Thursday, July 11, 2019

One Old, One New: The Jen Malone Edition

One Old, One New features two books - one old, one new, which are connected in some way. Today, I am sharing two books by Jen Malone.


The Arrival of Someday
Jen Malone
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: HarperTeen
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
In this heartfelt and emotionally candid contemporary YA, author Jen Malone delves into the life of a teen whose world is brought to an abrupt halt when she learns she’s in dire need of an organ transplant.

Hard-charging and irrepressible eighteen-year-old Amelia Linehan could see a roller derby opponent a mile away—and that’s while crouched down, bent over skates, and zooming around a track at the speed of light. They don’t call her Rolldemort for nothing! What she couldn’t see coming, however, was the unexpected flare-up of a rare liver disorder she was born with. But now it’s the only thing she—and everyone around her—can think about.

With no guarantee of a viable organ transplant, everything Amelia’s been sure of—like her college plans, the mural she’d been commissioned to paint, or the possibility of one day falling in love—has become a huge question mark, threatening to drag her down into a sea of what-ifs she’s desperate to avoid.

Then a friend from the past shows up. With Will, it’s easy to forget about what’s lurking underneath the lightness of their time together. It’s easy to feel alive when all signs point elsewhere. On the other hand, with the odds decidedly not in her favor, Amelia knows this feeling couldn’t last forever. But what can?
I always think I know what I am getting myself into, when I opt to read a "sick kids" book, but still, I under estimate the emotional toll it will have on me. My advice for reading this book: grab a box of tissues and be ready to shed some tears, because it was painful, while also being really touching and beautiful.

Lia was such an incredible character. I first met her, while she was dominating on the roller derby track, so fierce and commanding. But, she was born with biliary atresia, and knew that, someday, she would need a new liver. Unfortunately, that someday had arrived during her derby practice.

This story followed Lia and her family as they tried to come to terms with Lia's illness and her possible impending death. Yes, very emotional stuff. Being in the head of an eighteen year old as she grappled with her own mortality was extremely difficult at times, but Malone really did a wonderful job with depicting Lia's feelings, and interspersing the heartbreaking moments with some joyful, fun, and lighthearted ones.
"Why does a disease only one person is afflicted with get to affect so many people?"
I must also comment Malone on how well she explored how Lia's illness affected her loved ones. As a parent, I was especially moved by many of the scenes involving Lia's mother and father. Their pain was palpable. There are tears currently streaming down my face, as I recall the heart-to-heart Lia and her dad shared. It was so incredibly touching, it made my heart physically ache.
"That's what I want for you, Sunshine. More 'remember-whens'" - Dad to Lia
This story also covered organ donation, and what the families and patients awaiting an organ may experience. The anxiety and disappointment Lia and her family felt had me feeling really good about the fact that I am a registered organ donor, and have a directive in place to donate my body to science in the event of my death. Although this was a fictional story, it was based upon a real person, and there are many people out there, facing a fate very much like Lia's. I hope that a story like this will inspire others to learn more about organ donation, and perhaps, consider becoming a donor themselves.

I wouldn't call this an easy read. I actually need to thank Shannon for all her emotional support, but it was nonetheless a beautiful story, which really touched my heart.

**ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

Wanderlost
Jen Malone
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: HarperTeen
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Not all those who wander are lost, but Aubree Sadler most definitely is on this novel’s whirlwind trip through Europe.

Aubree can’t think of a better place to be than in perfectly boring Ohio, and she’s ready for a relaxing summer. But when her older sister, Elizabeth, gets into real trouble, Aubree is talked into taking over Elizabeth’s summer job, leading a group of senior citizens on a bus tour through Europe.

Aubree doesn’t even make it to the first stop in Amsterdam before their perfect plan unravels, leaving her with no phone, no carefully prepared binder full of helpful facts, and an unexpected guest: the tour company owner’s son, Sam. Considering she’s pretending to be Elizabeth, she absolutely shouldn’t fall for him, but she can’t help it, especially with the most romantic European cities as the backdrop for their love story.

But her relationship with Sam is threatening to ruin her relationship with her sister, and she feels like she’s letting both of them down. Aubree knows this trip may show her who she really is—she just hopes she likes where she ends up.
It wasn't easy being the little sister, and Aubree had been living in her sister's shadow her entire life. When Aubree was forced to take her sister's place leading a European tour, she saw it has her opportunity to prove to her sister, and the rest of the family, that she was a mature and capable person. She not only demonstrated this to her family, but she confirmed it with herself.

I had such a wonderful time on this trip with Aubree! It's not a crime to be a little scared to step outside your comfort zone, but poor Aubree was shoved with both hands. At first, she relied heavily on the kindness of strangers, but with each baby step she took, her confidence grew, and she began to take ownership of this trip. It was such a delight to see her grow over the course of this book, and I sort of was proud of everything she accomplished.

