Waiting on Wednesday (51)

Waiting on Wednesday is a bookish feature/meme created and hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

Each week, bloggers and readers shine the spotlight on upcoming book titles that they are waiting on.

You might be able to tell that this is one of my favorite bookish memes. I usually post a Waiting on Wednesday every week because I just think it's really fun to explore upcoming titles and authors.


 It's pretty simple to participate in Waiting on Wednesday:

• Create your own Waiting on Wednesday post that features an upcoming title (or titles) - I usually only go with one book a week because seeing all the titles can be a bit overwhelming for me.
• Be sure to credit Jill somewhere in your post (see how I credited her above?)
• Link up to the Linky on Jill's blog so that others can see your post

Blog Tour: Positively Beautiful

Title: Positively Beautiful

Author: Wendy Mills

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Publication Date: March 3, 2015

My Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Read My Review Here

In this heart-wrenching story of love and loss, a teen grapples with a medical question that could change everything.

Erin Bailey's life changes forever the day her mom is diagnosed with breast cancer. It's always been just 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 choose whether or not to have her own DNA tested. Her only escape outlets are a new friend she met in an online support group and flying lessons, where looking to the horizon calms her deepest fears. But when a flash decision has Erin flying away to find her friend, she embarks on a journey 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.

Character Interview: Erin Bailey

1.     What’s your favorite academic subject in school and why?

I’ve always been pretty good at school, but if my physics book got sucked into a black hole, you wouldn’t see me crying. My favorite subject would be English, because I’ve always loved books. Mostly the old ones, like Jane Eyre and Anne of Green Gables, I guess because there’s none of the normal teenage BS in them. Lately, I’ve been thinking I might like to write. I got into this advanced writing class this year, and at first it scared me, because I had NO idea what I would write about, or why anyone would want to hear what I have to say, but now that I’m doing it…it makes me feel kind of powerful.
 

2.     What’s the best thing about growing up with just a mom?

My dad died when I was six, so it’s not like I remember a whole lot about having two parents. But growing up with just a mom... In some ways it’s bad because she doesn’t have anybody else, so she's really focused on me. She's kind of serious; well, she’s had a lot of really bad things happen to her. I mean, my dad died, and Memaw, and I can’t even imagine. I mean, I really can’t imagine. But I know I talk to her way more than Trina talks to her mom, and we’ve always been pretty honest with each other. I suppose I don’t have a whole lot to hide from her, and thinking about it, that’s pretty sad, isn't it? I mean, I’m sixteen years old. I should have a LIFE.

3.     Did you ever feel bad about not having siblings or where you okay with being an only child?

Trina’s been like my sister as long as I can remember, so I really never missed one. I guess if I didn’t have her, it would be nice to have a sister, but sisters seem to fight a lot. Trina and I almost never fight, so I think I’m good. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to have a brother. I mean, what in the world would Mom and I do with a boy? Take him for manis and pedis with us? Yeah, no, I think we’re better off with just the two of us.

4.     If you could fly anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

I’ve never flown anywhere commercially, because Mom hates flying, even though my dad was like this National Champion aviator. Come to think of it, I’m not entirely sure Mom’s even been out of Georgia?? I don’t know. But if I could go anywhere, I think I’d like to go to England and see a castle. Or the pyramids. Just…anywhere.

5.     What’s your favorite part about flying?

I haven’t flown since I was six, and that was in a small plane with my dad. He used to take me up and we would do loop-de-loops and it kind of scares me thinking about it now, but I loved it when I was a kid. It was just him and me and all that sky. But now? It would take an act of Congress to get Mom to agree to me going back up in a small plane. Back then, though...it was awesome. I hadn’t really thought about it in a long time, but I was pretty fearless at six. 

6. What are some of your favorite knick-knacks?

On my dresser right now:

A picture of my dad standing by his plane, his hair blowing crazy in the wind and a big, goofy smile on his face. I’m not in the picture, but the windows are kind of shadowed, and I like to think there’s a six-year-old Erin waiting in the plane for him to take her up.

