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lyakimov's review
1.0
This wasn’t HORRIBLE. I just really didn’t like the main character. The writing was fine, and it kind of kept my attention. But the love story….if you can even call it that. I just hated how the whole love component was her manipulating the guy that loves her into doing stupid shit for her. I just thought it sucked and it wasn’t my cup of tea.
How is this marketed as a teen romance???? I just don’t understand. This was clearly so toxic and manipulative, I really just couldn’t enjoy it.
How is this marketed as a teen romance???? I just don’t understand. This was clearly so toxic and manipulative, I really just couldn’t enjoy it.
amanda1793's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. I'm glad there was a happy ending (even though it was left open to the imagination which can be annoying).
I found that at times I was annoyed at Alice for the way she treats people and expects there to be no consequences for her after the fact. I was also annoyed sometimes with Harvey. I can understand the loving someone for ever, but I found sometimes he came off as a push over, but I was glad when he finally pushed back.
Overall, a lovely story of love and survival. Recommended.
I found that at times I was annoyed at Alice for the way she treats people and expects there to be no consequences for her after the fact. I was also annoyed sometimes with Harvey. I can understand the loving someone for ever, but I found sometimes he came off as a push over, but I was glad when he finally pushed back.
Overall, a lovely story of love and survival. Recommended.
mimimilaa's review
1.0
*1.5 stars
The ending brought this book from a 1 star to a 1.5 star. I couldn't bring myself to give it any more because I just didn't enjoy any of the journey along the way. The main character was manipulative, but tried to act justified in her actions and I just couldn't get behind it.
The ending brought this book from a 1 star to a 1.5 star. I couldn't bring myself to give it any more because I just didn't enjoy any of the journey along the way. The main character was manipulative, but tried to act justified in her actions and I just couldn't get behind it.
betwixt_the_pages's review
3.0
What if you'd been living your life as if you were dying—only to find out that you had your whole future ahead of you?
When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, her prognosis is grim. To maximize the time she does have, she vows to spend her final months righting wrongs—however she sees fit. She convinces her friend Harvey, who she knows has always had feelings for her, to help her with a crazy bucket list that's as much about revenge (humiliating her ex-boyfriend and getting back at her archnemesis) as it is about hope (doing something unexpectedly kind for a stranger). But just when Alice's scores are settled, she goes into remission.
Now Alice is forced to face the consequences of all that she's said and done, as well as her true feelings for Harvey. But has she caused irreparable damage to the people around her—and to the one person who matters most?
Julie Murphy's Side Effects May Vary is a fearless and moving tour de force about love, life, and facing your own mortality.
- - - - -
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Quick Reasons: I just couldn't get into this book; great character motivations/growth; some tough choices and cringe-worthy scenes; cyclic, non-linear story telling
Let's start with the easiest thing for me to say in this review: I just could not get into this book the way I wanted to. It's nothing against the characters, I don't think—they're pretty complex, multi-dimensional, and overall teenage angsty. I'm not sure; I can't think WHY this book didn't speak to me. It just... Didn't? That's a terrible conclusion statement; let me try to outline the reasons why I DID like this, okay?
There are some GORGEOUS quotes at the beginning of this book. The prose is seamless at these moments, almost poetic with the weight of the words Julie Murphy is throwing around like silk scarves during a juggling act. The ballet of beautiful descriptors and complex, thought-inducing prose almost brought me to my knees. But as the book goes on and things begin falling apart around our main duo...the prose seems to fall apart, too. It's like...the deeper we go into our characters' minds, the more chaos they leave behind, including upon the words themselves.
The characters are pretty spectacular overall. Their motivations are honest and stark, a juxtaposition of true and false against the backdrop of Alice's health. Alice goes through a HELL of a lot in a very short amount of time, and her character arc is a long loop of ups and downs that are bound to tear a reader's heart out (they did mine). And through all of it, no matter how mean she was...I felt she might just be justified in her actions. Perhaps I connected with her on a more personal level. Perhaps I just like mean girls for characters (I mean come on, they make some AWESOME fodder for books). Whatever it is, I actually LIKE Alice in this book.
