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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
THOSE SCUMBAGS! LEAVING CHARLIE DEAD IN THE WOODS! I get that they needed that medecine to survive but still I can't believe they just left him there dead in the woods. Like who do you think you are? And I knew girlfriend was going to die as soon as she said she her chest ached going up stairs.
Reading durning covid was weird, but made it more interesting to me. I really liked this book, but I could have gone without all the Harry Potter references and the rushed ending. I felt like I needed more time with Lane and what happened after.
When I was little I used to read all these Lurlene McDaniel books about dying teenagers. I don't know, I guess I thought it was dramatic or I liked being sad. Whatever it was I ate them up. But, we live in a post-The Fault in Our Stars world now and any book about sick teenagers is ultimately going to be compared to John Green's massively successful novel.
Here I think the comparison is probably apt. This book is told in the same precocious, sort of adorable prose. But this didn't have the same inevitability that The Fault in Our Stars did for me. I remember after the movie came out one of my friends commented that she thought one of the main characters died when it turned out to be the other. Now, I don't want to spoil TFIOS or anything, but one of those kids wasn't going to make it to the end and it's told in a first person narrative. Here I wasn't sure where it would go, until it's final outcome. I wasn't exactly surprised but there were elements that I definitely didn't see coming.
Here I think the comparison is probably apt. This book is told in the same precocious, sort of adorable prose. But this didn't have the same inevitability that The Fault in Our Stars did for me. I remember after the movie came out one of my friends commented that she thought one of the main characters died when it turned out to be the other. Now, I don't want to spoil TFIOS or anything, but one of those kids wasn't going to make it to the end and it's told in a first person narrative. Here I wasn't sure where it would go, until it's final outcome. I wasn't exactly surprised but there were elements that I definitely didn't see coming.
I enjoyed this story; I liked the character development and how well they're connected to each other. Great choice for Teen Reads/Book Club :)
Whoa. I was not ready for those feels, tho.
Full review to come!
Full review to come!
Very, very John Greeney. But that also means it's good. Perfect, tragic teens-who-have-an-incurable-illness romance. Insight into what's important in life, not taking simple things for granted, friendship is important, etc.
Extraordinary Means is a story about a teenage boy Lane, who finds himself at Lantham House, a sanitarium for young adults who suffer from an incurable strain of tuberculosis. On his first day at the boarding school/hospital, Lane has already messed up the rules and has almost failed at the most basic of tasks, including breakfast. There he see’s Sadie, a girl from his past who is so different than who she used to be, and his life totally changes when he becomes a part of her quirky group of friends.
While all the characters in the novel had the one thing in common, their reason for being at Lantham House, that’s the only thing this group of teens have in common. Lane was an overachiever who has to learn to let it all go in order to just survive, and watching him learn to relax with help from Sadie and her friends was really interesting. Sadie was probably the most interesting character in the story for me. She took something bad, being at Lantham House, and made the absolute best she could of the situation. No longer was she the shy girl that Lane knew from before, instead she was snarky and confident, a totally different girl. The secondary characters in the novel were all interesting as well, and I loved that they were all so different in their own ways. Together, these kids really were an awesome group.
I’ve read quite a few books lately that deal with illness, so I figured this book would be really similar to those, but it still managed to stand apart from the rest. I thought the storyline was really creative, and while the illness plays a huge part in the storyline, it doesn’t completely overwhelm the rest of the story. It was interesting to see how these kids had to live with the illness, and what they had to face on a daily basis because of it.
Overall; I really enjoyed Extraordinary Means. This is the first book that I’ve read by Robyn Schneider, but it definitely won’t be my last. I have her previous release, The Beginning of Everything, sitting on my shelf, just waiting to be read. I’ll definitely be moving it up on my to-read list!
Happy Reading!
I stayed up all night to finish reading this book. It. Was. Beautiful. If you like John Green's work I highly suggest you check this book out. It has that flair to it. Life does not always go according to the plan. It's meant to be lived.