The Probability of Miracles

Aug 18, 2011 Alexa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Girl Saves Boy by Steph Bowe

Shelves: early-reviewers, arc, young-adult, 2011-reads, poc

My review can also be found on my blog Collections.

3 - 3.5 stars

This is mostly what I kept thinking while reading the book: 'Hmm...'Which equaled other sentences like 'When am I going to get hooked to this story?' and 'I'm not feeling it.' Basically this book didn't quite do it for me. I really wanted to like it. In fact, I was hoping to LOVE it. But it didn't happen. I didn't hate it though. I thought it was just okay.

The Probability of Miracles reminded me in a way of an Australian young-adult...more

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Dec 31, 2011 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

One word. Incredible.

I was apprehensive about reading this novel. The big C has hit my family this year, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to react to reading a book about a girl dying of cancer. I was anticipating that this novel was going to be a heavy read, I thought it would hit to close to home and that I wouldn’t be able to “enjoy” the story.

I did.

I not only enjoyed reading this novel, it is one of my favorite novels of 2011. This book hits you hard, well maybe it just hit me hard, but it...more

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May 02, 2012 Eunice rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, damn-gorgeous-males, death-tragedy-suicide, i-cried-over, realistic-fiction, struggled, taught-me-lessons, tear-jerking, ya-romance, young-adult

3.5 stars

~~Won't there be any cancer book out there that will not make me cry in the end? Or at least make the main character survive and live? Why do they always have to die?!~~

If it wasn't for the last third of this book, which was really beautiful and heartwarming, I might have really given this a 2 or 2.5 stars. Cam's too cynic attitude really didn't help me to like her and her story right away. Instead of being sympathetic of her I was a bit annoyed and frustrated. I understand her situation a...more 3.5 stars

~~Won't there be any cancer book out there that will not make me cry in the end? Or at least make the main character survive and live? Why do they always have to die?!~~

If it wasn't for the last third of this book, which was really beautiful and heartwarming, I might have really given this a 2 or 2.5 stars. Cam's too cynic attitude really didn't help me to like her and her story right away. Instead of being sympathetic of her I was a bit annoyed and frustrated. I understand her situation and what she'd been enduring for so many years and yes, it was awful and I was sorry and sad with all of that but this girl was just so so negative. Usually, I would have loved a heroine who's sarcastic, smart-mouthed and tough. I would have admired her attitude and how she handles and put up on things but in Cam's case I was like hopeless. She doesn't believed in miracles, well, I'm okay with that but what was really depressing was that she doesn't let any positive thing to come in her short remaining life. I was so tempted a lot of times to drop this book unfinished. I was so hopeless of her, and I was like this girl should have met Augustus Waters! I even told myself that I won't cry if she died in the end. But I ate back all those words. Because I did. A lot.

So I'll be straight here, I didn't like the first and second thirds of the book. I was frustrated, annoyed and hopeless. But the last thirds? I LOVED it. It was beautiful, poignant and very moving. It made me forget all my frustrations on the earlier parts and I finally found myself loving Cam and the wonderful person inside her. It was touching to see her letting things through, even if she doesn't believe in miracles she started believing that great things could still happen without needing an explanation. I love how she finally opened up and find happiness and true love before it's too late. All those things that happened in this part were really moving and I appreciated every second of it. The romance is definitely a thumbs-up, it was sweet, swooning, and definitely heartwarming. And all the characters were really wonderful, they all have been a very good part of the story making it more inspiring and enriching.

The ending was so beautiful it hurts. I was so moved and touched that fat tears started coming out of my eyes. It was heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. And yes, I loved it. Even if it left me like a mess. I was satisfied and I was glad I didn't give up on this book and continued reading it. I just wished that Cam's change of heart started a bit earlier since I really struggled during the first two-thirds of the book. But all in all, this is a very heartwarming and inspiring story and I did enjoy it. I would still love to recommend this.

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Apr 29, 2012 Eden rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's queer; though I didn't love this one, I'm not disappointed. There was all the humour and wit I'd heard of, the family structure was explored enough (though not as much as I'd have liked) and of course it was bittersweet. So I got what I read for. But the romance between Asher and Cam was unrealistic (and why must he always be referred to as "perfect"? ...a pet peeve of mine), and I don't feel Cam herself developed. In the end, did she or did she not believe in miracles? >_<

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Jan 16, 2013 Kayla H. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As a sixteen year old girl who has been in and out of hospitals since she was twelve due to her cancer, I find Cam to be an extremely strong individual. Although she can be sarcastic, negative and skeptical, she has come to terms with the fact that she is going to die. However, her family can’t seem to let go the idea that there is some miracle cure out there that they have yet to find. The last thing she thought she was going to have to do was be uprooted from her hometown and moved to Promise,...more As a sixteen year old girl who has been in and out of hospitals since she was twelve due to her cancer, I find Cam to be an extremely strong individual. Although she can be sarcastic, negative and skeptical, she has come to terms with the fact that she is going to die. However, her family can’t seem to let go the idea that there is some miracle cure out there that they have yet to find. The last thing she thought she was going to have to do was be uprooted from her hometown and moved to Promise, Maine to “heal” her, but Promise was a town of miracles and Cam realized that even though she accepted the fact that she was going to die, doesn’t mean her family did and this was just what they needed.

