Review: The F-It List by Julie Halpern

With her signature heart and humor, Julie Halpern explores a strained friendship strengthened by one girl’s battle with cancer.

Alex’s father recently died in a car accident. And on the night of his funeral, her best friend Becca slept with Alex’s boyfriend. So things aren’t great. Alex steps away from her friendship with Becca and focuses on her family.

But when Alex finally decides to forgive Becca, she finds out something that will change her world again--Becca has cancer.

So what do you do when your best friend has cancer? You help her shave her head. And then you take her bucket list and try to fulfill it on her behalf. Because if that’s all you can do to help your ailing friend--you do it.

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Julie Halpern brings something new to the "YA cancer lit" subgenre with The F-It List... simply put, I love this book.

Most YA cancer novels feature either a teen who has cancer or who has a parent with cancer, but this is the first time I've seen that the main character is the best friend of someone with cancer. The fact that Alex is the best friend, not the patient, adds an entirely new perspective to the mix. When you consider the fact that Alex has recently lost her father (to a car accident), her boyfriend (after he slept with her best friend, Becca), and her life is now a complete and utter mess, then throw in Becca having cancer, you know that Halpern is going to steer readers towards some pretty heavy topics.. What you might not expect is that there will be plenty of laughter, plenty of hope, and even more living within the pages of The F-It List.

One of the defining elements of The F-It List was Alex and Becca's relationship. It isn't every day you come across best friends like these two. Sure, they've done some pretty horrible things to one another, but, honestly, what best friends don't find themselves in those situations? Becca, in a moment of misguided weakness, sleeps with Alex's boyfriend... the day of Alex's father's funeral. In response, Alex refuses to speak to or see Becca for the entire summer following the funeral and betrayal. But, the first day of the new school year, Alex goes in search of Becca... because they're best friends and people make mistakes sometimes and deserve to be forgiven. Best friends are sometimes selfish and sometimes entirely self-sacrificing: Alex and Becca have been both, they understand and accept one another, and they're stronger because of it.

For a cancer book, The F-It List, is surprisingly funny. It's easy to expect quirky and/or touching when it comes to "cancer lit," but I can't remember the last time I literally laughed aloud; there is usually a lot more crying than laughing happening. Alex and Becca, however, keep living, with the help of the f-it list, and never give into the cancer that threatens Becca's future. It's clear from the start, when Becca flashes her neighbor to fulfill a goal on the f-it list and decides to shave her head to beat the chemotherapy to taking the hair she's so proud of, that she isn't the type to go down without a fight.

In the midst of Becca's struggle, Alex has other things vying for her attention. Like the father she's recently lost, her mother and two brothers who feels broken without her father, and a mysterious and distracting boy, who should be the least of her worries with all the death and drama currently surrounding her days, but who somehow keeps inserting himself into the forefront of her mind.

I truly appreciated that Halpern never made Alex's issues seem less than Becca's. Instead, the two girls were a united front. They were each fighting battles, sometimes together and sometimes separate, but neither was more or less important. 

I highly recommend Julie Halpern's The F-It List. It deals with difficult topics in a very real, alive sort of way. There are tears, but there is also laughter and real, genuine happiness because Alex and Becca refuse to stop living, no matter what life throws their way.

Feiwel & Friends, November 2013, Hardcover, ISBN:  9781250025654, 256 pgs.

Review: The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle

For as long as she can remember, Wren Gray’s goal has been to please her parents. But as high school graduation nears, so does an uncomfortable realization: Pleasing her parents once overlapped with pleasing herself, but now... not so much. Wren needs to honor her own desires, but how can she if she doesn’t even know what they are?

Charlie Parker, on the other hand, is painfully aware of his heart’s desire. A gentle boy with a troubled past, Charlie has loved Wren since the day he first saw her. But a girl like Wren would never fall for a guy like Charlie—at least not the sort of guy Charlie believes himself to be.

And yet certain things are written in the stars. And in the summer after high school, Wren and Charlie’s souls will collide. But souls are complicated, as are the bodies that house them...

Sexy, romantic, and oh-so-true to life, this is an unforgettable look at first love from one of young adult fiction’s greatest writers.

