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222nd out of 256 books
—
1,024 voters
37 Things I Love (in No Particular Order)
by
Kekla Magoon (Goodreads Author)
Ellis only has four days of her sophomore year left, andsummer is so close that she can almost taste it. But even withvacation just within reach, Ellis isn’t exactly relaxed. Her father has been in a coma for years, the result of a construction accident, and her already-fragile relationship with her mother is strained over whether or not to remove him from life support. H
Hardcover, 224 pages
Published
May 22nd 2012
by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
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Dec 04, 2012
Ed
added it
Magoon, K. (2012). 37 things I love. New York: Henry Holt. 218 pp. ISBN: 978-0-8050-9465-7. (Hardcover); $16.99.
Ellis has one person with whom she is able to discuss anything in the whole wide universe—her father. She often sits in his room and tells him in detail all that she is thinking. For the past two years, Ellis’s father has been there for her, the recipient of all her deepest and darkest secrets. And now her mother wants to take that away from her. The timing couldn’t be worse for Ellis...more
Ellis has one person with whom she is able to discuss anything in the whole wide universe—her father. She often sits in his room and tells him in detail all that she is thinking. For the past two years, Ellis’s father has been there for her, the recipient of all her deepest and darkest secrets. And now her mother wants to take that away from her. The timing couldn’t be worse for Ellis...more
This is a sweet book about a teen Ellis, who realizes that change is soon to come, but does not want it to happen. Her father, who is in a coma and has been for a couple of years due to a work related injury, is about to come off of life support due to her mother's request. Ellis thinks that her mother is being unfair about the situation and wants to hold onto her father a little bit longer cause he could come out of it, even though it has been years. Ellis, distraught realizes she needs to talk...more
15 year old Ellis list the things she loves at the end of her sophomore year. Two years ago her father fell in a construction accident and has been in a coma ever since. Her mom feels it is time to let go and let her dad die but Ellis knows she will never agree to that.The tension builds with her mother and her best friend doesn't even notice that Ellis is in agony.
Turning to a long forgotten friend Ellis finds the comfort she is seeking. When it becomes clear that Cara thinks the relationship i...more
Turning to a long forgotten friend Ellis finds the comfort she is seeking. When it becomes clear that Cara thinks the relationship i...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Realistic fiction/chick lit like 37 Things I Love is really far away from the genres I normally read, so I was not looking forward to reading or reviewiing this book. Suprisingly, while there were still several expected cliches, there were still some elements that I liked as well. Starting with the pros, Ellis (the main character) was rather likable. She's a victim but manages to hold up, and is respectful toward generally everyone (this is a dealbreaker for me). Also interesting was her list as...more
It really should be 3.5 stars, but you know.
I loved the writing in this book...
And I thought the story told well...
But this book seemed uneven to me. The chapter length and format would indicate (at least to me) a younger reader, but the characters and their actions a bit more mature. The cover is bubble gum sweet, yet the book a bit dark dealing with real life issues such as growing aprart from your childhood friends, drinking, sexuality and death.
This quick paced book didn't allow for much d...more
I loved the writing in this book...
And I thought the story told well...
But this book seemed uneven to me. The chapter length and format would indicate (at least to me) a younger reader, but the characters and their actions a bit more mature. The cover is bubble gum sweet, yet the book a bit dark dealing with real life issues such as growing aprart from your childhood friends, drinking, sexuality and death.
This quick paced book didn't allow for much d...more
It was a very fast read but well done. I thought Ellis and Laura (daughter and mother) each dealing with their own loss of their dad/husband had a good balance in wanting to do the right things but also dealing with reality. And the shifting balances of teen age friendships were dead on; I remember those situations all too well. The out of balance hormones (plus underage drinking) found in high school also handled well but I would recommend this book to late middle school through high school for...more
Summer vacation is close, but not close enough for sophomore Ellis Baldwin to avoid a barrage of impossible choices. First, there’s life or death for her father who’s been in a coma since she was 13. Then there’s her popular BFF Abby, their dutiful friend Colin, and a shy former friend from middle school, Cara. Ellis may even have to choose between friendship, love, and a date with an attractive senior wrestler. Kekla Magoon masterfully weaves a compelling story, completely unraveling the psyche...more
Ellis has four days left until summer vacation when she can forget about school. Although she is not going to have to worry about school, she is far from having a care free summer. Her father has been in a coma for several years, and Ellis and her mother are struggling to come to an agreement on whether or not to remove life support. To say the least Ellis needs the support of her friends, but her best friend, Abby, is oblivious of the idea that anything is wrong. Will Ellis find the support she...more
This is a very good book. I would recommend this to girls to read this book. The book is about how the Ellis dad is in the nursing home and will never be able to come out and she talks to him about all her problems because her and her mom dont have a great relationship with each other and her mom wants to unplug all the machines so her husband will die. Her best friend is Abby and they went to a party and Ellis talked to her old best friend Cara and then they started talking again and now Ellis...more
Ellis only has 4 days of her sophomore year left and she plans to make the most of them. Unfortunately, her plans go down the drain when her mother decides to pull the plug on her dad, who's currently in a coma and has been for a long time. As her life takes a turn for the worst, Ellis has to deal with best friend problems, popularity status, as well as odd relationships. Ellis just wanted to have the best 4 days before school ends but she ends up having the worst. With her dad slowly dying in t...more
A story about how a fifteen years old girl, Ellis struggled with her own life with a comatose father. How her friends in school treats her and so on..
