I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads. I am trying to decide if it is 4.5 stars, or 3.5 stars, or somewhere in between. Either way, I highly encourage this book.
I want to start out first by mentioning, The Fault in Our Stars, By Johne Greene. I do not want to compare, because they are totally different, but at the same time, they are the exact same. I do not care what any other review says regarding they are not anything alike. Because I call Bullshit on that! Having that said, the difference is simple, yet, they are the same things. Confused?
In The Fault in Our Stars, Greene writes an intricate tale of two teens suffering from cancer, who meet in a support group for other teens with cancer, and who learn to love when tomorrow may never come. In The F-It List, it is from the perspective of Alex, Becca’s best friend. Becca finds out she as cancer, Becca has been creating a list since she was 9 years old of things she wanted to do before she died. Becca wanted Alex to complete items off this list so Becca could live vicariously through Alex. Alex, did not want to think this way, about Becca dying, especially after her dad died right before summer break. Becca convinces Alex that its more of a list to help Becca feel more alive.
“All the more reason to do a bucket list. We have no idea how much time any of us have left, and what if we don’t get to do all of the things we dreamed we’d do?”
“We should never have any regrets, not when we’re dying and not when we’re alive. Like Ke$ha so wisely puts it, ‘Let’s make the most of the night like we’re gonna die young.'”
Such wise words for a 17 year old who has to put her life into perspective much sooner than most 17 year old high school seniors do. The book primarily focuses on Alex. Unlike The Fault in Our Stars, The F-It List focuses on those individuals who are forced to watch someone they love suffer with a disease they can do nothing about. I think this is where Greene lacked slightly. I think BOTH perspectives are super important. More than one person suffers, and they are different sufferings but both need some kind of help to move forward. The entire book was about Alex coming to terms with being allowed to be happy even though her father died and her best friend was sick and dying. This book makes the reader put into perspective just how precious life is. So many of us are caught up in trying to make it, we forget how to truly live. Or maybe, we never learned how to live. All we do is try to survive. When do we actually start living?
Read the book. It was relate-able. It uses current, real life situations. About two very real girls. Trying not only to survive, but to truly live.
littlebeesreads.com 