I Caved In – And It Was Worth It

Still on vacation, a friend mentioned this book and I was reminded that I wanted to read it. I’d heard about it a lot (although wasn’t clear on what it was exactly about), and much like the Hunger Games trilogy, I figure if I’m going to end up seeing the movie, maybe I should read the book. I started it at 10AM, and with the exceptions of stopping for lunch and a trip to the pioneer cemetery, I read non-stop until 6PM, when I finished it. It’s good. It’s not my favorite book, and it’s not without issues, but I think it’s a good book.

It’s a little easy to predict what’s going to happen in it (I thought), and some components are super fantastical to the point of absurd, but maybe that is how the world of wish-granting works? Either way, I appreciated the fact that the parents were treated as humans and, more importantly, these young adults were treated as humans. They have complex thoughts and feelings, are forced to be mature without necessarily wanting to be that mature, and have inner lives that aren’t just focused on their CANCER.

I’d be interested in the perspective from kids who have actually gone through the things outlined in this book – is it a realistic portrayal of some of their lives? If it isn’t, it still is an interesting story, with some moments that really resonate. I didn’t finish it thinking “I must change my life forever, and live for the people who can’t,” but I did finish it with the reminder that things are shitty and things are great but most of all, that things ARE and I need to continue experiencing these things even when I just want to curl up in a ball and sleep for days. And while I’m not the target for this book, it certainly is something I needed right about now.