The Other Side of Perfect

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By Mariko Turk

Read by Allison Hiroto

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This item is a preorder. Your payment method will be charged immediately, and the product is expected to ship on or around May 11, 2021. This date is subject to change due to shipping delays beyond our control.

For fans of Sarah Dessen and Mary H.K. Choi, this lyrical and emotionally driven novel follows Alina, a young aspiring dancer who suffers a devastating injury and must face a world without ballet—as well as the darker side of her former dream.

Alina Keeler was destined to dance, but then a 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 castmate she just might be falling for.

But to move forward, Alina must make peace with her past and face the racism she experienced 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.

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On Sale
May 11, 2021
Publisher
Hachette Audio
ISBN-13
9781549135552

Mariko Turk

About the Author

Mariko Turk received her PhD in English from the University of Florida, with a concentration in children's literature. She lives in Colorado with her husband and daughter. She is the author of The Other Side of Perfect and I'll Be Waiting for You.

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