Jen MaloneRezensionen

If you aren't already an organ donor, you will be after you read this one! Excellent YA read.

CW: Death of young person due to illness.

3.5 Stars

A wonderful read with well-drawn characters and great pacing. Normally, I would rate a book like this 4 stars but I sense it's getting underloved because of the sad ending which it doesn't deserve so I'm trying to compensate.

DNF

I just wanted a nice summer read with some travel and a cute boy, and maybe some family drama.
Why on earth did I pick up THIS?

Aubree reads like a 12y.o. Her sister is a nutcase. Her mom sounds like an overbearing tyrant. The dad gets points for living with the crazies and knowing and bringing in good lawyers.

The premise is so far removed from reality that I don't even know how to articulate it.

And I have not even made it to the boy yet! (the boy is fine, btw)

You know you need to abandon a book when it makes you want to bang your skull against a hard surface and scream at the sheer stupidity.

WHY did I pick this up? IDEK

“I wish it didn’t have to be like this: all or nothing. I wish I didn’t have to chase highs to try and banish the lows. I wish normal could be good enough.”

I wasn’t expecting to become so immediately hooked to Lia’s story, but I just couldn’t put The Arrival of Someday down. We follow Lia Linehan, proud activist and roller derby enthusiast, as she must face her need for a liver transplant. Lia is determined to stay strong and renounce all pity directed her way, but soon learns that distractions aren’t always the best ways to evade your problems.

Things I Liked
I really enjoyed the hints of romance between Lia and Will. It’s mostly just flirting, with nothing too heavy or distracting, but I did enjoy it and I appreciate that it didn’t pull focus from Lia’s journey and growth.

It was such a small thing in the story, but Lia’s Words with Friends game with her brother was super endearing to me. It helped show the basis for their relationship and I loved that the words they used were relevant to the plot.

This story had such strong family moments and I was here for each one of them. Allowing yourself to confront your emotions from here mom and embracing the unknowing and the ‘whys’ of life with her dad. They were all so good and showed how much they cared for each other.

There was this great conversation about bravery vs bravado that was super intriguing. The internal vs external notions of courage and how your self view influences your reactions for life’s uncertainties.

Things I Didn’t Like
Some of the activism things in the story were a bit cheesy, especially Lia and Sibby fighting the dress code. I loved that they both fight for what they believe in and to right injustices of all kinds, but it was a little heavy handed at times.

The ending didn’t hit me like I expected. Or at least not right away. I appreciate how realistic and honest it was, but my immediate reaction was indifference, I think. But on reflection, I think I have a more emotional reaction. But there was a weird and unexpected disconnect I hadn’t expected to experience.

Though I did have some emotional distance from the ending of the story, I thoroughly enjoyed The Arrival of Someday. It’s a journey of personal acceptance and embracing the right to say “I don’t know” to life’s questions.

Amelia Linehan was busy being a badass during her last year of high school. She had few worries – her parents are cool, if dorky, she received notification of her early acceptance into Amherst, and she and her best friend Sibby are kicking ass on the roller derby track. But one day all that comes crashing down – her rare liver disease, diagnosed at birth and which she had almost forgotten, suddenly flares up and everything is changed. She becomes a victim in the eyes of every one, which she hates. Amelia is not prepared for the consequences of what is happening to her body. Without a liver transplant, she will surely die before she can put any of her plans into action and her adult life even really begins.

The author has written a pitch-perfect YA book perfectly capturing the horrid reality of the effect her character’s disease has on her future – or lack thereof. Malone has created a character who is charismatic, compelling, and very real.

If you are looking for a very well-written book with characters so well-drawn that you’d like to spend time with them, this is the book for you. You’ll be tempted to speed read this book, but don’t. You don’t want to miss the carefully crafted nuanced writing, the humor, sometimes morbid, and Amelia’s longing to be “normal” again.

This is a must read book that deserves to be at the top of your TBR list.

Thanks to Edelweiss and Harper Teen for an eARC.

Lia: Rolldemort on the roller derby track, memorizer of weird President facts, butt-kicking rebel of a daughter/sister/best friend.

Lia: NOT “Dying Girl”.

Even though Lia has had Biliary Atresia (disease of the liver) since birth and has known that someday it would affect her, she’s lived her 18 years as the unshakable, confident person she is.

Until “someday” arrives, and though Lia is determined to live exactly as she always had—tough and fearless—other people don’t seem to be on the same page, even her best friend. What happens when a go-getter can’t simply go and get the one thing she needs: a new liver?

The Arrival of Someday is simply amazing. It’s hilarious, raw, and creative, realistically depicting the ripple effects that waiting for an organ donor has on everyone, not just the person whose name is on that donor list.

I loved every character, but I also admired how this book focused mainly on Lia’s friendship with Sibby and her familial relationships rather than making it ALL about her romantic ones. I’ve read that story already. Even though I already know that people are going compare this to the likes of The Fault in Our Stars (I do agree that those who liked TFiOS will love this!), The Arrival of Someday is its own book with its own incredible, unique value, and I highly recommend it.

