Thursday, February 12, 2015

BOOK REVIEW: Positively Beautiful by Wendy Mills

This is a book review for Positively Beautiful by Wendy Mills. I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. The scheduled publication date for this book is March 3, 2015.

Erin Bailey's life changes forever the day her mom is diagnosed with breast cancer. It's always just been Erin and Mom, so living without her is not an option. Life takes another turn when the cancer is linked to a rare genetic mutation, and Erin must grapple with the decision of whether or not to have her own DNA tested. Her only outlets are flying lessons, where looking to the horizon calms her deepest fears, and her new friend Ashley, a girl she met in an online support group. But when a flash decision has Erin flying away to find her new friend, she embarks on a journey from the depths of despair to new love and a better understanding of the true meaning of beauty. This thought-provoking story brings readers to the emotional brink and back again, as they experience Erin's fear, her frustration, and ultimately . . . her freedom.

This book starts right after Erin finds out about her mother's cancer diagnosis. To top it off, her mother tells her about a test for the BRCA gene that would tell Erin if she has the gene for breast and ovarian cancer. There is a lot of emotion in these passages. As Erin says, there is her life before and then there is her life after. I felt so sad for her that she had to be strong for her mother and take care of  her, while dealing with thoughts of DNA testing and normal everyday life at school. People tell Erin that there is nothing she can do. They tell Erin that she shouldn't even take the test until at least eighteen, if not twenty-one and that she shouldn't make any decisions based on this test until at least twenty-five. In the notes at the end of the book, the author mentions the extensive research she did on this testing and this gene. But nowhere in the book or the notes at the end of the book did she mention why these age limits were recommended. I don't know anything about this gene really so that information would have been helpful. Nevertheless, I could understand Erin's frustration when everyone told her to just forget about it. She was seventeen so they were telling her not to even think about it for the next year. How does a person even do that? Erin did make some questionable decisions because she wanted to know the answer, but I understand them. Like Erin, I am an obsessive planner so there is no way I could just not know.

Here is what I disliked about the book: the romance, or lack thereof. There were two possible love interests and it was hard to tell who the author wanted Erin to end up with. First Erin had a major crush on a loner at school. But there was no chemistry and no relationship development at all. And then when it "ended" after approximately three "encounters" (I can't even call them dates), I just didn't care. Then she met someone else. This guy was the "real" love interest I guess, while the first guy was just a distraction or something. I hated this romance from the start. There was zero chemistry and somehow these two characters loved each other after a day or two. And this other guy didn't want to fall in love with anyone, even Erin, because he wanted to protect her. Sorry, but gag me with that one. The "relationships" between these two men did nothing to add to the story and I found myself skimming over those sections. I was much more interested in Erin's dilemma and her mom's illness.

Halfway throughout the book, Erin did something incredibly stupid. I won't give any spoilers, but it was just plain stupid. I tried to understand why she chose to do what she did, but I just feel it was a selfish decision on her part. The ending of the book left me in tears (naturally) and once the author stopped harping on the romance, I could concentrate on the heartbreaking decision Erin had to make, along with dealing with her mom's illness.

Buy/Borrow/Skip: Borrow. The beginning is great and the ending was very emotional, but the middle part was too much to take. And the subplot with the two guys distracted me from the story.

8 comments :

  1. I haven't heard of this book, but it sounds good. That's great the author did so much research. Whenever I see someone say that a teen character did something stupid, I just have to grin. Don't they always? lol. Seriously, great review. :)

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    1. Ha, great point Christy. Of course if you read the boo you will understand just how stupid it was. It was a decent book and the premise was more unique than just your typical cancer storyline. There were just a few issues I had.

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  2. Sounds like you were quite emotionally invested in this book, despite the character's dumb decision and the romance. Great review Cynthia!

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    1. Thanks Jeann! Yes, despite the issues it was still a pretty good read.

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  3. Hmm I'm okay with characters making mistakes/dumb choices if they're believable ones and I could say oh yeah I could totally see doing that. But sometimes the things they do are just so out there I can't play along with it. Too bad about the romance.

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    1. You are so right Anna. And even though she was a teenager and she was going through a lot, her actions were just too crazy and out there. But despite the issues, it was still an okay book.

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  4. I really, really want to read this book. My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer 10 years ago (I was 21 at the time) and I have been so fascinated about the genetic testing, and preventative care. I basically wanted to know ASAP if my mom had the gene (she didn't, but it was hormonally linked and before age 50, so I do have a pretty high risk) because I would want that taken care of immediately. My mom's sister was also diagnosed with the same kind of cancer at the same exact age, and she was like, completely the opposite: didn't want any testing, didn't want any preventive measures, and I never understood her reasoning. It's like this book, I don't know what the arguments could be against Erin knowing, as it would just help her to get earlier, better medical care.

    Anyway, I do want to read this book, even though I am bummed about the bad romance aspect. I suppose I will just have to look at the bigger picture and pretend that those stupid boys aren't there! Great review :)
    Shannon @ It Starts At Midnight

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    1. Shannon, I am so fascinated by this gene testing too. I thought that was such an interesting and unique twist on the usual cancer story lines How many books have come out lately with kids diagnosed with cancer? I loved the genetic testing twist. I am so sorry about your mom and aunt being diagnosed with cancer. If it were me, I would want to know if I had the gene for sure. I do think you would like this book if you overlook the romance part of it. If it weren't for that, I probably would have given the book a higher rating. I really hope you enjoy it!

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