Status Updates From The Invisible Life of Ivan ...

Depressing.....

I'm really enjoying the book - based in Belarus, it includes several words in Russian (humorous and adds realism to the POV)

Seems to have a severe case of Manic Pixie Dream Girl.

Peculiar book. This dude is awfully wordy.

Been stuck on 299, just need to finish this out...

303

-- my first thought was, why would someone ever put himself through this?
-- basically how I feel about vodka too

"...and diagnose viral versus bacterial infections in order to determine antibiotic needs" hooray for antibiotic stewardship!

"One day in the life of Ivan Isaenko" - I see what you did there.
-- Ivan is the world's only wheelchair-bound ninja.
-- "The possibility of having to face the anxiety of interacting authentically with a person". Introverts unite.

Ivan became friends w/ Polina, his only ever friend, but she entered the hospital already dying of leukemia. The time they had was very special, in many ways. I knew she would die but was not prepared for how devastated it made me feel.

TOO FUNNY : Ivan had his 1st erection @ age 10 but didn't know what to do with it. Nurse gave him a book which led him to masturbation, but he only had his left arm and 3 fingers, not great for self-pleasure but.... he practiced and practiced and since he got the hang of it, he hasn't missed a night in 6 years :)

Slow reading

17 year old Ivan has NEVER known life outside the Hospital for Gravely Ill Children as he was born with severe, gross genetic abnormalities caused by the Chernobyl radiation, and he is telling his story. Even though it is a slow-paced story, I like it because I like Ivan; he is not a whiner, a complainer but accepts that this is his karma and he says, "I AM hideous."

This is a truly remarkable book

Absolutely loving this book.

DNF

I'm pretty sure I'm reading this wrong : (

Just couldn't stick with this -- I didn't feel any connection with the characters and felt that the story was going nowhere.

Lots of depressing topics mingled with humor. I am listening to this book on Audible, and my only complaint is that I wish the speaker had a Slavic accent.

TERRIBLE

I'm really liking this! Be on the look out for a review coming up in the next few days

44

"How do you even start a book you know is going to be your last?" I hope I never know the answer to this one.

This is 'devastatingly weird'!

The narration feels kinda forced, and it feels like it is inspired from Wonder, but I like how the book starts...

Going to see what the hype is on this one!

Special thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for a book review! I'm loving it so far.

What an unexpected ending.

It's almost standard to have a key character death at the end of a novel like this, isn't it. Not all novels, no, but ones like this one.

"You gave her the cure to herself." Awww...