Turning Point: 09/08/21

Turning Point by Paula Chase is the third book in the So Done series. It's summer. Monique (Mo) is off to a ballet camp with another girl from the Cove. Meanwhile Rasheeda (Sheeda) is facing another summer of Vacation Bible Camp which always happens the same week as the carnival.

It seems that with each book the two parallel protagonists end up being in more and more separated in their stories. Turning Point takes this to an extreme by having the two in completely different cities. Their interactions together are done via texts.

Mo's half of the story is a fascinating look into the stresses of the ballet world. It's an incredibly white industry. It's an incredibly abusive industry where girls and women are expected to take themselves to physical extremes for a paradox of athleticism and waif thinness. On top of all of that Mo and her friend have to deal with all the micro-aggressions they receive because they are Black.

Sheeda's story was the half I could relate with more in that I had a relative who worked for a church during my teens. My summers were often a mix of church work (in my case weddings) and vacation bible school.

Four stars

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