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Cursed

Karol Ruth Silverstein (Goodreads Author)

4.27 · Rating details · 373 ratings · 144 reviews

14 year old Erica "Ricky" Bloom, is newly diagnosed with a painful chronic illness and pretty pissed off about it. Her body hurts constantly, her family’s a mess and the boy she’s crushing on seems completely clueless. The best coping mechanisms she can come up with are cursing and cutting school. But when her truancy is discovered she must struggle to catch up in school t ...more

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Published June 25th 2019 by Charlesbridge

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Average rating 4.27 ·

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· 373 ratings · 144 reviews

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Jun 18, 2019 Yna the Mood Reader rated it it was amazing

Recommended to Yna the Mood Reader by: Charlesbridge Teen

Shelves: arc

"It’s just . . . why does it have to hurt so much? Why does it have to hurt at all? Why do I have to deal with this . . . stuff?"

Much thanks to NetGalley and Charlesbridge for this complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and opinions are fully my own.

📖 Buy This Book: Amazon ♡ Barnes & Noble ♡ Kobo 📖
📚 Series: No.
📚 Genre: Young Adult.
📚 POV: First Person.
📚 Cliffhanger: No.

⚠ Content Warnings: Bullying. Cursing (Duh.) Divorce. Illnesses, doctors and treatments.
⚠ Read if: ...more

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Sep 02, 2020 Claude's Bookzone rated it liked it

I think it is great that books about little known teen illness get written. Ricky has juvenile arthritis and is at times in a huge amount of pain. It affects her mobility and therefore restricts her ability to participate properly in many activities.

I had to push through the first half of the novel as her anger at being cursed with this illness made for unpleasant reading. She is 14, but some of her tantrums and hissy fits read more like a 10 year old. I know she is in pain and frustrated yet s ...more

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Aug 02, 2020 Diana added it

Dnf'ed @ pg 102

This books is not for me. I picked it up as someone who suffers from chronic illnesses and I like to find rep on books, but I just couldn't relate to the main character. She came out as bratty, and yes, I know, she is struggling and learning to live with a disability, and she begans to change, but... the books is not for me.

Probably it's directed to a more junior audience or sth. ...more

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Oct 09, 2018 Dave Lee rated it it was amazing

Cursed by Karol Silverstein is an exceptional book. I read it in a single sitting over 4 hours on a Friday night because I couldn't put it down. As a high school special education teacher, I fully intend on purchasing a class set for my 9th and 10th grade English Support class to read.

The protagonist Ricky is a complex and multi-dimensional character with clear motivations and drives. The plot is engaging and every character adds an important dimension to the story and the development of the pr ...more

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Apr 19, 2019 Hristina rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviewed, e-books, ya-and-na, first-read-arcs, from-netgalley, 2019-faves

I initially wasn't exactly sure about this book, but I was pleasantly surprised by it. I found it quite engaging, the writing felt light and easy to read despite the fact that the subject it tackled at times was everything but light and easy to read. I thought the characters were well-developed, they had a nice dynamic, and they were definitely easy to connect to. The plot was interesting, paced well - it kept my attention throughout.
The story was realistic, captivating, and to me it was very re ...more

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May 26, 2019 Anniek rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 1-2019-releases, 2-middlegrade, disabled, 3-contemporary

This is such a refreshing read! It's one of the first books I've read with a main character who has chronic pain, where it's actually a central topic of the book. And seeing as the rep for this is own voices, I really appreciated that.

While I don't have a chronic illness myself, the title "cursed" - being used by the MC to describe her chronically ill body - seems a little iffy. But I did love seeing a disabled character portrayed in a way that's not stereotypical and in a way that centers her a This is such a refreshing read! It's one of the first books I've read with a main character who has chronic pain, where it's actually a central topic of the book. And seeing as the rep for this is own voices, I really appreciated that.

While I don't have a chronic illness myself, the title "cursed" - being used by the MC to describe her chronically ill body - seems a little iffy. But I did love seeing a disabled character portrayed in a way that's not stereotypical and in a way that centers her as a person, and not as an inspiration or someone to pity for others. She gets to be angry, and she gets to resent how she feels and what she's unable to do.

