Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first venture into Paula Chase's series. This book definitely works as a stand alone novel. Rasheeda and Monique are best friends. When Mo gets offered a scholarship to a 3 week ballet summer intensive, both girls don't know what to do without the other. Because of the dance element, I would have really liked this as a middle grade reader. The one thing I could have done without with the weird body image issue stuff. I know that a lot of teenage girls struggle with their body image but it felt excessive and was never addressed. No one came out and said that their bodies were great and they shouldn't judge themselves or others about what their bodies looked like. Kids don't need to read that, especially when it's tied to dance.

A group of friends are separated for the summer, two attending an elite dancing academy whilr the others stay home. Chapters alternate between the two main characters & best friends Mo and Sheeda detailing the ups and downs of the summer before high school. If I taught in a middle school I would definitely add this to my collection, it reaches a group that is frequently forgotten-the upper end of middle grade, but not quite young adult. Perfect for 7th-9th graders.

Thank you Paula Chase and Greenwillow Books for sharing this book AMAZING MUST READ with the LitReviewCrew in exchange for an honest review.

Like all of Paula's books, I devoured Turning Point and it may be my favorite of the So Done series. It's hard to choose though because they are all so good. The dual perspectives give a richness that makes you live the story with the characters. There are so many reasons I loved this book, but three main ones are:
1-Dual Point of View
2-Becoming independent
3-Ballet

I think there need to be more books like this one for upper middle grade. It is a time of learning independence, learning who you are apart from your family, and how you will handle and grow through tough choices and tough circumstances. Go read it!

Turning Point is a middle grade that focuses on two friends, Mo and Sheeda, as they face their insecurities during a summer apart. Mo goes to a summer ballet program where she comes face to face with her new competition where she struggles to fit in among her majority-white peers. Sheeda is all alone with her strict aunt D for the summer, feeling lost and abandoned by Mo, she finds herself breaking the rules and getting closer to Mo's brother Lenny.

I really enjoy Chace's writings. Her characters are so deep and complex and the challenges that they face feels all too real.

In Turning Point, two teen best friends spend a summer apart: Mo heads off to an intensive (and very, very white) summer ballet program, while Sheeda stays home in the Cove, spending most of the time at church with her Auntie D. For Mo, the summer is a season of not-always-happy discoveries, most notably that the ballet world is not as color-blind as she’s wanted to believe. For Sheeda, it’s all about figuring out where she fits into the world and whether Mo’s brother Lenny might be part of her life. It’s a hard but illuminating summer for both friends.

I liked this book a lot, partly because it deals with issues around racism, harassment, body image, and friendship in a way that’s appropriate, important, and accessible for late middle grades/early YA readers and partly because Mo and Sheeda were fun people to hang out with. This is really a coming-of-age story, so it ends with a warm sense of self-acceptance that I really loved. If you like realistic fiction or ballet books, I recommend this one. (Apparently it’s the unofficial third book in a series — I hadn’t read the other two, but I didn’t feel like I was missing anything.)

This #representationmatters and #ownvoices middle-grade novel touches on many tough topics. The author does not shy away from racism, rebellion, and difficult relationships. There is a lot here to encourage discussion with your child as they read

Rasheeda and Monique are best friends whose friendship is in a semi-precarious state as Monique goes off to an intensive ballet school for the summer and Rasheeda stays at home. Rasheeda struggles with her aunt's strict rules, her other "friends", and a blossoming relationship with Monique's brother. Meanwhile, Monique struggle with being one of only 2 black students at the school and in spite of her hard work doesn't feel like she is enough. What lessons will the 2 girls bring back and is their friendship strong enough?

Sheeda and Mo are best friends but when the summer before high school they have separate experiences, both eye opening, they aren’t sure if absence really does make the heart grow fonder. Sheeda is stuck between the church world her aunt occupies and the “normal” teen world she wants to occupy. Mo struggles with finding her identify as a young woman and as a dancer at the elite dance camp she attends for the summer. A great middle grade novel about finding yourself, speaking your truth, learning to listen and holding your friends close.

I would like to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishing company for the opportunity to view an ARC of "Turning Point" in exchange for my honest review.

"Turning Point" is written by author Paula Chase. This book was a delightful read that hit on so many valid topics and issues but in a manner that made them go down easy.

We are introduced to our main characters Rasheeda and Monique. They are best friends that have such polar personalities. "Sheeda" is laid back. She does not welcome conflict and simply lives by what makes lives easier for everyone else. She is a people pleaser who treads lightly around everyone, especially her aunt D. Events occur that challenge her comfort zone and we see her pushed beyond what she is accustomed to. On the other hand, "Mo", is the take no mess and speak my mind type. Mo is strong-willed and does not mind putting anyone in line if she feels that they have stepped out. This causes problems for her in her new environment and she struggles to deal with the results of what is "normal" for her.
We watch both of these young ladies and their extended family and friend groups evolve and some dissolve throughout this story. I love the manner in which so many experiences valid to teen years, insecurities, new experiences, friends, and family. This book will definitely be recommended to my teens and preteens. I would even go on to say that many adults could take away much from this read as well. It was definitely a great experience.

