Extraordinary Means by Robin Schneider - Restarting February 8th 2016

[Kim at Divergent Gryffindor]

At seventeen, overachieving Lane finds himself at Latham House, a sanatorium for teens suffering from an incurable strain of tuberculosis. Part hospital and part boarding school, Latham is a place of endless rules and confusing rituals, where it's easier to fail breakfast than it is to flunk French.

There, Lane encounters a girl he knew years ago. Instead of the shy loner he remembers, Sadie has transformed. At Latham, she is sarcastic, fearless, and utterly compelling. Her friends, a group of eccentric troublemakers, fascinate Lane, who has never stepped out of bounds his whole life. And as he gradually becomes one of them, Sadie shows him their secrets: how to steal internet, how to sneak into town, and how to disable the med sensors they must wear at all times.

But there are consequences to having secrets, particularly at Latham House. And as Lane and Sadie begin to fall in love and their group begins to fall sicker, their insular world threatens to come crashing down.

Told in alternating points of view, Extraordinary Means is a darkly funny story about doomed friendships, first love, and the rare miracle of second chances.

-----------------------------------

Feel free to join me, everyone! :)

[Rachel]

I'm looking forward to reading this! :)

[Kim at Divergent Gryffindor]

Chapter One:
(view spoiler)[I have this habit of not reading the synopsis before reading the book, so I've already forgotten the name of the characters. I was so confused at first because I didn't know that Lane is a guy! Haha! (hide spoiler)]

[Kim at Divergent Gryffindor]

Chapter 6
(view spoiler)[Wow, that must have been unnerving for Lane to have someone die on his first day! On top of that, it was his tour guide too! (hide spoiler)]
(view spoiler)[I think it's really nice to read about tuberculosis instead of cancer for a change. (hide spoiler)]


Chapter 7:
(view spoiler)[Hannah's a bitch. (hide spoiler)]


Chapter 9:
(view spoiler)[The Harry Potter references had me grinning like an idiot. Automatic points for that! :D (hide spoiler)]


Chapter 12:
(view spoiler)[Oh no, what if Nick's accusative look at the end of the chapter causes trouble for Lane and Sadie later on? (hide spoiler)]


Chapter 15:
(view spoiler)[Why do I feel like something bad is about to happen next? Like someone among their group of friends isn't going to get cured or something... (hide spoiler)]


Chapter 17:
(view spoiler)[I was really scared for Charlie for a moment back there, but after I learned what really happened, it was too funny and I actually laughed out loud haha! Although I still feel like something wrong is bound to happen soon. (hide spoiler)]


Chapter 19:
(view spoiler)[Ugh, I knew there was something wrong with Charlie, how he was always coughing and ditching his friends. I just never knew it was that serious. (hide spoiler)]

[Rachel]

Kim at Divergent Gryffindor wrote: "Chapter One:
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ yeah I didn't read the synopsis either so j was a bit confused at first as to Lane's gender! (hide spoiler)]

[Rachel]

Chapter 2 (view spoiler)[ so I'm wondering if Latham House is a place for sick kids, like all sorts of serious illnesses, or do they all have the same illness? (hide spoiler)]

[Kim at Divergent Gryffindor]

Rachel wrote: "Chapter 2 [spoilers removed]"

Same. They all have Tuberculosis :)

[Rachel]

Ahh ok thank you! :)

[Rachel]

Chapter 8 (view spoiler)[ wow I can't believe Hannah wrote about him dying/terminally ill for a college application!! That's crazy! (hide spoiler)]

[Rachel]

Chapter 15 (view spoiler)[ it was pretty risky of them to go into town when they know they are contagious. Also I've got a bad feeling that this cure might not be as effective as they all hope it will be (hide spoiler)]

[Rachel]

Chapter 16 (view spoiler)[ oh no I think something has changed in Sadie's X-rays :( (hide spoiler)]

[Rachel]

Chapter 25 (view spoiler)[ I can't believe Michael attacked Sadie!! (hide spoiler)]

[Rachel]

Finished (view spoiler)[ that ending was sad, I'd guessed that someone else in the group would die - either Lane or Sadie - but I didn't want it to happen! And only 2 weeks away from the cure! (hide spoiler)]

[Kim at Divergent Gryffindor]

Chapter 25 (view spoiler)[I was so surprised too! There were clues of Michael catching tuberculosis during his previous visit, but I never though that he'd attack Sadie, moreover be the cause of her death. (hide spoiler)]

END:
(view spoiler)[ Ugh, I can't believe she killed Sadie off! Unlike you (Rachel), I didn't expect anyone else to die after Charlie. I still can't wrap my mind around those two deaths. (hide spoiler)]

Did you read the author's note in the end? I agree that TB is not popular in YA and I'm glad that the author decided to write about it. :)

Rating: 4 stars

[Rachel]

Yes I did read the author's note and I thought it was really interesting! I thought it was unique to write about TB, when most of these type of books choose to write about cancer.