But...that's about where my adoration stops. Something about this... Maybe the story itself?... just didn't speak to me the way I hoped it would when I started. The ideas are there—I love the idea of tearing down all the walls, getting the last say because you know you don't have another chance...only to get a second gasp at it all. I love that Alice put herself so fully out there...only to realize that actions have consequences even when you don't expect you'll be around to deal with them.
I don't have a problem with this book, per se. It just didn't touch me as powerfully as I'd hoped it would. Something about it falls flat in the end; I don't know what, so please don't ask. Perhaps it's just ME, personally, who feels this way. Perhaps I've read so many other noteworthy, emotionally overpowering things lately, this one sort of got lost by the wayside. Perhaps I'll never really know.
In the end, I enjoyed this read—but I didn't LOVE it. The characters are honest, realistic, and filled out in all the right places. The nonlinear, almost cyclic writing style is fascinating and enthralling. The morals are subtle and well-explored. I would still recommend this read to lovers of John Green, Jay Asher, and (maybe?) Sarah Dessen.
When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, her prognosis is grim. To maximize the time she does have, she vows to spend her final months righting wrongs—however she sees fit. She convinces her friend Harvey, who she knows has always had feelings for her, to help her with a crazy bucket list that's as much about revenge (humiliating her ex-boyfriend and getting back at her archnemesis) as it is about hope (doing something unexpectedly kind for a stranger). But just when Alice's scores are settled, she goes into remission.
Now Alice is forced to face the consequences of all that she's said and done, as well as her true feelings for Harvey. But has she caused irreparable damage to the people around her—and to the one person who matters most?
Julie Murphy's Side Effects May Vary is a fearless and moving tour de force about love, life, and facing your own mortality.
- - - - -
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Quick Reasons: I just couldn't get into this book; great character motivations/growth; some tough choices and cringe-worthy scenes; cyclic, non-linear story telling
Let's start with the easiest thing for me to say in this review: I just could not get into this book the way I wanted to. It's nothing against the characters, I don't think—they're pretty complex, multi-dimensional, and overall teenage angsty. I'm not sure; I can't think WHY this book didn't speak to me. It just... Didn't? That's a terrible conclusion statement; let me try to outline the reasons why I DID like this, okay?
En pointe she was a force, a tornado: safe to look at from a distance, but in close proximity, you risked being just another piece of her debris. Some days I thought I could only be so lucky.
There are some GORGEOUS quotes at the beginning of this book. The prose is seamless at these moments, almost poetic with the weight of the words Julie Murphy is throwing around like silk scarves during a juggling act. The ballet of beautiful descriptors and complex, thought-inducing prose almost brought me to my knees. But as the book goes on and things begin falling apart around our main duo...the prose seems to fall apart, too. It's like...the deeper we go into our characters' minds, the more chaos they leave behind, including upon the words themselves.
The characters are pretty spectacular overall. Their motivations are honest and stark, a juxtaposition of true and false against the backdrop of Alice's health. Alice goes through a HELL of a lot in a very short amount of time, and her character arc is a long loop of ups and downs that are bound to tear a reader's heart out (they did mine). And through all of it, no matter how mean she was...I felt she might just be justified in her actions. Perhaps I connected with her on a more personal level. Perhaps I just like mean girls for characters (I mean come on, they make some AWESOME fodder for books). Whatever it is, I actually LIKE Alice in this book.
I’d always heard that when you truly love someone, you’re happy for them as long they’re happy. But that’s a lie. That’s higher-road bullshit. If you love someone so much, why the hell would you be happy to see them with anyone else? I didn’t want the easy kind of love. I wanted the crazy love, the kind of love that created and destroyed all at the same time.
But...that's about where my adoration stops. Something about this... Maybe the story itself?... just didn't speak to me the way I hoped it would when I started. The ideas are there—I love the idea of tearing down all the walls, getting the last say because you know you don't have another chance...only to get a second gasp at it all. I love that Alice put herself so fully out there...only to realize that actions have consequences even when you don't expect you'll be around to deal with them.
I don't have a problem with this book, per se. It just didn't touch me as powerfully as I'd hoped it would. Something about it falls flat in the end; I don't know what, so please don't ask. Perhaps it's just ME, personally, who feels this way. Perhaps I've read so many other noteworthy, emotionally overpowering things lately, this one sort of got lost by the wayside. Perhaps I'll never really know.