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My feelings regarding Lauren Myracle's newest novel, The Infinite Moment of Us, are conflicted. While the novel realistically portrayed aspects of the a teen life and romance, I also felt that it glossed over and simplified other important aspects of the story and I felt little connection to the novel's main characters, Wren and Charlie.

Told in alternating point-of-view, The Infinite Moment of Us introduces readers to two teens who are entering into their first serious relationship. Charlie has been interested in the reserved Wren since he's seen her around school, but it isn't until graduation that Wren really notices Charlie. After a chance meeting at the hospital, where Wren volunteers, the two chat and their interest deepens. Later, at a party, Charlie asks Wren out and their romance quickly flourishes. This is a summer of endings before Wren, Charlie, and their friends set off from their hometown to embrace whatever their futures hold, but in many ways, it's also a summer of firsts. Both Wren and Charlie are experiencing fear of leaving and disappointing their families as they venture out into the world. They're trying to figure out who they are as individuals and as a couple. And, of course, they're experiencing all-consuming, heartbreaking, life-changing love for the first time.

There are definitely good things about The Infinite Moment of Us. In many respects, it offers a realistic portrayal of a teenaged couple's first sexual experience and the thoughts that often accompany it. I found the details about sex in this novel to be refreshingly honest and frank. I never felt that Myracle went too far into detail, but I wouldn't say she ever faded to black either. It felt more like she was trying to do the emotions behind the actions and choices justice, rather than the physical aspects, and she achieved her goal.

As difficult as it was to read and stomach, I felt that Wren's jealously about Charlie and his dedication to his family was also realistically done. Charlie grew up in the foster system and saw his fair share of bad homes and foster parents, but he finally has a real, supportive family when he meets Wren. His little brother, who has been in a wheelchair for his whole life after being abused by his biological father, is often bullied at school and Charlie is extremely protective of him. As one might expect, Charlie has a strong bond with his family and is always willing to drop everything to be with them when necessary. Wren, has a difficult time accepting this. She often feels that Charlie is choosing his family over her, though she realizes that this is mostly in her head and that it is unfair and selfish of her to feel this way. While I'm no stranger to this "choosing your family over me" jealousy, I really wish it weren't used in this situation because it makes Wren looks so immature and spoiled! I could not forgive Wren for even considering making Charlie feel bad for being there for his brother, who clearly needs him much more than she does! Still, I know there are girls like this - heck, I had my selfish, spoiled days like this, just ask my high school boyfriend! - so, again, I have to applaud Myracle's realism here.

As mentioned, Myracle does bring up many different big, tough topics in this novel. Bullying, foster care, emotional damage, controlling and emotionally destructive parenting styles, etc, etc. There's a lot going on in The Infinite Moment of Us... it's actually quite ambitious. The problem is, at least for me, that it's all secondary to the romantic plot line. If you can call it that... it's actually just a lot of really sappy, over-blown "I love yous" and "Please don't leave mes." Which, again, it pretty darn realistic, but I'm not sure it's a message that I support. It'd be one thing if this relationship didn't work out or if Charlie and Wren decided to pursue their individual plans and try for long distance, but things take a nosedive. They do not keep being individuals who have happen to have dated for three months, Charlie changes his plans and decides to follow Wren. NO, NO, NO. I heartily dislike this decision. Because I have been in the same position as Wren and Charlie... I have been there and I clearly remember how I was feeling and I made the choice to follow someone else's plans and I should have stuck to my guns and followed my path. You do not follow anyone when you are eighteen and you are in your first relationship that has lasted a summer. I admit that maybe I'm a bit jaded in the love department, but I would never tell any eighteen year old I know to change their plans, even vacation plans, for a three month relationship! 

Okay, rant over, I promise! 

Unfortunately, I never felt any huge connection to Charlie and Wren. They were both a bit flat and, honestly, not very likeable, which is an issue in a novel like The Infinite Moment of Us, which is very character driven. As discussed previously, Wren is quite selfish and I didn't find her very appealing. I couldn't tell you why Charlie was so hung up on her, except that she's, apparently, attractive. The reader is told she's a fantastic person, but we never really see any evidence of this. Charlie, on the other hand, has the potential to be a compelling character, but he's too distracted by Wren and busy saying cheesy things to do anything interesting. 