Throughout the novel, The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder, Cam discovers who she is, how to love and how to have faith in herself by simply believing. Being her skeptical self, she is dreading this summer in Maine, but has no idea of what will come of it. Through many events she finds herself starting to believe, and that is something Cam thought she would never do. She learned life lessons there she thought she never could. For example she realized being kind is something that may be difficult at some points in your life, but it’s the better thing to do and will make you a happier person. She tells her younger sister, “Being kind is one of the hardest things to be in high school because you're so terrified of being cut down yourself that you're always on your guard. But don't be like that. Be kind and you will be truly different. A standout. Unique and happy.” Cam learns that by letting your guard down, being kind and letting love into your life, it allows you to be happy. She learns how to believe.

This book is like no other I have read before. It is captivating at every point. The unexpected twists throughout the book are what really made it so interesting and incomparable. Cam is such a complex character and is different in that way than any character I have read about. She is emotionally strong, stubborn, and negative, yet at other points in the novel she can be such a whole hearted person. Cam is definitely hard to read at times because of all of her different characteristics. For instance, when she first meets Asher, a guy she meets while in Promise, she has a strong guard up and isn’t the most pleasant, but after a little while she thinks that it wouldn’t be so bad to have him as a friend. She may not know it but her guard is still up even though they are just friends and ends up giving him mixed signals. “Asher, help!' she cried as she climbed down the steep, twisting path to the beach.’Help. Don't help. You give me mixed messages.' Asher sighed as he stuck his keys into his pocket and followed Cam to the edge of the lawn.”

Her life has been tough with the death of her father and then finding out she has cancer. Because of these major rough patches in her life it has lead her to be someone completely different. Cam is a complex character because of them.

At the beginning of the summer, Cam didn’t believe in miracles no matter how hard anyone tried to convince her. One of the other things she didn’t believe in was love. Because of her parents getting divorce, her father’s death, being fat as a child, and then having cancer, she decided that miracles were nonexistent and love was something she just couldn’t trust. Like they said though, Promise, Maine was a place miracles occurred and it definitely worked its magic on Cam. Her experiences she obtained there lead her to finally expand her view on love and miracles. “If you believed that thoughts were energy and energy is matter (E=mc2) and matter never disappears, then a person can never truly leave you unless you stop thinking about them. Everything you shared with a person is still there swirling around in the universe. Love, Cam had to admit, might be real. And love endures. Relationships endure. Because thoughts are energy, energy is matter, and matter never disappears.” Right before the end of the novel, Cam realizes that sometimes, you just have to let things unfold and believe in what will come. For Cam to believe in miracles, love and most importantly herself, was a miracle in it’s self.

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Jun 02, 2012 Dea Sauva rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-release, e-book, read-in-2012, romance, realistic-fiction, young-adult, ya-contemporary

Since finding out about the release of this book, I immediately knew I had to get my hands on it. After many months of waiting I finally had the chance to do so. Even with the excitement, it took me awhile to start reading it because the subject of cancer is quite sensitive to my family—having an uncle died of it and an aunt as a survivor, while my mom has been fighting Lupus for over a decade now. I’m glad I picked it up when I deemed myself ready because after putting it down, I was emotionall...more Since finding out about the release of this book, I immediately knew I had to get my hands on it. After many months of waiting I finally had the chance to do so. Even with the excitement, it took me awhile to start reading it because the subject of cancer is quite sensitive to my family—having an uncle died of it and an aunt as a survivor, while my mom has been fighting Lupus for over a decade now. I’m glad I picked it up when I deemed myself ready because after putting it down, I was emotionally spent.

At first hundred pages, I could connect to neither the story nor the main character. It’s the biggest problem when you dislike being in the skin of a negative and blatantly sarcastic heroine like Cam. Against my initial criticism, I continued to immerse in her story. I know exactly nothing about a mind of a teenage cancer patient which helps me understand and open my mind. The good thing about her personality though, was her honesty and her love for animals. I was happy to see the transformation Promise, Maine has brought her. What makes it real is the time it took for her to see and realize the wonders of life. It didn’t happen with a snap of the fingers and rather developed in a believable pace. She started to believe in things— things she has never believed in before like miracles and true love.

More than half of the book fell flat to me I almost put it down. I’m glad I didn’t because the remaining pages eclipsed the tediousness of the first half. I was indulged with a more alive and even romantic atmosphere. The plot doesn’t have complications and I didn’t have to guess to know what will happen in the end. Does it lessen the emotional impact to me? Definitely not. It wraps up with the kind of bittersweet ending that left me wanting for more, while at the same time resolving that it is the perfect one for this book.

The Probability of Miracles is a beautiful story of love, family, friendship and believing in unexpected, wonderful things that may happen in our lives. I recommend it to everyone especially to all the teens out there. This is the debut novel of Wendy Wunder and I can say I’m definitely on the lookout for another book of hers after this one.
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Oct 14, 2012 April rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, for-review, audio, contemporary

I love when authors take my heart and crush it into tiny little pieces, but then make it swell like a balloon. Keep playing with my emotions, because I love to read and feel. The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder is a book that gets under your skin. Campbell Cooper, maine character, is a person who I totally was invested in and I connected with her character and rooted for her.

Read the rest of my review here

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May 09, 2013 Jasmine Rose rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-books-reads, favorites

Yeah, I cried. I won’t go into the sad bits any more than because I really don’t want to ruin this beautiful novel for anyone.