I wanted nothing more than to feel something, but I didn't know how to deal with what came after the feeling.
In the end, I enjoyed this read—but I didn't LOVE it. The characters are honest, realistic, and filled out in all the right places. The nonlinear, almost cyclic writing style is fascinating and enthralling. The morals are subtle and well-explored. I would still recommend this read to lovers of John Green, Jay Asher, and (maybe?) Sarah Dessen.
dilchh's review
2.0
The book focused on two of the main characters (even though at times it felt like there’s only Alice and not enough Harvey), and it goes back and forth during before and after Alice’s remission. Interesting way of telling a story and I definitely liked it, until I stumble upon the characters’ trait and I kid you f not, I can’t. I. Just. Can’t. I. Can’t. For. The. Life. Of. Me. Sympathise and/or liked any of the other characters, except for Dennis (which sadly was just a condiment to the story).
I don’t understand why some people dissed on YA a lot, for me YA is actually a pretty interesting genre. But, then I read this book and now I sort of understand why YA is not everyone’s cup of tea and they tend to dissed on YA; there’s too much repetitive formula in almost every YA I’ve read so far and I am getting sick of it! There’s always this character who is so in love with the other character and they would practically defy all logic and rationalities to do whatever it takes to proof its undying love, even if every single thing that they did is extremely stupid. I am so done with that idea! So, f done! Get a different angle, please! For the love of everything holy, get a different angle!
Okay, so you’re in love and of course love sometimes defy all logic, but, really? You’re willing to do anything, as if you’re on a leash and you’re willing to submit all your free will to be controlled by someone else in the name of love? Really? Really? Really? Ugh! Nope! Nope! I’m done with that. I can’t. I just can’t, okay?
Now, I may be angry about that aspect but it’s not to say that I don’t like the story. I liked the story very much. Most people focuses a lot on how cancer affects the people with the cancer and the people around them, or how their death marks the ending of a story, but whatever happens when suddenly you’re in remission? The life that you though was ending, suddenly seems like it still holds its mystery for you to experience. It is definitely interesting, especially as it focuses on the repercussion of your acts. Although the characters are definitely not my favourite characters ever, I can understand where does things comes from for the characters. I get why Alice was so bitter and hung on a lot on getting revenge; I get why Harvey is in love with Alice (wait, no, I DON’T F GET IT WHY HARVEY COULD POSSIBLY BE CRAZY IN F LOVE WITH ALICE!!!). It’s one thing to have a crush on your childhood friend and believe it to be love, but it’s another thing to be so infatuated that it seems like she is the centre of your f universe. Ugh!
One thing that I liked about this book is that nothing is predictable (well, at least to me). You know from the very beginning that Alice would be in remission (nope, this should not be a spoiler for you, it’s already plastered everywhere if ever you stumble upon this book), but what you’re left to guess is what would happened next now that she’s in remission, and that is something that you could not guess how it ends. Speaking of the end, WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS THAT? Harvey should know better than to follow his stupid hormonal self. Ugh! Major disappointment of an ending. I was almost applauding Harvey when he stand up to himself (more than once, might I add), only to come back to square one? Yeah, way to go, Harvey (except, NOT!).
Although Alice is far from what I would think of an inspiring main character, nor does Harvey, it was actually pretty interesting to see a character as vengeful as Alice and it was until the few last pages that she comes full circle and tries to be a better person. But, honest to God, I just could not bring myself like her, the same goes for Harvey and his stupid hormones. Surprisingly, I found a liking in Dennis; he portrayed a good sense of camaraderie, loyalty, caring, and an honest without expecting something in return kind of friendship.
The story as a whole is a very interesting story, the execution was enjoyable, but I have two major concerns that I cannot overlook. First, what is up with YA that has a character that seems to be an expert in movies and/or music? I am annoyed with that kind of portrayal; it’s always like that. Can’t we have a regular teenage characters that acts like a regular one, and not all pretentious with its interests whatsoever? Second, the Lake Quasipi scene? WTH? I get that it’s suppose to be the oldest amusement park and close to extinction, but, seriously? No form of securities whatsoever? Yeah, I don’t buy that.