And, how lucky was Aubree to have Sam. That boy was such a sweet little cinnamon roll. For a while, I only had heart-eyes for him. He was perfect! He was thoughtful and fun and caring and his interactions with Aubree made me giddy. But, you know what? I think I loved him even more, when I found out he had a few flaws. But, yeah, he definitely earned a place on the list of fictional suitors for my daughter.

Being in Europe was fantastic. This was one lucky tour group, because they did and saw so many amazing things. All the sights were fabulous, but even more fabulous was Aubree's tour group. You know I love old people, and this was a fun and feisty group of seniors. They shared so much of their wisdom with Aubree, and they definitely contributed to her growth process.

Wanderlost was a wonderful and adorable book, which allowed me to share so much laughter, warmth, and joy with this group of travelers.

Do you have a favorite crying book?
Let us know in the comments!

26 comments:

  1. I cry at pretty much anything in books, films and the news! I cried buckets during The Kite Runner and Book Thief, and any book where my favourite characters were in danger.

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    1. How did I not know you were a crier! The Kite Runner and The Book Thief are super emotional. I can totally understand crying as you read those those.

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  2. I haven't hear of this author before but these books sounds interesting. 'The arrival of someday' sounds emotional but the quotes you included were beautiful and sad-- I like that it talked about how it effects loved ones because that's very true. I like how it talks about organ donation as I think that is an important topic!!
    Wanderlost sounds great as well-- talking about stepping out of your comfort zone and cinnamon roll characters-- YES it sounds great!! And I love Europe too!! It sounds like I should check out both these books!!
    Great post!!

    Sophie @ Me and Ink

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    1. Arrival was sad, but beautiful and it reminds you to value every moment you have and the people you love. Wanderlost was everything I hoped it would be, and it made me really happy

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  3. I can't believe I've had Wanderlost on my TBR for so long and still haven't read it! I'm in dire need for some super sweet romances. And thanks so much for adding The Arrival of Someday to my TBR. It sounds like a really powerful book, and I can't wait to cry all the tears for it. Lovely reviews!

    - Aimee @ Aimee, Always

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    1. If you need something adorbs, Wanderlost will deftly fill that need.

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  4. Ahh lovely reviews! I'm so happy you liked Wanderlost, I thought it was such a fun read adn it made me want to travel everywhere, too, haha :) I hadn't heard a lot about The Arrival of Someday, I need to add it to my TBR, I'm all for a good emotional book every now and then :)

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    1. If you can do sick kid books, I think you would enjoy Arrival. It was lovely and painful and honest and wonderful, really.

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  5. Books with sick or hurting kids just gut me!

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    1. Those books either end with a death or a new lease on life, but they are always very hopeful, and remind me to value every second I have with the people I love.

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  6. As I am not in the mood for something hard or to cry I'd go with your second choice today Sam!

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    1. If you need a super cute read, Wanderlost is perfect

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  7. I don't cry often. It's super rare so when I do, I treasure the book a lot! But Wanderlost sounds amazing! The first book sounds so emotional. I wonder how the author does the experiences of the family while awaiting an organ. I can't imagine how that must be like.
    Genesis @ Whispering Chapters

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    1. I never realized what an emotionally draining process being an organ recipient was. Malone clearly illustrated their struggle.

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  8. Wanderlost sounds adorable, just the kind of book I've been looking to add to my summer TBR. And I like how The Arrival of Someday covers the topic of organ donation.

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    1. I bought Wanderlost years ago after reading Changes in Latitudes, and I am so glad I did, because it was a perfect "me" YA contemporary.

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  9. Ooh, Wanderlost sounds amazing! I love getting to visit a lot of places through books!

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  10. These both sound wonderful. I just love those emotional reads!

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    1. Emotional in different ways, but definitely filled with feels

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  11. Awww you are very welcome, I am glad I could be of assistance! And thanks to YOU too for helping me sort out my thoughts ♥♥♥ I seriously LOVE Jen Malone. She had me since Wanderlost! It's one of my favorites, such a great story. And The Arrival of Someday was so... well, vastly different. Though still heartwarming, just in super different ways. But also very good! Great reviews!

    Oh and my favorite crying book has to be The Serpent King tbh. But a close second would be Paper Butterflies by Lisa Heathfield. The first line of my review is: "This book made me cry so hard I almost threw up." So.

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    1. Vastly different is one way to describe them. I wish had read them in reverse. It would have helped my book hangover. Now I'm thinking about TSK and I'm going to cry. That was a tough one.

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  12. I enjoy a good cry when reading a book. If an author can make me cry, that says something!

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    1. I will give a high rating to any book that makes me feel deeply. To me, that's the sign of a powerful and well written story.

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  13. I didn't even know Jen Malone had a new book coming out which shows how well I keep up with new releases. It sounds like an emotional read as well and I now needed it even though I don't think I'm emotionally prepared for it. I still need to read Wanderlost, I remember everyone talking about it when it was released and somehow I never got to buying it.

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    1. The book gutted me, but it worth all the tears.

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