All the Water in the World by Karen Raney

ALL THE WATER IN THE WORLD by Karen Raney is a debut novel told through two voices, Maddy and her mom, Eve. Maddy is just sixteen and has cancer so both are coping with quite a bit. Eve is a single parent and Maddy has never met her dad, Antonio, which is also central to the story. Teens will like Maddy who is adventuresome, artistic and courageous with a variety of coping mechanisms. For example, she says, “I imagine wrapping myself in some big, thick, material until everything is muffled and distant. Then I imagine I am being observed by someone I can’t exactly picture, who knows everything I’m thinking and loves me anyway.  It makes me feel I can do all kinds of difficult things.” Due to all of the chemo treatments, she is home-schooled by a wise teacher: “if you go straight for an answer, you get something you already know. If you go the crooked way back, you have a chance of getting something more interesting.” With her teacher’s encouragement, Maddy gets involved in the environmental movement and that leads to time with Jack, another student who becomes her boyfriend and colleague on the campaign. When Maddy is down, she turns to her grandparents and mother for support. However, Eve comes off as very self-centered and Maddy has to worry about her, too. Maddy tries to choose independence and resilience, thinking, “Nowadays that was my motto: Keep going and see what happens.” This is a well-written and multi-layered, if sad, book. ALL THE WATER IN THE WORLD received a starred review from Booklist. 

Ten Years since Randy's Pausch's Last Lecture

Randy Pausch (The Last Lecture was co-authored with Jeff Zaslow and Pausch’s Carnegie Mellon presentation has over 17 million online views).  Definitely worth your time and totally memorable -- even after a decade. Here is more info from Carnegie Mellon's student publication, The Tartan.  

Before Everything by Victoria Redel

BEFORE EVERYTHING by Victoria Redel is an emotional read.  Five "Old Friends" gather to support Anna who is dying of cancer. Of course, there is sadness and anger and even denial to some extent.  Although Anna has fought and won remission in the past, she is making a choice to let go and her friends, especially Helen, struggle with that.  Interspersed throughout are beautiful flashbacks to their lives as young women and new mothers.

BEFORE EVERYTHING is a relatively short, but quite complex and extremely powerful read. To fully appreciate and process the multiple time periods and perspectives requires some quiet introspection.  At points it feels intensely personal, but may work well for book group with members who are willing to share their own journeys. The story of Anna, Helen, Molly, Caroline, and Ming received a starred review from Booklist.

Zac and Mia by A. J. Betts

Read this story of Zac and Mia – it will challenge your perspective on what is important.  From an  

Australian writer who works in a children’s hospital, the novel focuses on two 17-year-old cancer patients who find each other in the adult ward. Zac has leukemia which requires a bone marrow treatment and a lengthy isolation period and Mia has osteosarcoma, a malignant bone tumor. Over the course of several months, they experience both joy and desperation as they battle cancer, drift apart and reunite.

Betts begins the novel by writing from Zac’s perspective; then alternates viewpoints and ends with Mia telling the story. I felt as though the reader could almost see these teens mature, especially Mia as she learns to accept her situation and deal with understandable anger.  

Both Zac and Mia use humor and evasion (“it’s just a sports injury”) to limit emotionally painful discussions of their situation, yet readers are able to see inside their heads.  My favorite quote? Mia’s thoughts as she gazes at the evening skyline in Perth: “People and birds turn to silhouettes. The sky is changing, throbbing with dusk.  I know these colors well. Puckered pinks and flaming reds, hot and soft to touch.  Scarlet smearing the horizon.  A symphony of infection and pain.  Then slowly, heavily, a violet descends like a giant bruise until it’s all the same.  There’s a peace that comes with the dark. I exhale with relief.  Without the rage of the day, there’s nothing left to feel.”

I wish I already had a hard copy (it’s on order!) so that I could immediately begin to hand it to students, including the many fans of John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars. Zac and Mia confronts the fear and isolation associated with cancer while exploring the value of friendship and inner resilience. Don’t miss it.

For the Love of a Dog....Last Summer With Oscar by Jan Schwartz, Ph.D.

     Jan Schwartz chronicles her last year with Oscar, a beloved 9-year-old Golden Retriever, who is diagnosed with cancer. Because of the amount of cancer, the typical surgery/chemotherapy/radiation treatment is not necessarily a viable option. So, Jan and her husband look to homeopathic treatment with food, herbs, and Slippery Elm leaves that Oscar “sniffs out” on their walks.

     This chronicle is written in journal form, with dates, and details about Oscar – from his physical state to the changes in his diet.  The commitment and determination of Schwartz lead her to provide Oscar with cooked meals and take-out sandwiches.  This diet combined with herbal supplements gave Oscar additional sustenance to be comfortable, to continue on their daily walks, and a chance to slow the progress of the cancer. 

     Some of the finite detail about meals and daily activities was a little too much for this reader.  However, it’s easy to come to like Oscar, and his littermate, Winston, and feel compassion for them during the roller-coaster ride of dealing with Oscar’s cancer.  Learning more about the homeopathic treatment was more informative, and could be for anyone who has a dog, and would be interested to diversify or change its diet.  Readers who have had a dog can relate easily to the emotional turmoil during Oscar’s last days, his final visit to the vet, and the time left with Winston, as he is now on his own and at a loss for Oscar. 

     Description and detail about the homeopathic supplements is provided in the Appendix.   

Little Brightness in The Fault in Our Stars

     I was excited to read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I probably had high expectations due to the excellent stories in his other books, and from the high praise I read and heard about this book. Unfortunately, I don't have lots of stars to give to this book in my rating. 

      Hazel has a rare and difficult challenge to face, and life is not easy for her, especially as a teenager.  The same can be said for the other members of the Cancer Kid Support Group, where she befriends Isaac and Gus.  Hazel and Isaac are believable characters, yet there were some instances with Gus that I found hard to believe. Yes, this is a work of fiction and Gus has some reflective statements and thoughts; however, I'm not sure how much students could relate to him. 

     What throws this story for me is the disjointed plot line of Hazel's obsession with the ending to her favorite book and a random trip out of the country to visit its author.  The connection come together at the end, yet, even how it comes together seems unrealistic and distracting from the core of the story.

     Green handles serious illness and death realistically, with much sensitivity, and appropriate humor needed for these characters to fight and/or accept their condition and the awful side effects of cancer and treatment.