"I guess it's no big deal to them. It's obviously not suddenly going to be a main topic of conversation [...]. Thank God. But at the same time, I feel a tinge of disappointment, like maybe I want them to care a little. But do I?"

Aspects of the book were very relatable for me, because being autistic, I have some similar experiences. Of course you never want people to make a huge deal about it and treat you differently once they find out, but on the other hand... it also sort of stings when they brush it off like it's nothing. And that happens all the time. You tell someone you're autistic (and I imagine it's the same with a lot of disabilities and chronic illnesses) and maybe you give an example of what you struggle with, and then they'll immediately project it onto themselves and say something like "oh yeah, I get that too!" Which is probably meant to be supportive and accepting, but it feels a lot more like erasure and dismissal.

I also loved some of the on-page discussions, like about how medical professionals aren't always best equipped to deal with chronic pain, and how it should be okay to try to find a doctor who's a good match for you.

Before picking up this book, I actually didn't expect to enjoy it a lot, but I did want to give it a shot. And I'm so pleasantly surprised! There's a lot of character development as well, and not just in the main character, but in her parents as well.

Rep: chronic illness/chronic pain

CWs: (internalized) ableism, bullying, cancer, hospitals, mention of panic attacks ...more

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Aug 20, 2019 Danielle rated it it was amazing

Shelves: middle-grade-ya

"Cursed is for those kids and others living with chronic illnesses and/or disabilities—as well as anyone who wants to better understand what it's like to live with chronic pain."

Ricky's story does just that. It covers what it's like to be diagnosed, to be in daily, hourly, moment by moment pain, to have others not get it, or worse, ostracize you for it, treatment, ups and downs, finding a doctor you truly trust, and feeling, well, kinda cursed. It also has a compelling, relatable, lovestruck, sa ...more

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Aug 10, 2020 Tzipora rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, audiobooks, library-books, read-in-2020, disability-chronic-illness

First and foremost- I am so grateful this book exists! I’ve never seen chronic pain so accurately, honestly, and fully represented in a book before. Honestly, it rarely seems to come up even in books with disability/chronic illness rep. We ultimately learn that Erica, who goes by the nickname Ricky, has juvenile arthritis but I also thought it was neat that this isn’t revealed right away. I liked this both because it helps keep the book open and so relatable to people with a wide variety of pain First and foremost- I am so grateful this book exists! I’ve never seen chronic pain so accurately, honestly, and fully represented in a book before. Honestly, it rarely seems to come up even in books with disability/chronic illness rep. We ultimately learn that Erica, who goes by the nickname Ricky, has juvenile arthritis but I also thought it was neat that this isn’t revealed right away. I liked this both because it helps keep the book open and so relatable to people with a wide variety of painful conditions but also because that rang true to me as well. The way Ricky first explains the ignorance surrounding chronic disease and even that some illnesses get lots of sympathy and ribbons and fundraisers while others are more boring or less understood, it reminded me of the way I also tend to explain the specifics of my illness over the name. It’s easier that way when most have never heard of my diseases (which are a great deal rarer than juvenile arthritis) and because frankly every patient is different, what truly matters isn’t the name but how we are affected and how we experience the disease.

Ricky is in the 9th grade. Her parents have recently divorced and around the same time she was diagnosed with her disease. She’s in a lot of pain and has been bullied a lot for the way she walks. And she’s angry. And struggling. She’s quite snarky and swears a lot. At the start of the book she’s been skipping school but gets found out. She’s also attending a different school now that she lives with her dad after the divorce. So it’s getting back to school where our story really takes off. There’s still bullying and pain but she also meets and befriends Oliver who is a cancer survivor and a wee bit of a medical know-it-all, as so many of us tend to be after years spent in hospitals and clinics. But Oliver is great for Ricky. He teaches her to be an empowered and to self advocate. There’s also her speech teacher Mr. Jenkins who begins to work with her after school on catching up. He also ends up being a big supporter and though he’s strict- he ends up having a big impact and even gets her to tone down the swearing.

