This is not the typical book that I find myself reading... nope, it surely isn't. For one, it deals with some pretty "Is today a good day to die?"
This is not the typical book that I find myself reading... nope, it surely isn't. For one, it deals with some pretty heavy topics. Teen Suicide, Depression, Death... they're all in here. For two... it's not the usual HEA that I tend to go for.
To be completely honest with you, I'm not really sure I can write a review that will do this book justice. What I will tell you is that this book touched me in a way that not many have. Did I cry? Yes... but even more than that, it really made me think about so much and for that alone I have an amazing appreciation for this book.
This is a story about love, and falling in love. It's about life and living it to the fullest and it's about the struggles many of us face while doing just that. It’s also about accepting what fate has handed you and moving forward.
Finch� this boy... this charismatic, sweet, beautiful boy has the game down…he recognizes that something is wrong, he knows he doesn’t feel right and hasn't for a while... and yet he knows what to say and do and how to act to hide what is eating away at him on the inside. *ugh* just thinking about it right now is making me tear up. What we learn about Finch in this story is that he is more than the labels that are assigned to him by his classmates, by his teachers, by his friends, and by his family. What we also learn is that the people he was supposed to be able to count on to help him� never did and maybe they never could.
"We can’t always see what others don’t want us to. Especially when they go to great lengths to hide it.�
And Violet is stuck in a world where she blames herself for things that she couldn’t have possibly controlled. Having survived a car crash that killed her sister she feels responsible and no one has told her otherwise, in fact her parents have stopped talking about Eleanor and don’t realize how sad Violet actually is.
Which leads to how these two finally meet� on a ledge at school of all places. Initially I never expected the connection to last. Violet is distant and closed off, but Finch pushes through the walls and forces her to participate in everything “extenuating circumstances� or not.
A project has these two "wandering" the state of Indiana and learning and experiencing things they would never have thought to look for... and along the way, they find comfort in each other. Yet, while Finch is bound and determined to show Violet all the positives in life and living, he struggles with making those same connections for himself.
There is a love story here� the summary even tells you, and it was so beautiful to see the way Finch just let himself fall for Violet, head over heels, and the way Niven writes it just makes it the best.
"For a long time I sit in the car outside my house, afraid to break the spell. In here, the air is close and Violet is close. I’m wrapped up in the day. I love: the way her eyes spark when we’re talking or when she’s telling me something she wants me to know, the way she mouths the words to herself when she’s reading and concentrating, the way she looks at me as if there’s only me, as if she can see past the flesh and bone and bullshit right into the me that’s there, the one I don’t even see myself.�
What I can say about the story is this. It's beautifully written and paced. The story flows naturally and at no time did it lag for me. I was completely entranced with the ebb and flow of Finch and Violet's relationship and the build up to that first kiss is phenomenal ... just as every moment after was as well. The relationships were so well done... I'm not talking just between Violet and Finch, even though that is what the bulk of this story is, but also between Violet and her family and even the relationships with her friends. Being able to watch this girl who is counting down the days to her escape from high school and all the memories she's bombarded with daily, start to welcome the changes that life has dealt her and realize that all those memories don't have to be buried in sadness was just lovely. But on the other end of that, watching this bright, vibrant boy being taken over by his demons was incredibly hard to read. But necessary, because real life isn't always rainbows and unicorns.
This story is one that no matter how sad it might be, deserves to be told. And while it isn't a typical HEA, it's definitely a hopeful ending, one that will hopefully have people realizing that there is a deeper story here, we aren't always just the things we're labeled as and depression isn't just something that will dissipate with time. Mental illness is a real and complicated thing and while people may feel helpless, there is hope.
This book will definitely have a special place on my favorites shelf� even though I’m not sure I’ll be able to read it again for a while!
“The thing I realize is that it's not what you take, it's what you leave.� ...more
Yup... that was my reaction upon completing this book. I was tempted to just leave it there all by itself and call it a day, but then I rOh. My. God.
Yup... that was my reaction upon completing this book. I was tempted to just leave it there all by itself and call it a day, but then I realized I was on the blog tour and I'm not sure that would work for a review.
