Review: Always and Forever

Title - Always and Forever

Author - Karla J. Nellenbach

Genre - Contemporary YA 

Published September 18th 2012

Format - Paperback for Review

(Goodreads) & (Amazon)

Synopsis

Mia's first reaction is outright disbelief. Obviously, a mistake has been made. Sixteen-year-old girls don't die. But, when the diagnosis is confirmed, she dives headlong into anger. If she has to die, why should it be of cancer? In fact, anything would be preferable to cancer. Better for her to say when, where, and especially how.

Determined to meet death on her own terms, Mia devises scheme after scheme to get the job done. A “fall” down the basement stairs, driving her car off a bridge, and even a dance with a train all end in her survival. 

And through it all, Mia keeps her family and friends at arms' length with her destructive and hurtful behavior. With each failed suicide attempt and burned relationship, she slowly realizes that it’s not the dying that she’s afraid of, but the life she’ll be leaving behind. Now, that life is in a shambles. As time begins to slip through her fingers and death is upon her, Mia fights to rebuild the bridges she has destroyed, but can she do it before the clock runs out?

Review

I received Always and Forever in return for an honest review from the publisher Booktrope. When she was 12 years old Mia was confirmed to have beaten Leukemia. Even though she was pronounced well her parents still worry about it coming back so she’s constantly visiting the doctor looking for signs of cancer. It’s now four years later Mia is sixteen and she’s been diagnosed with an inoperable form of cancer in her brain.  The doctors tell Mia that she has less than a year to live.

Mia doesn't want to die least of all by cancer so she decides that she will choose the when and how. She sets out not telling anyone that she has cancer so that she can have just a little while longer to be normal. Things change between Mia and her best friend Kal when she tells him she doesn't have cancer he tells her how he’s in love with her. Mia can’t help getting swept into a relationship with the boy she’s always loved. However as she gets worse she decides that it won’t work and pushes him away. Causing a rift between that ends their friendship. She self destructively tries to end all her friendships in hopes of making her death easier.  

Determine to not let the cancer kill her Mia sets out to attempt to accidently commit suicide from falling down the stairs to driving off the bridge. However none of them succeed leaving her regretting that she’s pushed all her friends away she decides to try and patch it up before it’s too late. Will she be able to fix them before her time runs out?

I love Mia she’s not had an easy life but she’s dealt with her struggles better than I would have. Even when she learns that she has less than a year she doesn't let it destroy her. She wants to be normal as long as she can to enjoy the last of her time. Who can blame her for not wanting to tell people I wouldn't want to be treated differently. I felt like I really connected to Mia like I was there with her through her whole story like she was my best friend. I was so happy that she had Brad and Dave to be there for her when Kal and Ricki weren't.

Always and Forever is unlike anything I've ever read. I tend to spend most my book time in the fantasy genre mostly because I’m a dreamer. I can honestly say I wasn't sure what to expect when I started Always and Forever but what I found was absolutely amazing. I found the book beautifully written, the author does an amazing job taking us through Mia’s story from start to finish. It’s a captivating story that starts tugging on your heart strings right from the start. I can honestly say I was teary eyed through most of the book and the last half after part three bargaining I cried the whole time. Thankfully I’m a fast reader or my hubby would have killed me for crying so much.

I honestly feel that Always and Forever is a brilliant book for people who have lost someone or are going through losing someone it shows you an interesting prospective one which I never considered before. I've lost many people over the years and for me Always and Forever gave me an insight into what they may have been going through. I just really loved this book. I will admit deep down I was hoping for a slightly different ending but I’m not complaining. I really loved the story it played with my emotional heartstrings in a way that no other book has. I’m truly impressed and blessed that I had the chance to read it. Yup still crying. 

5 out of 5 Stars