I loved this. I loved the relationships and the way Ricky grows and evolves and learns to cope with her illness and pain. I love the realism of her anger and snark. I still carry a lot of that myself. And it turns some people off, another reviewer with chronic illness DNFed for that and referred to it as immature. I don’t think it’s a maturity thing. I think it’s rather common for folks who develop a significant chronic illness. It’s also one way of coping with the pain and frustration. Of course, many of us learn to tone it down or only snark with other sick folks who get it. (I deeply and dearly miss my friend Caroline who passed in October. She and I would snark and bitch away together and we both needed that sometimes!) It is true that Ricky has a lot to learn and she does. And she begins to see hope in her life. Still, when a severe illness knocks you down like that as a teenager, it takes time to adjust.

Not only that- but one of the toughest things about young and sick and what feeds the bitterness and anger in many of us is that we don’t have representation. There’s never really anyone for us to look to as a role model or example of how to manage the illness and live a full life. It’s hard to even know what you’re capable of when you’re alone in it. Representation of all kinds matter but with disability and illness especially, it’s such a powerful thing. So often we don’t even know anyone else around is who is sick or disabled. It’s so isolating in a way that is beyond the isolation faced by most other marginalized groups. THIS is what makes a book like this one so powerful. This is why we needs hundreds and thousands more books by and about disabled and/or chronically ill folks. There are so many sick teens out there who have no idea that they still have a voice, that they aren’t all alone, that their life isn’t entirely ruined. Even as a 30-something this was such a powerful read and one that rang so true and relatable- both to myself as a teen and even to me now.

High on my list as a go-to disability/illness recommendation for other disabled folks. I just books like this that center disabled reality and lived experiences weren’t so wildly rare. Publishers, if you’re listening, more like this!!! ...more

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Feb 06, 2019 Sami rated it it was amazing

Cursed is a book about chronic pain without noble suffering and soapy dramatics. It's simple, frank, and angry, and as a person with chronic pain, it absolutely hit home. Ricky is angry that her arthritis hurts her, causes her to get bullied at school, and that her doctors won't listen to her. But as she begins to seize control of her own treatment, she realizes that even though her chronic pain won't go away, she can make the best of a situation that will never be ideal. Cursed is never preachy ...more

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May 21, 2020 Brandy Franklin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4.5 stars. I have taken a very long time to sit with this book and review it and while it's been a while since I have read it, every part of the story has stuck with me. If you have a chronic illness/condition or if you know someone who suffers from that (a classmate, friends, family member, etc.) this is a MUST READ. I was originally drawn to this book because I too suffer from chronic pain. Therefore I can say first hand that the portrayal of the conditions which people with chronic conditions ...more

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May 29, 2019 McKinlay marked it as to-read

ARC provided by edelweiss and the publisher, Charlesbridge Teen.

I am so dang excited to read a book with chronic pain that doesn’t have the MC addicted to pain pills. As someone who has been in pain every day since she was 12, I’m really effing stoked!

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Jul 04, 2019 Beth rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

YA is not my usual kind of book but as someone with a chronic illness, I had to give it a read. I am all about having more Chronic illness/disability representation out there especially more stories that don’t revolve around that person being cured because that isn’t real life.

I actually really enjoyed this book and I thought it portrayed being a teenager with a chronic illness really well. It showed how difficult everyday things such as getting up and dressed can be as well as how hard we have ...more

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Feb 28, 2019 Kara McDowell added it

This is a perfect "gap" book... a book that bridges the gap between Middle Grade and Upper YA. I think a lot of kids in the 14-15 age range will identify with Ricky, even if they don't deal with chronic illness. Speaking of which, Silverstein's portrayal of arthritis was unflinchingly honest. My heart broke for Ricky as she dealt with daily pain that I've never experienced, but the end was so happy and hopeful and real that I was tearing up. I hope this book finds it's way into the hands of kids ...more

