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3rd out of 13 books
—
5 voters
If Only
by
Carole Geithner (Goodreads Author)
A stunning debut about one girl's journey through loss and grief. Corinna's world is crushed after her mother dies of cancer. How does she get through the funeral, trays of ziti, a father who can't communicate, the first day of school, Mother's Day, people who don't know what to say, and the entire eighth-grade year? Despite her alienation from many of her peers, including...more
Hardcover, 327 pages
Published
March 1st 2012
by Scholastic Press
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It's rare when I agree with blurbage/jacket copy like "...nothing short of extraordinary" but here, it's so deserved.
Corinna's life has been completely upended by the death of her mother in the summer between her seventh and eighth grade years. If Only is her journal of her life during 8th grade, marking the various firsts of life without her mother, as well as first in life generally. There's such deep sadness mixed with normal teen girl stuff (like her "orange crush") and her feelings of lonel...more
Corinna's life has been completely upended by the death of her mother in the summer between her seventh and eighth grade years. If Only is her journal of her life during 8th grade, marking the various firsts of life without her mother, as well as first in life generally. There's such deep sadness mixed with normal teen girl stuff (like her "orange crush") and her feelings of lonel...more
Yet another early copy from the book exchange shelf at work. I work in a Writing Center, so we're all kinds of reading-and-writing people, so someone must be on someone's list. And since uncorrected proofs all say "NOT FOR SALE" on them, I totally reap the benefits.
So, when I started this book, I'd woken up at 2:30 am and not been able to fall back to sleep, so I was really tired by the time I got my hands on this book, around 12:30 pm. I don't recommend reading this when you're susceptible to e...more
So, when I started this book, I'd woken up at 2:30 am and not been able to fall back to sleep, so I was really tired by the time I got my hands on this book, around 12:30 pm. I don't recommend reading this when you're susceptible to e...more
If Only first caught my attention when an advertisement for the book popped up in my Goodreads sidebar.
After reading the book's description, I decided it should be added to my to-read list and soon discovered it was being offered as a Goodreads giveaway.
And then it got better: I actually won the book!
Ever since I lost my mother to cancer when I was 16, I have been drawn to people (or, in this case, characters) who have also experienced the death of a parent. I believe the primary reason is tha...more
After reading the book's description, I decided it should be added to my to-read list and soon discovered it was being offered as a Goodreads giveaway.
And then it got better: I actually won the book!
Ever since I lost my mother to cancer when I was 16, I have been drawn to people (or, in this case, characters) who have also experienced the death of a parent. I believe the primary reason is tha...more
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If Only is one of those books that's hard to read and good to read all at the same time.
Corinna is 13 and has just lost her mother to cancer. Going back to school she wonders how she will make it through the days. School brings constant reminders of her loss - acknowledgements from teachers and counselors, other kids talking about their mothers, permission slips 'to be signed by your mother'. Then there are the friends that don't mention it and the ones that do.
While some of the content a read...more
Corinna is 13 and has just lost her mother to cancer. Going back to school she wonders how she will make it through the days. School brings constant reminders of her loss - acknowledgements from teachers and counselors, other kids talking about their mothers, permission slips 'to be signed by your mother'. Then there are the friends that don't mention it and the ones that do.