A ratty, torn Valentine Trina made me when we were both seven. You can tell a little kid made it—she’s got us swinging side by side— but even then Trina was way more artsy than most kids. She’s got us both shaded with like fifteen different colors each. She’s mostly yellows and oranges, and I’m dark blues and greens.

A cross-stitch in a frame. The picture is a green frog rubbing his butt saying, "Does a frog bump his butt?" It was Memaw's present to me her last Christmas.

Tick-tock, a little stuffed panda from Zoo Atlanta my mom bought me when I was a kid. I used to sleep with it all the time, but now it just kind of watches me from my dresser. Okay, yes, sometimes when I’m having a real bad night, I still sleep with him. 

7. What’s your favorite thing about your mom?

I’m not going to try to say she doesn’t get on my nerves sometimes. Let me think. Well, she makes me these pancakes that are supposed to look like hearts. Once when I was six or seven I told her I loved them and she keeps making them for me, even though she hates to cook and they never look like hearts. More like syrupy Rorschach blobs. She loves corny 80's movies, and really, most of them are pretty bad (I mean, really? What’s with the hair, Molly?). But I’ll make microwave popcorn and we'll sit and watch and laugh until our faces hurt. And… she comes into my room when she thinks I’m asleep and sits on the bed and sort of hums while she brushes my hair off my face. I’ve always wondered what she is thinking about when she does that.

About Wendy Mills

Wendy Mills was born in Virginia and spent several years in North Carolina, but now lives with her family on the tropical island of Bokeelia, off the south-west coast of Florida where she spends her time writing and dodging hurricanes. She has published adult mysteries with Poisoned Pen Press, and Positively Beautiful  is her first young adult novel. Visit her online at www.wendymillsbooks.com or on Twitter @WendyMillsBooks

Giveaway:

U.S. Only - Entrants Must be 13 or Older

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Schedule:

March 2nd  Jenuine Cupcakes

March 3rd  YA Bibliophile

March 4th  Book Revels

March 5th  The Hardcover Lover

March 6th  Bookiemoji

March 9th  Dana Square

March 10th  Lovin Los Libros

March 11th  The Book Belles

March 12th  Adventures in Reading

March 13th  Who Ru Blog

 

ARC Review: Positively Beautiful by Wendy Mills

Title: Positively Beautiful

Author: Wendy Mills

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Publication Date: March 3, 2015

Source: On the Same Page ARC Tours

Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Add it to Goodreads
Amazon

In this heart-wrenching story of love and loss, a teen grapples with a medical question that could change everything.

Erin Bailey's life changes forever the day her mom is diagnosed with breast cancer. It's always been just 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 choose whether or not to have her own DNA tested. Her only escape outlets are a new friend she met in an online support group and flying lessons, where looking to the horizon calms her deepest fears. But when a flash decision has Erin flying away to find her friend, she embarks on a journey 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.

My Review

A few simple words can't explain what reading Positively Beautiful by Wendy Mills will do to readers. It's an emotional roller coaster of a read that will have readers laughing, smiling, swooning, and crying. You will be in tears by the end of the book. I promise you that. The book will literally transform the way readers think about life and death.

The novel starts out by introducing readers to sixteen (almost seventeen) year old Erin Bailey. She is your average American teenage girl. She does well in school and has a best friend. She's not the most popular girl in school, but I wouldn't say she's on the lowest rung of the social ladder. She's also got a nemesis like quite a few girls do in high school. Her best friend meets a boy, and soon they all begin to hang out with Michael, a boy who used to be quite popular until he decided to drop it all. Pretty status quo, right? Well... that's just the beginning of the book.

Mills introduces the main problem of the book - Erin's mom's cancer diagnosis - rather quickly, but after reading the whole novel, I like that she did that. With the inclusion of a very quick diagnosis, Mills creates a very realistic case of what it's like to battle cancer because cancer really can strike anywhere and at any time. 

If you read the synopsis, you know that Erin's mom discovers that the cancer is linked to a genetic mutation. Some of you may already be aware of this gene - the BRCA gene - because Angelina Jolie recently decided to have a mastectomy because of it. After Erin finds out that she could be at risk, she orders a kit to have her own DNA tested. I thought that Erin was brave for wanting to find out the truth, even though everyone, including her mom, is insisting that she wait until she's older to be tested. I admire Mills for bringing this into the story. It really shows that some people want to know just how they could die.