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Jan 09, 2020 Dana rated it really liked it

Shelves: heavy-heavy, 2020, contemporary, romance-as-subplot, disability, cry-dehydration, 2019-releases

TLDR; “Cursed” features AMAZING disability representation that had me either bawling my eyes out or on the verge of crying for most of this book. However, although the disability rep was great, it was still a very much white, cis, straight, middle class centered narrative with limited and very poor nods to diversity. (Also beware of frequent casual use of ableist slurs related to mental illness) The book took a while to get into because the way Ricky was mistreated at the beginning of the book ...more

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Dec 04, 2020 Clara rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-netgalley

I never thought I'd see myself represented in a YA book this way. I don't have juvenile arthritis like Ricky, so our experiences aren't entirely comparable, but I do have a different chronic illness that involves joint pain. I found myself recognizing so much of Ricky's life, from the making adjustments in the way she sits so that her joints will hurt less later (and sometimes forgetting and facing the consequences) to the anger and frustration towards her illness that sometimes takes over. So m ...more

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Jul 29, 2020 Laura Beam rated it it was amazing

I absolutely adored this book! As someone who has an autoimmune arthritis disease/ physical disability and chronic pain, this book made me feel so seen. I have never before found a book about a young person with arthritis. The protagonist's experience was so relatable and aligned so similarly to ways that I have experienced arthritis and chronic pain. Though the protagonist was a somewhat unreliable narrator, was sarcastic, and sometimes unlikable, I could understand what lead her to feel that w ...more

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Aug 11, 2020 Paulina Sinder rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own, favourites

This book brought a lot of things to light. Ricky is so... angry for basically half of the book, and I don’t blame her. When you think of the word “Arthritis” you don’t realise how serious it is. It’s not just some sore bones. This was a really enjoyable read about finding yourself and accepting yourself for who you are and adapting. 5/5

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Oct 28, 2020 Rachelle rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya-fiction, female-authors, diverse-characters, ya-book-club

I loved this book and could not put it down. Ricky was the perfect mix of teen angst, humor, pain (physical and emotional), spunk, and more. I liked the friendship she develops with Oliver to understand different sides of youth medical conditions. And sometimes when called to do so, kids can be kind, not just total bullying buttheads! And Ricky has the best big sister!

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Nov 17, 2020 Joanne Kelleher rated it really liked it

I loved the attitude 14 year old Ricky, and how strong she was in dealing with her chronic pain. I also enjoyed the Philadelphia setting.

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Sep 28, 2020 Alissa rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya, disability

A YA novel about chronic illness written by someone with chronic illness, and it shows! I totally get why this won the Schneider Award. As someone with a chronic illness myself, it was beyond refreshing to see the experience, especially those first disorienting months after onset/diagnosis, so candidly portrayed. More like this please!

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Aug 21, 2019 Keri (KeriBetweenPages) rated it it was amazing

I loved this book and wished it was on more reader’s radars! Can’t wait to review it on my blog and read her next book!

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Jul 05, 2019 Linda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: middle-grade-2019, read-2019, young-adult-2019

Here is a marvelous and heart-rending debut by Karol Silverstein, the story of Ricky (Erica, Roo or Ricky Raccoon), newly struggling from a chronic illness and newly starting a 'junior high' as a ninth-grader after a move because of her parent's divorce, thus all new kids. According to Ricky, she is definitely CURSED!
It's hard for me, an older adult, to understand that every movement can be excruciating for a young teen and perhaps even harder for classmates to 'get it'. That's what makes this ...more

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Jun 25, 2019 Maggie Tibbitt rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Disclaimer: I received an advanced reading copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

This book had it all. An unforgettable main character, a beautiful and important message, and a lot of entertaining anecdotes along the way. This is the most genuine YA book I've read in a while. Ricky feels so real to me with all of her quirks and sayings. She was also painfully relatable because I remember being a 14 year old and I was not rainbows and sunshine all the time. I was stubborn an ...more

