Title: Side
Effects May Vary
Author: Julie Murphy
Published On:March 18, 2014
Publisher: Harper Collins/ Balzer + Bray
Source: ARC from publisher
Synopsis:
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 leukemia, 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?
Julie Murphy’s SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY is a fearless and moving tour de force about love, life, and facing your own mortality.
When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, 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?
Julie Murphy’s SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY is a fearless and moving tour de force about love, life, and facing your own mortality.
My Thoughts
Rating: 3.5 Stars
I got this book from the author and the publisher, free of cost, in exchange of an honest review from my side.
Firstly I would like to thank the publisher and the author for giving me this opportunity of reading and reviewing this book.
Well, this book got a mixed reaction from me!!!
The concept is very unique and awesome too. Here we meet Alice and Harvey and the author takes us on a whirlwind ride of their lives. Alice and Harvey were childhood friends but as usual as they grew up slowly they got detached from each other and made their own group of friends. Alice's life was picture perfect with a famous boyfriend, great parents but the world came crashing down on us at the same time when she caught her mom, cheating on her dad in their own house and when she discovered later on that she has cancer.
This story revolves around the adjustments that Alice and Harvey do to settle in after they find out that Alice has gone into remission [ i.e. now she'll have a long life as the cancer stopped spreading].
Now, the first half of the book is really awesome but just after Alice found out that she isn't going to die soon, well things started going downhill. Some places were outright boring but other were interesting too, like when Alice takes revenge from Luke but that was when she was very sick.
Alice seemed to be a very confused person who doesn't know what she wants, here the author explains this nature is induced by fear of losing everything because she thought that the cancer will come back and take her life from her again. Well that's okay but still she was totally confused regarding her feelings for Harvey!!! I loved Harvey so much, he loved Alice totally from his heart and was ready to do anything for her even when he knew that she was using him.
I'm keeping the last part hidden though so all I want to say that this story had it's golden moments but it's worst moments too so it was a 50-50 experience for me but hats-off to the author for thinking and writing this story line and I loved the writing style as well.
The family bonding in here was really good and was portrayed very well. There is drama, action [ as in revengeful acts], romance, emotions, friendship, etc. I really liked this story though not loved it but I would definitely recommend it to others as well. Hope you guys will like it.
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