Janet
This book was an easy read, and funny, sad, and thoughtful. I liked the honesty of the characters
Despite the fact that the book is about teenagers with cancer, it reminded me of the time I spent with my mother when she was dying. Severe illness affects your view on the world and changes what you think is important and what is not. In some ways your world becomes smaller as day-to-day living becomes so hard for the patient but their impending death also emphasizes the good things about life.
Interesting that as I read this book I identified with Hazel despite the fact that I have children her age. It would probably have been painful to read the book if I had identified with the parents.
As I read the book I was continuously wondering how it was going to end.
Interesting book to read - especially as I have just read a brief bio of Margaret Sanger. The book puts a very human face on women's health issues and their right to control their own bodies and hence lives. Extremely frustrating to know that we still have to defend these rights nearly 150 years later
Just reread this for a second time in preparation for reading the companion book “A God in Ruins”. I forgot how much I enjoy this author and I enjoyed this book more the second time around.
Read it right after Code Name Verity - both set in the same time period. I enjoyed it but not as much as some as Kate Atkinson's other books and I preferred Code Name Verity.
This book is set in Chile and China in the 1800's and then California during the gold rush, places and times I knew nothing about so it was interesting to read. The main protagonist is a strong female character which I always enjoy - I get frustrated when I read books where I don't like any of the characters!
Someone saw me reading this book and recommended The House of the Spirits by the same author so that is my “to read” list now.
