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Turning
In this raw, searingly honest debut young adult novel, a former aspiring ballerina must confront her past in order to move forward from a devastating fall that leaves her without the use of her legs.
Genie used to fouetté across the stage. Now the only thing she’s turning are the wheels to her wheelchair. Genie was the star pupil at her exclusive New York dance school, with a bright future and endless possibilities before her. Now that the future she’s spent years building toward has been snatched away, she can’t stand to be reminded of it—even if it means isolating herself from her best friends and her mother. The only wish this Genie has is to be left alone.
But then she meets Kyle, who also has a “used to be.” Kyle used to tumble and flip on a gymnastics mat, but a traumatic brain injury has sent him to the same physical therapist that Genie sees. With Kyle’s support, along with her best friend’s insistence that Genie’s time at the barre isn’t over yet, Genie starts to see a new path—one where she doesn’t have to be alone and she finally has the strength to heal from the past.
But healing also means confronting. Confronting the booze her mother, a recovering alcoholic, has been hiding under the kitchen sink; the ex-boyfriend who was there the night of the fall and won’t leave her alone; and Genie’s biggest, most terrifying secret: the fact that the accident may not have been so accidental after all.
Genie used to fouetté across the stage. Now the only thing she’s turning are the wheels to her wheelchair. Genie was the star pupil at her exclusive New York dance school, with a bright future and endless possibilities before her. Now that the future she’s spent years building toward has been snatched away, she can’t stand to be reminded of it—even if it means isolating herself from her best friends and her mother. The only wish this Genie has is to be left alone.
But then she meets Kyle, who also has a “used to be.” Kyle used to tumble and flip on a gymnastics mat, but a traumatic brain injury has sent him to the same physical therapist that Genie sees. With Kyle’s support, along with her best friend’s insistence that Genie’s time at the barre isn’t over yet, Genie starts to see a new path—one where she doesn’t have to be alone and she finally has the strength to heal from the past.
But healing also means confronting. Confronting the booze her mother, a recovering alcoholic, has been hiding under the kitchen sink; the ex-boyfriend who was there the night of the fall and won’t leave her alone; and Genie’s biggest, most terrifying secret: the fact that the accident may not have been so accidental after all.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
Want to Read
December 16, 2021Excited to read this. One concern: Fouettés aren't supposed to travel. They are a type of turn that stays in place. Now, *my* fouettés travel, but they aren't *supposed* to. I know this is nitpicky, but if the first sentence of the blurb gets ballet wrong, I am apprehensive about the accuracy. However, I will definitely keep an open mind and give it a chance!
February 5, 2022
An emotionally raw and unflinchingly honest, coming of age YA explores some tough themes such as toxic/ dysfunctional relationships (both familial and romantic) identity, regret and discrimination in the exclusive and highly competitive world of Ballet.
It follows Genie, an aspiring ballet dancer whose left wheelchair bound after suffering a devastating fall that has cut her dreams of international success short. After years of dedication, she’s left frustrated and angry—lashing out and hurting everyone who cares about her. But then she meets Kyle who used to be a gymnast before suffering a brain injury that sent him to the same physical therapist as Genie.
With Kyle’s support and her friends insistence that her ballet days aren’t entirely over yet. Genie sees a new path—one where she doesn’t have to be alone and finally has the strength to heal from the past. But before she can heal Genie must confront her past, confront her mother (a recovering alcoholic whose hiding booze under the sink); the ex-boyfriend who was there the night of the fall and her most terrifying secret of all—the accident may not have been so accidental at all…
I found this such an incredibly moving and emotional read, truthfully I cried more than once reading this and loved how honest and heartbreakingly personal Genie’s experiences were—she starts out pretty angry and frustrated with the world and takes out her helplessness on everyone around her. It’s understandable of course but I couldn’t help but felt deeply for her mum, who definitely took the brunt of it.
Joy L.Smith does touch upon some pretty hard topics that impacted Genie’s upbringing such as her fathers’ abandonment, an incident of domestic violence and her mother’s struggle with alcoholism. But still she perseveres despite the obstacles and shows just how smart (and successful) she can be when she puts her mind to it—I honestly loved that!
Spending time with Kyle who has struggles and issues of his own, being a supportive and patient friend when Genie is feeling overwhelmed was a lovely change of pace and their chemistry together was really good—completely different from the kind of relationship she has with Nolan (which we see in flashbacks. They were definitely friend/ couple goals.
Nolan was definitely my least liked character—I despised him and his toxic, emotionally manipulative energy but was definitely satisfied with the outcome of his story arc.
There’s also a lot of emphasis on Ballet, the passion, the drive, the artistry (and obsession) that’s needed to thrive in such a highly stressful,competitive environment. I did love seeing Ballet through Genie’s POV— a POC who’s experiences, barriers and limitations due to discrimination or stereotyping is also refreshingly eye opening.
There’s not much more I can say without spoiling the entire plot but I definitely recommend that fans of coming of age YA and Nicola Yoon should definitely give this a read, but don’t forget the tissues cause it does get quite emotional.
Also, just wanted to say a huge thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours and Simon & Schuster for the digital arc.
It follows Genie, an aspiring ballet dancer whose left wheelchair bound after suffering a devastating fall that has cut her dreams of international success short. After years of dedication, she’s left frustrated and angry—lashing out and hurting everyone who cares about her. But then she meets Kyle who used to be a gymnast before suffering a brain injury that sent him to the same physical therapist as Genie.
With Kyle’s support and her friends insistence that her ballet days aren’t entirely over yet. Genie sees a new path—one where she doesn’t have to be alone and finally has the strength to heal from the past. But before she can heal Genie must confront her past, confront her mother (a recovering alcoholic whose hiding booze under the sink); the ex-boyfriend who was there the night of the fall and her most terrifying secret of all—the accident may not have been so accidental at all…
I found this such an incredibly moving and emotional read, truthfully I cried more than once reading this and loved how honest and heartbreakingly personal Genie’s experiences were—she starts out pretty angry and frustrated with the world and takes out her helplessness on everyone around her. It’s understandable of course but I couldn’t help but felt deeply for her mum, who definitely took the brunt of it.
Joy L.Smith does touch upon some pretty hard topics that impacted Genie’s upbringing such as her fathers’ abandonment, an incident of domestic violence and her mother’s struggle with alcoholism. But still she perseveres despite the obstacles and shows just how smart (and successful) she can be when she puts her mind to it—I honestly loved that!
Spending time with Kyle who has struggles and issues of his own, being a supportive and patient friend when Genie is feeling overwhelmed was a lovely change of pace and their chemistry together was really good—completely different from the kind of relationship she has with Nolan (which we see in flashbacks. They were definitely friend/ couple goals.
Nolan was definitely my least liked character—I despised him and his toxic, emotionally manipulative energy but was definitely satisfied with the outcome of his story arc.
There’s also a lot of emphasis on Ballet, the passion, the drive, the artistry (and obsession) that’s needed to thrive in such a highly stressful,competitive environment. I did love seeing Ballet through Genie’s POV— a POC who’s experiences, barriers and limitations due to discrimination or stereotyping is also refreshingly eye opening.
There’s not much more I can say without spoiling the entire plot but I definitely recommend that fans of coming of age YA and Nicola Yoon should definitely give this a read, but don’t forget the tissues cause it does get quite emotional.
Also, just wanted to say a huge thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours and Simon & Schuster for the digital arc.
May 3, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I enjoyed this one, though I mistakenly thought it was middle grade. I also didn't realize this was about a disabled girl. I think I completely forgot the synopsis between requesting and finally reading it. I believe this story is not own voices for wheelchair use, please see reviews written by a wheelchair user for whether the representation of using a wheelchair in this was done well.
Turning is the story of teenage Genie. She was a ballet prodigy until an awful accident resulted in a spinal injury. Genie now uses a wheelchair and her dreams of being a principal dancer have been gutted. Even though her ballet school wants her back in any capacity, Genie can't bring herself to go back and think of what could be. It doesn't help that her ex-boyfriend won't leave her alone and continues to blackmail her into hanging out with him.
Just like Genie attends physical therapy to learn how to use her wheelchair and maneuver with it, she must also think of healing mentally and emotionally. When she strikes up a tentative friendship with Kyle, another PT student, she might find someone who can relate and empathize with what she's gone through. Through connecting with other disabled kids, Genie might finally realize she still has her whole life ahead of her and she can still do the things she loves.
This was a powerful but really hard book to read. The plotline dealing with Genie's ex-boyfriend was so hard to read. He is controlling, manipulative and emotionally abusive. I hated every moment she had to deal with him. She deserved so much better. Not only does Genie have to untangle all their baggage, but she's also dealing with a huge transition and all the internal ableism of going from being able bodied to disabled. By the end we see her start to realize that she's still herself, she's still worthy of love and respect, and that she deserves to pursue her dreams.
Genie's internal strength really shines through this book. She was a compelling character to read about, even when she was angry or bratty. I definitely related to her moods, because when I first started having my chronic migraines, I was similarly irritable and angry. Pain definitely makes people mess up and make mistakes.
I really enjoyed Genie and Kevin's friendship. I loved how they pulled each other out of their shells. There is some romantic tension in their relationship and while the end hints that romance might eventually bloom between the two, they're both in different parts of their recovery journeys and friendship would better benefit them. Lastly, I loved seeing Genie find a new way to connect to ballet. It was really touching and emotional to see her journey back to the world of ballet.
Rep: Black cishet female MC who uses a wheel chair, Black biracial cishet male side character with a traumatic brain injury, stutter and uses various mobility aids, recovering alcoholic Black cishet female side character, Black cishet male side character, various other Black side characters.
CWs: Toxic relationship (romantic: MC and side character, between side characters), alcoholism, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, medical trauma, medical content. Moderate: Abortion, ableism (including internalized), abandonment, gaslighting, injury/injury detail, homophobia/homomisia, racism, violence, blood, grief (for abled body), past mentions of pregnancy, sexism, misogyny. Minor: Physical abuse, drug use, past mention of car accident, excrement, mentions of uncontrollable bladder/bowel movements, sexual content.
I enjoyed this one, though I mistakenly thought it was middle grade. I also didn't realize this was about a disabled girl. I think I completely forgot the synopsis between requesting and finally reading it. I believe this story is not own voices for wheelchair use, please see reviews written by a wheelchair user for whether the representation of using a wheelchair in this was done well.