While some of the content a read...more
Right before her eighth grade year, Corinna Burdette's mother dies from cancer, and Corinna and her father spend the rest of the year mourning and trying to come to terms with their loss. The author divides the book into four different sections or seasons, which represent neatly the healing process for Corinna. As her classmates complain about their own over-protective parents or focus on issues that she considers trivial, Corinna can't help but wish that she and her own mother had been able to...more
Corinna's mother has died over the summer after a very brief bout with cancer that leaves Corinna and her father reeling. Going back to school is hard, because someone is forever saying something insensitive. Her best friend, Joci, doesn't understand why Corinna kept so much to herself, and retreats from the friendship. Luckily, there is a new girl, Clare, who understands how Corinna feels because Clare's father died several years ago, and it's still hard. There are neighbors and friends who are...more
I am a middle class white female. Both of my parents and all of my siblings are still alive, and my parents are still married to one another. Sometimes this makes me feel like it’s hard to relate to people who live or grew up in different situations, but that was before I read If Only. I don’t think that any two stories of grief are the same, but Corinna’s story shows us one of these stories, and for me, it gave me an inside look at what grief might feel like for a thirteen-year-old girl. First,...more
If Only is a book I saw on the goodreads give away list and signed up for kind of expecting to blast. It’s young adult fiction about grief and for some reason I expected it to be platitudes and a lot of “fake it till you make it” sort of advice disguised as fiction. I am happy to announce that I was wrong. This is not a moral tale at all. In fact I will probably buy multiple copies of it. It goes on my very short list of quite helpful resources for dealing with grief, death and the pain of negot...more
The premise of this book was very promising. Corinna's mom has died after a long battle with cancer. Corinna is left to try to rebuild her life as a 7th grader without a mom.
The story got very emotional at times. It was hard at times to read Corinna's diary type stories about trying to figure out how to live life after her mom's death. Unfortunately, it felt to me like the book barely went anywhere. The author spent a lot of time on Corinna and her mom's story (which does make sense since this i...more
The story got very emotional at times. It was hard at times to read Corinna's diary type stories about trying to figure out how to live life after her mom's death. Unfortunately, it felt to me like the book barely went anywhere. The author spent a lot of time on Corinna and her mom's story (which does make sense since this i...more
Loss is usually difficult, death of a beloved even more so, but when a daughter loses her mother, especially in youth, it is much more of a handicap than any other loss. Geithner delicately conveys this in the little losses that Corinna faces in her everyday life. While Corinna's story is one of subtle privileges and fortunate circumstances (her loving father, aunt and mother's best friend make great efforts, her best friend's mom is sympathetic, they seem financially unaffected by the death, et...more
Sep 10, 2012
1D'slilsweatheart
marked it as to-read
i think this book might have more into it and i would like to read it.
Carole Geithner’s debut novel, IF ONLY, follows 13-year-old Corinna as she deals with the heartbreak of losing her mother to cancer. Despite being alienated from her peers, including her best friend, she gradually finds support and manages to get through eighth grade --- while finding out some deep secrets about her mother along the way. In this interview, conducted by reviewer Sarah Rachel Egelman, Geithner shares her inspira...more
Carole Geithner’s debut novel, IF ONLY, follows 13-year-old Corinna as she deals with the heartbreak of losing her mother to cancer. Despite being alienated from her peers, including her best friend, she gradually finds support and manages to get through eighth grade --- while finding out some deep secrets about her mother along the way. In this interview, conducted by reviewer Sarah Rachel Egelman, Geithner shares her inspira...more
Saw this on the PG Library’s “new” shelf, and given that one of my daughters was Corinna’s age (13) when her dad died, I thought I’d give it a read. The writing was good, I felt like Corinna was a likeable, sympathetic, and real girl. I felt her dad was realistically written (I could relate to his spaciness and dysfunction…) I think this book does give some insight into what it’s like to lose a parent, and how friends can be supportive—what works and what doesn’t.
I liked this book. But it’s not...more
I liked this book. But it’s not...more
I was reluctant to start this for a number of reasons. The first was that I knew that a story about a 13-year-old girl whose mother had recently died would be gut-wrenching. Sure enough, I was tearing up before page 20. The second was that I am always somewhat skeptical of attempts made by people who have some amount of celebrity or notoriety (Geithner is the wife of Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner) to dip their pens in the well of fiction. The third was that Geithner is a friend of my sister's,...more
Corinna's mom has just died of cancer. Went in for the surgery and three months later, gone.
