Tuesday, August 14, 2012

"The Probability of Miracles" Review



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:



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