Early Bird Review: Underwater by Marisa Reichardt

Underwater by Marisa Reichardt
Publisher: Macmillan
Release: 7th April 2016
Genre: Contemporary, Mental Health
Source: Copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review



Synopsis:

"In order to move on after a traumatic experience, Morgan must learn to forgive - first someone who did something that might be unforgivable, and then herself.

But Morgan can't move on. She can't even move beyond the front door of the apartment she shares with her mother and little brother. Morgan feels like she's underwater, unable to surface. Unable to see her friends. Unable to go to school.

When it seems Morgan can't hold her breath any longer, a new boy moves in next door. Evan reminds her of the salty ocean air and the rush she used to get from swimming. He might be just what she needs to help her reconnect with the world outside.

Underwater is a powerful, hopeful debut novel about redemption, recovery and finding the strength it takes to face your past and move on."

Review 
There are so many books out there about the horrors of high school shootings, but what made Underwater stand out for me is that this book takes place months after the shooting showing the long term effect trauma has on people’s lives. One moment can change you forever.

Underwater follows Morgan who, in the months after the shooting at her high school, has become a recluse. For months Morgan hasn’t stepped foot outside of her home, her world has shrunk to a routine of online schooling, grilled cheese lunches, daytime TV and afternoon visits with her therapist. When it takes all of your energy to control your panic attacks and triggers daily life can be overwhelming. Underwater is Morgan’s journey in learning to live again after the very worst has happened.

Underwater was a very personal read for me. Although my situation isn’t the same as Morgan’s, I too have panic attacks and PTSD that make it difficult for me to leave my house. I found that so many passages of this book were relatable to me – a sure sign that Marisa Reichardt has done her research and that the story rings true to the struggle of mental health recovery.

When I first discovered that there’s a romance in this book I was worried that it’d be a case of ‘girl meets boy and magically recovers from her mental health problems’ but I’m happy to report that that wasn’t the case at all. This is very much Morgan’s journey in working through her fears, finding inner strength and learning how to live again. The romance is a very minor aspect of the story as Evan joins Morgan’s mom, brother and therapist cheering her on from the side-lines.

As well as Morgan’s relationship with Evan she has so many other wonderful connections in this book. It’s something that Marisa Reichardt really excels at in her writing. Morgan’s mom and brother were so supportive and I loved reading about Morgan’s sessions with her therapist. I think that the most interesting relationship to read about was the relationship Morgan had with her dad and how after his time in Afghanistan their stories parallel.

Underwater was such an emotional read about learning to swim and push through the rough waters that try to hold you down. This book is about courage, second chances and forgiveness. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a realistic and sensitive portrayal on mental health recovery.

Early Bird Review for Amy and Matthew by Cammie McGovern

Amy and Matthew by Cammie McGovern 
Publisher: Macmillan
Release: 27th March 2014
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Source: Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review





Goodreads Summary: 

"Amy is unflinchingly honest about her limitations. Born with cerebral palsy, she can’t walk or talk without help. But trapped inside this uncooperative body lies a brilliant mind and a luminous spirit – a girl capable of truly loving and worthy of being loved in return.

Matthew has his own set of challenges – a mind consumed by unwanted repeated thoughts, obsessive rituals and a crippling fear that he can't explain. But underneath all of the anxiety lies a deep seed of hope for someone to come along who believes in him…

This is the story of Amy and Matthew. It may not be a fairy tale romance or set in an imagined world far from our own. But the love they share is real. And yes, there's magic in it."

Review 
My favourite kind of Contemporary YA books are the kind with real and imperfect characters, so this love story about a girl who has Cerebral Palsy and a guy with OCD sounded right up my street. I myself have suffered with OCD since my late teens so from a personal level I was looking forward to seeing how Cammie McGovern handled the illness in her story. Turns out this author really knows her stuff!

Amy and Matthew are two troubled teens who find each other just when they need someone the most and I loved following their evolving relationship. At its heart this book is about friendship which I found really refreshing to read. I loved how Amy and Matthew bettered one another and brought each other out of their shell. The mutual respect, trust and understanding of each other and their illnesses was really beautiful to read.

