When I read the reviews of this book, I initially thought "No way!" It's about teenagers (sullen, unappealing) who have cancer (teary, Kleenex, maudlin) and who fall in love (oh, great, Hallmark cards, death and all that.) Who would want to read a book about sick teenagers in love who probably die? Not me.
Thus, I am uncertain how this book ended up in my hands. It's from the library but I don't remember putting it on my request list but I must have read at least one review that got past all the above and touted it's virtues regardless of subject matter. And I am glad I read it. Yes, it's about the love-sick, cancer-and-angst-ridden teenagers who might die, but it avoids most of the cliches and rises above what it could have been.
Smart kids, smart dialogue, witty, some plot contrivance that is acceptable, a not-altogether happy ending but hey, in a book about cancer kids, someone's gotta die, right? It's a quick read and worth checking out. Some truths about life, some quirkiness about dying, basically a simple and good story. "You don't get to chose if you get hurt in this world but you do have a say in who hurts you."
And wait, I was looking up where the title comes from (it's from Shakespeare) and it turns out they are making a movie out of it! Oh, that will be all the above: weepy, Hallmark Card, maudlin and no doubt sad. Read the book instead.
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