Review Detail

Everyone has gotten sick—a cold, a fever, etc—at one point or another, but it goes away eventually. But some diseases can leave effects that can devastate people. After suffering a stroke, Dawn becomes partially paralyzed. She wishes that it was just a dream—or that it would just go away and leave her alone, so she could live a normal life again. But has her life been normal? When she was younger, she suffered from leukemia but eventually recovered.

Now, after the stroke, she is partially paralyzed and has to learn to speak, read, and write again. She speech is slurred and she walks with a limp. Her goal to college seems to be dashed after her stroke. She must go through rehab, which is time consuming and at times, difficult. Can Dawn regain her ability to read, write, and complete other tasks to get back on track at school? Besides worrying about schoolwork, Dawn worries that her boyfriend, Jake, will dump her because of her new troubles. Tasha, a popular cheerleader at Dawn’s school already has her eyes on Jake. Her new disabilities make Dawn despair and she starts to lose hope—can Dawn’s family help her? Ashamed of her crooked smile, her limp, and her slurred speech, Dawn decides to stay at home and not venture out. But how long can she hide? Can she gather the courage to face the world again? With faithful friends and caring family, Dawn pushes for recovery.

Things start to look up after several hard months, but unusual turn of events bring friends and family closer, and Dawn’s hope is renewed. Even in her hard state, Dawn finds a way to help a fellow classmate. With a few months until graduation, Dawn puts more and more effort into her work, but can she make it? Dawn is a brave girl that suffered severe health problems, but in the end, this remarkable girl truly learned to live again.

To Live Again was a touching novel, full of determination, courage, and family. Readers who enjoyed the other Dawn Rochelle novels will enjoy this book as well. Although I don’t prefer to read this type of realistic fiction, this book was well written and conveyed Dawn’s feelings brilliantly.