E-ARC Review: Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor
Author: Melissa Kantor
Release date: February 18th 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Series: N/A
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Realistic
Add to your library: Goodreads
Zoe and her best friend, Olivia, have always had big plans for the future, none of which included Olivia getting sick. Still, Zoe is determined to put on a brave face and be positive for her friend.
Even when she isn't sure what to say.
Even when Olivia misses months of school.
Even when Zoe starts falling for Calvin, Olivia's crush.
The one thing that keeps Zoe moving forward is knowing that Olivia will beat this, and everything will go back to the way it was before. It has to. Because the alternative is too terrifying for her to even imagine.
Even when she isn't sure what to say.
Even when Olivia misses months of school.
Even when Zoe starts falling for Calvin, Olivia's crush.
The one thing that keeps Zoe moving forward is knowing that Olivia will beat this, and everything will go back to the way it was before. It has to. Because the alternative is too terrifying for her to even imagine.
In this incandescent page-turner, which follows in the tradition of The Fault in Our Stars, Melissa Kantor artfully explores the idea that the worst thing to happen to you might not be something that is actually happening to you. Raw, irreverent, and honest, Zoe's unforgettable voice and story will stay with readers long after the last page is turned.(via Goodreads)
I received an e-copy of this from HarperTeen through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This however did not influence my opinion of the book or of the author in any way.
Reading that this was compared to TFIOS, I immediately requested for it. Why not? TFIOS is definitely one of my favorites and as much as it is depressing, it celebrated the gift of life and love. So I was really excited to read this. I braced myself for heartache, tears and just about everything depressing. I guess I expected too much. Nonetheless, Maybe One Day captured both my heart and my soul.
Zoe and Olivia were the cute best friends I'm happy to read about. They practically live together but not together. Do you get it? They were like soulmates but in a-best-friend kind of way. I think we all have that one best friend. We can just talk freely with them without any reservations, do things from normal to the silliest of the stuff together, share a common passion towards something, build dreams and goals together and a promise of future that holds your life with each other. Will you even think that one of you will die? That's not a usual occurrence. So you won't bother to worry about that. Neither Zoe nor Olivia expected something like that to happen. It was totally out of sight. But when it comes charging straight at your face, you gotta fight. Hard.
Olivia was dying and Zoe was dying too. It was a struggle to read from Zoe's POV. I felt every emotion she was going through while Olivia was slowly fading away. The most painful part was that Zoe doesn't want to acknowledge it. If she does, it'll be more real than ever and she wasn't sure she can do that. I can't even imagine going through that. My grade school best friend died back in high school. But I changed schools so we weren't didn't get to hangout anymore but nevertheless, it was painful because I actually anticipated that she'd be there until we have white hair. Yes, you better not think ahead too much. Just live in the moment.
At first, I was a bit irritated with Zoe. She was the angsty one while Olivia was the opposite. She was practically irritated with a lot of things. Then I realized that she was just in denial and it saddens me that she has to go through that. How can you continue to live normally knowing that your best friend is dying? How will you act fine without your best buddy beside you? Especially when going to the school. Yet she did a great job. For Olivia. Even restraning herself with Calvin.
Of course, I also felt sad for Olivia. She was the dying one. She knew she'll leave a lot of people. Yet she continue to stay positive and look at the brighter side of life. I felt how annoyed she was that people took care of her as if she was a child. I guess that's kind of irritating. You already know that you are sick and people continue to let you feel like you're this fragile piece of an artwork.
The relationship between Olivia and Zoe got through thick and thin. Even with some bumpy rods, they were able to smooth it out. It was Zoe's fault. But I can't blame her for not telling Olivia something as important and as embarrassing as that one. How will you be able to tell your best friend something that you believed will actually hurt her especially given the circumstances? Though the other person involved really did a great job making things work out even without him knowing it. I enjoyed how they stayed normal some days just so Olivia will be reminded of being a pretty girl.
Death is something unexpected and its portrayal here was relatable and believable. How it either make or break a relationship. How it either strengthen or weaken the people around. How it really is emotionally straining.
Maybe One Day is a story of friendship tested even through the most grievous of time. Zoe and Olivia showed me that not even death or not even cancer can get through them. That their friendship was far more bigger than all those things. Disheartening yet heartfelt and joyous in celebrating the gift of friendship and love.
Zoe and Olivia were the cute best friends I'm happy to read about. They practically live together but not together. Do you get it? They were like soulmates but in a-best-friend kind of way. I think we all have that one best friend. We can just talk freely with them without any reservations, do things from normal to the silliest of the stuff together, share a common passion towards something, build dreams and goals together and a promise of future that holds your life with each other. Will you even think that one of you will die? That's not a usual occurrence. So you won't bother to worry about that. Neither Zoe nor Olivia expected something like that to happen. It was totally out of sight. But when it comes charging straight at your face, you gotta fight. Hard.
Olivia was dying and Zoe was dying too. It was a struggle to read from Zoe's POV. I felt every emotion she was going through while Olivia was slowly fading away. The most painful part was that Zoe doesn't want to acknowledge it. If she does, it'll be more real than ever and she wasn't sure she can do that. I can't even imagine going through that. My grade school best friend died back in high school. But I changed schools so we weren't didn't get to hangout anymore but nevertheless, it was painful because I actually anticipated that she'd be there until we have white hair. Yes, you better not think ahead too much. Just live in the moment.
At first, I was a bit irritated with Zoe. She was the angsty one while Olivia was the opposite. She was practically irritated with a lot of things. Then I realized that she was just in denial and it saddens me that she has to go through that. How can you continue to live normally knowing that your best friend is dying? How will you act fine without your best buddy beside you? Especially when going to the school. Yet she did a great job. For Olivia. Even restraning herself with Calvin.
Of course, I also felt sad for Olivia. She was the dying one. She knew she'll leave a lot of people. Yet she continue to stay positive and look at the brighter side of life. I felt how annoyed she was that people took care of her as if she was a child. I guess that's kind of irritating. You already know that you are sick and people continue to let you feel like you're this fragile piece of an artwork.
The relationship between Olivia and Zoe got through thick and thin. Even with some bumpy rods, they were able to smooth it out. It was Zoe's fault. But I can't blame her for not telling Olivia something as important and as embarrassing as that one. How will you be able to tell your best friend something that you believed will actually hurt her especially given the circumstances? Though the other person involved really did a great job making things work out even without him knowing it. I enjoyed how they stayed normal some days just so Olivia will be reminded of being a pretty girl.
Death is something unexpected and its portrayal here was relatable and believable. How it either make or break a relationship. How it either strengthen or weaken the people around. How it really is emotionally straining.
Maybe One Day is a story of friendship tested even through the most grievous of time. Zoe and Olivia showed me that not even death or not even cancer can get through them. That their friendship was far more bigger than all those things. Disheartening yet heartfelt and joyous in celebrating the gift of friendship and love.
About the Author
Melissa Kantor is the author of Confessions of a Not It Girl, an ALA Booklist Best Romance Novel for Youth; If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince?, a YALSA Teens Top Ten Pick; The Breakup Bible, an ALA Best Books for Young Adults nominee; Girlfriend Material, a Junior Library Guild selection; and The Darlings Are Forever and The Darlings in Love, a Junior Library Guild selection. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her family.
