The Other side of Perfect
BY Mariko Turk
Alina Keeler was destined to dance, but one terrifying fall shatters her leg--and her dreams of a professional ballet career along with it.
After a summer healing (translation: eating vast amounts of Cool Ranch Doritos and binging ballet videos on YouTube), she is forced to trade her pre-professional dance classes for normal high school, where she reluctantly joins the school musical. However, rehearsals offer more than she expected--namely Jude, her annoyingly attractive cast mate she just might be falling for.
But to move forward, Alina must make peace with her past and face the racism she had grown to accept in the dance industry. She wonders what it means to yearn for ballet--something so beautiful, yet so broken. And as broken as she feels, can she ever open her heart to someone else?
Touching, romantic, and peppered with humor, this debut novel explores the tenuousness of perfectionism, the possibilities of change, and the importance of raising your voice.
About the Author
Mariko Turk teaches writing and rhetoric classes and works as a writing tutor at the University of Colorado Boulder. She received her PhD in English from the University of Florida, with a concentration in children's literature. The Other Side of Perfect is her debut novel.
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FROM NOVL NATION
“The Other Side of Perfect is the right side of perfect;) I absolutely loved this book! It was one of those where you want to focus all your time and energy and just read and enjoy it, so when I was busy with something else, I kept wanting to come back to it.”
– Shelby, 123sccshelby
“The Other Side of Perfect by Mariko Turk is, well, perfect. Cliché to say that, I know, but it truly is. I did not know I needed this book in my life until I started reading it.”
– Katie, @niftyreads
