Joy L. Smith’s debut Turning explores the aftermath of former ballerina Genie’s devastating accident that leaves her without the use of her legs. At times heartbreaking and raw, Turning is also hopeful and inspiring as it explores grief, identity, and healing from trauma.
If you’re a fan of honest, unflinching contemporary novels, you must check out this book, but first take a look at this exclusive excerpt below. Turning comes out on March 1st.
Official Description:
Genie used to fouetté across the stage. Now the only thing she’s turning are the wheels to her wheelchair. Genie was the star pupil at her exclusive New York dance school, with a bright future and endless possibilities before her. Now that the future she’s spent years building toward has been snatched away, she can’t stand to be reminded of it—even if it means isolating herself from her best friends and her mother. The only wish this Genie has is to be left alone.
But then she meets Kyle, who also has a “used to be.” Kyle used to tumble and flip on a gymnastics mat, but a traumatic brain injury has sent him to the same physical therapist that Genie sees. With Kyle’s support, along with her best friend’s insistence that Genie’s time at the barre isn’t over yet, Genie starts to see a new path—one where she doesn’t have to be alone and she finally has the strength to heal from the past.
But healing also means confronting. Confronting the booze her mother, a recovering alcoholic, has been hiding under the kitchen sink, the ex-boyfriend who was there the night of the fall and won’t leave her alone, and Genie’s biggest, most terrifying secret: the fact that the accident may not have been so accidental after all.
Read an excerpt below:
About the Author: Joy L. Smith is a childcare professional and lives in Queens, New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, she has a bachelor’s degree in human development and differences, with a specialization in communication disorders. She’s been writing since she was a teenager and has been mentored by Ibi Zoboi, Radha Blank, and Emma Straub through the Girls Write Now program. Turning is her debut novel.