Turning is the story of teenage Genie. She was a ballet prodigy until an awful accident resulted in a spinal injury. Genie now uses a wheelchair and her dreams of being a principal dancer have been gutted. Even though her ballet school wants her back in any capacity, Genie can't bring herself to go back and think of what could be. It doesn't help that her ex-boyfriend won't leave her alone and continues to blackmail her into hanging out with him.
Just like Genie attends physical therapy to learn how to use her wheelchair and maneuver with it, she must also think of healing mentally and emotionally. When she strikes up a tentative friendship with Kyle, another PT student, she might find someone who can relate and empathize with what she's gone through. Through connecting with other disabled kids, Genie might finally realize she still has her whole life ahead of her and she can still do the things she loves.
This was a powerful but really hard book to read. The plotline dealing with Genie's ex-boyfriend was so hard to read. He is controlling, manipulative and emotionally abusive. I hated every moment she had to deal with him. She deserved so much better. Not only does Genie have to untangle all their baggage, but she's also dealing with a huge transition and all the internal ableism of going from being able bodied to disabled. By the end we see her start to realize that she's still herself, she's still worthy of love and respect, and that she deserves to pursue her dreams.
Genie's internal strength really shines through this book. She was a compelling character to read about, even when she was angry or bratty. I definitely related to her moods, because when I first started having my chronic migraines, I was similarly irritable and angry. Pain definitely makes people mess up and make mistakes.
I really enjoyed Genie and Kevin's friendship. I loved how they pulled each other out of their shells. There is some romantic tension in their relationship and while the end hints that romance might eventually bloom between the two, they're both in different parts of their recovery journeys and friendship would better benefit them. Lastly, I loved seeing Genie find a new way to connect to ballet. It was really touching and emotional to see her journey back to the world of ballet.
Rep: Black cishet female MC who uses a wheel chair, Black biracial cishet male side character with a traumatic brain injury, stutter and uses various mobility aids, recovering alcoholic Black cishet female side character, Black cishet male side character, various other Black side characters.
CWs: Toxic relationship (romantic: MC and side character, between side characters), alcoholism, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, medical trauma, medical content. Moderate: Abortion, ableism (including internalized), abandonment, gaslighting, injury/injury detail, homophobia/homomisia, racism, violence, blood, grief (for abled body), past mentions of pregnancy, sexism, misogyny. Minor: Physical abuse, drug use, past mention of car accident, excrement, mentions of uncontrollable bladder/bowel movements, sexual content.
July 30, 2022
I love the cover on this one. Genie dancing, but her tutu is a wheelchair wheel, and she could be either dancing or falling. Love it.
There is a lot going on in this story. There were two dozen or so subplots and things happening, and I think it was just too many and needed to focus and concentrate on just doing a few of them really well.
The story didn't focus as much on Genie's dancing and her recuperation as much as I feel it was about her terrible and manipulative ex-boyfriend and their abusive relationship. That being said, a lot of his abuse was told to us in the beginning, as opposed to seeing it play out. And the alcoholic mother? Yeah, seven years sober. (I don't remember any alcohol under the sink happening either)
And Kyle plays a very small part in the book. They barely even had a conversation before they fell in love.
Mostly I think the reason I didn't really connect was that Genie was (rightfully so) a very bitter and angry MC. But she was just nasty to everyone and everything, and it just wasn't enjoyable to read her and her attitude. She was so horrid to so many people just because she felt like it. She lacked the redeeming qualities that make you want to root for someone. I was rooting for her mum.
There is a lot going on in this story. There were two dozen or so subplots and things happening, and I think it was just too many and needed to focus and concentrate on just doing a few of them really well.
The story didn't focus as much on Genie's dancing and her recuperation as much as I feel it was about her terrible and manipulative ex-boyfriend and their abusive relationship. That being said, a lot of his abuse was told to us in the beginning, as opposed to seeing it play out. And the alcoholic mother? Yeah, seven years sober. (I don't remember any alcohol under the sink happening either)
And Kyle plays a very small part in the book. They barely even had a conversation before they fell in love.
Mostly I think the reason I didn't really connect was that Genie was (rightfully so) a very bitter and angry MC. But she was just nasty to everyone and everything, and it just wasn't enjoyable to read her and her attitude. She was so horrid to so many people just because she felt like it. She lacked the redeeming qualities that make you want to root for someone. I was rooting for her mum.
September 19, 2021
Loved this book! Review to come!
May 15, 2022
This book was a pleasant surprise, although I must admit I was unsure what to expect when I had started reading it. The story itself can be upsetting at times because it is very realistic. It is not about a happy subject at all but about a girl trying to recover from a horrid accident and trauma, one that has drastically changed her life and she can never get that life back again. I am sure people around the world are going through this experience every day: someone hearing those words that they will never walk again. How do you get your life back? The story tries to answer that.
Genie goes through so many emotions in here. And some of them I certainly recognize. I may not have any walking issues like Genie but I do have other problems, like PTSD, so I can relate to her. She has anger and she does the avoidance thing too. In fact I am surprised that the fact Genie could have PTSD after her accident was never brought up! I know the story is supposed to be about her wheelchair but the way she got into that wheelchair surely will cause lots of fear. I believe she does have PTSD and that is why she avoids discussing the accident at all because that is what people with it do. Because it becomes a trigger then.
And at the story's beginning!! I could literally feel the stress and anger in that house! The fights going on. And that is actually what happens too. The problems brought on by her wheelchair and her sudden disability only creates more stress for everyone. And that leads to fights. Because no one likes those changes. Change is hard to accept. And if you are suddenly trapped in a wheelchair then things you used to do without thinking about it like opening the refrigerator or reaching the sink is suddenly very difficult. And that creates frustration. And the frustration leads to fights. Because the feeling has to go somewhere.
Or else you hold it all in and then explode later. She does that too. But that is exactly what happens.
Because accepting the situation takes time. And it is often a very hard thing to do. It's never easy. And you need people to support you to recover too. To know that there are people out there who really care about you. And that can get you living your life again even if you are stuck to those limitations you are stuck with. It can give you your self confidence back too. And then you can relax, be yourself and not feel that you are being stared at or that you are unwanted. But the story shows it is not that easy to get over these things and that many people do not understand the problems that go with it.
The book gives some ideas of how someone like Genie can continue doing work in the field of ballet that she loves. Now I don't know if this sort of idea could work in all types of sports. What about people who run marathons, which is more a solitary sport and not a group sport like ballet? Hmmm... Technically ballet is dance but many sports are popular you know and could lead to injuries and hence wheelchairs.
The only part I really didn't care for about this story was Genie's relationships with guys. I just feel by the end she hasn't actually learned anything and that she was going to repeat the same mistake all over again.
But this is a very realistic story and even the paragraph above is probably realistic too.
I do think more people should read this so they hopefully can get a better understanding of the issues people go through. The emotional turmoil. How hard everything can be for someone in a wheelchair.
Genie goes through so many emotions in here. And some of them I certainly recognize. I may not have any walking issues like Genie but I do have other problems, like PTSD, so I can relate to her. She has anger and she does the avoidance thing too. In fact I am surprised that the fact Genie could have PTSD after her accident was never brought up! I know the story is supposed to be about her wheelchair but the way she got into that wheelchair surely will cause lots of fear. I believe she does have PTSD and that is why she avoids discussing the accident at all because that is what people with it do. Because it becomes a trigger then.
And at the story's beginning!! I could literally feel the stress and anger in that house! The fights going on. And that is actually what happens too. The problems brought on by her wheelchair and her sudden disability only creates more stress for everyone. And that leads to fights. Because no one likes those changes. Change is hard to accept. And if you are suddenly trapped in a wheelchair then things you used to do without thinking about it like opening the refrigerator or reaching the sink is suddenly very difficult. And that creates frustration. And the frustration leads to fights. Because the feeling has to go somewhere.
Or else you hold it all in and then explode later. She does that too. But that is exactly what happens.
Because accepting the situation takes time. And it is often a very hard thing to do. It's never easy. And you need people to support you to recover too. To know that there are people out there who really care about you. And that can get you living your life again even if you are stuck to those limitations you are stuck with. It can give you your self confidence back too. And then you can relax, be yourself and not feel that you are being stared at or that you are unwanted. But the story shows it is not that easy to get over these things and that many people do not understand the problems that go with it.
The book gives some ideas of how someone like Genie can continue doing work in the field of ballet that she loves. Now I don't know if this sort of idea could work in all types of sports. What about people who run marathons, which is more a solitary sport and not a group sport like ballet? Hmmm... Technically ballet is dance but many sports are popular you know and could lead to injuries and hence wheelchairs.
The only part I really didn't care for about this story was Genie's relationships with guys. I just feel by the end she hasn't actually learned anything and that she was going to repeat the same mistake all over again.
But this is a very realistic story and even the paragraph above is probably realistic too.
I do think more people should read this so they hopefully can get a better understanding of the issues people go through. The emotional turmoil. How hard everything can be for someone in a wheelchair.
December 11, 2022
Beautiful and raw, Genie's growth is humbling and real.
This was a stunning book. Wonderful writing.
This was a stunning book. Wonderful writing.
March 19, 2022
While this book covers crucial topics, such as grief, family issues, abuse in relationships, and ableism, the pacing was absolutely too slow for my taste. The reader gets a day to day glance at Genie’s life and it felt like she was living the exact same day over and over again. Everyday was like wake up, be angry and aggressive towards any and everyone, then cry from regret. It got old quickly.
Ultimately, the main character was incredibly stoic. She is quite literally the most stubborn character I have read. However, she is a teen who just went through something traumatizing, so I recognize that I may not have been the target audience because I simply could not relate and struggled very hard to empathize. Honestly, if I were in her position, I’d probably be worse.
Ultimately, the main character was incredibly stoic. She is quite literally the most stubborn character I have read. However, she is a teen who just went through something traumatizing, so I recognize that I may not have been the target audience because I simply could not relate and struggled very hard to empathize. Honestly, if I were in her position, I’d probably be worse.
November 11, 2022
Mixed Feelings
This was a challenging read for me. It took much longer than I expected to get through it. Something about the story or maybe the writing just felt off. At the same time, there was enough substance to make me want to keep reading. I know that Genie was part of the issue for me. She wasn’t likable and that’s always a hurdle for me. Her fractured relationship with her mother was also hard for me. I can understand the strained mother/daughter dynamic, but her downright disrespectful attitude towards her mother was too much for me. The scary relationship she had with Nolan was heartbreaking. The saving grace was Kyle and all of his adorableness. Thankfully the story got better as it went on. By the end, I was sold on it.
