Finding Balance

Jase Ellison doesn’t remember having acute lymphocytic leukemia when he was three years old. His cancer diagnosis only enters his mind twice a year: once at his yearly checkup at the oncology clinic and one when he attends Camp Chemo in the summer. No one in his “real” life knows about his past, especially his friends at Atlanta West Prep. Mari Manos has never been able to hide her cancer survivorship. She wakes every morning, grabs her pink forearm clip crutches, and starts her day. Mari loves Camp Chemo—where she’s developed a healthy crush on fellow camper Jase. At Camp, she knows that she’ll never get “the look” or have to explain her amputation to anyone. Jase wants to move on, to never reveal his past. But when Mari transfers to his school, he knows she could blow his cover. That’s the last thing he wants, but he also cannot ignore his attraction to her. Mari wants to be looked at like a girl, a person, and not only known for her disability. But how do you move on from cancer when the world won’t let you? Click Here to Read Preview. 

A 2021 Moonbeam Awards Silver Medalist (Young Adult Fiction)

Booklist

“Plenty of heartbreak and joy shape this compelling story, as well as reminders to find balance in our own lives.” 

Kirkus Reviews

“Gardner, an amputee and cancer survivor, realistically tackles such tough issues as the massive costs of health care, the fear of relapse, and pressure to appear nondisabled.”

School Library Journal

“Cancer creates a lifetime of fallout. Gardner writes compellingly not only about the romance between these two teens, but also about the nuances in their navigation of survival. Recommended for YA collections.”