Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on
Parker and her twin bother, Charlie, were once very close, but Charlie's cancer became a wedge, which slowly, but surely, pushed them apart.
One of the things I really loved about this book was Leder's exploration of how Charlie's cancer affected the whole family. Because their parents were so consumed with worry for Charlie, Parker took it upon herself to be the perfect child. She kept a low profile and out of trouble, while excelling academically, earning herself a scholarship to Harvard and a prestigious summer internship. She thought being "perfect" would alleviate some of her parents' woe, but what it did was increase Parker's anxiety, which eventually manifested as panic attacks.
There was a part of me, that really understood Parker's motivation and also her hyper-overprotectiveness of her brother. My father's cancer deeply affected my family. I could relate to the worry and the concern you have for your ailing loved one. Even after he was in remission, I was very aware of anything "unhealthy" he did. We can't help it, because we love that person, and we always carry that fear that they can get sick again. In that respect, I was a lot like Parker.
I also empathized with Charlie. It was tough to be around him during the first half of the book. He was in remission for the second time, but he missed a whole year of school. His friends were leaving him behind, and everyone was treating him as if he was still sick. None of them could see beyond his past and his illness, and Charlie was just trying to figure out who he was now.
Both Charlie and Parker were trying to decide what they really wanted post cancer. Charlie was being reckless, while Parker was committing to a life she really didn't want to live. Thank goodness they had lots of great people to help them find their way.
Even from another continent, Em, Parker's best friend, lent her support. And, Parker also got support from someone, who had been there for her many years ago, Finn. Finn was probably one of my favorite characters in the book. He was trapped in his life by his guilt, accepting less than he deserved, but he was a beacon for Parker. He helped her see that there were endless possibilities for her to explore.
Ruby, who initially came off as a Parker-fangirl, ended up being a crucial part of Parker and Charlie's healing. She managed to be the voice of reason, and helped bridge that gap between the twins. She was also so easy to love.
This book delivered quite the emotional punch. I was crying quite a bit during the first half of the book. This family was in so much pain, and it dripped off the page. Their pain became my pain. I was so invested in Charlie's health, Parker's well-being, and them finding their way back to each other, that when things started looking up, I found myself elated.
I am getting a little choked up thinking about the ending, because I really loved it. It was beautiful and poetic and a little sad, but mostly uplifting.
Overall: A wonderful coming of age tale, which packed an emotional punch.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
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Reading updates
- Started reading
- 5 July, 2018: Finished reading
- 5 July, 2018: Reviewed