This was a challenging read for me. It took much longer than I expected to get through it. Something about the story or maybe the writing just felt off. At the same time, there was enough substance to make me want to keep reading. I know that Genie was part of the issue for me. She wasn’t likable and that’s always a hurdle for me. Her fractured relationship with her mother was also hard for me. I can understand the strained mother/daughter dynamic, but her downright disrespectful attitude towards her mother was too much for me. The scary relationship she had with Nolan was heartbreaking. The saving grace was Kyle and all of his adorableness. Thankfully the story got better as it went on. By the end, I was sold on it.
Want to Read
June 30, 2021LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS BOOK!
March 2, 2022
I received this book for free from SimonTeen in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Man, I don’t know what they call the WB these days, but this Turning by Joy L. Smith would be perfect for it’s own TV show. It’s got drama, lies, tragic accidents, toxic relationships and the ballet. I am still picking myself up off the floor after finishing this great debut. Whew!
I picked up this novel because I have never read a book featuring a Black girl as a main character who has a disability that requires her to use a wheelchair. The added fact that the main character, Genie is a Black ballerina was also part of the premise that pulled me in.
I Love Genie
First, I loved Genie. The name, the attitude, the perseverance, she is a one-of-a-kind character. Her sense of humor is on point (pun intended…when you read the book you will appreciate this lol). Despite the tragedy she is currently trying to process and heal from, the girl still knows what she wants. And Genie still wants the ballet. But she can’t have it the same way she had it before. Part of her journey is figuring out how to be the new Genie when she is still mourning the old.
Loved the genie in a bottle jokes spread throughout the books. Also kudoes to the author for giving each chapter a title. I love it when authors do this and wish it was done more often these days. This story needed the levity to balance the heavy topics it discusses.
Relationships Are Hard
Relationships are hard to navigate for the characters in this story. Some are strained, some toxic, some need repair, some need to be abandoned, some need nurturing and some just need space so they can grow. It’s easy to just hate Nolan because he is the ex-boyfriend who won’t take the hint and leave Genie alone. But while he is wrong and I for real wanted to just give him a full-palm smack to the back of the neck more that once, you can’t ignore what Genie calls “Daddy issues” that he is dealing with. It’s not an excuse, just a factor into understanding his character’s actions.
The interesting thing about Genie, is that she has a keen understanding of how each of her relationships works and the state they are in during the story. For example. she knows that things are really bad between her and Nolan, but it’s a hard train to get off once its moving, as many emotionally abusive relationships are. She knows how to approach her best friend and what will pull her in versus make her walk away forever. She even has an awareness of how to navigate her relationship with her mother, even though it is definitely embedded in a disgruntled teen daughter/ Mom trying hard to take care of teen daughter category. I thought her relationship with Kyle was interesting. But I do wish that had been explored further since he has such an impact on her.
The most interesting relationship though, is the one she has with herself. She has to reckon with who she “Used-to-be” with who she is now.
Generational Trauma
It was clear to me right away that this story was going to deal with generational trauma. Genie and Nolan deal differently with their “daddy issues” and their choices affect their relationship, simultaneously bringing them together and making them bad for each other at the same time. Genie is also dealing with trying to be the opposite of her Mom, who was a teen mom. Her own mom is dealing with alcoholism, I believe from both being abandoned by her own mom during her pregnancy and from dealing with an abusive husband.
Heavy Topics
As a warning, there are a lot of heavy topics in this novel. I wasn’t a fan of how the abortion news got dropped into the narrative. It felt a little too soon, like it should’ve been revealed a little later on once you got to know Genie better. It felt a little clunky the way it was revealed. The same with the treatment of Genie’s Dad showing up out of the blue and demanding her help for something. I don’t even think that was resolved and if it was I missed it. There was a lot to deal with just Genie’s fall, grief and learning to operate in her new reality with the people she loves. I don’t know why, but the way the abortion was treated felt like a bit much at times, but I understand how it factored into the plot.
If you are an educator, I would definitely be ready to facilitate a safe space for discussions to occur during and after reading this book.
Get Your Tissues Ready
I am not a cryer. But, this ending got me right between the eyes. I was ugly crying. Just a forewarning to prepare yourselves.
Content warnings: Being newly paralyzed from accident, parental alcoholism, abortion, spousal abuse, emotional abuse
Check out this review and more on my blog www.cocoawithbooks.com
Man, I don’t know what they call the WB these days, but this Turning by Joy L. Smith would be perfect for it’s own TV show. It’s got drama, lies, tragic accidents, toxic relationships and the ballet. I am still picking myself up off the floor after finishing this great debut. Whew!
I picked up this novel because I have never read a book featuring a Black girl as a main character who has a disability that requires her to use a wheelchair. The added fact that the main character, Genie is a Black ballerina was also part of the premise that pulled me in.
I Love Genie
First, I loved Genie. The name, the attitude, the perseverance, she is a one-of-a-kind character. Her sense of humor is on point (pun intended…when you read the book you will appreciate this lol). Despite the tragedy she is currently trying to process and heal from, the girl still knows what she wants. And Genie still wants the ballet. But she can’t have it the same way she had it before. Part of her journey is figuring out how to be the new Genie when she is still mourning the old.
Loved the genie in a bottle jokes spread throughout the books. Also kudoes to the author for giving each chapter a title. I love it when authors do this and wish it was done more often these days. This story needed the levity to balance the heavy topics it discusses.
Relationships Are Hard
Relationships are hard to navigate for the characters in this story. Some are strained, some toxic, some need repair, some need to be abandoned, some need nurturing and some just need space so they can grow. It’s easy to just hate Nolan because he is the ex-boyfriend who won’t take the hint and leave Genie alone. But while he is wrong and I for real wanted to just give him a full-palm smack to the back of the neck more that once, you can’t ignore what Genie calls “Daddy issues” that he is dealing with. It’s not an excuse, just a factor into understanding his character’s actions.
The interesting thing about Genie, is that she has a keen understanding of how each of her relationships works and the state they are in during the story. For example. she knows that things are really bad between her and Nolan, but it’s a hard train to get off once its moving, as many emotionally abusive relationships are. She knows how to approach her best friend and what will pull her in versus make her walk away forever. She even has an awareness of how to navigate her relationship with her mother, even though it is definitely embedded in a disgruntled teen daughter/ Mom trying hard to take care of teen daughter category. I thought her relationship with Kyle was interesting. But I do wish that had been explored further since he has such an impact on her.
The most interesting relationship though, is the one she has with herself. She has to reckon with who she “Used-to-be” with who she is now.
Generational Trauma
It was clear to me right away that this story was going to deal with generational trauma. Genie and Nolan deal differently with their “daddy issues” and their choices affect their relationship, simultaneously bringing them together and making them bad for each other at the same time. Genie is also dealing with trying to be the opposite of her Mom, who was a teen mom. Her own mom is dealing with alcoholism, I believe from both being abandoned by her own mom during her pregnancy and from dealing with an abusive husband.
Heavy Topics
As a warning, there are a lot of heavy topics in this novel. I wasn’t a fan of how the abortion news got dropped into the narrative. It felt a little too soon, like it should’ve been revealed a little later on once you got to know Genie better. It felt a little clunky the way it was revealed. The same with the treatment of Genie’s Dad showing up out of the blue and demanding her help for something. I don’t even think that was resolved and if it was I missed it. There was a lot to deal with just Genie’s fall, grief and learning to operate in her new reality with the people she loves. I don’t know why, but the way the abortion was treated felt like a bit much at times, but I understand how it factored into the plot.
If you are an educator, I would definitely be ready to facilitate a safe space for discussions to occur during and after reading this book.
Get Your Tissues Ready
I am not a cryer. But, this ending got me right between the eyes. I was ugly crying. Just a forewarning to prepare yourselves.
Content warnings: Being newly paralyzed from accident, parental alcoholism, abortion, spousal abuse, emotional abuse
Check out this review and more on my blog www.cocoawithbooks.com
May 14, 2026
"We cast magic. Kyle and I are like the circles we turned. Going round and round. My fall. His crash."
Genie and Kyle are the absolute sweetest, I LOVE THEM. Their section in the middle of the book was the strongest, we get to spend a lot of time hanging out with them and their relationship was where I felt this book really shined the most. I really liked how they each felt a different level of comfortableness towards their disability. I wanted so badly to get more of that.
The side characters in general were a high point in this book, I felt like they each had unique personalities and they always felt like whole people to me. What I especially thought was well done was Nolan.
March 28, 2022
Turning follows Genie, an up and coming ballet dancer who just made her first magazine cover her junior year before a sudden accident, making her a paraplegic no longer able to walk let alone dance. With a controlling ex-boyfriend who won't leave her alone and trying to figure out how to not be so angry with the world and everyone in it, Genie doesn't know where to go from here. Turning follows Genie finding her magic again, even as it looks different from where she found it before the accident.
Genie is an angry character. Adding on the YA angst with the anger of grief for her life lost, I found Genie's POV hard to read at times. She lashes out suddenly at everyone around her from her mom, her best friend, and her new friend Kyle she meets at physical therapy. Without having my own knowledge of living through anything like this though, it felt so real that this anger would be pushing out for someone going through this along with other parts of her life that are spoilers (CW are at the end of this review).
I also ... enjoyed isn't the right word .. but felt that the way the controlling/abusive relationship was portrayed also felt very real and definitely hard to read at times. On goodreads you can see that I have 25 highlights throughout this book and almost all of them are me angrily "wtf"-ing the situations and things that come out of this boy's mouth, which unfortunately can be all too real.
I also absolutely loved the aspect of dance woven through the story. I was never focused on ballet but I did dance in high school - not nearly as well as the characters in this story. It always lifts my heart to see the love dancers have for their craft whether it's on the written page or on screen. It's so special and I love getting to reminisce about my own love for it when taking in stories like this one.
CW (and light spoilers):
-abortion
-physical abuse
-alcoholism
-discussion of coercion of sexual encounters
-physical assault
-racism
*Thank you to Netgalley for approving this e-ARC*
Genie is an angry character. Adding on the YA angst with the anger of grief for her life lost, I found Genie's POV hard to read at times. She lashes out suddenly at everyone around her from her mom, her best friend, and her new friend Kyle she meets at physical therapy. Without having my own knowledge of living through anything like this though, it felt so real that this anger would be pushing out for someone going through this along with other parts of her life that are spoilers (CW are at the end of this review).