I also enjoyed that there were a few things going on in this book. It's not just about cancer (although the aforementioned cancer is the reason that Erin does a lot of what she does). There are some heartbreaking moments between Erin and her best friend. There are some times when you'll feel so bad for Erin that you want to jump into the book and give her the biggest of hugs. You'll see Erin go online to find support groups to help her cope with the genetic mutation that is destroying her family. Erin also tries to distract herself with flying lessons so she can feel closer to her late father. Erin is a mufti-faceted character that I think will connect with many of today's teens.

If you're only looking to read a few new books in 2015, this should be one of them. It's emotional and it's raw, but it will teach you about life and love when it seems like all hope is lost in the world.

It's Monday! What are You Reading? (11)

"It's Monday! What Are You Reading?" is a weekly meme brought to you by BookJourney. Each Monday, you get to share what you're currently reading and what you plan on reading this week with the rest of the book blogosphere. When you've finished your post, go to BookJourney, and add your post's link to the link up tool. Readers of YA and teachers can also share their link on the link up tool on Teach Mentor Texts.

Now I know in my last few "It's Monday" posts, I've planned on reading quite a few books, but I am having such a hard time getting through one that I told you about a while ago. It's depressing, actually. It never takes me this long to read a book. So... I'm still reading it, but I really hope to finish it today because I've got an ARC on it's way!

What I'm Reading This Week:

Title: Atlantia

Author: Ally Condie

Synopsis:
Can you hear Atlantia breathing?

For as long as she can remember, Rio has dreamt of the sand and sky Above—of life beyond her underwater city of Atlantia. But in a single moment, all her plans for the future are thwarted when her twin sister, Bay, makes an unexpected decision, stranding Rio Below. Alone, ripped away from the last person who knew Rio’s true self—and the powerful siren voice she has long hidden—she has nothing left to lose.

Guided by a dangerous and unlikely mentor, Rio formulates a plan that leads to increasingly treacherous questions about her mother’s death, her own destiny, and the complex system constructed to govern the divide between land and sea. Her life and her city depend on Rio to listen to the voices of the past and to speak long-hidden truths.

Title: Positively Beautiful

Author: Wendy Mills

Synopsis:
16-year-old Erin is a smart if slightly dorky teenager, her life taken up with her best friend Trina, her major crush on smoky-eyed, unattainable Michael, and fending off Faith, the vision of perfection who’s somehow always had the knife in for Erin. Her dad, a pilot, died when she was very young, but Erin and her mom are just fine on their own.

Then everything changes forever one day after school when Erin’s mom announces she has breast cancer. And there’s even worse news to come. Horrified, Erin discovers that her grandmother’s death from cancer is almost certainly linked, the common denominator a rare gene mutation that makes cancer almost inevitable. And if two generations of women in the family had this mutation, what does that mean for Erin? The chances she’s inherited it are frighteningly high. Would it be better to know now and have major preemptive surgery or spend as much life as she has left in blissful ignorance?

As Erin grapples with her terrible dilemma, her life starts to spiral downwards, alleviated only by the flying lessons she starts taking with grumpy Stew and his little yellow plane, Tweetie Bird. Up in the sky, following in her dad’s footsteps, Erin finds freedom chasing the horizon. Down on the ground it’s a different story, and facing betrayal from Trina, humiliation from Faith, and a world of disappointment with Michael, Erin knows she must discover the truth about herself. Sure enough, she’s positive for the gene that’s slowly killing her mom.

Suddenly, Erin’s life has turned into a nightmare, and the only person she can truly talk to is a girl called Ashley who she meets online. But when, in a moment of madness, Erin flies away with Tweetie Pie to find her new friend, she finds herself on a journey that will take her through not only shock and despair - but ultimately to a new understanding of the true meaning of beauty, meaning, and love.

So that's what I'm reading this week. I'd like to thank On the Same Page ARC tours for the opportunity to read Positively Beautiful.

What are you reading this week? Feel free to let me know in the comments, and as always, feel free to leave a link to your "It's Monday" post so I can check them out.

Happy reading!