thereadingchallengechallenge:Review: The Other Side of Perfect by Mariko Turk Rating: 5/5 I received
thereadingchallengechallenge:Review: The Other Side of Perfect by Mariko Turk Rating: 5/5 I received this ARC from the publishers in return for an honest review.Six months ago, Alina Keeler was a pre-professional ballet dancer preparing for a lifetime on the stage. But when she fractures her leg beyond repair, all her dreams fall apart as well. Now she’s just your average teenager, mad at the world and desperately trying to survive high school - especially when her friend, Margot, drags her into the musical. But as the fog of the ballet world recedes, Alina begins to recognise that her world hasn’t changed as completely as she thinks. Za-zow! I do not remember the last time I was this blown away by a YA contemporary. The characters, the themes, the romance, the friendships! I can’t believe this outstanding novel is only 300 pages given how many complicated plot lines Turk managed to pack into it. I identified with Alina big time. As a disabled person, I completely understood the shock and struggle and depression of having something go wrong and your entire world shifting around it. Her sadness and anger and grief at the start of the novel are all so poignant but watching her adjust to her new situation and shifting her perspective on ballet was marvellous. Alina’s journey through this novel is some of the most beautifully written character development I’ve ever seen. The way Alina works to mend her relationships with her sister, Josie, and her friends, Margot and Colleen, was so wonderful to see. I especially loved the way Turk properly talked things out, to show how both sides had been hurt and how both sides were going to try to do better in the future. Even with Ethan and Jude, it was made very clear that friendships only work when everyone puts the effort in and it was wonderful to see this kind of commitment to friendship in a novel. Speaking of Jude: when was the last time you read about a boy this adorable? I certainly can’t remember! He is the gentlest, kindest, most sensitive soul I’ve read about for a long time and the way his relationship with Alina develops over the course of the novel is exquisite. I admired the way Turk highlighted the fact that they both needed to sort out their own problems before they could come together and be in an equal relationship. And that Jude knits (and crochets). Love a boy that knows his way around a ball of yarn.I also thoroughly enjoyed Alina’s friendship with the star of the school musical, Diya Rao. The way Turk unfolds all her layers was so skillful and satisfying to read as we learn about her passion for the arts and her frustrations at having to depend on others to achieve her dreams when the people in her life don’t take things as seriously as she does. The way Alina helps her and defends her was heartwarming to read and was a lovely reminder that dreams aren’t achieved in a vacuum - people need to help and be helped, and that’s okay.But by far, the most incredible part of this novel was the way it explores how the people who have power over us affect the way we think about ourselves and our hobbies. Jude, with his hyper-masculine father, and Alina, with the racist undertones of the ballet world. Alina slowly coming to terms with her complicated relationship between ballet and her Japanese heritage was beautifully executed. Acknowledging the harmful aspects of ballets she loved, confronting the racial biases of her former teachers, finding ways to keep the ballet but kick out the racist caricatures - it was brilliant.An incredible novel about coping with change, supporting your friends and dealing with the things we love when they hurt us. A perfect read for anyone who’s ever adjusted their dreams and found something better on the other side. Warnings: medical squick, explorations of racism.The Other Side of Perfect releases May 2021. -- source link