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A review by lifeandliterature
Always and Forever by Karla J. Nellenbach
5.0
I usually like to start a review by recapping how fantastic I thought the book was. But here I am some days later, after finishing Always and Forever and I still can't find the words to adequately describe the impact this book had on me. I admit to crying easily. I get misty eyed about many, many things. But it's very rare for me to find myself so overcome with emotion that I just want to curl into a ball and give in to the gut wrenching sobs that have overcome me.
I knew going in, just from reading the book description, that this wasn't going to be a happily ever after kind of book. But I was completely unprepared for these characters to take hold of me the way that they did. Completely and wholly. And even now just thinking about it, my eyes are struggling to keep the tears contained!!
Unfortunately death is an incredibly sad but inevitable part of life. But that should be once we have lived very long, happy and fulfilled lives. Not when we are sixteen and have already fought and beat cancer once!! Not when you have your whole life ahead of you!! Mia is given the news that cancer has again taken hold of her body, but this time it is inoperable. Once this news has been given to Mia and her family we take the journey with her through the different emotions as she struggles to accept that she is not going to have that long and happy life.
Always and Forever is full of such wonderful characters. Mia just slammed her way into my heart. I laughed with her, I cried with her, I got angry with her and I loved with her. As she pushed her family and friends away I just wanted to hug her and tell her to let these people that love her in. Let them treasure what time they have left!! And then there was Kal... He is just full of love and goodness and I fell completely in love with him. Him and Mia were so perfectly made for each other.
The final scene in the book broke me, not just for the subject matter but for the beauty of the writing. The author's writing is wonderful throughout the whole book, but that final scene completely nailed it for me!!! Heartbreakingly beautiful!!!
There are few certainties in life, but one of them is that I will be reading anything and everything that Karla J. Nellenbach writes from here on out!!
Review first posted at YA Book Addict... http://youngadultbookaddict.blogspot.com.au/
I knew going in, just from reading the book description, that this wasn't going to be a happily ever after kind of book. But I was completely unprepared for these characters to take hold of me the way that they did. Completely and wholly. And even now just thinking about it, my eyes are struggling to keep the tears contained!!
Unfortunately death is an incredibly sad but inevitable part of life. But that should be once we have lived very long, happy and fulfilled lives. Not when we are sixteen and have already fought and beat cancer once!! Not when you have your whole life ahead of you!! Mia is given the news that cancer has again taken hold of her body, but this time it is inoperable. Once this news has been given to Mia and her family we take the journey with her through the different emotions as she struggles to accept that she is not going to have that long and happy life.
Always and Forever is full of such wonderful characters. Mia just slammed her way into my heart. I laughed with her, I cried with her, I got angry with her and I loved with her. As she pushed her family and friends away I just wanted to hug her and tell her to let these people that love her in. Let them treasure what time they have left!! And then there was Kal... He is just full of love and goodness and I fell completely in love with him. Him and Mia were so perfectly made for each other.
The final scene in the book broke me, not just for the subject matter but for the beauty of the writing. The author's writing is wonderful throughout the whole book, but that final scene completely nailed it for me!!! Heartbreakingly beautiful!!!
There are few certainties in life, but one of them is that I will be reading anything and everything that Karla J. Nellenbach writes from here on out!!
Review first posted at YA Book Addict... http://youngadultbookaddict.blogspot.com.au/