While it's true that the events of this novel stand on their own, there are references to events in other books that become a bit frustrating if you haven't read those other books. Having that gab makes reading this one feel a bit incomplete, especially when it comes to character development. It's building on character elements from other stories. While the plot has some appeal, it wouldn't be my first choice.

We've heard from Mila and Tai and Rollie and Simp in the previous books So Done and Dough Boys. While this book's cover doesn't match the other two, it is the third Cove story in a series, this time from the points of view of Sheeda and Mo. I wasn't able to remember very much about them from the earlier books, so it was exciting to see their points of view the summer before high school. They almost reminded me of Mila and Tai themselves.
Rasheeda Jenkins is basically alone for the summer. Mila and Mo are at their ballet camp and Chrissy is visiting faraway relatives. While Tai is there, her plans often interfere with church for Sheeda, who lives with an aunt that organizes Vacation Bible School. During church activities, her group has been torn apart by two of the girls' fighting, and one boy starting a serious relationship with one of the same girls. Sheeda doesn't want to let Auntie D down, but is also hiding a secret: she has been meeting up with Mo's brother, Lennie, and she likes him as more than a friend.
Monique Jenkins and her best friend Jamila are looking forward to attending a three-week-long dance intensive in Philadelphia. Back home, they are the best dancers in their class and highly respected by everyone else, fitting right in. But when they arrive at the college campus, they find that they are the only Black girls there, and two of only six non-white girls. Mo is constantly held to a higher standard because of this. Not only that, but some of the girls seem to have an obsession with being skinny and inadvertently shaming Mo for not being as thin as them. She's realizing that Mila just might be better than her, as she is met with nothing but praise. She does find friends in her suite mates Brenna and Katie, but doesn't know how to get approval from her new teacher. And the entire group has a chance to be accepted into the intensive's year-round program.
Since the characters are almost in high school this could technically be both MG and YA. If you normally read YA and are interested in this story, I say go for it.

Another winner by Paula Chase set in the same world as So Done and Dough Boys and featuring the same crew.

This time the story focuses on the friendship between Rasheeda and Monique and the time they must spend apart while Mo is off at an intensive dance retreat with Mila. While Mo struggles with being one of the only black ballerinas at the retreat, Sheeda struggles with her strict aunt and feeling out of place with church friends. Throw in a crush on Mo's brother and things start to get really complicated.

Chase is SO GOOD at writing authentic POC middle school voices, and the addition of text messages/chats makes the story even more appealing to younger readers. Common themes of friendship and family are woven together with issues of race and inequality in a way that is seamless and satisfying. I hope there are more stories to come in this series--I love getting to know a new pair each time.

I love the dual perspectives. It helps me connect with the characters at a different level. The beginning was slow but picked up and I really enjoyed it. The topics discussed in the book are very relevant to current events.

I love how the author writes her characters, and how fleshed out and real they feel. I love the dual perspectives because the story feels rich and complex, and there’s so much for readers to take in. The girls deal with issues common to many young teens, and yet being Black adds extra layers and nuances to their experiences. I would love to see even more kids finding these books, and benefitting from them.

Perfect title for this book: the characters are figuring out life and how they fit into the world--and the changes that come in your teen years. Strong characters and a clear picture of their lives. Dating/relationships explored. Racial issues. Will definitely recommend this book to many readers.

I enjoyed this friendship story very much! It was realistic with the insecurities and juggling different friend groups and changes. The POC main characters were basically dealing with their normal lives, and I appreciated how in many ways my (mostly white) students could relate with the same issues but also see how race added other struggles to the mix. This will be an important addition to my classroom library.

Definitely a recommend for junior high/early high school readers. It's nice to find a YA book that focuses almost entirely on the friendships between the characters. YA readers will be able to connect to the emotions and concerns facing each character - crushing on a boy, worrying about fitting in, outgrowing friendships. There are some mature themes in the book, however, but they are briefly mentioned and are not graphic.

I really enjoyed the ups and downs of this book. I loved the visual imagery and the whole idea. I've read different books by this author and have really enjoyed them. This book is perfect for readers 10-13.

This book is advertised as a "stand alone" novel within the world of The Cove (see the author's other works), but I question it's viability as a stand alone text. The author assumes familiarity with the characters and thus does little to no work to develop an empathetic bond between characters and the reader. The plot is easy enough to follow without being familiar with the world, but you just don't care much about what happens to the people within the story.