By Wendelin Van Draanen
Jessica thinks her life is over when she loses a leg in a
car accident. She’s not comforted by the news that she’ll be able to walk with
the help of a prosthetic leg. Who cares about walking when you live to run?
As she struggles to cope with crutches and a first
cyborg-like prosthetic, Jessica feels oddly both in the spotlight and
invisible. People who don’t know what to say, act like she’s not there. Which
she could handle better if she weren’t now keenly aware that she’d done the
same thing herself to a girl with CP named Rosa. A girl who is going to tutor
her through all the math she’s missed. A girl who sees right into the heart of
her.
With the support of family, friends, a coach, and her track
teammates, Jessica may actually be able to run again. But that’s not enough for
her now. She doesn’t just want to cross finish lines herself—she wants to take
Rosa with her.
When I started reading I was in a negative mind place and
almost decided not to read this book. It starts out with Jessica in the
hospital, having just lost a leg. I was expecting a downer book, and I wasn’t
particularly in the mood. I decided to keep going and I’m so glad I did. This
was an amazing book. I loved the message and I loved how Jessica’s character
shows that people are amazing. It was inspiring and motivational. I wanted to
fly out my front door and start running. This book was very well written and
thought out, having been through a life-changing health situation myself as a
teen I had a lot of the same feelings and concerns that Jessica voiced. It was
vindicating. This wasn’t a downer book, this was a book about not giving up your
dreams and having hope for the future, whatever future that may turn out to be.
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