One thing about the story was that the plot was a bit messy. They`re cleaned up afterward, but you could still see the mess left behind. There wasn`t much of a resolution either except for the part between Cara and Abbie. There was a little sapphic in it, but the minimal amount didn`t bother me much, so yeah.
All it, the disorganize plot wasn`t much...more
One thing about the story was that the plot was a bit messy. They`re cleaned up afterward, but you could still see the mess left behind. There wasn`t much of a resolution either except for the part between Cara and Abbie. There was a little sapphic in it, but the minimal amount didn`t bother me much, so yeah.
All it, the disorganize plot wasn`t much...more
Feb 25, 2013
Zandra
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Shelves:
coming-of-age,
death-of-a-parent,
family,
friends,
high-school,
lgbt,
realistic,
teen-fiction,
grief,
coma,
underage-drinking
I love Magoon's writing style and think she is a very gifted writer. However, this books missed the mark for me. It just did not grab my attention the way her other books did. For me, the characters were not fully developed and that made the story lack that certain "spark". The friendship (or falling out of friendship) between Ellis & Abbey and Cara was not (for lack of a better word) believable. The lesbian element seemed forced and "thrown in there." This wasn't a horrible book and I'm sur...more
Review originally posted on Queen Ella Bee Reads
THE REVIEW
When I won this book in an ARCycling session a couple of weeks ago, I had no idea what it was about. I liked the way the title sounded and, under pressure, I put it on my list. When I won it, I looked it up on Goodreads and decided my gut is a genius. This book might be short, but it sure is something.
Let's break this down:
Ellis is this hapless teen who's just finishing up her sophomore year of high school. It's like, all of the bad that...more
THE REVIEW
When I won this book in an ARCycling session a couple of weeks ago, I had no idea what it was about. I liked the way the title sounded and, under pressure, I put it on my list. When I won it, I looked it up on Goodreads and decided my gut is a genius. This book might be short, but it sure is something.
Let's break this down:
Ellis is this hapless teen who's just finishing up her sophomore year of high school. It's like, all of the bad that...more
37 Things I Love is a heartwarming and sweet contemporary YA book. There are some scenes that are sad, and these scenes are done very well. Overall, the book is a cute and enjoyable read.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD
Ellis is a well-developed main character. She is struggling because her dad has been in a coma for two years, and her mom wants to take him off life support. Ellis still holds onto the hope that he could someday wake up. She thinks taking him off life support would be like killing him. She...more
POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD
Ellis is a well-developed main character. She is struggling because her dad has been in a coma for two years, and her mom wants to take him off life support. Ellis still holds onto the hope that he could someday wake up. She thinks taking him off life support would be like killing him. She...more
There are only a couple of days left of sophomore year for Ellis, but summer seems to be the last thing on her mind. Her father’s been in a coma for years, and her mom’s talking about finally pulling the plug on the life support. Things are more tense between Ellis and her mother than ever, and Ellis’s best friend doesn’t seem to notice that anything is wrong. When Ellis starts to discover comfort in places she didn’t think to look before, she starts to realize that life has to go on–and she has...more
Aug 22, 2012
Beth G.
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
2012,
fiction,
contemporary-realism,
contemporary,
books-for-teens,
library-books,
glbt,
5-star
I look for ways to stop myself from falling.
