A review by yapha
Braced by Alyson Gerber

4.0

Rachel has been having routine check ups for scoliosis for years. She is genetically predisposed to developing it since her mother suffered from it. Just before the start of seventh grade she gets the unfortunate news that in order to prevent surgery, she is going to need to wear a back brace. Rachel is devastated. It completely destroys the vision of seventh grade that she has for herself. And worse, her mother seems to have no compassion for the fact that she has to wear it 23 hours a day. But with the help of her friends, Rachel finds reserves of strength she didn't know she had and pushes forward with her soccer dreams. This powerful novel is packed with raw emotion that brought this reader to tears more than once. Highly recommended for grades 4 & up.