I don’t understand why some people dissed on YA a lot, for me YA is actually a pretty interesting genre. But, then I read this book and now I sort of understand why YA is not everyone’s cup of tea and they tend to dissed on YA; there’s too much repetitive formula in almost every YA I’ve read so far and I am getting sick of it! There’s always this character who is so in love with the other character and they would practically defy all logic and rationalities to do whatever it takes to proof its undying love, even if every single thing that they did is extremely stupid. I am so done with that idea! So, f done! Get a different angle, please! For the love of everything holy, get a different angle!
Okay, so you’re in love and of course love sometimes defy all logic, but, really? You’re willing to do anything, as if you’re on a leash and you’re willing to submit all your free will to be controlled by someone else in the name of love? Really? Really? Really? Ugh! Nope! Nope! I’m done with that. I can’t. I just can’t, okay?
Now, I may be angry about that aspect but it’s not to say that I don’t like the story. I liked the story very much. Most people focuses a lot on how cancer affects the people with the cancer and the people around them, or how their death marks the ending of a story, but whatever happens when suddenly you’re in remission? The life that you though was ending, suddenly seems like it still holds its mystery for you to experience. It is definitely interesting, especially as it focuses on the repercussion of your acts. Although the characters are definitely not my favourite characters ever, I can understand where does things comes from for the characters. I get why Alice was so bitter and hung on a lot on getting revenge; I get why Harvey is in love with Alice (wait, no, I DON’T F GET IT WHY HARVEY COULD POSSIBLY BE CRAZY IN F LOVE WITH ALICE!!!). It’s one thing to have a crush on your childhood friend and believe it to be love, but it’s another thing to be so infatuated that it seems like she is the centre of your f universe. Ugh!
One thing that I liked about this book is that nothing is predictable (well, at least to me). You know from the very beginning that Alice would be in remission (nope, this should not be a spoiler for you, it’s already plastered everywhere if ever you stumble upon this book), but what you’re left to guess is what would happened next now that she’s in remission, and that is something that you could not guess how it ends. Speaking of the end, WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS THAT? Harvey should know better than to follow his stupid hormonal self. Ugh! Major disappointment of an ending. I was almost applauding Harvey when he stand up to himself (more than once, might I add), only to come back to square one? Yeah, way to go, Harvey (except, NOT!).
Although Alice is far from what I would think of an inspiring main character, nor does Harvey, it was actually pretty interesting to see a character as vengeful as Alice and it was until the few last pages that she comes full circle and tries to be a better person. But, honest to God, I just could not bring myself like her, the same goes for Harvey and his stupid hormones. Surprisingly, I found a liking in Dennis; he portrayed a good sense of camaraderie, loyalty, caring, and an honest without expecting something in return kind of friendship.
The story as a whole is a very interesting story, the execution was enjoyable, but I have two major concerns that I cannot overlook. First, what is up with YA that has a character that seems to be an expert in movies and/or music? I am annoyed with that kind of portrayal; it’s always like that. Can’t we have a regular teenage characters that acts like a regular one, and not all pretentious with its interests whatsoever? Second, the Lake Quasipi scene? WTH? I get that it’s suppose to be the oldest amusement park and close to extinction, but, seriously? No form of securities whatsoever? Yeah, I don’t buy that.
megnut's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer and Bullying
Moderate: Infidelity
babs_reviews's review
4.0
I thought Alice was a grade A bitchface that manipulated poor Harvey by pulling on his heart strings. Cancer didn't make her a bitch she just used it as the excuse to pull off the mask. Once she realized she was in remission she was in a tail spin because she didn't know how to put the mask back on and make everyone see her how they did before. I rated it a 4 and that is only because of Harvey. He was the saving grace for this novel, his pure unadulterated love. His story, his feelings, the core of his heart was pure. Plain and simple he saw her, he saw through her, and despite of the ugly she carried on the inside he loved her. For not only the her he could tolerate but the her he couldn't. For it all boiled down to his ability to love her despite herself.
miss_merna's review
2.0
The book is essentially about a girl named Alice who is revealed to have leukemia. She creates a bucket list of things she needs to complete before her death. Forming a close relationship with Harvey is one of them. They were buddies during their younger years before fate took them to different directions
After a while their relationship begins to blossom again. Once Alice is certain her expiry date will come soon, her doctor exposes she’s on remission.