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Dec 01, 2019 Elia rated it it was amazing

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Silverstein tackles a challenging subject with sensitivity and a great deal of humor. I don't read a lot of YA and was completely absorbed by the story and by Ricky, the engaging and irreverent main character. Although Ricky is unusual in being a teen with a serious illness that causes chronic pain, she nevertheless is a typical (and, I think, relatable) teen in many other ways, including desperately wanting to fit in and be accepted by the "cool kids." ...more

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Nov 04, 2019 Kara added it

Shelves: dnf, 2019-releases, cybils-2019

The writing just didn't do it for me. It was incredibly stilted, and very obvious an adult trying to write like a teenager. Dashes were overused, as were teen buzzwords and slang. I DNFed this with a quickness. ...more

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Jun 17, 2019 Annette Jordan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019, favourites, young-adult, fiction, netgalley-review

A hugely impressive contemporary own voices YA book, Cursed by Karol Ruth Silverstein is an empowering and emotional read that will speak to people of all ages.
Erika, better known as Ricky, is 14 and trying to come to terms with her parent's divorce, but even worse that that she is coming to terms with a diagnosis that will impact every day of her life. It's only been a few months but she's already changed schools and lost all her friends , embarrassed herself and had to deal with unendurable p A hugely impressive contemporary own voices YA book, Cursed by Karol Ruth Silverstein is an empowering and emotional read that will speak to people of all ages.
Erika, better known as Ricky, is 14 and trying to come to terms with her parent's divorce, but even worse that that she is coming to terms with a diagnosis that will impact every day of her life. It's only been a few months but she's already changed schools and lost all her friends , embarrassed herself and had to deal with unendurable pain and frustration, and just to add insult to injury she is still in middle school despite most kids her age having moved on, because her new school is a three year middle school. Its no wonder that she has decided that school is not for her, and has not gone to class for weeks , but unfortunately despite her best scheming and plotting the truth is bound to come out. In order to graduate with her class and avoid either Summer school or yet another year of middle school, she is going to have to put in a serious amount of work, not just academically, but on herself too.
It is rare to find a YA book focused on a character with chronic pain, and as someone who suffers from a similar condition to Erica ( though I am a *cough* few years older , I can attest to how accurate the description of pain and it's impact on even the smallest aspects of your life, really is . I found myself wincing, not just in empathy but also in recognition. I loved that Erika grew, not so much into a tolerance of her condition, but an acceptance of it., in a positive way, where she found ways to work around it to do the things she wanted to do. Another important feature that I appreciated was her increasing confidence in her ability to advocate for herself, both when dealing with her doctors and with teachers at school.The message of being and advocate for your own health, and the importance of having a medical practitioner who listens to you is one that is really important. It is really refreshing to have a character like RIcky be allowed to be angry and frustrated, so much more realistic that the more stereotypical inspirational character she could have been. Sadly it is also a very realistic book in terms of the challenges she faces in school, and the amount of pushing she and her Dad have to do to get the most basic of accommodations like a key for the school elevator and an understanding that she may need more time to move between classrooms. While the focus of the book is on RIcky, the author has not shortchanged the other characters, and their relationships with RIcky are well crafted and very believable. The most interesting of these were her developing friendship with classmate Ollie, and the grudgingly earned mutual respect between her and her teacher. It's also important to note that while Ricky may dealing with a few more physical issues that most teens, she is also dealing with issues like crushes , bullying and learning what it means to be a good friend, and learning a lot about herself along the way, including the importance of not ignoring the fact that other people have problems too, even when your problems seem so much bigger.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own. ...more

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Sep 11, 2019 Rachel Artenian rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, middle-grade-fiction

Have you ever felt cursed? You know you have. Now, imagine that you are a fourteen year old girl whose parents are getting a contentious divorce. Feeling cursed, right? Imagine you are a fourteen year old girl whose parents are getting divorced and you have to move into a tiny apartment and start a new school where 9th grade is part of junior high when you thought you’d be in high school. Yup, feeling really cursed. Imagine you are a fourteen year old girl whose parents are getting a divorce, yo Have you ever felt cursed? You know you have. Now, imagine that you are a fourteen year old girl whose parents are getting a contentious divorce. Feeling cursed, right? Imagine you are a fourteen year old girl whose parents are getting divorced and you have to move into a tiny apartment and start a new school where 9th grade is part of junior high when you thought you’d be in high school. Yup, feeling really cursed. Imagine you are a fourteen year old girl whose parents are getting a divorce, you are at a new school, all your old friends have ghosted you and your new classmates bully you. Enough already! That’s eff-ed up!