Synopsis:
Ellis and her mom have a routine. Her mom works nights as the soothing radio voice, returning home in time to see her daughter off to school. While her mom sleeps, Ellis attends high school and often visits her father at his Assisted Living Facility, where he has been comatose since a construction accident two years ago. But things are changing. Her mother is talking seriously about finally letting her father go, her best friend seems more cl...more
Synopsis:
Ellis and her mom have a routine. Her mom works nights as the soothing radio voice, returning home in time to see her daughter off to school. While her mom sleeps, Ellis attends high school and often visits her father at his Assisted Living Facility, where he has been comatose since a construction accident two years ago. But things are changing. Her mother is talking seriously about finally letting her father go, her best friend seems more cl...more
Ellis, has less then a week left of her sophomore year but all she can think about is her father who has been in a coma for the last few years. Her mother wants to talk about their next step but Ellis doesn't want to let her father go. When Ellis was younger she had two best friends Abby and Cora. Cora pulled away from the group around 8th grade, and Ellis never knew why but she was too worried about her father to find out. Ellis and Abby are still friends but Abby can't be counted on to listen....more
Well, I really liked this book. It made sense and kind of actually related to me a little bit. It bothered me, the part about Cara and how she and Ellis might hook up. I really, really wanted Evan and Ellis to end up together. I really liked the Evan character in this book, he sounded like the non/stereotypical jock whose really sweet at heart. Too bad. I'm also disapointed that Abby's such a bitch. I really wanted Colin to be happy, too. :/ I wasn't a big fan of the way the author ended the boo...more
So I did the unthinkable. I chose a book by its cover. I had just finished a very emotional book (Henry's Sisters by Cathy Lamb) and wanted something light and fun to read. I chose this. Not quite what I was expecting but a story that drew me in completely. I finished in less than 24 hours. This book really makes you stop and think about your friends and what kind of friends they are. As well as what kind of friend you are.
I look forward to reading more books by Kekla Magoon.
I look forward to reading more books by Kekla Magoon.
This is a perfect YA book. The characters are all people you knew in high school. Especially Abby who was clueless. This book made me laugh out loud and cry!
Ellis is holding on to her dad as the relationship between her and her mom grows apart. As the story progresses Ellis lists the 37 things she loves (in no particular order). In goes through several different relationships, feelings, emotions, life, death, etc. Great story!!
Ellis is holding on to her dad as the relationship between her and her mom grows apart. As the story progresses Ellis lists the 37 things she loves (in no particular order). In goes through several different relationships, feelings, emotions, life, death, etc. Great story!!
I love, love, LOVE the way that Kekla wrote this book. I have to admit, I was slightly skeptical at first because the title made me think that the story was going to be told in separate bits and those type of books tend not to flow so well, in my opinion. She did a fabulous job and I was able to get to know the characters. The ending was very bittersweet. It focuses on dealing with grief and standing up for others despite peer pressure.
i started out really liking this book...right up to the point where the main character has a gay scene. the concept of dealing with loss, reconnecting with a friend she lost touch with, and what defines real friendship were handled wonderfully. the way the issue of being gay - not so much - definitely not my cup of tea - possible something that would keep me from referring this book to my students.
This cover makes the book seem romantic.
There is a lovely romance, but this book is far from a poolside read. It may be short, it may take place just before summer vacation, but -
You'll cry. You'll honestly cry and think about letting go.
Definitely worthy of a full review, even though I rarely ever review non-review books these days. Because people need to read this book.
There is a lovely romance, but this book is far from a poolside read. It may be short, it may take place just before summer vacation, but -
You'll cry. You'll honestly cry and think about letting go.
Definitely worthy of a full review, even though I rarely ever review non-review books these days. Because people need to read this book.
Loved how at the ending, the number 37 was tied in, that was cool. Otherwise this was an easy read, with 37 short chapters, with not a whole lot of thinking involved... except for that twist in chapter 23... hay carumba. I also noticed that the reading level on the back said ages 14 and up, but I thought this was more for a middle school level, even though the characters are in high school
I really enjoyed this Kekla Magoon book.
Ellis, for 15, had to grow up really quickly and it shows in the maturity of her voice compared to other characters like her friend Abby.
My only compliant is that it is so short! I read it all in one morning. I would love to have known more about the relationship between Cara and Ellis following the ending but I guess I'll leave that up mu imagination.
Ellis, for 15, had to grow up really quickly and it shows in the maturity of her voice compared to other characters like her friend Abby.
My only compliant is that it is so short! I read it all in one morning. I would love to have known more about the relationship between Cara and Ellis following the ending but I guess I'll leave that up mu imagination.
A great book to check out at the library at 4:30 and finish by 11:30 the same night. A nice balance of a book that made me cry a little, feel embarrassed for the characters a little, and relish friendships a lot.
(Also- ANOTHER book where the title character describes herself as curvy, and the cover shows skinny girls. ARG!)
(Also- ANOTHER book where the title character describes herself as curvy, and the cover shows skinny girls. ARG!)
Another of my favorite reads so far this year! One of the things I liked most about it, without getting too spoiler-y, is there's a romantic relationship that is handled so well. It evolves quietly, organically, and without analysis; it just is. I don't see that in books, YA or otherwise, as often as I'd like.
Not the fun summer read I had expected. We have broken friendships, consequences of excessive drinking, whether to terminate life-support, and one gay character. Would hv liked to know more abt Abby and Cara's disagreement. Another interesting read from Kekla Magoon.
Short slice of life coming of age novel that is well written and avoids over complicating or over explaining things. An amazing amount of depth, character and emotion, in such a brief book.
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