Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event held by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.
This week's pick:
Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy
Expected Publication Date: March 18th, 2014
Publisher: HarperCollins/ Balzer + Bray
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, YA
What if you’d been living your life as if you were dying—only to find out that you had your whole future ahead of you?
When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, her prognosis is grim. To maximize the time she does have, she vows to spend her final months righting wrongs—however she sees fit. She convinces her friend Harvey, whom she knows has always had feelings for her, to help her with a crazy bucket list that’s as much about revenge (humiliating her ex-boyfriend and getting back at her arch nemesis) as it is about hope (doing something unexpectedly kind for a stranger and reliving some childhood memories). But just when Alice’s scores are settled, she goes into remission.
Now Alice is forced to face the consequences of all that she’s said and done, as well as her true feelings for Harvey. But has she done irreparable damage to the people around her, and to the one person who matters most?
Julie Murphy’s SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY is a fearless and moving tour de force about love, life, and facing your own mortality.
My Thoughts
Stories like this always force the reader to reevaluate their lives with the simple question of living as if your next breath could be your last. I find that it's an interesting take on reality, especially in YA novels since the characters are so young and you can actually connect with some of the issues they are going through. This looks to be a promising debut. I can't wait to check it out.
Renée
When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, her prognosis is grim. To maximize the time she does have, she vows to spend her final months righting wrongs—however she sees fit. She convinces her friend Harvey, whom she knows has always had feelings for her, to help her with a crazy bucket list that’s as much about revenge (humiliating her ex-boyfriend and getting back at her arch nemesis) as it is about hope (doing something unexpectedly kind for a stranger and reliving some childhood memories). But just when Alice’s scores are settled, she goes into remission.
Now Alice is forced to face the consequences of all that she’s said and done, as well as her true feelings for Harvey. But has she done irreparable damage to the people around her, and to the one person who matters most?
Julie Murphy’s SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY is a fearless and moving tour de force about love, life, and facing your own mortality.
My Thoughts
Stories like this always force the reader to reevaluate their lives with the simple question of living as if your next breath could be your last. I find that it's an interesting take on reality, especially in YA novels since the characters are so young and you can actually connect with some of the issues they are going through. This looks to be a promising debut. I can't wait to check it out.
Renée
