Status Updates From It's All or Nothing, Vale

I feel her acknowledgment that competition is how Vale strives and moves in the world. She wonders if she isn’t worth it if she isn’t the best. She has been holding onto the sadness and when she dances and doesn’t think about “swords”. Things are looking up but she notices how her parents had dancing but they never did any thing else with it- perhaps for fun. She had fun but with the disability it was less.

This book’s core issues are telegraphed or presented here in the 73 to 75 range and it’s sad but Vale will change and it’ll be better Myrla will make it better. It’s real man. The struggle. Vale is slowly changing for the better. It’s a challenge and she is slowly doing so in a lol way.

Her heart needs mending… this scene with her dad is a moment that must be felt and honored as one of the best verses in the book for what is implied, said and what it means. It’s like it’s getting to the end of the story where things will definitely take a turn.

The indentation of the text being more important and subtle was when Vale is told by Amanda that sometimes adults don’t see the dreams we carry because we are so young. But adults have been worn by time and what I love about Andrea’s books are the MC’s friends can help with those deep, private and often intimate yet vulnerable parts. This book really highlights the importance of change that wasn’t asked.

So yeah, I love that Coach is giving her a role where she can teach because she is best of the best despite her injury. She realizes she isn’t disabled enough to do wheelchair fencing but this begs the question of where is the grass greener. It’s never greener just different circumstances. I made long notes that will be included and enmeshed in my review. Really focusing on how comparison and competition yikes