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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
This was a book I wouldn't have picked up for myself. It was chosen for a book club and, while I didn't hate it and felt oddly compelled to keep reading, I didn't love it. The book follows Sammie, an overachieving, debate club-participating, some of socially estranged high schooler. Some days before her senior year is ending, she discovers she is about to have curve ball thrown her way in the form of a staggering disease.
1 star - I found the story telling of the book interesting. Sammie is talking to herself (Future Sam) in an attempt to always have a physical log of her thoughts. This journal of sorts takes some interesting turns, sometimes very poorly written (on purpose) and other times letting family and friends write a passage or transcribing a text conversation. I like mixed media, so this was a nice niche.
2 stars - While not necessarily well-rounded, Sammie's relationships gave some depth to the story. I'm a little torn between feeling like the relationships were all tied up in the end and not tied up enough, but they certainly taught the reader a few last-minute lessons.
3 stars - The pacing (mostly) was good. It kept me hooked for sure.
Why it lost stars: While Sammie did know where her health was headed, I felt things ended up a little too wrapped up. Usually, as a reader, I like things to be resolved by the end. With this story, however, it just felt...almost too neat? I was definitely engaged in reading this book, but it just wasn't 'everything' to me. Maybe if we had several POVs I would have felt it a little more well-rounded.
1 star - I found the story telling of the book interesting. Sammie is talking to herself (Future Sam) in an attempt to always have a physical log of her thoughts. This journal of sorts takes some interesting turns, sometimes very poorly written (on purpose) and other times letting family and friends write a passage or transcribing a text conversation. I like mixed media, so this was a nice niche.
2 stars - While not necessarily well-rounded, Sammie's relationships gave some depth to the story. I'm a little torn between feeling like the relationships were all tied up in the end and not tied up enough, but they certainly taught the reader a few last-minute lessons.
3 stars - The pacing (mostly) was good. It kept me hooked for sure.
Why it lost stars: While Sammie did know where her health was headed, I felt things ended up a little too wrapped up. Usually, as a reader, I like things to be resolved by the end. With this story, however, it just felt...almost too neat? I was definitely engaged in reading this book, but it just wasn't 'everything' to me. Maybe if we had several POVs I would have felt it a little more well-rounded.
I had a very hard time getting into this book for the first half. The book started as more of a "journal" aspect and then it switched to first person in a very choppy format. Yes, it was sad at times, but I wasn't completely torn by it.
Meh. It's ok - not bad, not good, a little slow and predictable. But I do like the relationship between the two main characters and I think the required YA love triangle was handled well. In the end, a perfectly serviceable and enjoyable book with some parts that made me tear up.
Ik denk dat dit boek best wel bijzonder was. Zeker omdat het in zo'n origineel vertelperspectief is geschreven. Door de dagboekvorm had ik zo'n gevoel dat het écht was, en dat maakte alles best wel speciaal. Toch kon ik door een aantal kleine storende details niet voor de 5 sterren of meer gaan. Maar dat wil niet zeggen dat dit boek me niet tot tranen gebracht heeft... Echt, dit boek moet je niet lezen voor je gaat slapen anders lig je heel de nacht te huilen.
I absolutely loved this! The story and characters are so beautiful, and I cried for a long while at the end of the book!
Oh this book has broken my poor, black heart. ITS NOT USED TO THESE FEELINGS!
I honestly don't know how to review this book. I am just shattered.
Note: I do not recommend reading this book in public. You will cry and you will embarrass yourself.
This is the story about Sammie. Sammie is an excellent debater, valedictorian, and NYU bound. But Sammie also has Niemann-Pick Type C. An incurable hereditary disease that was causes dementia. This story is told via letters from present Sammie to future Sammie so she doesn't forget parts of her past.
b>Things I Liked
1. Sammie is absolutely dorky but also relate-able. She struggles with social cues and she'd rather read than go to a party. (Or read at parties. Middle Earth popped up quite a few times.
2. I loved the writing. I was giggling out loud a lot of this book. (HUGE BONUS for an "illness book") But also there are times when the reality of Sammie's situation smacks you in the face and its jarring but amazing.
3. Cooper
4. How accurately dementia is portrayed.
5. Sammie's family
6. Sammie is smart, but not pretentious (unlike another lovable narrator in another "illness book")
7. Cooper :) (I can't end on 6, that's absurd.)
Things I Didn't Like
1. The love-triangle. I am tired of the love-triangle troupe in general.
2. How Maddie threw a fit when she found out Sammie hadn't confided her disease with her right away and basically shut her out for the last month or so of school. Petty much?
3.
Seriously, everyone should read this book and talk to me about it because its beautiful and sad and heartbreaking.
I honestly don't know how to review this book. I am just shattered.
Note: I do not recommend reading this book in public. You will cry and you will embarrass yourself.
This is the story about Sammie. Sammie is an excellent debater, valedictorian, and NYU bound. But Sammie also has Niemann-Pick Type C. An incurable hereditary disease that was causes dementia. This story is told via letters from present Sammie to future Sammie so she doesn't forget parts of her past.
b>Things I Liked
1. Sammie is absolutely dorky but also relate-able. She struggles with social cues and she'd rather read than go to a party. (Or read at parties. Middle Earth popped up quite a few times.
2. I loved the writing. I was giggling out loud a lot of this book. (HUGE BONUS for an "illness book") But also there are times when the reality of Sammie's situation smacks you in the face and its jarring but amazing.
3. Cooper
4. How accurately dementia is portrayed.
5. Sammie's family
6. Sammie is smart, but not pretentious (unlike another lovable narrator in another "illness book")
7. Cooper :) (I can't end on 6, that's absurd.)
Things I Didn't Like
1. The love-triangle. I am tired of the love-triangle troupe in general.
Spoiler
I hated that Sammie cheats on Stuart. I get that she was beginning to have feelings for Cooper while she was with Stuart, but she absolutely should have broken up with him. Cheating is still cheating even if you're in love with person you are cheating with. That said, I do love Cooper and Sammie and I'm glad they ended up together, but I dislike how it happened.2. How Maddie threw a fit when she found out Sammie hadn't confided her disease with her right away and basically shut her out for the last month or so of school. Petty much?
3.
Spoiler
How little Maddie is featured in the story after the incident on graduation night. Where is the female friendship?Seriously, everyone should read this book and talk to me about it because its beautiful and sad and heartbreaking.
It was an inspiring book in my opinion, because of this book I now write a journal the good and the bad. The way the book ended made me a sobbing mess, but let me be honest the whole book made me cry I felt like sammie deserved a better (longer) life than what she was given. The entries that her family wrote at the end broke my heart but it also made me smile at the same time because sammie at least got to read what her family wrote before she passed.
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book left me crying in the end. i loved it so much i got through it in two sittings