That’s Erica (Ricky) Bloom’s life as the new novel, “Cursed” by Karol Ruth Silverstein opens. In addition to all that, Ricky has been diagnosed with a painful and debilitating chronic disease. Some days she cannot even get out of bed. How would you react? Would you curse at every person and object in your path? Would you vent fury on your clueless parents? Would you stop going to school? Would you feel sorry for yourself? Probably. I would. Ricky, being a normal human, does all those things.

But eventually, Ricky needs to adjust to her new reality. Chronic means not getting cured; chronic means living forever with a condition that makes it hard to move. Some days will be worse than others and there are treatments that help, but Ricky’s life and body are forever changed. And so Ricky has to decide who she is: am I a wallower or am I pick-myself-upper? It’s not easy to pick yourself up. It means accepting help, standing up for yourself, offering help to others and making hard decisions. It means advocating for yourself and forming your team. Wallowing seems easier, and it is in the short term. But wallowing means disengaging from life, soliciting pity and giving up on your dreams. Ricky is brave; her journey is extremely difficult. And that is the beauty of this book. Ricky finds out that she is a person of character. She accepts help, begrudgingly at first, then she becomes a person who offers help, she creates a community and learns to work with her parents and doctors to create the best life possible. She makes some huge mistakes along the way, but she accepts responsibility for her actions.

In my own life, I know wallowers and I know pick-yourself-uppers. Wallowers live in their small world relying upon the kindness of strangers. Pick-yourself uppers are out in the world living their best lives. They are teachers and writers and musicians and artists. They have their bad days and that’s when family and friends rally round; not out of pity, but because pick-yourself-uppers will cry for a while, but then make you smile, maybe tell a joke. You know they will be there for you when you need help. I love this book because it tells the truth-- for most people with chronic illnesses there is no magic cure; I love this book because it is optimistic-- no matter your challenges, a person can live a full and meaningful life; I love this book because it is beautifully written; I love this book because it is a darn good story.

Karol Silverstein’s #ownvoices novel is a painful, loving, beautiful journey. I recommend this book to everyone who is a human. ...more

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Jan 28, 2020 Maitland Johnson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I've been searching for a YA book that deals with chronic pain for such a long time. I stumbled upon this book while at the library btw the tag line of the cover is brilliant.

Representation matters. Whether this is for religion, race, and yes illness. Books have made major strides when representing mental illness (we still have a long way to go) but I've noticed a lack of books dealing with chronic "physical" illnesses. Sure they're some who have diabetes, I've read a handful of books on Cystic ...more

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Feb 18, 2019 Eve beinguniquebooks rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I wanted to review this book after seeing the main character surfers from a chronic illness, totally relatable to myself in some ways.

Only I suffer from fibromyalgia and other rheumatoid illnesses where as Erica or Ricky suffers with severe arthritis at just fourteen causing her to skip school and struggle with daily life from waking to sleeping, all day is a struggle to walk and be in endless pain.

As she deals with her parents divorce and her health she loses her way with school work, has to st ...more

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May 10, 2019 Caity rated it it was amazing

This is such a fun and funny book and a great example of contemporary YA. The romance is sweet and so satisfying, the characters are well written, and the overall plot draws you in well. This is also a book about chronic illness. Unfortunately when people think of books about teens with chronic illness they expect things to play out like an old school after school special or with overly sappy upbeat cheesiness. This book is like an antidote to that mentality. The main character Ricky is amazing. ...more

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