[Kim at Divergent Gryffindor]

Rachel wrote: "Yes I did read the author's note and I thought it was really interesting! I thought it was unique to write about TB, when most of these type of books choose to write about cancer."

Exactly! :)

[Rachmi]

I'm going to read this book, so can I join you guys?

[Rachmi]

Oh, I just realized that you have already finished it. I hope you don't mind to discuss it with me, then :)

[Rachel]

I'm happy to discuss it with you Rachmi! :)

[Sarah Elizabeth]

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Date Changed. Restarting February 8th 2016. Happy Reading ☺

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[Drishti]

I'll join you guys for this! ^-^

[Mei]

Chapter 3: (view spoiler)[Strong beginning so far. I love both main characters, I actually feel sympathy immediately even though I haven't known them that long. I know Sadie's feeling of being outcast in school but feeling free and bold in Latham. I know Lane's feeling of keeping up his academics to have a good chance at Stanford and a promising career. I know all of their feelings pretending to be good so they can go back quickly, their feeling of awkwardness while the staff keep a look out through their wrists.

Somehow, even though it was supposed to be a sad book, it still has an aura of lightness. The voices aren't that distinctive to me, maybe I'm just not getting to used it.
(hide spoiler)]

Chapter 4: (view spoiler)[I was wondering how could Sadie even get mad at Lane from summer camp when Lane claims he was quiet, not even socializing much? That note was probably written by someone to prank both of them, not just Sadie. Gaaah. 13 year olds and they are already the worst. When I was 13, I liked going home so I could sleep, play music and browse the internet. (hide spoiler)]

[Mei]

Chapter 6: (view spoiler)[Wow, Sadie's hatred is so strong I could hear her voice screaming and hurting.
(hide spoiler)]

Chapter 9: (view spoiler)[This has great character development, relationship dynamics and dialogues. Unique, natural, real, and normal. It feels great how simple it is despite the tuberculosis storyline.
(hide spoiler)]

Chapter 10: (view spoiler)[I wonder, though, if Sadie's buying stuff from outside, where does she or Nick get the money? Do her parents even send her some, and why? I would honestly think where would she spend that if I was her parent. On one hand, I didn't hear talk about them that much. I hope there's more to her family life. I only know she has divorced parents and a younger sister.
(hide spoiler)]

Chapter 12: (view spoiler)[These shifting POVs are getting harder for me to discern, honestly :(
(hide spoiler)]

Chapter 13: (view spoiler)[Hannah didn't even seem bothered by Lane being hurt by the obituary or calling Lane again after he broke up with her, anyway, so it's no surprise there's already a guy she's dating.
(hide spoiler)]

[Mei]

Chapter 14: (view spoiler)[I'm actually waiting for Nick to say something about Lane and Sadie's relationship. Or maybe he's just accepted it.
(hide spoiler)]

Chapter 17: (view spoiler)[OHMY!!! THAT MUST BE REALLY EMBARASSING FOR CHARLIE!!! Not only did the Nurse saw, but the entire floor did! So humiliating hahaha
(hide spoiler)]

Chapter 18: (view spoiler)[With all these sneaking around, I wonder WHEN will they get caught.

Cont. Oh gaaaaaahhh. Charlie!!! Noooo!!! :( It's just a few weeks left for the cure to come and now he's gone :'(
(hide spoiler)]

Chapter 19: (view spoiler)[WTF though!!! I know they'll all get in trouble... but c'mon! It hurts so much leaving Charlie there waiting for the nurses to find out as if they didn't ALREADY KNOW. Just so their butts could be saved. This is sooo horrible!

On the one hand, it was sweet of them to take care of his belonging and wipe out all his X-rated. I actually want to hear Charlie's music. It must have been excellent, impressive and worth it. He may have known he was dying all along but I love how he love his art enough to preserve the Charlie his friends know.
(hide spoiler)]

[Betwixt the]

I'll be starting this probably Friday; I got hit with a cold and haven't been feeling up to reading, but I'm getting back to it now! :D

[Mei]

Okay Elizabeth! I hope you get well soon :)