Cammie McGovern
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: HarperTeen
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
From the critically acclaimed author of A Step Toward Falling and Say What You Will comes a new YA standalone about mental health, chronic illness, and two teenagers learning to deal with both while falling for each other, perfect for fans of Five Feet Apart.David was the charming, well-liked school president, while Jamie was a friendless loner. When his cystic fibrosis landed him an extended stay at the hospital, he developed an unlikely friendship with Jamie, but would their relationship extend beyond the walls of his hospital room?
David Sheinman is the popular president of his senior class, battling cystic fibrosis.
Jamie Turner is a quiet sophomore, struggling with depression.
The pair soon realizes that they can be their true selves with each other, and their unlikely friendship develops into something so much more. But neither Jamie nor David can bring themselves to reveal the secrets that weigh most heavily on their hearts—and their time for honesty may be running out.
Fair warning, this was a sick kid book, and if you don't already know anything about cystic fibrosis, it can be brutal. Watching David suffering in the hospital was really tough at times, though, I gained some comfort in his friendship with Jamie. She was someone in his life, who he could be honest with about his illness. She didn't flinch or try to ply him with platitudes. She listened to his fears and concerns, and supported him as he tried to figure out his future.
Jamie's life had taken quite a turn since her father's suicide. Her family was forced to relocate due to economic hardship, and her own depression became unmanageable at one point. I met Jamie following her in-patient treatment, and she was still struggling. Her battle with depression was very authentic and realistic, but her friendship with David not only kept her occupied, it helped her adopt a new perspective. And, though it was emphasized, that her depression would always be a hurtle for her to overcome, her self-awareness regarding her condition had changed over the course of the book.
Some of my favorite parts of this story were those quiet moments spent with these two in David's hospital room watching old films and doing origami. McGovern did a beautiful developing this friendship and letting it gradually build into more.
For those of you, who need to know, the ending was very positive and hopeful. This book took me through a wide range of emotions, and I found myself really clinging to the idea of appreciating the time we have and making the most of it, which is always a good idea, if you ask me.
Overall: Realistic, but hopeful.
**ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
Amy Fellner Dominy
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Delacorte Books
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads
Readers will happily sink into this emotionally grounded, contemporary young adult novel about the sudden end of one girl's Olympic swimming dreams and the struggles she endures before realizing there are many things that define who we are.Abby was at the top of her game. She was setting new records in the pool, and mentally and physically prepared for the Olympic trails. Or, so she thought. After a physical exam revealed that Abby had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy Abby's dreams moved further and further out of reach.
Sixteen-year-old Abby Lipman is on track to win the state swim championships and qualify for the Olympic trials when a fainting incident at a swim meet leads to the diagnosis of a deadly heart condition. Now Abby is forced to discover who she is without the one thing that's defined her entire life.
I love stories featuring elite athletes. Their drive and dedication is always so inspiring, but this story was different, because it dealt with an athlete having to come to terms with losing their dream. Abby had worked so hard inside and outside of the pool, reaching for an Olympic dream she shared with her father. My heart ached for her, when she was handed her HCM diagnosis. This was HUGE loss for her, and she began to spin out of control. She appeared to be going through the five stages of grief, and I thought her journey was quit believable, even if some of her behaviors were questionable.
Abby didn't only lose her dream, she lost herself. Swimming was so intertwined with who she was, and was a central part of her identity. Without swimming, Abby had no idea who she was supposed to be. For a decade, everything she did was to make herself a better swimmer. It was heartbreaking seeing someone so young so adrift.
I feel like I connected with this story on a different level too. When I was teaching, we lost a student during track practice to HCM. I had never taught the student, but his death was devastating to our community. It did prompt the district to offer EKGs, free of charge, as a part of the athletic physical, in order to help identify those with HCM.
This was a difficult journey for Abby, but she did eventually come to terms with her heart condition and her future without swimming. I would have liked a little bit more at the end, but she was definitely heading in the right direction.
Do you have a favorite classic film?
Let us know in the comments!
Let us know in the comments!
Does Indiana Jones count as classic? It surely should! These are quite emotional picks, as usual Sam. You have such a nose for the books that take on the difficult topics and do it well.
ReplyDeleteI guess it's all relative. 🤣 That series was epic, though. I took a class in high school, just so I could see the movie again. Back then VHS tapes were $80+, and there was only HBO for subscription. Both books had difficult moments, but were hopeful, and the authors did a nice job with the heavier parts.
Deletei think so. lol
DeleteBoth of these books sound like really emotional stories. I couldn't imagine facing the trials of being a teenager and having to deal with these illnesses. Great reviews!
ReplyDeleteJust Breathe was especially harrowing, especially when David's health took a turn for the worst. I may have cried a bit.