I also ... enjoyed isn't the right word .. but felt that the way the controlling/abusive relationship was portrayed also felt very real and definitely hard to read at times. On goodreads you can see that I have 25 highlights throughout this book and almost all of them are me angrily "wtf"-ing the situations and things that come out of this boy's mouth, which unfortunately can be all too real.
I also absolutely loved the aspect of dance woven through the story. I was never focused on ballet but I did dance in high school - not nearly as well as the characters in this story. It always lifts my heart to see the love dancers have for their craft whether it's on the written page or on screen. It's so special and I love getting to reminisce about my own love for it when taking in stories like this one.
CW (and light spoilers):
-abortion
-physical abuse
-alcoholism
-discussion of coercion of sexual encounters
-physical assault
-racism
*Thank you to Netgalley for approving this e-ARC*
March 8, 2022
This is an excellent debut novel that expertly tackles some heavy topics through the experience of Genie, a Black teenage ballerina who was paving the way for other youth of color in ballet when she sustained a life-altering injury. The aftermath leaves Genie struggling with grief, her identity, changes in her relationships, and navigating new plans for her future. I love that we see Genie dealing with both challenges related to her injury as well as difficulties that already existed in her family and other relationships. The story does an excellent job show the complicated journey of surviving and healing from traumatic events, both the pain and the joy. It also shows so many relatable moments of being a teenager, like falling in love, fighting with parents, making mistakes with friends, and discovering new dreams.
This book does deal with some heavy material, and content warnings include significant injury, parental alcoholism, abortion, domestic abuse, emotional abuse. I feel like the story could have gone a little deeper into some of this stuff and how it affected Genie, but I do think it did a really good job of showing the impact that generational trauma and abuse can have on a person. It also portrays both healthy and toxic romantic relationships. Genie goes through a lot, but she gains a deeper understanding of herself as well as others in her life as the story goes on, and I liked seeing all of these aspects of her journey.
I think this was a really good debut. A story that can spark a lot of emotions. Genie's journey is one that I think people will enjoy following, and even be inspired by. I can't wait to see what else this author comes out with!
This book does deal with some heavy material, and content warnings include significant injury, parental alcoholism, abortion, domestic abuse, emotional abuse. I feel like the story could have gone a little deeper into some of this stuff and how it affected Genie, but I do think it did a really good job of showing the impact that generational trauma and abuse can have on a person. It also portrays both healthy and toxic romantic relationships. Genie goes through a lot, but she gains a deeper understanding of herself as well as others in her life as the story goes on, and I liked seeing all of these aspects of her journey.
I think this was a really good debut. A story that can spark a lot of emotions. Genie's journey is one that I think people will enjoy following, and even be inspired by. I can't wait to see what else this author comes out with!
March 10, 2022
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
TW: ableism, abortion, alcohlism, abuse, homophobia
Turning is emotional from start to finish. Genie's story is full of anger, resentment, grief, and joy. Her story is one that begins with still reeling from her accident. From her entire relationship to her body, herself, and her future changing. Turning is about lashing out and making mistakes, about saying things out of pain you know will hurt because of how deeply you are hurting. Smith does not shy away from Genie's rage and pain. At the same time, Smith celebrates Genie's search for agency and evaluation of her future.
Turning is is very much a story about Genie (re)evaluating her family, both the ones who stick by you and the ones who leave. It's also about toxic relationships and how we can be tempted to fall back into patterns. Breaking away from what we know, to (re)creating dreams, is a scary process. It's one that takes a lot of work and soul searching to change. About how we see these patterns of love, of family, and how these experiences can shape us - whether we like it or not.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
TW: ableism, abortion, alcohlism, abuse, homophobia
Turning is emotional from start to finish. Genie's story is full of anger, resentment, grief, and joy. Her story is one that begins with still reeling from her accident. From her entire relationship to her body, herself, and her future changing. Turning is about lashing out and making mistakes, about saying things out of pain you know will hurt because of how deeply you are hurting. Smith does not shy away from Genie's rage and pain. At the same time, Smith celebrates Genie's search for agency and evaluation of her future.
Turning is is very much a story about Genie (re)evaluating her family, both the ones who stick by you and the ones who leave. It's also about toxic relationships and how we can be tempted to fall back into patterns. Breaking away from what we know, to (re)creating dreams, is a scary process. It's one that takes a lot of work and soul searching to change. About how we see these patterns of love, of family, and how these experiences can shape us - whether we like it or not.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
February 8, 2022
This book is very emotional yet hopeful. It's all about overcoming a life-changing tragedy and how to pick yourself back up when your world is flipped upside down.
Genie was the star ballerina in her NYC dance school with a successful career ahead of her. That is until she suffered from a devastating fall that left her paralyzed from the waist down. Three months after her accident, Genie is having a hard time coping with life's changes, and she lashes out and detaches from everyone who cares about her, including her mother and best friend, Hannah. One day at her rehab clinic, Genie meets Kyle, another "used-to" who is recovering from a TBI. With Kyle's support to move forward and her friends encouragement to come back to the world of ballet in a new role, Genie garners the strength to confront the past and heal despite all the barriers.
I love how this story combines the themes of grief, denial, regret, identity, love and hope. It beautifully shows a teenager who perseveres despite the obstacles she encounters in all facets of life, which I think many readers can relate to. There was a ton of representation within the story: a black ballet dancer, a hero who stutters, a main character in a wheelchair, another main character recovering from a TBI, a single parent who was in an abusive relationship and honestly so much more.
While the story itself was powerful, I thought at times, parts of the plot were disconnected and some messages and lines were repetitive. Also, when I finished reading, there were still some questions I wanted answered that could have been intertwined into an epilogue or closing chapter. Still, I couldn't put it down and found it to be a fast read despite the heavier content.
Read if you life:
-Emotional reads with some harder themes
-The healing and recovery process after severe injuries
-Accessibility around NYC and barriers when in a wheelchair
-Brooklyn setting
-Black main characters
-The Ballet world
-Nicola Yoon books
Content warning: Abusive relationships, abortion, alcoholism, paralysis, abandonment of a parent
Thanks Simon and Schuster for this ARC in exchange for an honest review
Genie was the star ballerina in her NYC dance school with a successful career ahead of her. That is until she suffered from a devastating fall that left her paralyzed from the waist down. Three months after her accident, Genie is having a hard time coping with life's changes, and she lashes out and detaches from everyone who cares about her, including her mother and best friend, Hannah. One day at her rehab clinic, Genie meets Kyle, another "used-to" who is recovering from a TBI. With Kyle's support to move forward and her friends encouragement to come back to the world of ballet in a new role, Genie garners the strength to confront the past and heal despite all the barriers.
I love how this story combines the themes of grief, denial, regret, identity, love and hope. It beautifully shows a teenager who perseveres despite the obstacles she encounters in all facets of life, which I think many readers can relate to. There was a ton of representation within the story: a black ballet dancer, a hero who stutters, a main character in a wheelchair, another main character recovering from a TBI, a single parent who was in an abusive relationship and honestly so much more.
While the story itself was powerful, I thought at times, parts of the plot were disconnected and some messages and lines were repetitive. Also, when I finished reading, there were still some questions I wanted answered that could have been intertwined into an epilogue or closing chapter. Still, I couldn't put it down and found it to be a fast read despite the heavier content.
Read if you life:
-Emotional reads with some harder themes
-The healing and recovery process after severe injuries
-Accessibility around NYC and barriers when in a wheelchair
-Brooklyn setting
-Black main characters
-The Ballet world
-Nicola Yoon books
Content warning: Abusive relationships, abortion, alcoholism, paralysis, abandonment of a parent
Thanks Simon and Schuster for this ARC in exchange for an honest review
January 17, 2024
Didn't like Genie 😅
This novel carries some serious themes. It brings up depression, abuse, alcoholism, single parenthood, teenage parenthood, abortion, emotional manipulation & showcases how hard it is for the recently disabled. All important topics.
It also bring up dreams, hopes, self forgiveness, and BIPOC rep in dance and as inspirational role models. Again important.
Unfortunately, as real as Genie's mental and physical recovery was, I just couldn't stand her. She left certain people just walk all over her, while she consistently put down everyone who cared about her and loved her. She was especially cruel to her mother and it kind of sickened me the way she treated people.
Luckily for her, her friends didn't give up on her and were SUPER understanding! Minus that one moment of truth or dare 😅
Kyle and Hannah are what made this novel for me. These two were a ray of sunshine in the otherwise dark and bitter world Genie created. I loved them 😍
And yes, Genie finally did get her head outta her butt, and there was a good ending but....by then I just didn't find myself caring anymore 😓 sorry.
This novel carries some serious themes. It brings up depression, abuse, alcoholism, single parenthood, teenage parenthood, abortion, emotional manipulation & showcases how hard it is for the recently disabled. All important topics.
It also bring up dreams, hopes, self forgiveness, and BIPOC rep in dance and as inspirational role models. Again important.
Unfortunately, as real as Genie's mental and physical recovery was, I just couldn't stand her. She left certain people just walk all over her, while she consistently put down everyone who cared about her and loved her. She was especially cruel to her mother and it kind of sickened me the way she treated people.
Luckily for her, her friends didn't give up on her and were SUPER understanding! Minus that one moment of truth or dare 😅
Kyle and Hannah are what made this novel for me. These two were a ray of sunshine in the otherwise dark and bitter world Genie created. I loved them 😍
And yes, Genie finally did get her head outta her butt, and there was a good ending but....by then I just didn't find myself caring anymore 😓 sorry.
August 30, 2023
This was a really really good book. I actually cried because I felt like I was Genie, going through all the things she did. At times, I forgot I was able to walk because Joy Smith’s writing made me feel like I was part of it. This book follows Genie, a ballet loving high schooler who just fell off a freaking roof, and is now paralyzed. She has a psycho boyfriend, and he somehow ties into her falling off a roof. The suspense!!! I had to know! And Genie has to learn to accept herself, and figure out how she wants her future. This is all happening while she slowly falls in love with a boy from her Pt!!! While I must say, he wasn’t my favorite book boyfriend EVER he was pretty dang good. He was so sweet to her, and I wanted there to be more moments between them. I love how their relationship is sweet, and how they have so many things In common. I really dislike the ex-bf. He is delulu. Like why would you think she would date you when you pushed her off a roof!?!? Boy, take a hint. But I love Genie and her characterization. She really develops, and im proud of her. I wish we got to find out what happened to Dylan, and if Genie and her mom were on better terms, but I still loved this book. And I have to point out that this cover is gorgeous.
