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A review by zanybibliophile
Kasey & Ivy by Alison Hughes
5.0
Kasey is a brave twelve-year-old girl with severe germophobia who has been diagnosed with a rare bone disease that requires a month-long stay in the hospital to receive the treatment necessary to cure it. Her being forced to stay in the hospital for a month is not the result Kasey had expected from her doctor appointment, but she puts on a brave face so her parents and younger siblings do not worry too much. One of the ways Kasey passes the time and possibly a method of dealing with the situation is to write letters about the experience to her next door neighbour and friend, Nina.
It is through these twenty-six letters that Kasey's story is told and it I believe it was done really well. The language and point of view were how I would imagine a child to speak and view situations. I also liked that, while the letters were always respectful, they did detail the most undesirable aspects of Kasey's hospital stay, such as the unpleasant bathing experience and the hospital wing going into quarantine.
The characters she meets during her hospital stay are all interesting in their own ways and I like that with little effort these characters had backstories. These characters have different purposes - some to entertain her, others to look after her and a few to teach her some valuable life lessons. It was also great that Kasey had some personal growth evident in her letters. She left the hospital with a much better understanding of life and a slightly different view of the world.
While the letter style originally seemed simplistic, I soon fell in love with the style and feel that the format was probably the best way to tell this deep and meaningful story while keeping it light and easy for younger audiences to read. It was an emotional read and had me tearing up in parts, but it was also extremely humbling to read. I recommend this book to everyone though it does come with the warning that it may tug at your heartstrings.
It is through these twenty-six letters that Kasey's story is told and it I believe it was done really well. The language and point of view were how I would imagine a child to speak and view situations. I also liked that, while the letters were always respectful, they did detail the most undesirable aspects of Kasey's hospital stay, such as the unpleasant bathing experience and the hospital wing going into quarantine.
The characters she meets during her hospital stay are all interesting in their own ways and I like that with little effort these characters had backstories. These characters have different purposes - some to entertain her, others to look after her and a few to teach her some valuable life lessons. It was also great that Kasey had some personal growth evident in her letters. She left the hospital with a much better understanding of life and a slightly different view of the world.
While the letter style originally seemed simplistic, I soon fell in love with the style and feel that the format was probably the best way to tell this deep and meaningful story while keeping it light and easy for younger audiences to read. It was an emotional read and had me tearing up in parts, but it was also extremely humbling to read. I recommend this book to everyone though it does come with the warning that it may tug at your heartstrings.