DeleteJust Breathe sounds like it is going to be an emotionally heart wrenching book and I can imagine some of those hospital scenes must have been especially hard to read through... As for A Matter of Heart, that sounds like a struggle quite a lot of people actually have to face sometimes. When their world changes and their dreams have to change too... Very realistic books here!
ReplyDeleteJust Breathe is emotional. CF is brutal illness, but there was hope, and nobody died, which is very important to me.
DeleteHey, I live in Arizona! I haven't read either of these. I'm not sure I'm up for another sick kid novel, but I may check out A MATTER OF HEART. It sounds good. Swimming is a huge part of life here in AZ, so it makes sense a book like this would be set here.
ReplyDeleteAZ represent! I have reflected a lot on why I read sick kid lit. I think the biggest reason is the perspective it gives me. However, my problem is I always want the kids to survive. The books where they don't make it gut me. Good news is all these characters lived.
Deletei like books that are set in a location i am familiar with. they sound like some difficult topics and the authors seem to have done a great job
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
I have never been to AZ, though, I hope to see the Grand Canyon someday.
DeleteThey both sound like such emotional reads. The friendship between David and Jamie sounds wonderful. And poor Abby, her world sounds like it was turned upside down. Lovely reviews.
ReplyDeleteJamie and David did form an unlikely, but wonderful bond, and their friendship was definitely my favorite part of that story.
DeleteI think it's great the school now offers free EKGs for athletic students. It's unbelievably tragic when someone young loses their life, and I still remember the two deaths from my high school. One was due to physical health, and the other mental.
ReplyDeleteBoth of these books sound like fantastic reads -- thanks for sharing them! I can tolerate questionable decisions if a character's actions are believable. I'm also a fan of appreciating what time we have, since it is so limited. That's why one of my tattoos says, "to make each day count." I don't want my kids to remember me cleaning or working, but playing or reading with them. I want to be a part of the moment, and not always working towards this or that future goal.
Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? 💬
When it comes to believability, how do I really know if their reaction is exactly like what I think mine would be? I was never in a situation similar to any of these characters, but from the psych classes I took, the behaviors are not out of the norm, and I find it easy to empathize with them. I might not agree with or approve of what they did, but I can understand why they did it. I guess I took that "walk in other people's shoes" to heart as a kid.
DeleteWow both books seem very interesting with ordeals and some path to follow to discover who you are!
ReplyDeleteI find the re-discovering, who you are even more compelling, because it's never easy to pivot.
DeleteI love stories about elite athletes as well and Abby sounds like a great character as well- so I'm curious about a matter of a heart. Great reviews!
ReplyDeleteAbby had so much passion and drive, but she unraveled, when her dream was taken away from her. She made poor choices, and I know that aggravated other readers, but she had a lot of stuff to figure out. She may not have gone about it in the best way, but I was happy when she finally got there.
DeleteI love that there's a book shedding more light on HCM!
ReplyDeleteIt's an awful condition, because so many don't know about it until it's too late.
DeleteA Matter of Heart sounds like a great read - it's interesting that the main character is young but already had these incredible goals and plans, and then she has to figure it all out again.
ReplyDeleteI have known kids like her. The ones, who give up so much for that one thing they aspire to be the best at. I was never that passionate about anything, but I admire it a lot
DeleteJust Breathe sounds like a difficult read even with it being hopeful at the end. Cystic Fibrosis is a devastating disease, and those with the diagnosis do not have a happy ending. HCM is something I deal with being a cardiac sonographer, and you can have surgery to correct the condition. Not sure how they handled the condition in A Matter of Heart, though. I think most the kids who've died from it are ones that didn't know they had the condition and died when they exerted themselves. They should do a screening on any child/teen participating in sports. Sorry to hear your school suffered such a loss, Sam!
ReplyDeleteI knew about CF, but I never *knew* about CF. I read more about it, when I finished this book, and though things are much better for people with CF, it's still a brutal disease. From what I learned, living with HCM is manageable, but unfortunately, many don't know they have the condition until it's too late. I just read about 2 athletes not that long ago, who died in my home state from it. The student's family does educational events for HCM now, and I am glad the screenings are available to all athletes in the district.
DeleteOh yeah, these both sound like books that would make me cry. I love books like this that give me more insight into conditions that I'm not completely familiar with. I had never heard of HCM prior to reading your review and now I want to know more about it, especially since I'm raising a young athlete.
ReplyDeleteI was emotional during both, but there are lots of really happy and beautiful parts as well. I only know about HCM from what happened when I was teaching, and it does seem like something they should mention more often when it comes to high school sports, since the condition usually manifests in adolescence and it seems to pop up in the news every year as a cause of death for a young athlete.
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