Well, this is when the story went downhill for me. Alice could not simply be happy about the revelation. No she can’t. Well, if she was then we would have to chop off 250 pages. So, we make her somehow upset about her remission. It’s not stated clearly why she is - only it makes her saddened for reasons too important to specify very clearly.
Nice simile.
But..
still not helping because you won’t distinctively tell me which part of getting better upsets you. I must have misread the book. Alice says, she’s unhappy about the remission because now she can be with Harvey. I don't understand. Is she upset about that since her cancer will always be a shadow upon her life? Does it concern her that she will live in fear with Harvey knowing any minute she could lose him, therefore, she has lost that comforting certainty of when her death was already set?
Might be.
The relationship between Harvey and Alice is quite dysfunctional. Harvey genuinely loves Alice and demonstrates this more than enough. Alice feels the same way but she complicates their relationship, and it’s not because of her health, it’s her utter confusing attitude. I frequently felt as if the book was primarily about Harvey's unrequited love for Alice. I would have liked to apprehend the motivation behind Alice's actions, but the book failed in this instance.
Don't give one sentences like: “I knew how to die. It was living that scared me,” and then expect me to completely understand the character. You need to dive deeper and express more in order for me to connect with the character's emotional state.
For instance, after her remission, she attends school but becomes irritated by her classmate’s questions about her leukemia. After school that day, she meets a guy and begins chatting him up. Harvey finds her outside and says he should quickly drive her home, considering it’s cold. She ignores him and continues to chat to the guy while Harvey stands there waiting for her.
It seems this bitchy attitude can be excused because she has cancer. But why? It’s not like cancer strips away your morals. Apparently, this must be it. Maybe that was the whole point of the story. Cancer or more specifically remission makes you a bitch, but you have to redeem yourself... Okay, that doesn't make sense. The story doesn’t have much of a purpose which explains the lack of making sense.
Sometimes, I had thought Alice and Harvey were cute. I could almost see why they were so drawn to each other.
Then again, overuse of angst in romance really makes you think twice. Alice continuously angers Harvey by trying to make him jealous, and when he attempts to get over her by dating someone else then she would become overly jealous. See my problem? God that was so annoying.
Her attitude after her remission is just intolerable. She treats Harvey, who is relentlessly by her side, like shit because she she can't handle her emotions. As suggested earlier, it would appear odious if I criticize the heroine’s bad behavior since she has cancer. I, on the other hand, am not that easy enough to hand her the cancer card, and let her attitude go unnoticed. She basically behaves as if the world owes her something due to her sickness. Alice must have been misinformed about how the world works if that's what she thinks.
Not gonna work.
I could have liked Alice, and many times I did, but there was potential to build her character and provide reasonable and believable explanations as to why she chooses to act the way she does. It would have made the heroine's character development more thorough, instead of purely giving her an epiphany about her actions. (No, it was not a spoiler, in case you're thinking that.)
The non-linear structure of the book might be exasperating to readers. In my opinion, I thought it was done well and fit the book perfectly. The book switches from past to present. The past is the first year of her leukemia and when she is completing her bucket list. The present is set a year after which is throughout the duration of her remission. The POV is told from both Harvey and Alice. They have quite distinct voices. Harvey's tone sounds kinder and more caring, so you could easily identify it.
The book has its amusing and engaging moments, therefore it earns solely one star, plus an extra star for Harvey’s character. But I don’t find the book deserving of anymore. I initially finished the book with satisfaction until I really thought about the story, which then I found myself quite unsatisfied.
I’m sure some will enjoy this, but I find the book… pointless when it comes to realistic fiction.
-------
Sorry. I noticed, I repeat myself quite a lot about how I disliked Alice's attitude. My repetition comes to show how much I really do though...
“Then we’d drifted. High school did that to you, turned you into pieces of driftwood. And the parts of you that you’d tried to keep in one piece became the property of the wind and water, sending those dear pieces you were not.”
After a while their relationship begins to blossom again. Once Alice is certain her expiry date will come soon, her doctor exposes she’s on remission.
