I don't usually read books where the main character has cancer. Like so many of us, that disease has touched so many important people in my life and the thought of it makes me afraid and sad. However, I am so glad that I picked up All the Water in the World. While it did have its very sad and difficult to read moments, it also gave me so many great characters to meet and so many things to think about that it was well worth the read.
The book's main character is Maddy, a sixteen-year-old who is battling cancer and trying to have a normal teenage life in between her devastating chemo treatments. In her corner at all times are her strong and supportive mother, Eve, and her grandparents. Oh, yes, and her cat Cloud. While Maddy struggles through her illness and feeling very apart from her friends, they are there supporting her all the way. But when Maddy decides it might be time to know who her father is, her search and correspondence with him become a secret that is difficult to keep and threatens to break the bonds that hold them.
The books is also poignant because it shows that even in crisis and struggle, love and adventure can exist. Maddy falls in love with a wonderful boy named Jack, and together they embark on a labor of love and independence that helps Maddy to leave her mark in the world and helps her see her place in it.
All the Water in the World is about young love, coming of age in crisis, the devotion of parents and grandparents, and how each of us can make a difference in the world. Give it a read, and let me know what you think!
No comments:
Post a Comment