Review Detail

Thank you Netgalley and Walker Children's Books for this e-galley. I read this in one sitting, staying up until 1:30a.m. in order to finish it, something I almost never do. It's well written with engaging characters, but make no mistake, this book will break your heart and ugly crying may ensue. Your reaction may be more severe if you happen to know kids who are battling the same kind of cancer as Mia. (Talk about a "sign".)

Mia Moore is obsessed with "signs". She looks for them in anything and everything making life choices based on what she perceives as an answer. The problem with this way of thinking is that is doesn't account for coincidence nor does it allow her to see what's right in front her because she's so focused on seeing what she wants to see. Finding out she has Leukemia completely blindsides her and sends her into a tailspin of questioning her life, family, friendships and the validity or her "signs". Mia is surrounded by lots of people who care about her but Gyver, her longtime BFF and neighbor is the only person she tells at first. She fears that if her friends or her would-be boyfriend, Ryan knew, then everything would change because they might treat her different. The problem is, everything already changed the minute she received her diagnosis.

I liked Mia but there were times she drove me crazy, especially where Gyver was concerned. It's so blatantly obvious how he feels about her but she somehow manages to miss that "sign". She worries too much about what other people think and her Mom is to blame for that. Their relationship is one that revolves around perfection and Mia struggles with how her cancer has marred that facade of her life. Most of the time her mother seems to worry about how Mia's cancer is affecting her. She's incredibly selfish and many times I wanted to smack some sense into her.

Mia's friends are oblivious to her condition throughout much of the book and in all fairness to them, Mia never gives them a chance to be supportive. Ryan, the hot guy she's been hooking up with for the past few months seems like a player at first, but once he discovers her secret, he redeems himself in big ways. I liked Ryan and felt bad for him at times but if I'm honest, I wasn't completely sold on his intentions.

Gvyer is the one constant in her life and the time she spends in the hospital is no different. He's always there, holding her hand, reading to her or making her a new playlist. He doesn't flinch when she's puking her guts out or squirm around the numerous needles, and when she loses her hair, he still tells her she's beautiful. His flattery, compared to Ryan's, seems genuine and without an ulterior motive but he can be distant at times. They've been friends forever so he's used to all of her superstitions and usually calls her on her crap but he reaches his limit when she begins to put too much stock in her "signs" where her cancer is concerned. Their back and forth was really frustrating at times and I wanted to shake both of them and yell, "Get together already!"

Mia works hard to keep her illness a secret and when it finally comes out, as the truth usually does, she'll have to face all of the people she's hurt and the bridges she's burned. Wanting desperately for everything to go back to the way it was, she tries to make amends but when she lands back in the hospital, Mia will realize those "signs" she's put so much trust in are pointless if you lose those you love.