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And I kinda wish there was more focus on the dancing bit at the start, since it was such a key element in the story. And yes, there was a teeny tiny bit of a romance… and I’m not even sure I would call it that, but I have to say that I loved how patient and understanding Calvin was with Zoe. At times she may have been using him as an outlet to forget all the bad things going on, but I have to commend the maturity that he was written with, because despite Zoe being all over the place emotionally, he never really gives up on her and if it came down to it, he would and will be there for her in a heartbeat when she needs him. And I think Kantor uses that to show us that life goes on, the world continues to spin and things continue to happen even though all we may want to do is freeze time and stop to cherish everything we’ve had, I just wish that she had pushed herself to let Calvin in a bit more. However, we would have missed Zoe’s character growth had she done that… her realizations that there is hope for some happiness and a future and it’s okay to lean on others when you need to are wonderful to see. I don’t think it’s really the catastrophe that prevented me from completely enjoying the novel. I think it’s that I couldn’t completely relate with the main character and the narrator (Zoe) and I couldn’t help but disagree with a lot of her worldviews as manifested in her thoughts, actions and words. Some of the things she says could really be offensive for particular types of readers. The rest of the characters (except maybe for Olivia) seemed one-dimensional, very stereotypical and in a not so flattering way. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the writing because even though this is supposedly an emotional story, I didn’t think there was enough emotional depth in the writing and I just felt quite detached. The thing is, I will 100% admit that I am a romance junky when it comes to reading. That thrill you get when reading about a girl getting together with her crush is really unexplainable. And because of this I have a hard time with books that are missing that aspect. Maybe One Day though, is an exception to that because this book wasn’t about Zoe falling for Olivia’s crush or the will they/won’t they plot. This book was about a true, real friendship which is very rare in YA books. Maybe One Day isn’t about girls that are more frenemies than friends. It is a story of reality and the kinds of friendships I grew up with. Was there a bit of romance, sure. But it wasn’t the main focus and that is what made this book special to me.
You two look like salt and pepper shakers. That's what my mom use to say when we both had long hair. You're a couple of salt and pepper shakers. And now here I was, just a stupid lonely pepper shaker. What was the point of a pepper shaker without a salt shaker? I didn't even like pepper.” And because I went into this story with blind faith that I knew I loved the author and thus would be happy with whatever was written, I really do think the less you know about the specifics the better.For as long as she can remember, Hayley Donovan has had a crush on Jace Hammond, and she always hoped that maybe one day, he’d feel the same. She never said anything until one night when she confessed her feelings. Now she’s afraid she’s ruined their friendship forever. After all, Jace has never given her any indication that he feels the same way. This book completely shattered me, I was a blubbering mess from early on and right the way through to the end. There were times I literally had to stop reading as I couldn’t see for crying. What a heartbreakingly wonderful book. Each new person Jess meets in her quest to find Joe left me with a smile and a tear in my eye. Adding to Eminem’s collection of songs expressing his anger against ex-wife Kim Mathers, “Superman” contains a lot of harsh truths about the kinds of women that Eminem interacts with, partially due to his fame; however, Eminem may be trying to detail a sort of enlightenment in this song that, even though it has come as the result of suffering, he values. The story was told through letters and wonderful anecdotes from people whose lives have been touched by Joe. As he moved around his life trying to escape his past, he leads a life not soon to be forgotten, as he leaves every town he stays in somehow better than it was. I promise you, there is no one as kind, giving, authentic, and a more tender soul than is Joe.
There was a part of the book that I didn't agree with at all. I mean, it's kind of messed up and a huge stereotypes to people that play sports. Then we have the MC. Oy, this girl had no idea what leukemia was, only that people could die of it and then upon arriving at the hospital saw the word oncology and immediately knew it was cancer. What high school aged person doesn't know leukemia is cancer? Hell, I would know the word leukemia way before the word oncology. Oh and what about the moment that she walked into the hospital room where her friend was getting her super fast chemo treatment and noticed the view out the window first and foremost. Then she proceeded to see Olivia's brother and have a fantasy in her head about how he was actually the one with cancer and she was just mistaken. She felt bad about this thought for a second and then RATIONALIZED IT AND FELT OK ABOUT IT. And don't forget about how she danced onto a curb minutes after finding out her friend had cancer... but I guess at that point she didn't know it was cancer because she's an idiot.I found it difficult to start writing this review because this book was all over the place and I couldn’t really piece together how I really felt about it, despite really loving the book once I’d finished it. In one word, Maybe One Day is powerful. Beautifully written, make sure you have tissues on hand when reading this book: Melissa Kantor’s amazing story of friendship will be sure to bring tears. What I loved the most about this story was that the bare bones of it, despite everything going on around these characters, is about friendship and how amazing it can be. And how rare is it that we see a YA book that hones in on that instead romance these days. It’s lovely to see a book that focuses on positive relationships and shows us characters who love each other unconditionally, yeah they may get mad at each other, but at the end of the day that doesn’t change their love for each other. It was also amazing to see the support system for these girls. Not only their parents, because they were a big part of it, but the other girls at school. Zoe never really formed that true friendship connection with many other girls but regardless, there wasn’t a mean girl in the bunch, which in itself was refreshing to see. Mia and Stacey and even Emma while secondary characters to the main friendship were absolutely a positive addition to the story, and I especially loved Mia’s tenacity and determination to not let Zoe push her away permanently. I did shed a few tears while reading this one, but as I said at the beginning, it was exactly the book I needed to read at the time I read it.