4/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Would recommend 👍🏼 13+ (references to more mature topics, pls read tw)
Happy reading! 🩰🤍💔❤️🩹🦽👩🏾🦽💗🪩💃
4/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Would recommend 👍🏼 13+ (references to more mature topics, pls read tw)
Happy reading! 🩰🤍💔❤️🩹🦽👩🏾🦽💗🪩💃
January 8, 2022
Such a fantastic book! Thank you to Book Club Favorites at Simon & Schuster for the free copy for review. I’d recommend it to anyone looking to explore some different perspectives on life and makes for an excellent book club read. I think those who appreciate relationship dynamics, noting some heavy themes, that said, younger audiences of teen age may be familiar with such circumstances and this is an authentic book that approaches such subject matter with both honesty and delicacy. There is a lot to think and talk about in this one, I’d highly recommend it.
I love the cover. It’s rare for me to say since people on the cover of books are typically a hard pass for me, unless it’s nonfiction, this was an exception and says so much.
Expected publication: March 1, 2022.
The Story
I think this book is unique in that with an overall storyline. It was an excellent depiction of someone working through life tragedies, confronting them as circumstances come where the messy bits were left in. Wasn’t bandwagon over-embellished hero or antihero, was just a character and perspective that told a genuine story.
I found myself straightening up my posture when reading the beginning of the book, being familiar with the dance aspects, and it was about at page 83 when my eyes welled.
This book was incredibly well thought out. It also had wide-generational appeal and it didn’t hold back on the difficult conversations.
It covered the full spectrum of ballet from learning grace, self-awareness, discipline, and determination. Striving to be prima and developing a professional ballet career. I like how it picked the obsession with ballet, the living, breathing, soul searching that dancers have camaraderie in. It evoked the passion and culture of ballet. Pointed out the talent and exclusiveness of ballet as an art form, body type, and appearance celebrating a character that embodies the essence of the art while also showing how one character worked through barriers, limitation, self-doubt, and hope.
Anyone who has had an injury in such a way as depicted in this book will understand the forethought of any physical activity and was very much relatable. It’s rare for me not to pick a book apart when it comes to medical aspects, but this book displayed a very authentic experience when it came to certain struggles, was extremely well done. It definitely didn’t shy away from the realities of living with a disability. Parallels by the inward and outward experiences of having a disability.
A deeply honest, personal look into regret.
Vulnerability in insecurities without being over self-loathing.
Reluctance. Bordering bitterness. Resentment. Betrayal. Overcoming. Self-worth. Identity. Inner turmoil.
I typically wouldn’t go into much detail to point these out, but I feel it would be helpful for readers know certain themes in the book, adding depth, for readers who are drawn to stories and situations where their likeness was represented as they may really appreciate this:
-Racial elements, stigmas, stereotypes. It dove into certain aspects of racial divide in many circumstances in the book.
-Parent-child relationship.
-Alcoholic parent.
-Separated/divorced parents.
-Peer and romantic relationships. Serious but not unfamiliar circumstances that teens may probably relate well to. I loved the best friend dynamic.
-Finality of life as you see it.
-Grief.
It somewhat broadly speaks to an audience but certain people will know and identify with certain experiences.
And it was a very multi-layered, but focused approach which I really quite enjoyed the dynamics of it all. I also appreciated the pop culture references.
The Writing
It’s written with a certain authenticity to multiple points of view and experiences. I liked the POV from first person, hearing her thoughts just the morsel of explanation to keep the intrigue but not so much that it gave everything away.
It used a style of writing that I love. Using descriptors as verbs, cutting out the fluff. A master of language that speaks for itself. There were a few sentences I stumbled over, I think it had more to do with a change up in sentence structure than content and a re-read was few and made better sense after where I wasn’t sure what I’d change.
There was a youthfulness to the writing which I think will resonate to teens.
Tone
It was sincere. Wasn’t an overly deconstructed story in this way. I love the seriousness in tone with the snarky, the unsettled, the humor, the coping that the main character embodied.
Was a refreshing opposite of stereotypical and redundant tropes that are "I'll be a bigger hero than you ever were!" Made for an appealing read through and through.
Characters
It was a delicate yet honest look at specific life experience, capturing internal and external conflict. It depicted a strong, yet vulnerable character well. Right away there was an established personality and it was refreshing to see her navigate the many dimensions in life.
I thought the character distinction was really good, child, mother, friends.
There was this current point and time aspect but the book length is enough to see the trajectory of grieving process.
Multi-dimensional characters is multi-dimensional circumstances.
Dialogue
The dialogue matched colloquial style, and life stage banter.
I loved her best friend and her expressions, it was nice to see a distinction of dialogue amongst characters.
Even mom was incredibly mom-like.
Bonus
I loved the chapter introductions.
I'll be looking forward to reading more from this author.
Favorite Lines
*To be revealed upon final publication.
Blog post
I love the cover. It’s rare for me to say since people on the cover of books are typically a hard pass for me, unless it’s nonfiction, this was an exception and says so much.
Expected publication: March 1, 2022.
The Story
I think this book is unique in that with an overall storyline. It was an excellent depiction of someone working through life tragedies, confronting them as circumstances come where the messy bits were left in. Wasn’t bandwagon over-embellished hero or antihero, was just a character and perspective that told a genuine story.
I found myself straightening up my posture when reading the beginning of the book, being familiar with the dance aspects, and it was about at page 83 when my eyes welled.
This book was incredibly well thought out. It also had wide-generational appeal and it didn’t hold back on the difficult conversations.
It covered the full spectrum of ballet from learning grace, self-awareness, discipline, and determination. Striving to be prima and developing a professional ballet career. I like how it picked the obsession with ballet, the living, breathing, soul searching that dancers have camaraderie in. It evoked the passion and culture of ballet. Pointed out the talent and exclusiveness of ballet as an art form, body type, and appearance celebrating a character that embodies the essence of the art while also showing how one character worked through barriers, limitation, self-doubt, and hope.
Anyone who has had an injury in such a way as depicted in this book will understand the forethought of any physical activity and was very much relatable. It’s rare for me not to pick a book apart when it comes to medical aspects, but this book displayed a very authentic experience when it came to certain struggles, was extremely well done. It definitely didn’t shy away from the realities of living with a disability. Parallels by the inward and outward experiences of having a disability.
A deeply honest, personal look into regret.
Vulnerability in insecurities without being over self-loathing.
Reluctance. Bordering bitterness. Resentment. Betrayal. Overcoming. Self-worth. Identity. Inner turmoil.
I typically wouldn’t go into much detail to point these out, but I feel it would be helpful for readers know certain themes in the book, adding depth, for readers who are drawn to stories and situations where their likeness was represented as they may really appreciate this:
-Racial elements, stigmas, stereotypes. It dove into certain aspects of racial divide in many circumstances in the book.
-Parent-child relationship.
-Alcoholic parent.
-Separated/divorced parents.
-Peer and romantic relationships. Serious but not unfamiliar circumstances that teens may probably relate well to. I loved the best friend dynamic.
-Finality of life as you see it.
-Grief.
It somewhat broadly speaks to an audience but certain people will know and identify with certain experiences.
And it was a very multi-layered, but focused approach which I really quite enjoyed the dynamics of it all. I also appreciated the pop culture references.
The Writing
It’s written with a certain authenticity to multiple points of view and experiences. I liked the POV from first person, hearing her thoughts just the morsel of explanation to keep the intrigue but not so much that it gave everything away.
It used a style of writing that I love. Using descriptors as verbs, cutting out the fluff. A master of language that speaks for itself. There were a few sentences I stumbled over, I think it had more to do with a change up in sentence structure than content and a re-read was few and made better sense after where I wasn’t sure what I’d change.
There was a youthfulness to the writing which I think will resonate to teens.
Tone
It was sincere. Wasn’t an overly deconstructed story in this way. I love the seriousness in tone with the snarky, the unsettled, the humor, the coping that the main character embodied.
Was a refreshing opposite of stereotypical and redundant tropes that are "I'll be a bigger hero than you ever were!" Made for an appealing read through and through.
Characters
It was a delicate yet honest look at specific life experience, capturing internal and external conflict. It depicted a strong, yet vulnerable character well. Right away there was an established personality and it was refreshing to see her navigate the many dimensions in life.
I thought the character distinction was really good, child, mother, friends.
There was this current point and time aspect but the book length is enough to see the trajectory of grieving process.
Multi-dimensional characters is multi-dimensional circumstances.
Dialogue
The dialogue matched colloquial style, and life stage banter.
I loved her best friend and her expressions, it was nice to see a distinction of dialogue amongst characters.
Even mom was incredibly mom-like.
Bonus
I loved the chapter introductions.
I'll be looking forward to reading more from this author.
Favorite Lines
*To be revealed upon final publication.
Blog post
April 11, 2022
Interesting story concept, poorly executed.
December 25, 2022
3.5 stars
April 14, 2022
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Turning
Author: Joy L. Smith
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Paraplegic Black Depressed MC, TBI character, Hispanic character, OCD character
Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, realistic fiction, paraplegic MC
Publication Date: March 1, 2022
Genre: YA Contemporary
Age Relevance: 16+ (language, internalized abelism, abelism, alcoholism, abortion, blackmail, domestic violence, depression, sexual content, sexual coercion, forced pregnancy, underage alcohol consumption, gore, homophobia, drugs, racism, grief, and violence)
Explanation of Above: This book talks about the MC’s change in her life after a traumatic incident leaves her paralyzed from the waist down (L1-L3 spinal cord injury) and how she reacts to it. There is a lot of discussion around abelism and internalized abelism surrounding that, as well as grieving of what she has lost due to that injury. There is a bit of cursing in the book and mentions of alcoholism in an adult character and underage alcohol consumption. There are mentions of an abortion throughout the book and how a character deals with it. There are mentions of blackmail, flashback scenes of domestic violence, gore involving blood, and violence involving punching and kicking that is shown in one scene. Depression is shown throughout the book. There are flashback scenes involving slight sexual content in the book, and mentions of sexual coercion and attempted forced pregnancy. There are a couple of insults that are homophobic thrown towards two characters. There are very small mentions of drugs in the book and racism is also slightly present as well.
