusted readers to understand how a character would feel. At times FINDING BALANCE dragged, like pages devoted to chit chat during x-rays.

Reading FINDING BALANCE was enjoyable. I finished in one sitting.

I was so happy to be approved for this, but it seems like the file has a problem, because it has only three chapters. I hope the new file will be uploaded.