Date
Published: December 8, 2011
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Number
of Pages: 360
Publisher:Razorbill
First
Thoughts:
I went into this book
knowing very little about it, I had actually just heard a friend of mine saying
she had picked it up but hadn’t read and when I checked the book out it seemed
interesting enough. And so the journey begins…this book was filled with so much
in-depth thoughts and ideas…this book really makes you think and see life in a
different perspective. I loved that this wasn’t all about the cancer…it was
more of how your perspective of life can change based on the things around you
and how YOU choose to see them. But overall I was very impressed with the story
and would definitely read it again.
Plot:
So this does deal with
cancer and dying, so there were a few heavy moments in the book where you just
felt the gut-wrenching pain of sympathy for the main character. But this book
also had a lot more comical scenes that helped take the weight of the subject
matter off. This wasn’t a story all about the dying…it was a story of living
and learning to live life in the moment rather than the future. I liked the
story of traveling to Promise Maine and experiencing the quaint little town…it
really created a different storyline than the reader was expecting. The town
was filled with such mystery and interesting opportunities that it made the
story more fun and interesting to read. I liked there were different routes
this story took that I wasn’t expecting…every little story had its own reason
and I really enjoyed seeing how it tied in with the main conflict. As far as
the pace of the book it was actually pretty quick, there wasn’t a lot of action
per-se but there was plenty of things happening to keep the reader interested
and invested in the book. I actually wanted to savor this book some, I wanted
to read it more slowly so that I could really grasp all the scenes that were
taking place. I liked the dry humor and the delectable scenes were teenage
drama. And it wasn’t normal teenage drama either, it was more of a mocking of
it in a way, definitely delightful to read. As for the ending I really thought
it was perfect, it almost reminded me of the concept of “The Fault in Our Stars”
it didn’t end in the middle of a sentence but it did have that concept in a
way. So overall I really enjoyed this book’s story and the build-up of the
world.
Romance:
There was some romance in
the story but it wasn’t overwhelming or the main conflict. The romance was more
of a background element and created a lighter atmosphere…it was kind of the
catalyst to the transformation really. And I really enjoyed the romance it wasn’t
perfect but it did have its amazing quality and contributed to the book’s plot.
So overall I really enjoyed the romance in this book.
Characters:
I really enjoyed each of the
characters in this book and I felt that the main character Cam was created
perfectly for this book. She was filled with fire and personality that I just
loved! I also enjoyed some of the supporting characters like her Nana, who I would
love to actually meet in person (That Nana really had some spunk!). It did take
a little bit for me to connect with Cam; she was a little hard for me to attach
to due to her line of thinking and aura. But after a while I got to know her a
little better and I was able to finally connect with her and understand why she
thinks the way she does. So overall I enjoyed the characters in this book and
thought there weren’t any unnecessary characters to ruin the book.
Transformation
of the Character:
There was a beautiful
transformation for Cam! I just loved watching her change throughout the entity
of the book. It was gradual and consistent throughout the book and it was very
easy to see. I know some transformations aren’t that obvious but this one was
and it was actually one of the qualities that made me enjoy this book more. It
was just believable and inspiring and I think without this transformation the
book would solely be lacking. So overall I loved this aspect of the book.
Description:
The description in this book
was amazing at times, this author in particular chose to describe the more
minor details, like the description of a plastic flamingo; it was just perfect.
And the scenery, you could really see the location very well in your mind; the
author lifted that visual barrier so that you could really see what was
happening and how it was affecting Cam and the characters around her. And the
description really helped the reader connect emotionally with the world and
character. We were really able to feel all the experiences of Cam and actually
care. There were definitely some beautifully created scenes in this book, one
of them involving a donkey, water and flour…yeah that scene was just epic. As
for the dialogue I thought it seemed to be true to the character and fit into
the story just right; there wasn’t too much or too little. So overall the
description was really good to the story.
Style:
This was written in third
person and in one POV which allowed the reader to both be close to Cam but also
see different perspectives of the world. I really enjoyed the author’s writing,
she seemed to really draw her inspiration from the simplest things in life and
really put them in inspiring words down onto paper. I really especially enjoyed
the symbol of the flamingo I mean how many books can take a simple object like
a flamingo and turn it into some so inspiration and beautiful that it just
makes you stare at it in a new perspective? Either way I enjoyed this author’s
style and thought it added depth to this book.
Quote
of the Book:
““What’d you do to her?” Cam
asked as she stood up from the recliner.
“I accidently slept with her
husband once or twice. Maybe it was twice,” Nana said distractedly…
“What do you mean, ‘accidently,’
Nana? How can that happen by accident?”…
Nana just shrugged her
shoulders.”
Goodreads
Summary:
Dry, sarcastic,
sixteen-year-old Cam Cooper has spent the last seven years in and out
hospitals. The last thing she wants to do in the short life she has left is
move 1,500 miles away to Promise, Maine - a place known for the miraculous
events that occur there. But it's undeniable that strange things happen in
Promise: everlasting sunsets; purple dandelions; flamingoes in the frigid
Atlantic; an elusive boy named Asher; and finally, a mysterious envelope
containing a list of things for Cam to do before she dies. As Cam checks each
item off the list, she finally learns to believe - in love, in herself, and
even in miracles.
Last
Thoughts:
I would recommend this to YA
and to anyone who is looking for an inspirational read. I really enjoyed this
book and found the hidden gems that it had to offer. I definitely would be
willing to read another book by this author, if she could add the same amount
of thought in images in another book I’m sure that I would love it just as
much. And though this book has its sadder moments in the end it was the message
that it was trying to convey that really mattered.
My
Rating:
I sounds deep. I'll put it on my TBR list.
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