Release: February 16th, 2021
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Source: Amazon
Find it at Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, Kobo.
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Veronica struggles to balance softball, friends, and family turmoil in this new honest and heartfelt middle-grade novel by Jen Petro-Roy, Life in the Balance.
Veronica Conway has been looking forward to trying out for the All-Star softball team for years. She’s practically been playing the game since she was a baby. She should have this tryout on lock.
Except right before tryouts, Veronica’s mom announces that she’s entering rehab for alcoholism, and her dad tells her that they may not be able to afford the fees needed to be on the team.
Veronica decides to enter the town talent show to make her own money. But along the way, she discovers a new hobby. She starts doubting her feelings for the game she thought she loved so much.
Is her mom the only one learning balance, or can Veronica find a way to discover what she really wants to do with her life?
About the Author:
Jen Petro-Roy is a former teen librarian, an obsessive reader, and a trivia fanatic. She lives with her husband and two young daughters in Massachusetts. She is the author of P.S. I Miss You, Good Enough, and You Are Enough: Your Guide to Body Image and Eating Disorder Recovery. Jen is an eating disorder survivor and an advocate for recovery.
When she isn’t writing, one can find Jen reading, playing board games, belting out songs in the car to embarrass her two daughters, and working as an eating disorder awareness advocate.
Kate Testerman represents her at KT Literary.
Life in the Balance Review:
“Life in the Balance” is a beautiful story of how a girl copes with an alcoholic mother, and I found it well-executed!
The author tells the story in a realistic manner where you feel that you could be your family members. Veronica was an interesting character. She goes through a lot in the story, from dealing with her parents, her friends and trying to feel normal. On the one hand, I didn’t appreciate how self-centered she was for not feeling empathetic towards her mother. On the other hand, I also thought her reactions were valid and something that I would have done if I was in her shoes.
Similarly, I also enjoyed the dynamics between Veronica and her friendship with Libby and Claudia. Sometimes it is comfortable talking to a stranger about your problems because they can relate to your views without judging you. Moreover, Libby and Claudia go through their alcoholic or divorced parents’ issues, and it was interesting to see how all of them dealt with it.
Moreover, I loved how the author handled how the family communicated about their problems. I thought the author depicted her feelings accurately when Veronica argues with her mother for being irresponsible. On a side note, I also adored the father. It is clear that he also goes through many changes, from taking additional jobs to taking care of Veronica. I loved the scenes with Veronica and her father and wished we had seen more of his struggles in the story.
Overall, “Life in the Balance” is a realistic, middle-grade that talks of parents with addiction issues and how it impacts the children.