Well, this is when the story went downhill for me. Alice could not simply be happy about the revelation. No she can’t. Well, if she was then we would have to chop off 250 pages. So, we make her somehow upset about her remission. It’s not stated clearly why she is - only it makes her saddened for reasons too important to specify very clearly.
“I had Harvey, and I had him for good. Hadn’t that been all I wanted? To make those perfect moments last? But now I felt trapped, like a homeless person who’d been given their dream home only to suffer from intense wanderlust because we always wanted something until we have it.”
Nice simile.
But..
still not helping because you won’t distinctively tell me which part of getting better upsets you. I must have misread the book. Alice says, she’s unhappy about the remission because now she can be with Harvey. I don't understand. Is she upset about that since her cancer will always be a shadow upon her life? Does it concern her that she will live in fear with Harvey knowing any minute she could lose him, therefore, she has lost that comforting certainty of when her death was already set?
Might be.
The relationship between Harvey and Alice is quite dysfunctional. Harvey genuinely loves Alice and demonstrates this more than enough. Alice feels the same way but she complicates their relationship, and it’s not because of her health, it’s her utter confusing attitude. I frequently felt as if the book was primarily about Harvey's unrequited love for Alice. I would have liked to apprehend the motivation behind Alice's actions, but the book failed in this instance.
Don't give one sentences like: “I knew how to die. It was living that scared me,” and then expect me to completely understand the character. You need to dive deeper and express more in order for me to connect with the character's emotional state.
For instance, after her remission, she attends school but becomes irritated by her classmate’s questions about her leukemia. After school that day, she meets a guy and begins chatting him up. Harvey finds her outside and says he should quickly drive her home, considering it’s cold. She ignores him and continues to chat to the guy while Harvey stands there waiting for her.
It seems this bitchy attitude can be excused because she has cancer. But why? It’s not like cancer strips away your morals. Apparently, this must be it. Maybe that was the whole point of the story. Cancer or more specifically remission makes you a bitch, but you have to redeem yourself... Okay, that doesn't make sense. The story doesn’t have much of a purpose which explains the lack of making sense.
Sometimes, I had thought Alice and Harvey were cute. I could almost see why they were so drawn to each other.
“You can play the cancer card forever, Alice.”
“You’re right, just until I’m dead. Then I dub you the carrier of the card, which shall henceforth be known as the ‘my friend died of cancer’ card.”
Then again, overuse of angst in romance really makes you think twice. Alice continuously angers Harvey by trying to make him jealous, and when he attempts to get over her by dating someone else then she would become overly jealous. See my problem? God that was so annoying.
Her attitude after her remission is just intolerable. She treats Harvey, who is relentlessly by her side, like shit because she she can't handle her emotions. As suggested earlier, it would appear odious if I criticize the heroine’s bad behavior since she has cancer. I, on the other hand, am not that easy enough to hand her the cancer card, and let her attitude go unnoticed. She basically behaves as if the world owes her something due to her sickness. Alice must have been misinformed about how the world works if that's what she thinks.
Not gonna work.
I could have liked Alice, and many times I did, but there was potential to build her character and provide reasonable and believable explanations as to why she chooses to act the way she does. It would have made the heroine's character development more thorough, instead of purely giving her an epiphany about her actions. (No, it was not a spoiler, in case you're thinking that.)
The non-linear structure of the book might be exasperating to readers. In my opinion, I thought it was done well and fit the book perfectly. The book switches from past to present. The past is the first year of her leukemia and when she is completing her bucket list. The present is set a year after which is throughout the duration of her remission. The POV is told from both Harvey and Alice. They have quite distinct voices. Harvey's tone sounds kinder and more caring, so you could easily identify it.
The book has its amusing and engaging moments, therefore it earns solely one star, plus an extra star for Harvey’s character. But I don’t find the book deserving of anymore. I initially finished the book with satisfaction until I really thought about the story, which then I found myself quite unsatisfied.
I’m sure some will enjoy this, but I find the book… pointless when it comes to realistic fiction.
-------
Sorry. I noticed, I repeat myself quite a lot about how I disliked Alice's attitude. My repetition comes to show how much I really do though...