I’d heard amazing reviews for this one back when it came out and that’s really what pushed it to the top of my list. That, and the pretty cover. Well, the setting had a bit to do with it too, but you can’t tell me that cover isn’t eye-catching. Normally for such an amazing book I’d say I wish I’d read it sooner, but the timing was actually good since I’m dealing with some...more Yeah, I cried. I won’t go into the sad bits any more than because I really don’t want to ruin this beautiful novel for anyone.

I’d heard amazing reviews for this one back when it came out and that’s really what pushed it to the top of my list. That, and the pretty cover. Well, the setting had a bit to do with it too, but you can’t tell me that cover isn’t eye-catching. Normally for such an amazing book I’d say I wish I’d read it sooner, but the timing was actually good since I’m dealing with something in my personal life.

I’ve never been really close to anyone has dealt with cancer, especially at a young age, but I imagine people generally deal with it in one of two ways either trying to live what’s left of their life to the fullest doing everything they ever wished to do or always thinking about the death that lies ahead and never allowing themselves hope. Cam is definitely the second. I find this to be completely understandable, but there were still times I wanted to shake her a little and tell her to embrace the joys of life around her. But at the same time, I couldn’t help but imagine myself in her situation and I’d probably feel pretty hopeless and cynical most of the time too.

But the thing is, Cam is able to change and it’s a subtle yet completely beautiful transformation. And one of the big helpers of Cam’s change? Promise, Maine. I loved the town and all the crazy things that happened. It was almost like its own character and it was simply glorious.
Of course, Asher helps Cam change too. Their relationship is spectacular and Wunder does a wonderful job of making it deep and beautiful, but very tasteful.

The Nutshell: I could probably write page upon page of praise for this book, but you’d never read it, so I’ll try to stick to the really important stuff. The Probability of Miracles is a truly beautiful book and I believe everyone should read it. Wunder manages to bring sarcasm, beauty, laughter, and life into a book based around a girl who’s dying of cancer and it works. I mean it really works. There’s laughter, growth, sorrow, and more that I can’t put into words contained in the pages of this book and it deserves to be read. If you’re a fan of contemporary this is a definite must read.
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Apr 17, 2013 Stevina Tanuwijaya rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 31, 2013 Jenna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This story is a snapshot of a dying girl's summer, the last few months that the doctors think she'll make it. She has her own flamingo list of mostly depressing things that she believes every teenage girl ought to experience. Her best friend Lily has her own flamingo list, but it's more positive. Lily believes that if Campbell just lives life, she'll check off all the items naturally.

Heartbreaking would be a great way to describe this book. I'd also add funny and uplifting.

As I read this, espec...more This story is a snapshot of a dying girl's summer, the last few months that the doctors think she'll make it. She has her own flamingo list of mostly depressing things that she believes every teenage girl ought to experience. Her best friend Lily has her own flamingo list, but it's more positive. Lily believes that if Campbell just lives life, she'll check off all the items naturally.

Heartbreaking would be a great way to describe this book. I'd also add funny and uplifting.

As I read this, especially the second half, I felt a smile on my face. I laughed several times and even teared up. The main character, Campbell, comes to life. It's one of those feel like you know her kind of books, like she's an actual person. She likes to use SAT words, but not obnoxiously so. Her dialogue with other characters is naturally hilarious. She's bold, not because she's dying, but because she's the kind of person who's got nothing to lose. It doesn't matter what others think of her. Despite the typical argumentative relationship with her younger sister, Cam will do anything to make her happy. Even though part of her pushes away love from others, Cam is constantly fueled by it.

Asher--swoon. Handyman. Football star. Knows his way around a boat. Master sneak-up artist. I went back to read her first romantic encounter with Asher again because the movements they make and the verbal exchange were so perfect. Asher's only flaw is he never wants to leave the town of Promise, where Cam has traveled because her mom and sister believe miracles happen there. As Cam falls for him and imagines what comes next for him, she can't picture him sticking around in the tiny Maine town where the dandelions are purple and flamingos appear mysteriously.

For a first time writer, Wendy Wunder truly understands that normal people have unique and crazy quirks. Nana gets angry to avoid being upset when her daughter and granddaughters leave. Little sis, tweeny-bopper Perry, hangs onto the hope that unicorns exist. Even Sunny, a baton twirling hippie, dances in the sand and drinks jug water by sticking her face under the spigot. All the characters had depth. I didn't truly hate anyone, although a certain French boy was annoying. Cam deals with her ups and downs gracefully. She goes through a gambit of emotions--embarrassment, denial, anger, hope, joy.

I am not an animal person, but I appreciated the inclusion of animals in this book. From the St. Bernard puppy to Buddy the baby flamingo, animals in this book represent hope, friendship, and love. The vet in the book, Elaine, is honest and teaches Cam about the world in ways her mother never could. The saying, "It takes a village" comes to mind. So many characters are teachers in this book. Each leaves an imprint on Cam that gives her a new insight into living. Cancer doesn't have to take center stage all the time.

This book will nestle its way into your heart. It had a bit of a slow start, but The Sound of Music references and Cam's snarky comments (and nicknames for people!) totally made up for it. The feather theme throughout, starting on the cover, was also a brilliant way to highlight events in the book.

Favorite Quotes:

"...she imagined a Rolf moment from The Sound of Music--the one where Rolf finds the whole family behind the tombstone in the abbey and hesitates, deciding whether or not he loves Liesl, before blowing that pansy-ass Nazi whistle. Did TYLER A WHOLE FOODS TEAM MEMBER, love her, or would he blow the whistle?"