Publisher: Denene Millner Books/Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pages: 352
Synopsis: Genie used to fouetté across the stage. Now the only thing she’s turning are the wheels to her wheelchair. Genie was the star pupil at her exclusive New York dance school, with a bright future and endless possibilities before her. Now that the future she’s spent years building toward has been snatched away, she can’t stand to be reminded of it—even if it means isolating herself from her best friends and her mother. The only wish this Genie has is to be left alone.
But then she meets Kyle, who also has a “used to be.” Kyle used to tumble and flip on a gymnastics mat, but a traumatic brain injury has sent him to the same physical therapist that Genie sees. With Kyle’s support, along with her best friend’s insistence that Genie’s time at the barre isn’t over yet, Genie starts to see a new path—one where she doesn’t have to be alone and she finally has the strength to heal from the past.
But healing also means confronting. Confronting the booze her mother, a recovering alcoholic, has been hiding under the kitchen sink; the ex-boyfriend who was there the night of the fall and won’t leave her alone; and Genie’s biggest, most terrifying secret: the fact that the accident may not have been so accidental after all.
Review: For the most part I really liked this book. The book is very raw and deals with an onslaught of different emotions in the wake of an accident that leaves our MC paralyzed. She was once a ballerina, but is now facing a world where she can’t dance anymore. I thought while the book had internalized abelism that the author was able to navigate the issue well and explore the MC coming to terms with her new life. I also enjoyed how the author was able to show the dysfunctional relationship and bit of generational trauma in the MC. The character development was well done and the world building was great. Definitely one book you need to grab tissues before reading.
The only issue I had with the book is that I felt like it needed a happier ending and that I’m a bit sad that some things felt unfinished, but such is life. I also felt that there was very little positive influence in Genie’s life. Every parent was shitty. The ex was shitty. The friends were… meh. I was like “damn can this girl get a break?!”
Verdict: It’s super well done!
Book: Turning
Author: Joy L. Smith
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Diversity: Paraplegic Black Depressed MC, TBI character, Hispanic character, OCD character
Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, realistic fiction, paraplegic MC
Publication Date: March 1, 2022
Genre: YA Contemporary
Age Relevance: 16+ (language, internalized abelism, abelism, alcoholism, abortion, blackmail, domestic violence, depression, sexual content, sexual coercion, forced pregnancy, underage alcohol consumption, gore, homophobia, drugs, racism, grief, and violence)
Explanation of Above: This book talks about the MC’s change in her life after a traumatic incident leaves her paralyzed from the waist down (L1-L3 spinal cord injury) and how she reacts to it. There is a lot of discussion around abelism and internalized abelism surrounding that, as well as grieving of what she has lost due to that injury. There is a bit of cursing in the book and mentions of alcoholism in an adult character and underage alcohol consumption. There are mentions of an abortion throughout the book and how a character deals with it. There are mentions of blackmail, flashback scenes of domestic violence, gore involving blood, and violence involving punching and kicking that is shown in one scene. Depression is shown throughout the book. There are flashback scenes involving slight sexual content in the book, and mentions of sexual coercion and attempted forced pregnancy. There are a couple of insults that are homophobic thrown towards two characters. There are very small mentions of drugs in the book and racism is also slightly present as well.
Publisher: Denene Millner Books/Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pages: 352
Synopsis: Genie used to fouetté across the stage. Now the only thing she’s turning are the wheels to her wheelchair. Genie was the star pupil at her exclusive New York dance school, with a bright future and endless possibilities before her. Now that the future she’s spent years building toward has been snatched away, she can’t stand to be reminded of it—even if it means isolating herself from her best friends and her mother. The only wish this Genie has is to be left alone.
But then she meets Kyle, who also has a “used to be.” Kyle used to tumble and flip on a gymnastics mat, but a traumatic brain injury has sent him to the same physical therapist that Genie sees. With Kyle’s support, along with her best friend’s insistence that Genie’s time at the barre isn’t over yet, Genie starts to see a new path—one where she doesn’t have to be alone and she finally has the strength to heal from the past.
But healing also means confronting. Confronting the booze her mother, a recovering alcoholic, has been hiding under the kitchen sink; the ex-boyfriend who was there the night of the fall and won’t leave her alone; and Genie’s biggest, most terrifying secret: the fact that the accident may not have been so accidental after all.
Review: For the most part I really liked this book. The book is very raw and deals with an onslaught of different emotions in the wake of an accident that leaves our MC paralyzed. She was once a ballerina, but is now facing a world where she can’t dance anymore. I thought while the book had internalized abelism that the author was able to navigate the issue well and explore the MC coming to terms with her new life. I also enjoyed how the author was able to show the dysfunctional relationship and bit of generational trauma in the MC. The character development was well done and the world building was great. Definitely one book you need to grab tissues before reading.
The only issue I had with the book is that I felt like it needed a happier ending and that I’m a bit sad that some things felt unfinished, but such is life. I also felt that there was very little positive influence in Genie’s life. Every parent was shitty. The ex was shitty. The friends were… meh. I was like “damn can this girl get a break?!”
Verdict: It’s super well done!
February 14, 2022
TURNING is a really powerful YA contemporary read about abuse, healing, grief, friendship, and family. Genie had built her life around ballet, and she seemed destined to be the prima in an international company. That is, until she fell from a building roof and was paralyzed from the waist down. It seems impossible that she should be struggling through physical therapy and confined to a wheelchair, unable to tell when she needs to use the bathroom or what is happening below the waist.
Genie is angry and embarrassed and trying to define herself in this new life that she never wanted. Her best friend and mother are trying to reach out, but Genie does not know how to do anything but push them away like the former life she led. Her ex-boyfriend is also persistent, seeming to forget the ex part of their relationship.
Things may be turning around for Genie after an encounter with a boy who has PT at the same time. Kyle is objectively attractive but also dealing with the aftermath of his own injury. Still, their friendship may be the first straw Genie needs to grasp to find her own path towards a future redefined by her new life, coming to terms with the past, and discovering herself.
What I loved: This was such an emotional and compelling read - I cried at the end. Genie is a character that pulls you into her story right from the start. She is carrying around a lot of emotions, ones that most of us could imagine after such an injury. Her ferocity and passion comes across through each page and interaction, and she felt like such a genuine and real character. Her road to healing is a bumpy one, sometimes literally, and coming to terms with her new limitations and the past she has left behind is certainly not easy. It was really beautiful how many people were in her corner, and I loved the ways these characters came into play, even when she was not her best self. We should all be so lucky as to have friends and family like her, and though Genie makes mistakes, I also appreciated how she worked to make amends as well.
Other themes in the story around abuse and generational trauma make this a much more powerful read than I expected. Of course, her path to healing, understanding her new limitations, and forging a new path for herself are really strong and potent story, but combined, they are really forceful. Genie's mother has her own story, and this story is one that Genie herself is working on coming to terms with. Then, there is her own. The story with the ex-boyfriend slowly unfolds to show the insidiousness of abuse and the emotional tactics used by such. This is certainly a heavy and thought-provoking read that would be interesting to unpack in a book group.
Smaller themes around discrimination, discrimination in ballet, challenges faced by individuals with disabilities in terms of accessibility and reactions, the importance of representation, teenage pregnancy, secrets/lies, and drug/alcohol abuse as well as driving under the influence add to the gravity of the story and really make this a deep and unflinching read. This book will pull readers in to the story and keep them invested all the way to the emotional end.
Final verdict: A beautiful and powerful story of trauma and healing, TURNING is an emotional and unflinching examination of abuse, disability, and identity. Highly recommend picking up this YA contemporary.
Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Genie is angry and embarrassed and trying to define herself in this new life that she never wanted. Her best friend and mother are trying to reach out, but Genie does not know how to do anything but push them away like the former life she led. Her ex-boyfriend is also persistent, seeming to forget the ex part of their relationship.
Things may be turning around for Genie after an encounter with a boy who has PT at the same time. Kyle is objectively attractive but also dealing with the aftermath of his own injury. Still, their friendship may be the first straw Genie needs to grasp to find her own path towards a future redefined by her new life, coming to terms with the past, and discovering herself.
What I loved: This was such an emotional and compelling read - I cried at the end. Genie is a character that pulls you into her story right from the start. She is carrying around a lot of emotions, ones that most of us could imagine after such an injury. Her ferocity and passion comes across through each page and interaction, and she felt like such a genuine and real character. Her road to healing is a bumpy one, sometimes literally, and coming to terms with her new limitations and the past she has left behind is certainly not easy. It was really beautiful how many people were in her corner, and I loved the ways these characters came into play, even when she was not her best self. We should all be so lucky as to have friends and family like her, and though Genie makes mistakes, I also appreciated how she worked to make amends as well.
Other themes in the story around abuse and generational trauma make this a much more powerful read than I expected. Of course, her path to healing, understanding her new limitations, and forging a new path for herself are really strong and potent story, but combined, they are really forceful. Genie's mother has her own story, and this story is one that Genie herself is working on coming to terms with. Then, there is her own. The story with the ex-boyfriend slowly unfolds to show the insidiousness of abuse and the emotional tactics used by such. This is certainly a heavy and thought-provoking read that would be interesting to unpack in a book group.
Smaller themes around discrimination, discrimination in ballet, challenges faced by individuals with disabilities in terms of accessibility and reactions, the importance of representation, teenage pregnancy, secrets/lies, and drug/alcohol abuse as well as driving under the influence add to the gravity of the story and really make this a deep and unflinching read. This book will pull readers in to the story and keep them invested all the way to the emotional end.
Final verdict: A beautiful and powerful story of trauma and healing, TURNING is an emotional and unflinching examination of abuse, disability, and identity. Highly recommend picking up this YA contemporary.
Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
September 17, 2022
For some reason I thought this would be like "Tiny Pretty Things".
I have this pet peeve where I don't read what books are about before picking them up. So just like that, I didn't have even the slightest idea as to what the plot of this book would be.
I was quickly disappointed with finding out she actually won't be dancing in the book at all but that's a mistake on my part, nothing to do with the book.
There's some things about this book that I really didn't like:
) The way Genie speaks to her mother
My balkan self doesn't approve of this honestly. If there's anything growing up in a balkan country will teach you, it's that the only people that you should have more respect for than for your parents are your grandparents. So to see Genie speak the way she was speaking to her mother made me dislike her character. I'm not saying I completely despise her, I'm just saying that that was one of the things that made me dislike her
) For the majority of the book, I felt like nothing was happening. And when something did happen, it was at the forty pages til the end mark. We followed Genie through countless arguments with her mother, Nolan, and Hannah. That was mostly it. Besides meeting Kyle, nothing seemed positive, and it didn't look like she was welcoming of positive thoughts in the first place. Just the overall bitterness of her character I didn't get on very well with.
