How do you face the enemy within? It's hard to become a professional ballet dancer when you have a serious case of stage fright. An embarrassing performance has stripped sixteen-year-old Genevieve Larsen of her confidence and dulled her love for dance. It couldn't have come at a worse time - Gen is deciding whether to leave for dance school or continue at her present studio. As she ramps up her dance program, her entrance into the high school's prestigious marching band program has unexpectedly further squeezed her time, energy, and focus, turning a formerly fun class into a major complication. John Vance is also trying to keep his head above water as he and his family grapple with the death of his mom through the first anniversary. That coupled with an imminent departure for school and the development of strong feelings for his sister's best friend, Gen, leaves him filled with frustration and anxiety. The stakes are high as Gen considers decisions that could impact her for years if she leaves family, friends, and her hometown behind to immerse herself in dance. They're even higher for John as he attempts to hold his family together. As Gen and John rise to their challenges, they'll need to figure out what chains and links to strengthen and which to destroy. This lesson will be instrumental. A sweet and clean contemporary YA literary fiction novel