Matthew for me was a really relatable character. Cammie McGovern perfectly captures the anxiety and panic behind compulsive thinking and clearly has a solid understanding of what someone with OCD goes through on a daily basis. I found myself nodding along with Matthew and sympathising with his fear of everyday tasks that take a lot of mental strength to overcome.

I absolutely loved getting to know Amy - she’s incredibly bright and positive and has so much to offer if only people had the patience to see past her disability. Amy’s personality practically leaps off the page to the point where I’d often forget she had CP and how others perceived her because to me she was just Amy. Despite loving her positive attitude it was actually Amy’s more fragile and honest moments in the book that made me really admire her strength of character.

If you enjoyed Eleanor and Park, The Fault in Our Stars and The Perks of Being a Wallflower then I couldn’t recommend this book to you more. It certainly deserves the same recognition which is not something I say lightly with the books mentioned above being a few of my favourites. Amy and Matthew are certain to open reader’s eyes to the world of both physical and mental illness and work their way into reader’s hearts with their beautifully broken love story.

Early Bird Review for Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy 
Publisher: Harperteen
Release: 18th March 2014
Genre: Contemporary YA
Source: Received for review via Edelweiss




Goodreads Summary:

"What if you’d been living your life as if you were dying—only to find out that you had your whole future ahead of you?

When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukaemia, her prognosis is grim. To maximize the time she does have, she vows to spend her final months righting wrongs—however she sees fit. She convinces her friend Harvey, whom she knows has always had feelings for her, to help her with a crazy bucket list that’s as much about revenge (humiliating her ex-boyfriend and getting back at her arch nemesis) as it is about hope (doing something unexpectedly kind for a stranger and reliving some childhood memories). But just when Alice’s scores are settled, she goes into remission.

Now Alice is forced to face the consequences of all that she’s said and done, as well as her true feelings for Harvey. But has she done irreparable damage to the people around her, and to the one person who matters most?"

Review
There are an abundance of ‘cancer stories’ offered in Contemporary YA and most of them follow a similar formula with the main character being diagnosed with cancer, going on some sort of life changing journey and then dying at the end of the book. It would be fair to say then that Side Effects May Vary breathes new life into the genre, flipping your typical cancer story on its head, as we’re introduced to Alice a girl who has been living a life of no consequences after being given a grim cancer prognosis. Alice has lived her life as if she’s going to be saying goodbye to it soon only to be told that despite the odds she’s in remission. This isn’t a story about cancer and dying, it’s a story about living, second chances and hope.

The book is told in alternating ‘Now’ and ‘Then’ chapters. ‘Then’ goes back to when Alice is first diagnosed. Like most people in her situation Alice makes a list of all the things that she wants to do with the rest of her time. Alice is an angry and scared individual and that reflects in her list as we see Alice settling scores with an ex-boyfriend and frenemy as well as her wanting to do something memorable for her best friend Harvey and have new experiences like learning how to drive. The ‘Now’ chapters follow Alice in the present where she’s struggling to adjust to this unexpected second chance at life. When Alice was diagnosed she put on this hard exterior to put a barrier between her and those she loves to protect both herself and her family for when she wouldn’t be around anymore. Now Alice is struggling to let those people get close to her again because although the cancer is gone her fear of dying and losing everybody isn’t. Alice was a beautifully flawed character and I loved following her uneasy journey in learning how to live and love again.

As well as Alice’s chapters we also get to read from Alice’s best friend Harvey’s point of view. Harvey and his chapters were actually my favourite thing about this book. It’s not often in books that we get to hear directly from the friends or family of the character with cancer and so to experience Harvey’s thoughts and feelings made this book even more moving. I really connected with Harvey and so many of my highlighted quotes on my Kindle were from his chapters. Harvey’s a genuinely nice guy who wears his heart on his sleeve. He’s actually the complete opposite of Alice and so brings out the very best in her and gets her to drop her protective armour that she wears around everybody else but him which I loved to see.

I actually can’t believe that Side Effects May Vary is Julie Murphy’s debut. You’d think that two tenses and two narratives would be too much for a reader to keep up with but Murphy’s writing is consistent throughout and flows beautifully making the way this story is told work in this books favour to give a rounded and developed story. Julie Murphy’s writing was effortless to read and every so often she’ll turn out a phrase that will catch your breath and hit you in the stomach. Hopeful, moving and beautiful Side Effects May Vary was everything I wanted it to be and more.