) I did not like how unaddressed the accident was throughout the story. Not unaddressed in the way that it wasn't talked about, but in a way where it felt like the scene depicting it should've come way earlier in the story, considering the fact that it is mentioned all the time. It almost seemed like we were supposed to know what happened when we didn't, and at points, that made me confused.
This is what I liked about it:
) Kyle. Kylito. I absolutely love him. He deserves the whole world, and deserved better than to get beaten by Nolan. And, unpopular opinion, but I don't think Genie deserves him
) The ending with the little girl Leilani, and "Magic" turning out perfectly was really wholesome, made me really happy that at least something good happened.
Overall, this was an okay read for me, only thing is, it took me so long to actually finish it, maybe because I was a little bored, maybe because I have a habit of dragging things out a lot. But either way, if you like coming of age stories, touching on important issues like toxic relationships, I feel like this would be a good read for you
I have this pet peeve where I don't read what books are about before picking them up. So just like that, I didn't have even the slightest idea as to what the plot of this book would be.
I was quickly disappointed with finding out she actually won't be dancing in the book at all but that's a mistake on my part, nothing to do with the book.
There's some things about this book that I really didn't like:
) The way Genie speaks to her mother
My balkan self doesn't approve of this honestly. If there's anything growing up in a balkan country will teach you, it's that the only people that you should have more respect for than for your parents are your grandparents. So to see Genie speak the way she was speaking to her mother made me dislike her character. I'm not saying I completely despise her, I'm just saying that that was one of the things that made me dislike her
) For the majority of the book, I felt like nothing was happening. And when something did happen, it was at the forty pages til the end mark. We followed Genie through countless arguments with her mother, Nolan, and Hannah. That was mostly it. Besides meeting Kyle, nothing seemed positive, and it didn't look like she was welcoming of positive thoughts in the first place. Just the overall bitterness of her character I didn't get on very well with.
) I did not like how unaddressed the accident was throughout the story. Not unaddressed in the way that it wasn't talked about, but in a way where it felt like the scene depicting it should've come way earlier in the story, considering the fact that it is mentioned all the time. It almost seemed like we were supposed to know what happened when we didn't, and at points, that made me confused.
This is what I liked about it:
) Kyle. Kylito. I absolutely love him. He deserves the whole world, and deserved better than to get beaten by Nolan. And, unpopular opinion, but I don't think Genie deserves him
) The ending with the little girl Leilani, and "Magic" turning out perfectly was really wholesome, made me really happy that at least something good happened.
Overall, this was an okay read for me, only thing is, it took me so long to actually finish it, maybe because I was a little bored, maybe because I have a habit of dragging things out a lot. But either way, if you like coming of age stories, touching on important issues like toxic relationships, I feel like this would be a good read for you
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 7, 2022
Really enjoyed this book! I just picked Turning up randomly at Barnes&Noble off the new books table thinking “oh cool a ballet YA with a pretty cover!!” and I’m so happy I did. I was kind of expecting more fluffy contemporary rather than serious/drama contemporary, and was happily surprised. Admittedly this was a dumb expectation since I did read the synopsis, but the last YA ballet book stuck in my head is Tiny Pretty Things, and *that*, my friends, was pure fluff melodrama. Enjoyable, to be sure, but I wasn’t able to take it seriously lol.
Instead I got a great character-driven story about a Black disabled ballerina dealing with her own issues and addressing those of her friends/family! I really liked the MC Genie; she’s understandably very grumpy (depressed, really...) since she can’t dance anymore after her injury, and isn’t very nice all the time at all, and she just seemed like a realistic interesting person. Her first person narration was distinctive but not annoying, which I appreciated. And, I liked that both Kyle and Hannah call her out for her rude behavior whilst still being supportive friends.
I did do ballet for a long time myself, so I loved that aspect of the story too. I think my only disappointment was that we didn’t get to see Genie teaching a class like she eventually decides to try, along with enjoying choreography which she already enjoyed before.
Called the final outcome with nasty Nolan from the beginning, but as Turning never felt like it was supposed to be a mystery in the first place, that’s fine. Good gosh what a smothering abusive asshole. The author did an amazing job comparing Nolan’s toxic possessive behavior with Kyle’s behavior being a genuine loving (boy)friend for Genie, who does admittedly make it difficult to love her sometimes. It was also nice that Genie’s mom was portrayed as a layered complex person herself, someone that’s made some bad mistakes but is now trying her best to make up for it. She really grew on me by the end of the book and I didn’t even like her at all at the beginning.
I was quite surprised to find out Turning is a debut novel! I’m excited to see what Joy L. Smith decides to write next. I hope she makes a companion book for this one, honestly😂 I would love to see more of Genie, Kyle, Hannah, and Tasha (Genie’s mom).
5 stars, would definitely recommend!
Instead I got a great character-driven story about a Black disabled ballerina dealing with her own issues and addressing those of her friends/family! I really liked the MC Genie; she’s understandably very grumpy (depressed, really...) since she can’t dance anymore after her injury, and isn’t very nice all the time at all, and she just seemed like a realistic interesting person. Her first person narration was distinctive but not annoying, which I appreciated. And, I liked that both Kyle and Hannah call her out for her rude behavior whilst still being supportive friends.
I did do ballet for a long time myself, so I loved that aspect of the story too. I think my only disappointment was that we didn’t get to see Genie teaching a class like she eventually decides to try, along with enjoying choreography which she already enjoyed before.
Called the final outcome with nasty Nolan from the beginning, but as Turning never felt like it was supposed to be a mystery in the first place, that’s fine. Good gosh what a smothering abusive asshole. The author did an amazing job comparing Nolan’s toxic possessive behavior with Kyle’s behavior being a genuine loving (boy)friend for Genie, who does admittedly make it difficult to love her sometimes. It was also nice that Genie’s mom was portrayed as a layered complex person herself, someone that’s made some bad mistakes but is now trying her best to make up for it. She really grew on me by the end of the book and I didn’t even like her at all at the beginning.
I was quite surprised to find out Turning is a debut novel! I’m excited to see what Joy L. Smith decides to write next. I hope she makes a companion book for this one, honestly😂 I would love to see more of Genie, Kyle, Hannah, and Tasha (Genie’s mom).
5 stars, would definitely recommend!
November 7, 2022
Actual rating: 3.5
If you’re new here: Hi, I love dance stories. If I find a book with a dancer in the cover or the book’s blurb talks about dancing, you’d better believe that I’m going to pick it up.
A lot of stories that mention dance – even Better Together by Christine Riccio which I also read this month – seem to be written by someone with a perfunctory understanding of the dance world. Knowing this, and having read books recently that have this same shortcoming, it made me smile seeing how Turning does not have this problem.
Turning deals with the intricacies of the ballet world from an insider’s perspective. It deals with being on the cusp of making it profession, of being at the top of your field, and having it all ripped from your grasp. It talks about the beauty of a pas de deux and the technique that goes into making a piece look flawless. It touches on the magic people can bring to the stage when they’re passionate about what they’re doing, when they let their emotions out on the stage.
Sure Genie might not be in the spotlight herself anymore, but she still manages to shine in this story. She might have a lot of anger and issues that’s she’s going to need to figure out, but she’s working on it. She’s working on herself and discovering how her new life is going to look. And really, after such a serious accident at such a young age, what more can we ask of her?
I’d certainly recommend this read to anyone who enjoys reading about ballet and the beauty of dance. However, my recommendation comes with a warning: If you’re not comfortable reading about emotional, mental, or physical abuse, this probably isn’t the read for you. If you don’t want to be in the head of an incredibly angry person, this probably isn’t the read for you. If you’re uncomfortable reading about a traumatic injury – such as a car crash or falling off a 3 story building – this probably isn’t the read for you.
If none of those things bother you, why not give this read a try? Sure Genie is filled with hate and anger over what happened to her, but her world is still filled with beauty.
Full spoiler review here: https://phantomofthelibrarycom.wordpr...
If you’re new here: Hi, I love dance stories. If I find a book with a dancer in the cover or the book’s blurb talks about dancing, you’d better believe that I’m going to pick it up.
A lot of stories that mention dance – even Better Together by Christine Riccio which I also read this month – seem to be written by someone with a perfunctory understanding of the dance world. Knowing this, and having read books recently that have this same shortcoming, it made me smile seeing how Turning does not have this problem.
Turning deals with the intricacies of the ballet world from an insider’s perspective. It deals with being on the cusp of making it profession, of being at the top of your field, and having it all ripped from your grasp. It talks about the beauty of a pas de deux and the technique that goes into making a piece look flawless. It touches on the magic people can bring to the stage when they’re passionate about what they’re doing, when they let their emotions out on the stage.
Sure Genie might not be in the spotlight herself anymore, but she still manages to shine in this story. She might have a lot of anger and issues that’s she’s going to need to figure out, but she’s working on it. She’s working on herself and discovering how her new life is going to look. And really, after such a serious accident at such a young age, what more can we ask of her?
I’d certainly recommend this read to anyone who enjoys reading about ballet and the beauty of dance. However, my recommendation comes with a warning: If you’re not comfortable reading about emotional, mental, or physical abuse, this probably isn’t the read for you. If you don’t want to be in the head of an incredibly angry person, this probably isn’t the read for you. If you’re uncomfortable reading about a traumatic injury – such as a car crash or falling off a 3 story building – this probably isn’t the read for you.
If none of those things bother you, why not give this read a try? Sure Genie is filled with hate and anger over what happened to her, but her world is still filled with beauty.
Full spoiler review here: https://phantomofthelibrarycom.wordpr...
February 25, 2022
This story had so many emotional grenades for not only the main character Genie, but also for her mom, her best friends, her ex-boyfriend, and her new friend Kyle. We don’t know every single detail of what led up to Genie becoming confined to a wheelchair and losing her dream of becoming a Prima Ballerina. The author feeds us little details as the story goes along, stringing us along one piece of the puzzle at a time.
It’s easy to understand why Genie is as hateful as she is to those around her. I mean she is a teenager who was in her prime before the accident. But one thing led to another, and she could just see the mistakes she was making and how they were similar to her mother’s, and she didn’t want to disappoint her mother, nor end up with any regrets like she did either. Yet it was some of the fact of how far she took things, even as a teen, that made it a little hard at times for me to have sympathy for her.
