Review: How It Feels to Fly by Kathryn Holmes

How It Feels to Fly by Kathryn Holmes

The movement is all that matters.
For as long as Samantha can remember, she’s wanted to be a professional ballerina. She’s lived for perfect pirouettes, sky-high extensions, and soaring leaps across the stage. Then her body betrayed her.
The change was gradual. Stealthy.
Failed diets. Disapproving looks. Whispers behind her back. The result: crippling anxiety about her appearance, which threatens to crush her dancing dreams entirely. On her dance teacher’s recommendation, Sam is sent to a summer treatment camp for teen artists and athletes who are struggling with mental and emotional obstacles. If she can make progress, she’ll be allowed to attend a crucial ballet intensive. But when asked to open up about her deepest insecurities, secret behaviors, and paralyzing fears to complete strangers, Sam can’t cope.
What I really need is a whole new body.
Sam forms an unlikely bond with Andrew, a former college football player who’s one of her camp counselors. As they grow closer, Andrew helps Sam see herself as he does—beautiful. But just as she starts to believe that there’s more between them than friendship, disappointing news from home sends her into a tailspin. With her future uncertain and her body against her, will Sam give in to the anxiety that imprisons her?

Publishes in US: June 14th 2016 by HarperTeen
Genre: ya contemp
Source: Harper Teen via Edelweiss
Disclaimer: I received this book as an ARC (advanced review copy). I am not paid for this review, and my opinions in this review are mine, and are not effected by the book being free.
Series? no
my review of her 1st book: The Distance Between Lost and Found

Buy it:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | INDIEBOUND | KOBO | POWELL'S

Author stalk away:~site Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.

 

I wanted to read this one because I am drawn to books about anxiety, body image as well as dancing. Sam is the main character, a ballerina who is at summer camp that claims to help with anxiety in elite teen athletes.

Sam has a hard time at camp since none of the others seem to want to make new friends and that just adds to her anxiety. She has an inner monologue going about how she is too curvy, that others are judging her, that she isn't good enough. I did like how they began to open up to each other, and gain the confidence to share what they are going through and help one another.

Andrew is older, one of the camp counselors and she feels a connection to him despite their slightly rocky meeting. The romance was there but as synopsis suggests it might not play out the best. It gives the appearance of forbidden love but I did like how it turned out, and it made a lot of sense to me. It was one-sided, and I think I can say this without being spoilery. I can see where she gets the idea as well as how Andrew is trying to be there and boost her confidence, but that he overstepped.

The counseling and strategies they used seemed to be very well thought out and realistic. I liked the main woman in charge, and how she draws them out and helps Sam even if using not so traditional seeming methods to get through to her.

Bottom Line: Emotional look at anxiety and working through it to do what you love.

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Ever been to summer camp?

Review: The Distance Between Lost and Found by Kathryn Holmes

The Distance Between Lost and Found by Kathryn Holmes 

Ever since the night of the incident with Luke Willis, the preacher’s son, sophomore Hallelujah Calhoun has been silent. When the rumors swirled around school, she was silent. When her parents grounded her, she was silent. When her friends abandoned her … silent.
Now, six months later, on a youth group retreat in the Smoky Mountains, Hallie still can’t find a voice to answer the taunting. Shame and embarrassment haunt her, while Luke keeps coming up with new ways to humiliate her. Not even meeting Rachel, an outgoing newcomer who isn’t aware of her past, can pull Hallie out of her shell. Being on the defensive for so long has left her raw, and she doesn’t know who to trust.
On a group hike, the incessant bullying pushes Hallie to her limit. When Hallie, Rachel, and Hallie’s former friend Jonah get separated from the rest of the group, the situation quickly turns dire. Stranded in the wilderness, the three have no choice but to band together.
With past betrayals and harrowing obstacles in their way, Hallie fears they’ll never reach safety. Could speaking up about the night that changed everything close the distance between being lost and found? Or has she traveled too far to come back?

Publishes in US: February 17th 2015 by HarperTeen
Genre: ya contemp
Source: Harper Teen via Edelweiss
Series? no

Buy it:  BARNES & NOBLE | AMAZON | KOBO | POWELL’S | INDIEBOUND

Author stalk away: ~site Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.

 

    I wanted to read the distance between lost and found because I wanted to know what happened with Hallelujah nicknamed Hallie and Luke. Even though I thought that her silence was actually not speaking it ended up that she just wasn't standing up for herself.

    I know a lot about feeling left out and taking on blame and internalizing issues. So the fact that Hallie was so down about this spoke to me. There was some incredible character growth and opening up both emotionally and honestly evaluating what happened and the response from others.

    When she ends up lost with new friend Rachel and old one Jonah they are tested physically, emotionally and Hallie somewhat spiritually. They are on a youth group trip and Hallies parents are super involved with church. The book never felt pushy just the questions of a young girl who had grown up in church and wondering how or if the God she learned about fits into her world of hiding from others, feeling misunderstood, and now facing getting lost in the mountains.

     They faced being cold, rained on, injuries, and not having enough to eat. But they learned a lot about each other. Hallie finally talks about some of her pain. Wet also realize that her and Jonah used to be good friends sharing music and movies until one night things happened and Luke, their mutual then friend, began to spread lies about her. It was nice that they got things into the open.

     I liked Rachel more than I thought I would. At first she is just looking for an in at the party the counselors didn't know about, and then she is all cozy with Luke. But she keeps trying to engage with Hallie. I admit that I was suspicious right . Along with Halle but I also can't in with her prejudices and out look. But she is a nice girl and had good intentions. She was lonely in her own rights.

    The pacing was good and plot had enough character development, flash backs to the time when Halle changed and the details of the teens trying to survive until rescue found then.

    The romance was sweet and it fit the tone of the book. It didn't take center stage but was a long time crush not realized but finally kindled into something.

   The courage, persistence and ingenuity of the three of them was great. They came to rely on one another and saw that some of the ways they were living or thinking wasn't right.

     The ending was nice and it gave closure with hope for each of then moving forward. They learned from each other and their experience and I can just imagine how their next few months and into new school year night go for them.

Bottom Line: Good story and character development.

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Have you ever been lost?