Gr 3–7—Maisie's life has been in a tailspin ever since she tore her ACL and had to stop dancing ballet. But with the
support of her family, and through a trip to her mother's Makah community, Maisie works toward rediscovering
herself. Day's second novel deftly explores coping with depression, healing, and learning more about one's
Indigenous heritage when everything else feels adrift.

Seventh grader Maisie Cannon is struggling with her emotions after a knee injury keeps her away from ballet, which is both her passion and the place where she has the most friends. She isn't sure what to say to anyone these days other than expressing that she's "fine" even though her knee still bothers her. When her doctor clears her for a family hiking trip over winter break, Maisie can't get out of her own head and feels like she's bringing everyone down.

This middle-grade novel was beautifully written in its prose, but not much happens in it. A turning point well past half way is when she takes a tumble on a hike and re-injures her knee and this seems to be the only *event* that really happens in the book. The rest is just Maisie mulling over feelings in her head and her parents being concerned about her. The book ultimately makes a good case for the need for therapy to untangle complicated emotions, and I really appreciate how much that is becoming a topic in middle-grade literature with no stigma attached at all.

That being said, this book was very slow paced and I felt myself struggling to slog through it at times, especially in the earlier parts as we were still being introduced to Maisie and her surroundings. I can't really picture young readers chomping at the bit to read it; I would be pleased to find myself wrong, however.

The book showcases a lot of diversity, with Maisie's family coming from different indigenous tribes, her father being a deceased veteran, and the supportive presence of Maisie's stepfather and half-brother. Assorted true facts about the various tribes and their histories are shared as part of the story, which is a nice touch. ( )

The story of a Native American girl struggling to find her joy again.

It’s been a hard year for Maisie Cannon, ever since she hurt her leg and could not keep up with her ballet training and auditions.

Her blended family is loving and supportive, but Maisie knows that they just can’t understand how hopeless she feels. With everything she’s dealing with, Maisie is not excited for their family midwinter road trip along the coast, near the Makah community where her mother grew up.

But soon, Maisie’s anxieties and dark moods start to hurt as much as the pain in her knee. How can she keep pretending to be strong when on the inside she feels as roiling and cold as the ocean?

This is a lovely book that has so much potential. However, it was not ready for publication. The medical advice was not realistic, and the active parental neglect that results in an inevitable consequence related to spurious medical advice was problematic. The bare touching on depression and anxiety needed to be more thoroughly explored.
I do not blame the author; the publishers should have been on top of what could have been an exceptional story. ( )

In this new book by Christine Day, Maisie - a young Native American girl with a blended family - copes with a serious injury. Maisie isn't sure she will ever get to dance ballet again. She is isolated from her friends and her emotions are running wild. She learns that sometimes it is not easy giving up on a dream, and with "bruises all over my heart", Maisie learns how to get help to refocus and discover new ways of coping.