"As Cam hugged her mother and walked back to her room, she realized she'd be spending the rest of her short life making other people feel better about the prospect of losing her."

"When he wasn't working at the restaurant, he wrote spare poems and made paintings that were quiet and clean, like whispers."

"At the end of the street the sharp white needle of the church's steeple poked into the sky as if heaven were a big balloon that needed to be popped." (less)

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Feb 15, 2013 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A little way into this book, I thought "oh, this is like Before I Die by Jenny Downham - but not so good". Same idea - girl dying of cancer, has a list of things to do, which include shoplifting and losing one's virginity. Before I Die is beautifully written, and while it's a teen novel, it's read by lots of older women. This is definitely a teen novel, complete with smart arse, cynical heroine.

What kept me reading in the beginning is that Cam is part Samoan, and I was intrigued by that. Not tha...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Payton B rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read the book The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder. Basically, this book is about a seventeen year old girl named Campbell Cooper who has never fallen in love. For the past couple years she has been fighting cancer. The doctors say she only has a year or two longer to live. She is told she needs a “miracle” so her mother, along with her younger sister Perry, move to a place where it is told that unusual things happen.

This novel is relevant to My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult. In both...more I read the book The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder. Basically, this book is about a seventeen year old girl named Campbell Cooper who has never fallen in love. For the past couple years she has been fighting cancer. The doctors say she only has a year or two longer to live. She is told she needs a “miracle” so her mother, along with her younger sister Perry, move to a place where it is told that unusual things happen.

This novel is relevant to My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult. In both stories it is mainly about two teenage girls fighting cancer, and have not ever felt what it feels like to fall in love. They struggle day by day, by all the side affects of this disease , making it hard to live a normal life. Since they only have so much time to live, they feel they have to do everything they have ever wanted to feel like they have accomplished something.

The main character Campbell Cooper doesn’t believe in anything. Love, magic, miracles, herself, others. She steals, she lies, and always fights with her mother, and sister. She has no father figure in her life. She has a hard time believing in others, and she doesn’t even believe in herself. It is because there is all these bad things happening to her. She has lost all of her hope and faith, and she just needs something, or someone to help her believe that good things can happen to her. Throughout her struggle with cancer, she does create a “Flamingo List” as her and her friend calls it. She writes all the things she has ever wanted to do, and day after day she tries to complete the list.

The big conflict in this book is her having cancer, and having so many problems that she has to live with in her everyday life. Before time is too late, she wants to find what it is to fall in life. She wants to find out who she really is, and she wants to believe in herself. She wants to trust others and trust that everything will be okay.

The big picture is just believing. Believing that not all problems last forever, and that good things can happen in hard times. Also, to believe that there is hope and that you can get through things, even the hardest things.

From this book I have learned that all you need is family that cares about you, and the belief in yourself. With all that, you can accomplish whatever you want, succeed in life, and get past all the struggles.

I rate this book a four out of five stars. The reasoning on my choice is that when I first started reading this book I could not get into it, and it was hard to read. But after I got into it, it was a really great book with lots of detail that kept me reading. It has a lot of creative things happening that got me hooked, and I could really connect to it. Overall it was a good book that I think everyone should read.
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Dec 25, 2012 Maggie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, track-down-library, good

After reading one too many books about vampires, werewolves and books that were just plain awful (ahemmm vincent boys ahem) I decided to give the probability of miracles a chance . Campbell "Cam" is dying of cancer. After the treatments that left her feeling like poison was inside her didn't work, the doctor, Doctor Handsome tells her that there is nothing left to do. Her mother and her little half sister Perry doesn't give up though. They travel to Miracle, Maine, a place where miracles are sup...more

After reading one too many books about vampires, werewolves and books that were just plain awful (ahemmm vincent boys ahem) I decided to give the probability of miracles a chance . Campbell "Cam" is dying of cancer. After the treatments that left her feeling like poison was inside her didn't work, the doctor, Doctor Handsome tells her that there is nothing left to do. Her mother and her little half sister Perry doesn't give up though. They travel to Miracle, Maine, a place where miracles are supposed to happen. After finding the tiny entrance after getting a "lucky" whoopie pie and chocolate milk from dunkin donuts, they go to the lobster pound, after not being able to find the hotel. They are told by Asher that the hotel is under renovation, and that they can stay in a spare house. Cam gets a job helping out Asher's vetanarian aunt, and learns about his life story after hula dancing it out. ( she was a Polynesian dancer at Disney ) Miracles definitely happen here, like the flamingos, midnight rainbows, and snow in July. Cam learns how much sacrifices everyone around her made when she got sick. Her sister missed out on sleepovers and parties by accompanying cam to her appointments. She learns that her mother's sushi chef Disney boyfriend is not just a fling, and helps him propose, making a family. She helps Asher realize that leaving Miracle doesn't mean that something bad is going to happen. ( he thinks that when his parents left to go on vacation and their plane crashes was because they left) The best part about this was Cam's actions. She helped everyone around her before she left and said good bye for ever. There is a aspect I hated about this though. (view spoiler)
This book was remarkable. The best I have read in a while. Some books stick with you forever, this book is one of them.
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Nov 27, 2012 Courtney rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: death-dying, magic-realism, potential-gateway-noms-2013-14, realistic-fiction, teen-fiction

Campbell has been suffering from cancer for nearly seven years and is now being told by her doctors that there's nothing left they can do. Cam, whose life has been pretty unusual in the first place, is unsurprised. Her mother, however, refuses to give up and plans a trip to a small town in Maine that is purported to have miraculous healing properties. Cam is pretty dubious; she's grown up next to Disney World, where her parents were performers in the Polynesian show. She's seen the most "magical...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Winna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

First off, I love the author's name. It's like something wonderful is coming her way.

