Zoe is the narrator. Her best friend, Olivia, gets cancer during their junior year of high school. They have been friends since grade school.
The bonds of friendship are thoroughly explored in Maybe One Day, and that is what sets apart this fairly predictable plot. It is just as difficult for Zoe to deal with this illness as it is for Olivia's family.
Zoe and Olivia have spent years doing ballet -- serious ballet. And, before their junior year, in the opening scene of the book, their ballet teacher tells them not to come back. Neither of them are going to have a career in ballet. To see how this affects each of the girls is interesting, because they don't deal with this life-changing event in the same way. But, they do continue to be best friends.
There's also a bit of a romance, which I thought played realistically. Zoe can't concentrate on romance when her best friend is dealing with a devastating disease, but she still find herself attracted to this boy.
Maybe One Day is a quick, well-paced read. Thank goodness. Because I wanted to hurry through it, to minimize the sobbing. Unfortunately, there's not much to guess about when it comes to the story. The characters are interesting, if a bit stereotypical.
A worthwhile read for teens who are interested in books about true friendship, family, and of course, cancer.
Published by HarperTeen, February 18, 2014
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
400 pages (this seems like a lot -- I read this quite quickly -- it qualifies for my Books You Can Read in a Day Challenge!)
Rating: 3.5/5
I have a really hard time reading these books because I really hate to cry but this one does sound good.
ReplyDeleteI agree somewhat stereotypical, but I loved the friendship in this one, and can't get enough of books like this.
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