I will tell you, I binge read the Lotus War series. I had had Stormdancer on my to read list since before it came out and for good reason, but I just kept not reading it...even though all the reviews I'd seen and read about it claimed it was amazing.
And I'm not going to lie... it really is amazing!
This series has everything... mystery, intrigue, romance, political upheaval, betrayal and heartbreak, all set in an incredibly fantastic world.
I'm not going to tell you a single thing about what happens in this book, but know this.... do not get emotionally attached to anyone or anything at all in this series. NO ONE IS SAFE.
Book 1 started a bit slow for me, so when you start this series, keep that in mind and please don't let that stop you. Setting the stage for all that happens is a necessity and Kristoff does an amazing job.
This series as a whole is not just Yukiko's story either. She starts the story in Stormdancer, but there are so many people we get to meet and grow to love in this series that it's hard to list them all. From Akihito to Michi to Hana and Yoshi to Buruu and Kin if you're like me, your feelings will be all over the place but one thing is guaranteed...
If you haven't started this series, I can't tell you how much you need to. I can't believe I waited this long to dive in, and now that I've finished it, I can't wait to reread it.
Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy, and thank you to Jean Booknerd for letting me be a part of the tour! ...more
I’ve wanted to read this book for quite some time now, and I finally just grabbed it and dived in. First I just have to say - what a heartbreaking, soI’ve wanted to read this book for quite some time now, and I finally just grabbed it and dived in. First I just have to say - what a heartbreaking, soul-crushing, yet uplifting and amazing story. I know I kind of contradict myself there, but if you have read the summary of this then you know you’re in for a rollercoaster of a ride.
I love that this was basically two stories told side by side with this one unimaginable thing that happens smack dab in the middle.
One storyline takes us on the whirlwind romance that Elsie Porter finds herself swept up in with the charming and amazing Ben Ross. And you guys my heart swooned and I found myself smiling and laughing at how adorable they were� But the other storyline is the after of a tragic accident that takes Ben’s life and how she learns to cope and move on knowing she won’t have this future that they had planned.
Reid weaves the two stories together with common threads� things that happen in the after that trigger a memory of the past� a smell, a sound... and I thought the story-telling was seamless.
One of the major themes of this story is the grief and anger and sadness that Elsie finds herself overwhelmed with, but what Reid did to temper that for us readers was add moments of joy and watching this couple falling in love. Was it hard knowing the outcome? You betcha� but it also is a stark reminder that life is hard and painful and filled with sadness, but it can also be filled with love and friendship and family� even if that family isn’t the one you were born with.
While there were moments that my heart hurt and I had that knot in the back of my throat, I didn’t shed tears reading this, though some of you with a bit more tender of a heart will probably shed a few. The ending is hopeful and lovely and though I knew based on the timeline that we were nearing the last few pages, I wasn’t ready. Reid tells a beautiful, poignant story that is definitely worth a read. I’ll definitely be checking out her other titles soon! ...more
”We're not going to be dancers, but one day our lives are going to be amazing, Zoe. Totally amazing.�
Where do I even start. I don’t cry when I read b”We're not going to be dancers, but one day our lives are going to be amazing, Zoe. Totally amazing.�
Where do I even start. I don’t cry when I read books � I just don’t. I may feel sad and all melancholy for a bit, but I can count on one hand how many books I’ve read where tears were involved. This is now one of them. If you go into this book expecting it to be a book about cancer, well it’s not…not really. At least it wasn’t for me. Instead, it’s about friendship, it’s about love, it’s about sisterhood and it’s about growing up and dealing with the shitty things that life sends your way. Cancer just happens to be one of those shitty things.
Olivia and Zoe have been best friends since the day Olivia asked for help with a barrette before a dance recital. Thirteen years of growing up together, having each other’s backs and basically becoming sisters have passed. So when Olivia gets a diagnosis that rocks their world, Zoe is determined to be there for her with positivity and support.
It’s hard not to take a book like this personally…to turn page after page and not feel every emotion that these characters are going through because almost all of us know someone who has been affected by cancer. What I found unique about this story was that we see everything from Zoe’s point of view. We see her dealing with and watching her friend be ravaged by something that she can’t do a single thing about, and that has to be one of the hardest things to accept.