Second, I love the probability of miracles. I love the premise that a sick girl is going to find her little miracles, even if it does not save her life.

But then I get into a couple of pages and I find the character a little annoying. I personally feel the narrative should be written from Cam's POV, which will bring the distance between her and us as the readers closer. When done in third POV, I find that tailing...more First off, I love the author's name. It's like something wonderful is coming her way.

Second, I love the probability of miracles. I love the premise that a sick girl is going to find her little miracles, even if it does not save her life.

But then I get into a couple of pages and I find the character a little annoying. I personally feel the narrative should be written from Cam's POV, which will bring the distance between her and us as the readers closer. When done in third POV, I find that tailing her every move gets boring. Trying to get into her head is tiring, and I find her sarcastic but not in a good way. I know she's sick of being sick, hopeless enough not to hope for miracles, but it's exhausting to be around her. I disagree with many of her choices, one of them being Alec. Ever since she did what she did with him, my opinion about her is never the same again.

I also wish we get a bit of insight about how Cam and her mother look. They're of Italian descent, and they're hula dancers, so I imagine them as dark and exotic. With the lack of descriptions I can't help imagining her as fair skinned and dark haired, for reasons I can't comprehend myself.

Then there's the side characters. I love Lily and Perry, Nana and Elaine and Alicia. I'm not a big fan of Asher (am never a big fan of guys with long hair), but their story is pretty cute and their chemistry is built slowly, weaved with the story.

The ending is what makes it beautiful and worthwhile. It's heartbreaking and sad yet so freeing at the same time. It's probably not my favorite book but it's definitely a nice short read.

Anyway, the blurb seems to be inaccurate. It says Cam receives an envelope containing the things she needs to do before she dies. It's not a mysterious envelope. It's from Lily (minor spoiler alert), and Cam doesn't open it until later in the story (although it does contain a short bucket list). The misguided blurb makes us think she's in some kind of adventure because of the list, despite it being the other way around.(less)

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Aug 28, 2012 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: heart-wrenching, contemporary

Well, it was a really amazing book and I am so glad I bought it...but,yes, I am only giving it four stars. It is not because of all the sadness involved in the plot. Yes, Cam has cancer and she doesn't expect to live past the summer,but it really gives the story more depth. The reason I am giving it four stars, when I'd love to give it five, is because at some points in the story I felt like Cam didn't care about anything.
Don't get me wrong because I loved Cam's attitude most of the time and ho...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Hazel Grace rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

I thought the Probability of Miracles was pretty good overall...My only downfall was that Cam kept thinking/talking about death. Like, I get it that you're dying and you have no hope for yourself, but she could've at LEAST tried to enjoy life a little better because it was going to end shortly.

Now, I've read only a couple of cancer books before (which is why I decided to read this one, because an author recommended it) but I think that this one could only recieve 4/5 stars from me because of th...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Jenny Ocana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really wanted to love this book right away but it wasn't until the last third that things got really interesting for me. I didn't exactly feel it because there wasn't a lot to go on or a lot to get hooked on in the beginning of the story. And I agree with some of the other reviews I've read here, Cam, the protagonist, was too much of a cynic and therefore not really a likable main character. I get that she had to have started as a rebel and nonbeliever for her to transform into the opposite bu...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Petit-lips rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

http://lectures-petit-lips.blogspot.f...

Wouaw, quel livre ! J'ai refermé le roman complètement bouleversée, émue aux larmes à deux reprises.
« La fille qui ne croyait pas aux miracles » n'est pourtant pas un livre larmoyant ni glauque. L'auteure traite la maladie et la mort, des thèmes difficiles, avec délicatesse et de manière brillante. C'est un roman riche en émotions, teinté de magie et d'espoir. Le tout est joliment interprété par des personnages hauts en couleur et débordant de bonne humeur...more http://lectures-petit-lips.blogspot.f...

Wouaw, quel livre ! J'ai refermé le roman complètement bouleversée, émue aux larmes à deux reprises.
« La fille qui ne croyait pas aux miracles » n'est pourtant pas un livre larmoyant ni glauque. L'auteure traite la maladie et la mort, des thèmes difficiles, avec délicatesse et de manière brillante. C'est un roman riche en émotions, teinté de magie et d'espoir. Le tout est joliment interprété par des personnages hauts en couleur et débordant de bonne humeur.

J'ai été immédiatement séduite par le personnage de Cam. C'est une jeune fille qui a la tête sur les épaules et s'est en quelque sorte préparée à ce qui l'attend. Elle accepte tout cela, même si au fond d'elle ça la rend triste de ne pas pouvoir se tourner complètement vers le futur. Cam décide de réaliser les points de sa « Liste flamant rose » qu'elle a rédigée sur les conseils de son amie Lily (elle aussi malade).
Si Cam est prête à son départ et accepte le diagnostique, sa mère Alicia et sa soeur Perry croient aux miracles et décident de tout faire pour provoquer celui-ci. Direction dans une petite ville du Maine appelée Promise et qui est réputée pour ses miracles.