In many ways, The Infinite Moment of Us reminded me of Judy Blume's Forever. So, if you're a fan of that novel, I think you'll find plenty to like here. I will give credit where it's do and say that Myracle created a very realistic situation with Wren and Charlie. My issue, however, comes from the way these characters were handled. The events in this novel could definitely happen - in fact, they're probably happening right this moment - but these characters could have been so much more! I felt like they'd already been used as an example and, in some ways, as a cautionary tale, so why not follow through and skip the rose-colored glasses in the final scene?

Amulet Books, August 2013, Hardcover, ISBN:9781419707933, 336 pgs.

Review: If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch

There are some things you can’t leave behind…

A broken-down camper hidden deep in a national forest is the only home fifteen year-old Carey can remember. The trees keep guard over her threadbare existence, with the one bright spot being Carey’s younger sister, Jenessa, who depends on Carey for her very survival. All they have is each other, as their mentally ill mother comes and goes with greater frequency. Until that one fateful day their mother disappears for good, and two strangers arrive. Suddenly, the girls are taken from the woods and thrust into a bright and perplexing new world of high school, clothes and boys.

Now, Carey must face the truth of why her mother abducted her ten years ago, while haunted by a past that won’t let her go… a dark past that hides many a secret, including the reason Jenessa hasn’t spoken a word in over a year. Carey knows she must keep her sister close, and her secrets even closer, or risk watching her new life come crashing down.

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Emily Murdoch's If You Find Me is unique in that it has a slow burning intensity that pulls the reader in until they've completely fallen in love with Carey and Jenessa without even realizing it was happening.

If You Find Me tells the heartbreaking story of Carey and her little sister, Jenessa, who have been kept away from people and civilization - and often completely alone in the wilderness - by their addict mother. The girls often fend for themselves, as their mother regularly disappears for long stretches of time, but, as the novel opens, they're nearing the end of their food stores and Carey is starting to worry about what will happen if their mother doesn't reappear. Things take a turn when a social worker and Carey's estranged father find the girls, as directed in a letter by Carey's mother, and take them back to live with him. The girls are thankful that they're still together and that they're warm and fed, but things are still complicated. Jenessa still refuses to speak (she's been selectively mute since something happened to the girls during their time in the wilderness) and Carey finds that, while she isn't behind academically, socially she's an entirely different wavelength from her peers. She's either too mature or too naive and she often struggles to adjust to the new world she's so suddenly entered.

Carey and Jenessa are two of my absolute favorite characters. They felt so real to me that I often forgot that they weren't real people. I was so caught up in their story that I found myself telling anyone who would listen about what was happening to them as the story progressed and I often referred to them as if they were real people. 

I loved Carey's complexity. I think part of the reason that she felt so realistic was that she was complicated and unsure and often contradicted herself, as I imagine someone who grew up like she did would. At different points in the novel, she either hated, felt love for, or missed her mother. As an outside observer, I had no love for Carey's mother and what she put the girls through, but I could definitely see how things wouldn't be so easily black and white for Carey. After all, though she knew on an intellectual level that what her mother did was wrong, it's often extremely difficult for an individual, especially a young person, to completely hate their parent, especially when that parent is one of the only people they've ever had contact with.

I really enjoyed the novel's secondary characters as well, especially Carey's father. He's definitely an important character, but he never really says much nor does Carey talk about him extensively, but every time he is mentioned or appears in the book, the passage had weight and meaning. 

Even if I hadn't been tied to the novel by my love of Carey and her sister, the mystery element - which is directly tied to Jenessa's selective mutism - would have made it hard for me to set If You Find Me aside. I had to know what happened to the girls that had affected their lives so deeply, especially when their lives were already so difficult and unusual. I felt that I had to know, yet I was afraid to find out because I was so emotionally invested in the characters.

Lastly, I have to mention the romantic aspects of this novel. It might seem that their is no place for romance in If You Find Me next to the novel's premise and emotional weight, but that isn't the case. The romance in this novel isn't at all random or an attempt to appease or attract romance readers - it has meaning and fits beautifully. 

I highly recommend Murdoch's If You Find Me and will definitely be reading her future offerings. This is a book that I'll no doubt be constantly pushing on my fellow readers!

St. Martin's Griffin, March 2013, Hardcover, ISBN: 9781250021526, 256 pgs.