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112 ratings | 12 reviews | avg rating:4.46

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Jennifer Starzec’s Followers (9)

Jennifer’s Bookshelves

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currently-reading (4)
read (159)
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Jennifer’s Friends (31)

Ava

881 books | 57 friends

Hannah Li

158 books | 23 friends

Harrison

269 books | 10 friends

Jaime Gray

16 books | 17 friends

Megan Placko-Carrera

326 books | 24 friends

Danielle Plater

422 books | 20 friends

Charlotte S

465 books | 32 friends

Nicole

65 books | 15 friends

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Jennifer Starzec

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United States

Website

http://www.5kballet.com

Twitter

jenstarzec

Genre

Memoir, Young Adult, Nonfiction

Influences

Riva Lehrer, Patricia Reilly Giff, Rick Riordan, Jacqueline Woodso ...more

Member Since

July 2014

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/jen_star

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Jennifer (Jen) Starzec writes about her experiences living with a physical disability after being suddenly paralyzed by Transverse Myelitis at age 13. She is the co-author of three memoirs with Sarah Todd Hammer about their disability experiences: 5k, Ballet, and a Spinal Cord Injury (2013); Determination (2016); and Up and Down (2018).
Jen is from the Chicago suburbs and is currently a graduate student at the University of Illinois, where she is studying speech-language pathology.

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Combine Editions
Jennifer Starzec’s books

Average rating: 4.75 · 32 ratings · 3 reviews · 4 distinct works

	5k, Ballet, and a Spinal Cord Injury (5k, Ballet, #1) by Jennifer Starzec (Goodreads Author), Sarah Todd Hammer (Goodreads Author), Umaiyal Sridas (Illustrator) 4.69 avg rating — 16 ratings — published 2013	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Determination (5k, Ballet, #2) by Sarah Todd Hammer (Goodreads Author), Jennifer Starzec (Goodreads Author) 4.89 avg rating — 9 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Up and Down (5k, Ballet, #3) by Sarah Todd Hammer (Goodreads Author), Jennifer Starzec (Goodreads Author) 4.71 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 2018 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Benny The Runt Banana: Collection One 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Jennifer is Currently Reading

Jennifer Starzec is currently reading

Gideon the Ninth (The Locked Tomb, #1)

by Tamsyn Muir (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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May 13, 2024 06:24PM

Jennifer Starzec is currently reading

I Might Regret This: Essays, Drawings, Vulnerabilities, and Other Stuff

by Abbi Jacobson

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Mar 01, 2023 01:09PM

Jennifer Starzec is currently reading

Exile and Pride: Disability, Queerness, and Liberation

by Eli Clare (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Jan 04, 2022 10:44AM

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Jennifer’s Recent Updates

Jennifer Starzec wants to read Queenslander by Laura Garden (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 22, 2026 05:01AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Queenslander by Laura Garden. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Queenslander by Laura Garden <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jennifer Starzec wants to read Bloom Town: Genesis by Ally North (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 22, 2026 05:00AM · like
Jennifer Starzec wants to read Mister Magic by Kiersten White (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 10, 2026 09:44AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Mister Magic by Kiersten White. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Mister Magic by Kiersten White <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jennifer Starzec wants to read Andromeda by E.S. McLeod (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 02, 2026 05:15PM · like
Jennifer Starzec wants to read Jackson Alone by Jose Ando	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 02, 2026 05:13PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Jackson Alone by Jose Ando. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Jackson Alone by Jose Ando <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jennifer Starzec wants to read How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days by Jessie Sylva (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 02, 2026 05:12PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days by Jessie Sylva. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days by Jessie Sylva <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jennifer Starzec wants to read Cabaret in Flames by Hache Pueyo (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 02, 2026 05:07PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Cabaret in Flames by Hache Pueyo. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Cabaret in Flames by Hache Pueyo <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jennifer Starzec wants to read Muñeca by Cynthia Gómez (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 02, 2026 05:06PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Muñeca by Cynthia Gómez. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Muñeca by Cynthia Gómez <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jennifer Starzec wants to read The Divine Gardener's Handbook: Or What To Do If Your Girlfriend Accidentally Turns Off the Sun: A Novel by Eli Snow (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 02, 2026 05:03PM · like
Jennifer Starzec wants to read Witch of the Shadow Wood by Tori Anne Martin (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 02, 2026 05:02PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Witch of the Shadow Wood by Tori Anne Martin. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Witch of the Shadow Wood by Tori Anne Martin <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Jennifer Starzec (?)

“I often wished that more people understood the invisible side of things. Even the people who seemed to understand, didn't really.”
― Jennifer Starzec, Determination

tags: chronic-illness, chronic-pain, dance, disability, fatigue, inspirational, invisible-illness, motivational, myelitis, neuropathy, paralysis, rare-disease, run, sci, spinal-cord-injury, tm, transverse-myelitis

67 likes

“People who don't see you every day have a hard time understanding how on some days--good days--you can run three miles, but can barely walk across the parking lot on other days,' [my mom] said quietly.”
― Jennifer Starzec, Determination

tags: chronic-illness, chronic-pain, dance, disability, fatigue, inspirational, invisible-illness, motivational, myelitis, neuropathy, paralysis, run, tm, transverse-myelitis

56 likes

“Nothing worked. This blazing pain seemed only to be getting worse.”
― Jennifer Starzec

tags: chronic-illness, hopeless, illness, inspirational, life, pain

6 likes

See all Jennifer Starzec's quotes »

Jennifer’s Quotes

“Everyone has adventures in their lives. Some good ones, some bad ones.”
― Sarah Todd Hammer

tags: adventures, difficult-times, difficulties, good-attitude, inspirational, inspirational-life, life-experience, ups-and-downs

0 likes

“I was eight years old and scared, and had no idea what was going on”
― Sarah Todd Hammer

tags: child, hardship, inspirational, life, motivational, scared

1 likes

“I was scared...and did not know what was coming for me next.”
― Sarah Todd Hammer

tags: child, hospital, illness, inspirational, scared

1 likes

“Nothing worked. This blazing pain seemed only to be getting worse.”
― Jennifer Starzec

tags: chronic-illness, hopeless, illness, inspirational, life, pain

6 likes

“What if...the doctors couldn't find anything wrong? What if I was over-exaggerating the pain, weakness, and weird sensations?”
― Jennifer Starzec

Jennifer’s Year In Books

Jennifer Starzec’s Followers (9)

Jennifer’s Bookshelves

Jennifer’s Friends (31)

Jennifer Starzec

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Jennifer Starzec

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