I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll leave it at that! I recommend this to 8th graders (perhaps even 7th graders) and above!

I liked the sailing adventure. The story was realistic and enjoyable. I loved seeing what towns the characters stopped in.

Fans of teen romance, this is a good book!

“Marooned at sea with my mother? For four months? This is not real life. This is not my life. ‘What’s the Good news?’ I manage, subtly squeezing my eyes shut, then open, shut, then open, to see if that tilts the world back on its axis.

'That was the good news sweetie.’

Yeah, I was kind of afraid of that.”

A “road trip” romance that takes place during a sailing trip from Oregon to Mexico. Changes in Latitude is really the PERFECT summer read! Cassie is still reeling from the shock of her parents divorce, so she’s devastated - and angry- when her mom plans for a 4 month sailing trip with her little brother, the summer before her senior year. Along the way, Cassie must learn to deal with her loss of control, her strained relationship with her mom, and maybe even get a little romance with a deckhand in their convoy south. Changes in Latitude is high on drama and and entertainment as Cassie learned to let go on the open waters.

Things I Liked:
This book had a really high entertainment factor for me. I can’t say that it was really engaging or gripping, but I did really like the characters and how the relationships all develop, made for a fun read.

This book so perfectly summery! There’s sailing and summer romance, what more could you really want?

I love that Cassie’s hobby/passion was botany. It was such a unique hobby for a YA character and I loved that we got to see her be passionate about something, especially a scientific field!

I also really loved that Cassie recognized she had a bad attitude about the whole sailing trip and her parent’s divorce. Cassie could be bratty and whiny at times, nothing outside the norm for an angsty teen upset at the world (and her mom specifically), but I like that she realized she was being unfair and holding back just to keep that control over her anger.

Things I Didn’t Like:
Cassie and Jonah were actually really cute and had pretty fantastic banter, I just didn’t really love their age difference. He’s 20 and she’s 17, so it’s not the biggest age difference in the world, it just always made me a little uncomfortable.

Changes in Latitude is a great beach read. You can really knock it out in one go. It’s one of those perfect summer stories that keeps you turning the pages and wanting more.

I received a copy of the book from HarperTeen in exchange for an honest review.

Charming story and a lot of fun to read. Does a great job of capturing the sister dynamic and the magic of experiencing Europe (and traveling solo) for the first time.

The main character is an intelligent high school senior who is overprotected by her mom and lacks life experience and a lifeview beyond her own perspective. Thrust into a situation in which she has the opportunity to work in Europe for a few weeks, she develops a sense of resourcefulness, empathy, and confidence that she didn't have (or have need of) before.

The one nit I have: there is a senior couple from Dallas who are not just underdeveloped in comparison to the others, but represent the worst stereotypes of Texans. It feels mean-spirited and small-minded, especially because all the other characters are fully developed and sympathetic.

Some free research about Texans for next time, since it appears the author has never bothered to get to know any actual Texans:
- we understand that Spanish is a language and Mexico is a country
- believe it or not, even for Texas, gouda isn't a foreign concept
- men referring to women as the "little lady"... really??

In spite of its lone star hating, Wanderlost bubbles with intelligence, and presents both Aubrey and Sam as a match of equals. Both are special and both have flaws. It's a real and reasonable portrayal of young love that could potentially go the distance.½

Rating: 4 Stars

I really liked this book. The plot, most of the characters, and the setting were very well written. It really made me feel as though I wanted to be in Aubree's place. I, personally, have always dreamed of doing a grand tour of Europe. I hope someday I get that chance.

What gives this book 4 stars?
1.) I loved the plot, however it was somewhat slow in hooking me. I found that I would read part of it and then read something else because it didn't grab me in the very beginning. I also thought that Aubree was very immature in the beginning, wining about having to take her sister's place. In my opinion, she should have been thrilled, given the circumstance surrounding her opportunity, to go to Europe period.
2.) I loved the setting. I thought the author did a good job of describing each place. Her descriptions really made me feel as though I was there.
3.) I loved all the characters. I especially loved the seniors, I adored all their quirks and personalities. Sam, was the total dream boy, perfect in every possible way. If only boys in reality could be like fictional Sam. Aubrey, was very annoying in the beginning, but towards the middle and end of the story, I actually really liked her and how she was being more mature.

All in all, a good read. I liked it!

Cassandra is angered stuck living with her mother that is responsible for her parents’ divorce.
The only job her mother could get was sailing a ship from their home to Mexico. That meant
Cassandra will miss school and the trip she planned with friends. She would also be stuck with her brother and mother on the sailboat for months. A majority of the story is about what happens on the boat, family relationships, and her interest in a deckhand on one of the other ships in their convoy. This is a typical coming of age story set on the Pacific Ocean.

Goodreads Giveaway randomly chose me to receive this book. Although encouraged, I was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

This was everything I want my young adult contemporary reads to be. It was adorable, sweet, and a quick read. I know a contemporary is perfect when I am truly smiling, in real life, for over half the book. The romance was super sweet, but not the focus the story. I loved the travel aspects.