Le trio familial va vite se plaire dans cette ville mystérieuse et où il y règne une bonne humeur générale. Les filles feront la rencontre de personnages attachants, dont Asher, un joli jeune homme. Asher m'a plu pour sa force de caractère, son aide précieuse et sa maturité.
La mère de Cam, Alicia, m'a beaucoup touchée. Elle a tout simplement la peur de n'avoir pas tout fait pour sauver sa fille, son bébé. C'est pourquoi elle se lance dans la "chasse aux miracles".
Les personnage secondaires m'ont beaucoup plu également. La grand-mère de Cam et sa bonne humeur, Lily la meilleure amie qui pousse chaque jour Cam à réaliser ses voeux, Perry la petite soeur qui veut croire aux licornes...
Certains passages sont un peu trop faciles et invraisemblables, mais j'ai vite pardonné à l'auteure car j'ai vraiment été happée et bouleversée par cette histoire. Elle a su trouver les mots justes, les personnages adéquats.

Outre l'espoir et les miracles, ce roman est également un hymne à l'amour. Je parle ici de l'amour au sens large : celui des proches, de la famille et la vie amoureuse (que Cam va découvrir à Promise).
Avec son roman, Wendy Wunder nous offre une belle leçon de vie et nous rappelle que les moments passés sur Terre avec nos proches sont courts et précieux.(less)

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Jul 12, 2012 Karen (Book Light Graveyard) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I’m not a fan of cancer books. Truly, I’m not. I mean, I wasn’t even that big of a fan of “The Fault in Our Stars,” which EVERYBODY seemed to love. Something about knowing that the main character is going to die tends to turn me off. That said, I really liked this book.

The number one reason I liked this book is Cam. I just really, really enjoyed her narrative voice. She’s sarcastic and sardonic without crossing the line into bitter or dark. I mean, it’s gotta suck to know you’re not going to mak...more I’m not a fan of cancer books. Truly, I’m not. I mean, I wasn’t even that big of a fan of “The Fault in Our Stars,” which EVERYBODY seemed to love. Something about knowing that the main character is going to die tends to turn me off. That said, I really liked this book.

The number one reason I liked this book is Cam. I just really, really enjoyed her narrative voice. She’s sarcastic and sardonic without crossing the line into bitter or dark. I mean, it’s gotta suck to know you’re not going to make it to your 18th birthday, so I don’t blame Cam for being a little on the negative side. But watching her grow from being almost too resigned to her fate to learning to appreciate the life she has is not only fulfilling but a lot of fun too.

I also loved the setting. The town, with its flamingos, orcas, and purple dandelions, is just so ridiculously cool. And I love that you never really know whether the town is magic or if it’s just a bunch of coincidences that can be explained away—it could go either way, and you’re left to decide for yourself.

The cast of secondary characters is a lot of fun. My favorite by far is Perry, Cam’s little sister, but I liked everybody—her mom, her grandma, that hottie Asher, her friend Lily, the vet . . . everybody.

And really, what probably won me over the rest of the way is that Cam’s cancer isn’t a super huge part of the book. I mean, she’s sick in the beginning and the very end, but for most of the middle of the book she’s pretty normal. The cancer was always there in the background, but it didn’t really dominate the story. It was more about Cam learning to embrace the life she has left than about her dying.

I don’t always like books with messages, but this one was so subtle and well done that I actually really appreciated it. It’s all about deciding whether the pain of hope is worth it and finding the line between letting miracles come to you or creating your own.

Overall, I think this is just about the only cancer book I’d be willing to reread. The characters and the setting are really awesome, there’s plenty of humor, and it left me something to think about without making me feel like it was force-feeding me an inspirational message.

Book Light Graveyard (less)

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Jul 09, 2012 Terri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"The Probability of Miracles" by Wendy Wunder is another entry into the current dearth of new young adult titles related to the theme of "cancer" ("The Fault in Our Stars," "Twelve Things to Do Before I Die," and others). However, "The Probability of Miracles" has some unique aspects that make it stand out.

Seventeen-year-old Campbell Cooper has terminal cancer. The book begins as Cam is ending an appointment at which her doctor tells her that there is nothing else that they can do for her. Cam d...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Zarina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Reading the back cover I realised that main character Cam would be battling an illness throughout the novel, what I hadn't anticipated however was that this would be cancer. My mother has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and I have put many a book aside at even the mere mention of the word because I didn't want to be confronted with it when trying to escape inside a novel. So because of that, The Probability of Miracles and I weren't off to a very good start and I really had to force m...more Reading the back cover I realised that main character Cam would be battling an illness throughout the novel, what I hadn't anticipated however was that this would be cancer. My mother has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and I have put many a book aside at even the mere mention of the word because I didn't want to be confronted with it when trying to escape inside a novel. So because of that, The Probability of Miracles and I weren't off to a very good start and I really had to force myself to read past the first few pages.

I'm glad I didn't give up on it easily though as it was far from the doom and gloom novel I expected it to be based purely on the subject matter. Instead it's a quirky and surprisingly uplifting read. Not because of main character Cam, whose negativity isn't all that surprising considering the fact that she's spent a large part of her life being ill and fighting a seemingly already lost battle, but because of the colourful circumstances and people that cross her path along the way.

Cam already has a rather magical background, having grown up in Disney World with her mother and sister Perry, and this only becomes even more fantastical when her mother in a burst of spontaneity decides to pack up their belongings and move the family to a place where miracles seem to happen; Promise, Maine.

