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A review by bethfishreads
Chronically Dolores by Maya Van Wagenen
3.5
A contemporary YA novel that address several #OwnVoice issues.
The last day of middle school wasn't what Dolores hoped it would be. Thanks to her interstitial cystitis (a bladder condition), she wet her pants in front of her classmates before she had the chance to race to the bathroom. If that weren't bad enough, she slipped in the puddle and hit her head, which meant she couldn't slink away but had to leave school in ambulance. How's a 14-year-old supposed to outlive *that*?
Unfortunately, that wasn't all Dolores had to face that summer: her BFF was ghosting her, her parents were fighting, and she was forced to attend a "sad kids" workshop. At the workshop, she spots a girl about her own age. When they later meet, Dolores learns that she's not the only kid who is having rough time.
Terpsichore is on the autism spectrum, and her overbearing and overprotective mother insists on homeschooling and forbids Terpsichore to make friends or do anything that other young teens do. Though it would seem that Dolores and Terpsichore have nothing in common, they form an unlikely alliance, each vowing to help the other get what she wants.
Overall, I liked the book; Dolores's maturation and gradual ability to see life and events straight on, without her previous dramatic and rose-colored slant, was believable and relatable. She was contending with a chronic disease, living in poverty, and loneliness. The book included enough humor and one-liners to soften the harder themes.
Terpsichore faced other problems: her loneliness was brought on by her mother's complete lack of faith in Terpsichore's abilities to live in the world and in how others would treat her. While Terpsichore was aware that the odds were against her, she wanted to at least have the chance to follow her dreams.
Other plot lines were Dolores's brother's crush on a guy and her parents' failing relationship. In the course of the summer, Dolores talks with a priest in a confessional, comes to understand a failing friendship, and learns that not everyone is who they seem to be on the surface.
I have two issues with the book's ending: The first involves Dolores's relationship with her ex-BFF, Shae:I would have liked to see some closure here. Perhaps I just missed it, but I wanted Dolores to reach out to Shae so their friendship ended on better terms. The second involves Dolores's parents: I'm not sure why Dolores's parents had to go into bankruptcy and end up divorced. I feel that those were two too many issues explored in the book.
The author's note at the end explains the #OwnVoice aspects of the book, including interstitial cystitis, being on the spectrum, and LBGTQ relationships.
The audiobook was performed by Victoria Villarreal whose accents and characterizations were well done. She delivered the humor well and didn't veer into the overdramatic during the more intense scenes.
Thanks to the publishers for review copies in various formats.
The last day of middle school wasn't what Dolores hoped it would be. Thanks to her interstitial cystitis (a bladder condition), she wet her pants in front of her classmates before she had the chance to race to the bathroom. If that weren't bad enough, she slipped in the puddle and hit her head, which meant she couldn't slink away but had to leave school in ambulance. How's a 14-year-old supposed to outlive *that*?
Unfortunately, that wasn't all Dolores had to face that summer: her BFF was ghosting her, her parents were fighting, and she was forced to attend a "sad kids" workshop. At the workshop, she spots a girl about her own age. When they later meet, Dolores learns that she's not the only kid who is having rough time.
Terpsichore is on the autism spectrum, and her overbearing and overprotective mother insists on homeschooling and forbids Terpsichore to make friends or do anything that other young teens do. Though it would seem that Dolores and Terpsichore have nothing in common, they form an unlikely alliance, each vowing to help the other get what she wants.
Overall, I liked the book; Dolores's maturation and gradual ability to see life and events straight on, without her previous dramatic and rose-colored slant, was believable and relatable. She was contending with a chronic disease, living in poverty, and loneliness. The book included enough humor and one-liners to soften the harder themes.
Terpsichore faced other problems: her loneliness was brought on by her mother's complete lack of faith in Terpsichore's abilities to live in the world and in how others would treat her. While Terpsichore was aware that the odds were against her, she wanted to at least have the chance to follow her dreams.
Other plot lines were Dolores's brother's crush on a guy and her parents' failing relationship. In the course of the summer, Dolores talks with a priest in a confessional, comes to understand a failing friendship, and learns that not everyone is who they seem to be on the surface.
I have two issues with the book's ending: The first involves Dolores's relationship with her ex-BFF, Shae:
The author's note at the end explains the #OwnVoice aspects of the book, including interstitial cystitis, being on the spectrum, and LBGTQ relationships.
The audiobook was performed by Victoria Villarreal whose accents and characterizations were well done. She delivered the humor well and didn't veer into the overdramatic during the more intense scenes.
Thanks to the publishers for review copies in various formats.