Pretty much nothing I can say will be able to do this story justice, just trust me, especially if you have enjoyed books on my recommendations in the past, that this is a special book and needs to be read. Currently I would put this right up in my top books of 2020. I loved both Zoe and Olivia in this story. Both loved each other so fiercely, and both were really passionate about dance, even if Zoe couldn’t admit it at times. I'm feeling very torn about how to review this book. On the one hand, Debbie Johnson's writing is amazing and I literally couldn't put this book down and devoured it in two days including staying up way too late last night until I could barely keep my eyes open. On the other, it was heart wrenching and I currently prefer my books to be lighter even if they're dealing with serious subjects. The audiobook was wonderful and the narration by Laura Kirman was truly a treat. She gave such an emotional performance, making me tear up one moment and then burst out laughing the next. I did have problems at times understanding the different accents, but she really did such a fantastic job. Zoe's also a pretentious know-it-all who delivered a snarky little commentary about people who misuse the word "literally," when what they actually mean is figuratively. I thought that was funny to be honest, and it was one of the few things I liked about her early on, until she did this:But that ending, it's just right, I couldn't have thought of a more apt way to round up this book, and this massive story of lost love. Once Olivia starts treatment, it becomes very clear how Mrs. Greco sees Zoe. She sees her daughter's best friend as "just a visitor" That was heartbreaking. No one wants to think that their best friend's mom doesn't like them. It becomes clear what Mrs. Greco's motive is. She's gone into protective mama bear mode. Her entire existence has turned into keeping her immuno-compromised daughter as healthy and germ free as possible. She never said anything until one night when she confessed her feelings. Now she’s afraid she’s ruined their friendship forever.
First, I really love this cover. It's pretty simple at first glance but(maybe I'm reading too much into things because I tend to do that) I like how it seems calm, no wind-blown hair or waves, but the clouds are dark so there's a sign of something bad coming. We're not going to be dancers, but one day our lives are going to be amazing, Zoe. Totally amazing." We're not going to be dancers, but one day our lives are going to be amazing, Zoe. Totally amazing.” There's a . . . I mean, there has to be some mistake. How could you be getting medicine already?" Somehow that was the most implausible part of what she'd told me. I'd slept at her house Saturday night. She'd been fine. I'd talked to her this morning. Eight hours later she was in the hospital and getting medicine? How could they even diagnose what she had that fast? Apparently the statute of limitations for being nice to your friend after she's diagnosed with cancer only lasts for a couple of days. I quit here because there is literally nothing Zoe can do at this point to make me not hate her, especially since I spy a romance coming with Olivia's crush, who Zoe of course purports to hate. I love bitchy mean girl heroines, but NOT when they think they are sweet and saintly.She wanted to be Jake's official girlfriend as opposed to what she was, which was the sad girl who threw herself at him." Maybe One Day starts off with a lot of info-dumping which was strike one for me. I cannot stand it when authors shove a bunch of information in the first few chapters and then expect readers to remember it when it actually comes into play. I read about four books at a time. Hell no do I have time to remember that shit. I also found the writing to be a bit stiff and awkward exactly like how I felt towards the romance. It's all contrived and rushed and just thrown together because this is a YA novel and romance is needed no matter what. On top of all that, the characters are choppy and annoying. Zoe is so very self-centred and mean, she does nothing but think about herself and how Olivia dying will affect her life and her plans. I couldn't stand her and her pettiness. Your best friend is dying, console her and her family along with yourself. Maybe One Day is only the second "cancer book" I've read but, just like The Fault in Our Stars, it made me tear up. Only, unlike Green's renown novel, Kantor's latest is a little less humorous, a little less romantic, and has a little less to take away from it too. Where Maybe One Day excels is in its portrayal of friendship. Olivia and Zoe, two high school juniors, have been best friends since the age of four. Ever since they met in dance class, they've had the type of friendship most people only dream of or witness in the movies. Thus, when Olivia is diagnosed with leukemia, Zoe is devastated. Okay, so, the rape comment is what threw me and I didn't like at all. I know that Zoe is pretty angsty at times but, was that necessary? Oh really, Zoe? Was he LITERALLY swarmed and engulfed? He better have been completely invisible, buried under a dog pile of brainless cheerleaders, or I think you meant figuratively. Of course, it's not just the cheerleaders:
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