How it Feels to Fly by Katherine Holmes Genre: YA Contemporary Romance Publication Date: June 14, 2016 Format: I purchased a copy of the book with my own money from Barnes and Noble. I was in no way obligated to write anything and all opinions below are my own. You can purchase a copy of the book here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015MOCRKE/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B015MOCRKE&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2 Summary: A struggle with body dysmorphia forces one girl to decide if letting go of her insecurity also means turning her back on her dreams. Sam has always known she’d be a professional dancer—but that was before her body betrayed her, developing unmanageable curves in all the wrong places. Lately, the girl staring back at Sam in the mirror is unrecognizable. Dieting doesn’t work, ignoring the whispers is pointless, and her overbearing mother just makes it worse. Following a series of crippling anxiety attacks, Sam is sent to a treatment camp for teens struggling with mental and emotional obstacles. Forced to open up to complete strangers, Sam must get through the program if she wants to attend a crucial ballet intensive later in the summer. It seems hopeless until she starts confiding in a camp counselor who sparks a confidence she was sure she’d never feel again. But when she’s faced with disappointing setbacks, will Sam succumb to the insecurity that imprisons her? This compelling story from Kathryn Holmes examines one girl’s efforts to overcome her worst enemy: herself. My thoughts: Oh my god, I loved this book!! Since I finished it for the first time, I have gone back and re-read it at least 2 more times. There are just so many elements that I love about the book, and I could connect to many of the topics discussed here as well. This book really explains the life of a dancer, and how just a little bit of weight can change everything. Of course, that isn’t the main focus of the book, but that one part is what really stood out to me. As a former dancer myself, one of the many, many reasons I quit was mainly due to my body shape so this really made me see that everyone, even the most elite dancers suffer through that. I really loved the ending so much. The types of bonds that are created in such a tightknit group of people who started off the camp hating each other and wanting to get a far away from each other end up keeping in touch, and not only that but continuously support each other. I love the concept of those ‘missions’ that push them to do things that they probably wouldn’t otherwise. Onto the characters themselves. We see everything through Sam’s point of view, and her struggles with herself were portrayed very well. We get to see all her inner thoughts as well as see what she’s afraid of. Also, I just have to mention, the summary makes it sound like there is a lot of ballet involved, but there was just a little scene at the end where we see Sam actually dancing. It’s brought up a few times but the more prominent theme is her struggles. One thing I really wanted to see more of is the background story of the founder of the camp. We know where she works during the year, and that she’s a therapist but that’s the extent of it. I really wanted to know more about her personal life and what made her into what she is now. There was some romance in it, and it actually played out how I expected it to go, but it was still said to see the end of it. The romance between the characters played out to be brutally honest to how growing up works, and how different mindsets work in a relationship. The book really deals with the issue of anxiety from pressure, and other sources as well as taking chances and making the leap. The cover of the book is also so pretty. I love how really minimalistic it seems from a distance but once you really take a good look at it and take every little detail in, you see so many more hidden meaning in it. The little bit of blue in the background is probably my favorite part of the entire cover. You know what I really, really want to see? A book a couple years after and it’s Sam’s turn to help lead the camp, and we can see where she ended up and how she deals with helping other kids. Also I really want to see how the founder of the camp changes as the years go on. Overall, I give the book a 10/10 (5/5 stars). I really enjoyed the concept of the book and the writing style was just so perfect. The characters were well developed, had rich histories and it you could really connect with them. It had everything I expected and wanted from a book like this. I recommend this book to literally everyone so you should go and pick up a copy now! The book is truly incredible from the start to the end. Also since I’m currently suffering from post-good-book syndrome, you should recommend some good books to me! What did you think about the review? Will you go and pick it up? Leave me all your thoughts in the comments below or find me on social media, @BrookeEvans2001 on Twitter and @thecozylittlebooknook on Instagram. Don’t forget to check out my posts from last week, and also I will be back tomorrow with a Top Ten Tuesday post!! ~Brooke
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About me!Brooke's a high schooler who loves to read all sorts of books. She's happy to be able to share all the books she's reading with all of y'all. Archives
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