Publish Date - May 1, 2011
ISBN - 978-1402256363
Pages - 304
This is a really hard book to read. I think it would be that way for everyone. We've all known someone with cancer and how the family had to deal with it. It doesn't matter if it's someone young or old, male or female, rich or poor. Some families deal with it well and some don't. Anyone can get it. But still it kind of confuses Tess - why would her gorgeous popular sister get cancer? That doesn't seem right. But right or not, that's what happens.
The story isn't just about an athletic, popular, pretty, smart girl getting cancer. It's about her family and how they deal with it. It's mostly about her sister, it's written from Tess' viewpoint. I know that some reviewers thought that it was unrealistic that a family would let Kristina isolate herself from her friends. It's very realistic actually. When you have cancer, sometimes you don't want anyone to see you how you are NOW. You'd rather they remember how you were BEFORE. Besides, teenagers are pretty isolated anyway (within their groups) and honestly, I feel that her friends would have given up pretty quickly. My brother was in an accident that left him bedridden for a few months at age 21 - all but one of his friends dropped off after the first couple of weeks. I thought that it was a very realistic portrayal.
In the end, some families will deal with it better and some worse, but this was an excellent story.
Wow, a hard book for sure. I know that it can be hard to go through an accident or illness at any age as we tend to like our friends "happy and healthy". Thank you for the beautiful, thoughtful review.
ReplyDeleteI can see what you mean. I would read it to my kids so that they know what other people face and how we can be sensitive toward them. Thanks for your wonderful review. :)
ReplyDelete♥.•*¨Elizabeth¨*•.♥
Can Alex save Winter from the darkness that hunts her?
YA Paranormal Romance, Darkspell coming fall of 2011!