Promise can only be found when using very specific directions ("The main road to Promise is behind the Dunkin' Donuts off of Route 3, and you can only see it from the drive-through squawk box. People say it's good luck to order a whoopie pie and some chocolate milk before driving into town."). It's a hidden gateway to a place where miraculous things happen; a place with flamingos in the snow and everlasting sunsets.

Unfortunately I didn't quite connect to the characters on an emotional level, like with recent favourite contemporary young adult novels The Fault in Our Stars and If I Stay (with which I mean that the book didn't tug on my heart strings up until the point that I had to put it down for a while to recover), but The Probability of Miracles certainly makes up for whatever else it lacks with its sheer quirkiness and the uniqueness of Promise, which not only makes the characters but also the reader believe that miracles in fact do exist. And as long as they do, there is always hope.

Many thanks to Penguin Books for the review copy.(less)

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Jun 22, 2012 LH Johnson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a very, very gorgeous book. It's painful too, teary-eyed and clutching it in the middle of the night painful, and it's very very life-affirming.

I loved The Probability of Miracles. The UK edition (published July by Penguin) has a very luscious cover which I like a lot more than the pink one for the US edition.

The Probability of Miracles is the summer of Cam. Campbell is seventeen. She's got cancer and she's a little beyond miracles now. She's cynical, smart and very Juno-esque. But her...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Majibookshelf Juhina & Farah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow.. just wow. This book was SO DIFFERENT from what I was expecting going into the story. Yes it is about a cancer patient, going to a 'magical' place that might cure the cancer, but I wasn't expecting the book to be dripping with sarcasm. First of, Cam was basically dragged into this supposed magical town, because she has given up. She doesn't think she'll ever be cured and just accepted it. However, by accepting her fate she didn't just lock herself in her room and treat herself as a weak can...more

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Apr 02, 2012 BAYA Librarian rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wunder, Wendy. The probability of miracles. Razorbill, 2011. 360p. ISBN: 9781595143686. $17.99. HS/M ****

Campbell Cooper has cancer. Alliteration aside, Campbell, also known as Cam, is a high school senior willing to admit defeat and die in her hometown of Celebration, Florida - Disney’s planned community. She lost her Samoan father to cancer as a child and has seemingly acquired a similar fate. A dry, sarcastic, and unimpressed Cam wants to use her last summer to check off her “Flamingo List”,...more Wunder, Wendy. The probability of miracles. Razorbill, 2011. 360p. ISBN: 9781595143686. $17.99. HS/M ****

Campbell Cooper has cancer. Alliteration aside, Campbell, also known as Cam, is a high school senior willing to admit defeat and die in her hometown of Celebration, Florida - Disney’s planned community. She lost her Samoan father to cancer as a child and has seemingly acquired a similar fate. A dry, sarcastic, and unimpressed Cam wants to use her last summer to check off her “Flamingo List”, a shout out to the flamingos that populate Florida’s lawn-ed communities. She’s already started to check off her to do’s complete with “getting her heart broken”, “shattering her sister’s dreams”, and “having an awkward moment with your best friend’s boyfriend” when her mother hears a hopeful whisper from a yoga friend. Alicia, an Italian-American hula dancer uses the summer to escape with her daughters Cam and Perry to Promise, Maine. Promise is a magical, mystical, healing town with snow in the summer, purple dandelions and everlasting sunsets. Cam would much rather wallow with her bestie and fellow cancer patient, Lily, but after some time in Promise she begins to embark on an epic, soul change of a summer. With a crew of J. Crew catalog kids and local heartthrob Asher, miracles begin occurring in abundance; only Cam is the only one that can’t see them.

Wunder establishes the heart-warming characters early and sets the tone for a story chock full of quirky adventures and teenage attitude. Campbell’s cultural mix of Samoan, Italian, Floridian, Disney child and Cancer patient all make for an interesting read as well. While it doesn’t seem hokey, there are parts that are a little more authentic than others. Talking about the siapo or Samoan cloth that tells the family history: yes, “hula’ing” while hearing the story of Asher: not so much. Certain sexual scenes, language and illicit behavior (shoplifting, pill-popping, skinny dipping), although justified in Cam’s mind may not be wise for younger readers. The teenage years can be heartbreaking with or without cancer, but Wunder’s story is smart, kind and meaningful.

- Ileana Pulu, San Francisco Public Library
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Feb 11, 2012 K rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library

The book opens with "When Campbell’s father died, he left her $1,262.56- as much as he’d been able to sock away during his twenty year gig as a fire dancer for the “Spirit of Aloha” show at Disney’s Polynesian Hotel." Then later, off of Cam’s life list—"Dabble in some innocent stalker behavior." So I settled in because this was gonna be good.

This book was excellent.