I feel like we might have needed maybe a bit more time spent with her dad, either flashbacks or new events occurring because while we get that her ex is like what her father was to her mother, it’d be nice to be shown that as more of the story. But oh did I want to smack her ex so many times when he would complain about how her accident affected him, yet he wasn’t paralyzed like she was. Again, the author did a perfect job of showing just what kind of a guy he was.
Genie’s handling of her friends was really frustrating for me at times as well as how she dealt with her mom. Again, I get it, teenager behavior with her mom. And the fact that her friends were getting to continue doing what she had loved and lived and breathed and could no longer do definitely made sense for why she avoided them. Even her lashing out, or just letting her sarcastic remarks out on her new friend Kyle or other people in that same circle, could be understood.
At the end of the story I was glad for what she had figured out, and I was definitely pleased with how her mom reacted to the news when Genie finally let her in. A wonderful story, one I can’t wait to share with the students at the school where I am a librarian.
Review first posted on Lisa Loves Literature.
It’s easy to understand why Genie is as hateful as she is to those around her. I mean she is a teenager who was in her prime before the accident. But one thing led to another, and she could just see the mistakes she was making and how they were similar to her mother’s, and she didn’t want to disappoint her mother, nor end up with any regrets like she did either. Yet it was some of the fact of how far she took things, even as a teen, that made it a little hard at times for me to have sympathy for her.
I feel like we might have needed maybe a bit more time spent with her dad, either flashbacks or new events occurring because while we get that her ex is like what her father was to her mother, it’d be nice to be shown that as more of the story. But oh did I want to smack her ex so many times when he would complain about how her accident affected him, yet he wasn’t paralyzed like she was. Again, the author did a perfect job of showing just what kind of a guy he was.
Genie’s handling of her friends was really frustrating for me at times as well as how she dealt with her mom. Again, I get it, teenager behavior with her mom. And the fact that her friends were getting to continue doing what she had loved and lived and breathed and could no longer do definitely made sense for why she avoided them. Even her lashing out, or just letting her sarcastic remarks out on her new friend Kyle or other people in that same circle, could be understood.
At the end of the story I was glad for what she had figured out, and I was definitely pleased with how her mom reacted to the news when Genie finally let her in. A wonderful story, one I can’t wait to share with the students at the school where I am a librarian.
Review first posted on Lisa Loves Literature.
March 1, 2022
Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours, Netgalley and the author for providing me with a free digital copy to review. This in no way, has influenced my thoughts on the book. You can check out the other posts on the tour here.
This… was a nice book. Like, I loved the premise, I loved reading the characters, but the only place I found it lacking was the writing style of the part which was not dialogue. I am a person who doesn’t enjoy reading stuff that’s not dialogue (I apologize for the double negative), so this just lowered my rating. Like, it was just sorta complex and heavy and that kind of writing style was simply unnecessary for the novel.
But I also did like how the author started every chapter with ‘On this episode of The Breaking Pointe….’, however, it would have made more sense if the novel was named The Breaking Pointe.
Let’s get into an in-depth review!
Plot:
The plot was what drew me to the book (the cover’s really pretty too, though). I honestly haven’t read many books which feature specially abled people, and Black people, so I was like, hey I should pick it up! It’s also well executed in the book, although I’ve to say that a lot of it is already spoiled in the synopsis, and that’s a downer.
Characters:
Genie, the MC was honestly getting on my nerves in the beginning of the book, but she grew on me. The author did a fantastic job of explaining her point of view.
However, I found Kyle to be too good to be true, and Nolan was like just too bad. I want to say too bad to be true, but he actually is the representative of a lot of high school guys today, so like yeah.
Hannah was one of my favourite characters, but I have to say I’ve never met anyone who cries so easily.
Overall, I’d have to say the characters are fantastically written, but are slightly unrealistic.
Writing Style:
I have mentioned my thoughts on it above, but I’d just like to add, I loved the dialogue!
Final Rating: 3.5 stars
This… was a nice book. Like, I loved the premise, I loved reading the characters, but the only place I found it lacking was the writing style of the part which was not dialogue. I am a person who doesn’t enjoy reading stuff that’s not dialogue (I apologize for the double negative), so this just lowered my rating. Like, it was just sorta complex and heavy and that kind of writing style was simply unnecessary for the novel.
But I also did like how the author started every chapter with ‘On this episode of The Breaking Pointe….’, however, it would have made more sense if the novel was named The Breaking Pointe.
Let’s get into an in-depth review!
Plot:
The plot was what drew me to the book (the cover’s really pretty too, though). I honestly haven’t read many books which feature specially abled people, and Black people, so I was like, hey I should pick it up! It’s also well executed in the book, although I’ve to say that a lot of it is already spoiled in the synopsis, and that’s a downer.
Characters:
Genie, the MC was honestly getting on my nerves in the beginning of the book, but she grew on me. The author did a fantastic job of explaining her point of view.
However, I found Kyle to be too good to be true, and Nolan was like just too bad. I want to say too bad to be true, but he actually is the representative of a lot of high school guys today, so like yeah.
Hannah was one of my favourite characters, but I have to say I’ve never met anyone who cries so easily.
Overall, I’d have to say the characters are fantastically written, but are slightly unrealistic.
Writing Style:
I have mentioned my thoughts on it above, but I’d just like to add, I loved the dialogue!
Final Rating: 3.5 stars
Read
January 11, 2022*Spoiler free*
I've been excited for this book since I found out it was about a Black disabled ballerina, who is trying to understand her place in the world after her injury has left her paralyzed and she would prefer if the world would leave her alone. It sounded amazing, and I was incredibly eager to read it.
This book is devastating in the best possible way.
Genie is angry. At the world, at her family, at her body that doesn't work like it used to. She's angry and she's upset and sometimes this leads to her making brash decisions and coming of as rude when she doesn't mean to. But she has gone through a major change. Her entire life has been upended. Of course she's going to be un emotional upheaval, and I really loved that the book showcased everything that she was and everything that she felt. She's human and because she's dealing with a really freaking hard thing, and that comes with a lot of messy emotions.
And this book was very messy emotionally, and I mean that as a compliment. Relationships aren't perfect, familial, romantic, friendships, and sometimes they hurt and sometimes they're angry and sometimes they get pushed away, especially in a situation like Genie is. And I really enjoyed seeing the progression of messy, because it was incredibly well done.
Really, I just loved the emotion of this book overall. It left me stunned at times, and it was so well written.
Though, at times I did feel like the pace was bit slow, and I do think that this book just wasn't completely for me. I did enjoy it, and I know there's going to be people who fall completely in love with it!
Overall, I did like it, and I loved Genie and I loved seeing her try to figure out what her life is going to look like now. I do think it's a book that a lot of people are going to love.
I've been excited for this book since I found out it was about a Black disabled ballerina, who is trying to understand her place in the world after her injury has left her paralyzed and she would prefer if the world would leave her alone. It sounded amazing, and I was incredibly eager to read it.
This book is devastating in the best possible way.
Genie is angry. At the world, at her family, at her body that doesn't work like it used to. She's angry and she's upset and sometimes this leads to her making brash decisions and coming of as rude when she doesn't mean to. But she has gone through a major change. Her entire life has been upended. Of course she's going to be un emotional upheaval, and I really loved that the book showcased everything that she was and everything that she felt. She's human and because she's dealing with a really freaking hard thing, and that comes with a lot of messy emotions.
And this book was very messy emotionally, and I mean that as a compliment. Relationships aren't perfect, familial, romantic, friendships, and sometimes they hurt and sometimes they're angry and sometimes they get pushed away, especially in a situation like Genie is. And I really enjoyed seeing the progression of messy, because it was incredibly well done.
Really, I just loved the emotion of this book overall. It left me stunned at times, and it was so well written.
Though, at times I did feel like the pace was bit slow, and I do think that this book just wasn't completely for me. I did enjoy it, and I know there's going to be people who fall completely in love with it!
Overall, I did like it, and I loved Genie and I loved seeing her try to figure out what her life is going to look like now. I do think it's a book that a lot of people are going to love.
April 17, 2022
This is not your typical book about a ballerina striving to make the cut. TURNING features an acerbic main character in Genie, who is striving to master the operation of her wheelchair after a tragic accident has left her paralyzed from the waist down. She cannot stop thinking about ballet — after all, she was her New York dance school’s star pupil — but does her best to avoid anyone or anything connected to it, including her best friend and fellow prima ballerina, Hannah.
While she grapples with the aftermath of her accident and her acceptance of “the new normal,” she meets Kyle, an elite gymnast whose traumatic brain injury has left him on crutches. They inspire and goad one another forward, and Kyle becomes an important ally in Genie’s struggle to set firm boundaries around her ex-boyfriend, who harbors a painful secret about Genie and whose behavior becomes increasingly abusive. Family issues include an absent father and a loving -- but occasionally smothering -- mother, who is a recovering alcoholic.
As Genie gains confidence, she must decide whether to return to the dance studio that once contained all of her hopes and dreams, albeit in a different capacity, where she would be involved with dance but would never again dance herself. Instead, she would watch her friends execute the choreography she had intended to perform. Smith renders this difficult decision with heartbreaking realism.
Told in gorgeous, sparkling prose that leaps — no, jetés — off the page, Joy L. Smith’s TURNING is a searingly honest yet irreverent look at what happens when tragic events yield unexpected results. A joy to read (no pun intended :)) and highly recommended.
While she grapples with the aftermath of her accident and her acceptance of “the new normal,” she meets Kyle, an elite gymnast whose traumatic brain injury has left him on crutches. They inspire and goad one another forward, and Kyle becomes an important ally in Genie’s struggle to set firm boundaries around her ex-boyfriend, who harbors a painful secret about Genie and whose behavior becomes increasingly abusive. Family issues include an absent father and a loving -- but occasionally smothering -- mother, who is a recovering alcoholic.
As Genie gains confidence, she must decide whether to return to the dance studio that once contained all of her hopes and dreams, albeit in a different capacity, where she would be involved with dance but would never again dance herself. Instead, she would watch her friends execute the choreography she had intended to perform. Smith renders this difficult decision with heartbreaking realism.
Told in gorgeous, sparkling prose that leaps — no, jetés — off the page, Joy L. Smith’s TURNING is a searingly honest yet irreverent look at what happens when tragic events yield unexpected results. A joy to read (no pun intended :)) and highly recommended.
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