What I loved the most about this story was that the bare bones of it, despite everything going on around these characters, is about friendship and how amazing it can be. And how rare is it that we see a YA book that hones in on that instead romance these days. It’s lovely to see a book that focuses on positive relationships and shows us characters who love each other unconditionally, yeah they may get mad at each other, but at the end of the day that doesn’t change their love for each other. It was also amazing to see the support system for these girls. Not only their parents, because they were a big part of it, but the other girls at school. Zoe never really formed that true friendship connection with many other girls but regardless, there wasn’t a mean girl in the bunch, which in itself was refreshing to see. Mia and Stacey and even Emma while secondary characters to the main friendship were absolutely a positive addition to the story, and I especially loved Mia’s tenacity and determination to not let Zoe push her away permanently.
I mentioned the parents above, and I have to say they were wonderfully done here. Zoe’s parents in that they offered Zoe someone to share her frustrations and disappointments with and yet they still were able to give her some good advice “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.� that we saw her use later on. We also got to see quite a bit of Olivia’s parents� the effect from Zoe’s point of view that the illness was having on them, not only as a family, but as a couple. The stress it was having on their relationship and the different thoughts on how best to care for Olivia seen from Zoe’s eyes was enlightening.
And yes, there was a teeny tiny bit of a romance� and I’m not even sure I would call it that, but I have to say that I loved how patient and understanding Calvin was with Zoe. At times she may have been using him as an outlet to forget all the bad things going on, but I have to commend the maturity that he was written with, because despite Zoe being all over the place emotionally, he never really gives up on her and if it came down to it, he would and will be there for her in a heartbeat when she needs him. And I think Kantor uses that to show us that life goes on, the world continues to spin and things continue to happen even though all we may want to do is freeze time and stop to cherish everything we’ve had, I just wish that she had pushed herself to let Calvin in a bit more. However, we would have missed Zoe’s character growth had she done that� her realizations that there is hope for some happiness and a future and it’s okay to lean on others when you need to are wonderful to see.
If you love raw, emotional, realistic coming of age stories I can’t stress enough that you need to pick this book up. The writing is wonderfully done, the story flows naturally and at a wonderful pace and you will be incredibly moved by this friendship and the relationships Kantor has created within. Maybe One Day is a sad but beautiful story that I’m positive will be on my top reads of 2014 list when the end of the year rolls around.
Thank you to Harpercollins/Harperteen for the advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
This review will post on Fiction Fare closer to release.
Ok... The tears have subsided and I'm ready to share my thoughts. I had an inkling of what was going to happen in this book, I mean all my friends wer Ok... The tears have subsided and I'm ready to share my thoughts. I had an inkling of what was going to happen in this book, I mean all my friends were reading this at the same time so I saw the posts and comments and I just knew if there was a topic that could break me, this would be it.
hazel is a 16 year old who has cancer... Though shes not in remission, her tumors are being held at bay by a drug that no one knows the side effects to and her lungs are in such bad shape that she is constantly on oxygen. Her mother wants her to be more involved. she's been out of regular school for 3 years and has only a couple acquaintances still from that time in her life. So she goes to her cancer survivors group and meets someone who will change her life joking over the misuse of the word literally.
Augustus Waters is sweet, handsome and incredibly charismatic. He's hard to resist and I fell in love with him. The two bond over, of all things, Hazels favorite book and so brings about a whirlwind trip to Amsterdam to get answers from an author who turns out to be a big disappointment.
I can't tell much more about the story simply because you must experience this book yourself. From hazel, to Gus to Isaac, I fell in love with each of them for different reasons. John Green had me bawling and clutching wads of Kleenex one minute then chuckling about something the next... My emotions were everywhere.
I think the story ended perfectly and honestly can't picture any other way it should go... I want to know more, yet I don't if that makes sense. I'm happy where Hazel is .*cue more tears*
This is a must read for everyone ... No questions. Just go now.
*edited to add* 12/31-1/1/13 just finished a reread of this and it was just as painful and wonderful the second time around. Totally worth every tear and laugh and sob and smile... If you're not sure you want to experience it, I hope you'll change your mind. ...more
Loading...