The cover tagline says it all, Campbell’s got one summer left and a lot of living to do during that time. Her everyday life is worki...more

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Jan 21, 2012 Aly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Check out Review on my blog myheartheartsbooks.blogspot.com or myheartheartsbooks.tumblr.com

The Probability of Miracles
By: Wendy Wunder
Dry, sarcastic, sixteen-year-old Cam Cooper has spent the last seven years in and out hospitals. The last thing she wants to do in the short life she has left is move 1,500 miles away to Promise, Maine - a place known for the miraculous events that occur there. But it’s undeniable that strange things happen in Promise: everlasting sunsets; purple dandelions; fla...more Check out Review on my blog myheartheartsbooks.blogspot.com or myheartheartsbooks.tumblr.com

The Probability of Miracles
By: Wendy Wunder
Dry, sarcastic, sixteen-year-old Cam Cooper has spent the last seven years in and out hospitals. The last thing she wants to do in the short life she has left is move 1,500 miles away to Promise, Maine - a place known for the miraculous events that occur there. But it’s undeniable that strange things happen in Promise: everlasting sunsets; purple dandelions; flamingoes in the frigid Atlantic; an elusive boy named Asher; and finally, a mysterious envelope containing a list of things for Cam to do before she dies. As Cam checks each item off the list, she finally learns to believe - in love, in herself, and even in miracles.
Reactions in 3 steps.
1. By page 48 fighting tears
2. By page 78 teared up twice
3. By the end of the novel, I couldn’t stop crying, but I also couldn’t stop smiling

Review:
This is one of those rare books that makes your life better by reading. I promise you, there is a probable chance that you will cry. Booth happy tears and sad tears. This story is about Campbell, a realist teen, a maybe a little jaded, as a result of her diagnosis of a terminal cancer. She realizes that she’ll die sooner rather than later. While Campbell doesn’t believe in miracle, there has to be a reasonable explanation for everything, she goes along with her mother’s crazy shenanigans because she realizes that it’s what her mother needs, her mother needs hope…even if that means trekking their family (Campbell, Campbell’s mother Alicia, and Campbell’s younger sister Perry) to Promise, Maine, where miracles happen. In Promise, Campbell attempts to complete her “Flamingo List” that her best friend Lily made her create. The last thing Campbell expects is Asher. In the course of that summer Campbell and Asher help each other truly live.
Wender Wunder did an amazing job with her debut novel. Being from Osceola County, Fl where this novel begins, reading this novel was like being taken on a tour of my hometown without having to leave my bedroom. This is one of those novels that you can truly envision, while reading it, you can almost close your eyes and just be transported on Campbell’s journey alongside her. Wunder also does a wonderful job really getting into the mindset of not only a teenager, but a teenage battling this disease, and in return the reader can understand how this disease effects Campbell’s view of the world and you understand why she does the things that she does and says the things that she says. Somehow while reading this novel, Campbell stops being a character, she becomes a friend that you root for, the brutally honest friend that you need in your life.(less)

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Jan 15, 2012 Brittany rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: tear-jearker, blah

The reasons I gave this book even 2 stars:

1. I absolutely loved the whole plot idea. It was incredibly interesting, a young girl who is dying of cancer who doesn't believe in miracles AT ALL. She moves to Promise, Maine to attempt to do everything on her "Flamingo List" before she dies, and in the process learns to believe in miracles.

2. The ending was absolutely unexpected and beautiful. Seriously, it was worth buying this book just for the ending (which was all I was able to stand reading in t...more The reasons I gave this book even 2 stars:

1. I absolutely loved the whole plot idea. It was incredibly interesting, a young girl who is dying of cancer who doesn't believe in miracles AT ALL. She moves to Promise, Maine to attempt to do everything on her "Flamingo List" before she dies, and in the process learns to believe in miracles.

2. The ending was absolutely unexpected and beautiful. Seriously, it was worth buying this book just for the ending (which was all I was able to stand reading in this book, but I'll get to that later.). You'll definitely shed some tears.

3. I loved the main characters quirky and sarcastic personality. She was just different and wasn't some common mary sue character like in most YA books I've read.

Now the reasons why this book doesn't have 5 stars (which I would've loved to give) is mainly because of how offensive and inappropriate it was. I couldn't even believe that this book was 14 and up, it should've been in a different section in the book store, and not the teen fiction section. I'm 16 years old and I enjoy reading clean books, which is why I go into the teen section to buy books. Maybe that sounds weird to you, and maybe I'm a prude, but I just absolutely hate it when books are filled with cussing or sex. Both are in no way needed to make an amazing book.

This book was filled with bad language every couple pages, shoplifting, and sex. I actually stopped reading after a few pages and just skipped to the ending because of how inappropriate I found it to be. I've only read the first 20 pages and the last 10 pages, and wont be reading anything else in this book. This really upsets me because the plot is absolutely amazing, but I just couldn't stand reading all the bad language.

Another thing that offended me was that on the first page the main character calls Christians morons. I was really upset about that, I understand that the main character doesn't believe in any type of miracle, and the whole book is supposed to be about her coming to grips with the fact that miracles do happen, but the author could've worded it differently instead of calling people who believe in God morons. It wasn't even needed in this book.

But yeah that's just my weird rant/review.
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Jan 12, 2012 Reading Teen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Probability of Miracles was so great.
First of all, the narrator sounds JUST like Emma Stone (Easy A, Zombieland, The Help etc.)
So the entire book I just kept imagining the main character, Cam, was Emma Stone.
Which I loved, of course.
Anyway, about the book.
It was hilarious and at the same time a tearjerker.
I loved it.
It made me think about how lucky I am. And how a lot of people treat life way too carelessly.
Cam's sarcastic and brutally honest attitude was hilarious. And even though she...more

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Jan 11, 2012 Naberius rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As you can tell from the summary, Cam has spent a lot of time being sick, and when we meet her in this book, she's in pretty good condition, but it's clear that good health isn't a given for her, and her health issues have really ruled her life. However, she never seems to feel sorry for herself, and while she's a bit sarcastic at times, I really liked her. She seems like the kind of girl I would have wanted to be friends with when I was 16. Obviously, her time spent being ill has shaped how she...more

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