Corinna and her dad are mourning big time over this, her mom played an important role in the family and I mean important. Corinna narrates her school year as she deals with the challenges of being the kid whose mom died. There are a lot of great bits in here about grieving and coping with the overwhelming emotions of loss and alienation. I think it was a very touching book because it kind of gives you a v...more
Corinna and her dad are mourning big time over this, her mom played an important role in the family and I mean important. Corinna narrates her school year as she deals with the challenges of being the kid whose mom died. There are a lot of great bits in here about grieving and coping with the overwhelming emotions of loss and alienation. I think it was a very touching book because it kind of gives you a v...more
This book did a really good job at capturing the thoughts, fears, responses, etc. of a young girl responding to illness and loss. As someone who had a similar experience, I thought "Yes! My dad did that too! I felt that way too! I was jealous of my friends and their moms too!"
(view spoiler)...more
(view spoiler)...more
In Geithner's novel, If Only, eighth grader, Corinna movingly tells the story of the year following her mother's death from cancer. Feeling abandoned, she and her father struggle separately with their feelings of deep loss as they go through the motions of living. Memories haunt Corinna as she watches her friends with their mothers. With the support of family and friends Corinna and her father begin the heeling process. This book reads like the real diary of a young woman and her pain. This is o...more
A nice book about an eighth grader grieving after losing her mother to cancer. While I think this book is important for students grieving over loved ones, I just couldn't get over the novel's voice. I was constantly saying to myself "I don't know any eighth grade girls who talk this way". The protagonist's inner dialogue seemed stilted and at times too babyish for me. I guess this is the difference between middle grade and young adult books. I really wanted to rate this book higher, and I am gla...more
If Only is an extremely moving, beautiful read about 13-year-old Corinna’s first year after losing her mom to cancer. Corinna as a character grabs you from the beginning as her voice and situation are both realistic and heart-wrenching. As well as coping with her own grief, she has to help her dad adjust and start eighth grade without her mom around.
Corinna faces the practical adjustment to situations like needing to shop for clothes and having no mom to notice, missing dentist appointments, run...more
Corinna faces the practical adjustment to situations like needing to shop for clothes and having no mom to notice, missing dentist appointments, run...more
Diane Rehm recently interviewed this author, along with a couple other people, in a show about the death of a parent in childhood/young adulthood. The program was wonderful, and so was this book. Though I haven't been through such a tragedy, the story rang true. The main character, Corinna (age 13), narrates her life for the first year or so after her mother's death. I think the book would be helpful for any kids (older elementary-young adulthood) trying to cope with a huge loss of any kind.
Corinna's mom has just died of cancer. Went in for the surgery and three months later, gone.
Corinna and her dad are reeling. Corinna narrates her school year as she deals with the challenges of being the kid whose mom died. There are a lot of great bits in here about grieving and coping with the overwhelming emotions of loss and alienation.
I think it would be a great fifth, sixth, seventh grade classroom read or read aloud.
I wouldn't hand it to a grieving kid, but I might leave it laying around...more
Corinna and her dad are reeling. Corinna narrates her school year as she deals with the challenges of being the kid whose mom died. There are a lot of great bits in here about grieving and coping with the overwhelming emotions of loss and alienation.
I think it would be a great fifth, sixth, seventh grade classroom read or read aloud.
I wouldn't hand it to a grieving kid, but I might leave it laying around...more
The story of a girl who's mother has died and how she navigates through school, crushes, her father's grief and maintaining friendships, while figuring out how to deal with her own grief.
This book is good on its own but would be a great book for kids who have friends who've lost someone. Kids (well grown ups too actually) often don't know what to do or say when someone they know is grieving. This book provides a very well done perspective of someone who is grieving and things that you can do tha...more
This book is good on its own but would be a great book for kids who have friends who've lost someone. Kids (well grown ups too actually) often don't know what to do or say when someone they know is grieving. This book provides a very well done perspective of someone who is grieving and things that you can do tha...more
Mar 16, 2013
Amaxchan
added it
I can't say I didn't like it, it wasn't bad for any young adult, just not my type of book. Very angsty. Corrina's character was interesting and very outgoing in the sense of expressing how she felt with what her friends and others said, a quality I definitely do not possess. Somehow I thought there were certain times were she, and maybe others, overreacted(to me anyways) But straying away from my personal opinion most teens could most likely relate, just not me.
