Kati Gardner

Wait, before you close out of this tab, you need to know that this isn't your typical cancer story. It is so much more. It is a story of overcoming your past. It is a story of choosing how to see life. It is a story I won't forget.
The characters were fantastic. Their thoughts and emotions were expressed so clearly and I felt like I knew them in real life.
One thing that I loved seeing was the Bible verses subtly woven throughout.
My only complaint about this book is the language. It could have easily done without it.
This book is technically the second book of the series but works well as a standalone.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to find the first book of the series.

Rating: 5 Stars
Content: 2 Stars

*I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.… (mais)

I read the second book of this series last year and ever since then, had been looking forward to reading the first. When I got the chance, I was thrilled!

This book is so much deeper than it appears from the cover. From the cover, I never would have guessed the depth that the character's emotions run and the struggles that they are facing. I felt every emotion that the characters felt.

If you overlook the language, which was my only complaint, then this makes for a really great read that will be sure to pull you along for a ride.

If you are a fan of ya that isn't afraid to dive into heavy topics while still having a lighthearted feel, this would be a great one to pick up.



Rating: 4.5/5

Language: s***, a**, d***, f***

Romance: a kiss or two

Spiritual: n/a

Violence: one character gets beaten up and ends up in the hospital, suicide

Note: Davis has been clean of drugs and alcohol for one year.



*I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.… (mais)

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

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.… (mais)