A journey of the human spirit during a young girl's coming of age that should never include the painful lose of a mother. Her grief and need for understanding is at times sad and hopeless. As the book and character grow and take in the change of life, she comes to term with the change and discovers her own inner stength.
A recommended read for young people experiencing lose and a need for understanding. I added it to the middle school library shelf :)
A recommended read for young people experiencing lose and a need for understanding. I added it to the middle school library shelf :)
Had an ARC of this, but think it came out this past month. It hit very close to home because it traces the grief of a 13 year old girl after her mom suddenly dies of cancer one summer. Had a close friend who died with daughters in this age range, and watched them deal with the grief of not having their mom.
Not a book for my 5th graders, but definitely a book to put into hands of certain middle schoolers or high schoolers.
Not a book for my 5th graders, but definitely a book to put into hands of certain middle schoolers or high schoolers.
Geithner captures the honesty of a young person dealing with the death of someone dear to them. In this case, Corinna, a middle-schooler, must learn to cope with the death of her mother. Corinna's voice is honest, asking some painful questions that most people, young and old alike, are afraid to voice out loud; admitting to fears that many are afraid to admit to; and explaining the effect that what others say has on her. Corinna can teach you what to, and what not to, say to someone who is griev...more
Wow. This was incredible gripping. It's a young adult novel, but I think people of all ages and experiences will love it. The author captures both the pain and the joy of being a teenager. Corinna is a lovable character, and her story is exceptionally told. I love that this book OPENS THE CONVERSATION about dying and grief. Though grief is a universal human experience, it is something we struggle to talk about honestly and openly, but this book does it beautifully.
After reading this ARC, I realized that it was truly an average story. The plot was sad, a 13 year old girl loses her mother to cancer, and has to deal with the reactions of her friends, neighbors and family, all while growing up. The characters were cute, and the story was pretty realistic, but nothing about this book really made it unique or that interesting for me.
the ending seemed a little rushed, but I read this book like nobody's business. it's well crafted and thoughtful and an honest take on what a teen would go thru after experiencing the loss of a parent.
it's especially effective in the first person as you may not sometimes AGREE with what she's thinking, but you can understand WHY she might be thinking/feeling/reacting the way that she does.
the questions posed at the end need to be answered!!
it's especially effective in the first person as you may not sometimes AGREE with what she's thinking, but you can understand WHY she might be thinking/feeling/reacting the way that she does.
the questions posed at the end need to be answered!!
Very sad, and but I wanted it to have a bit more plot than it did. There were strange plot twists with other characters, but ultimately they didn't really mean anything to either the story or the characters. I know it is a small story about how a mother's death affects her teenage daughter and husband, but I kept wanting it to go somewhere.
I adored IF ONLY and didn’t want it to end. I loved Corinna and felt like she was me, and she voiced all sorts of things I thought as a girl (and still think as an adult), some of them things one can’t say out loud. Carole Geithner is a gifted writer. I recommend this book to one and all. If Only is a book to treasure.
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| Goodreads Librari...: ISBN: 978-0-545-23499-33 | 2 | 23 | Sep 22, 2012 08:50pm |
Carole was born in Princeton, NJ and has lived in the United States, France, and Japan. She has a Master's in Social Work from Smith College. She has worked as a counselor with children and adults, in inner city schools, family service agencies, a college counseling center, private practice, and at a bereavement center. She is currently an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral...more
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“They should make earplugs for people who are grieving, so we don't have to hear the stupid things people say, but I'd look like a dork in them." -Corinna”
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