Side Effects May Vary
What if you’d been living your life as if you were dying—only to find out that you had your whole future ahead of you?
When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, her prognosis is grim. To maximize the time she does have, she vows to spend her final months righting wrongs—however she sees fit. She convinces her friend Harvey, whom she knows has always had feelings for her, to help her with a crazy bucket list that’s as much about revenge (humiliating her ex-boyfriend and getting back at her arch nemesis) as it is about hope (doing something unexpectedly kind for a stranger and reliving some childhood memories). But just when Alice’s scores are settled, she goes into remission.
Now Alice is forced to face the consequences of all that she’s said and done, as well as her true feelings for Harvey. But has she done irreparable damage to the people around her, and to the one person who matters most?
Julie Murphy’s SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY is a fearless and moving tour de force about love, life, and facing your own mortality.
When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, her prognosis is grim. To maximize the time she does have, she vows to spend her final months righting wrongs—however she sees fit. She convinces her friend Harvey, whom she knows has always had feelings for her, to help her with a crazy bucket list that’s as much about revenge (humiliating her ex-boyfriend and getting back at her arch nemesis) as it is about hope (doing something unexpectedly kind for a stranger and reliving some childhood memories). But just when Alice’s scores are settled, she goes into remission.
Now Alice is forced to face the consequences of all that she’s said and done, as well as her true feelings for Harvey. But has she done irreparable damage to the people around her, and to the one person who matters most?
Julie Murphy’s SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY is a fearless and moving tour de force about love, life, and facing your own mortality.
I am so confused! After an ending like this, I don't even know what to rate it...
Alice and Harvey's story was beautiful and even though I really didn't like their characters at times, this made me cry so much... The ending that is. Story was involved with Alice getting leukemia and her struggle through going the sickness while trying to do everything before she dies with her childhood best friend, Harvey.
"Suddenly, life was at my doorstep, waiting to be answered, but all I had were questions. It's a hard thing to explain unless you'd ever gone through something so life altering as toeing the line between life and death.."
At first I thought this story was going to be more like movie The Bucket List since it sounded like she wanted to get everything done before she was gone. But the list was mentioned only once and it was more about Alice trying to find herself as a person and Harvey being obsessed with her. Don't get me wrong, I thought Harvey was sweet but he reminded me too much of one of my friends who was as obsessive as he was. And there was constant going back and forth them not wanting to express their feelings for each other which always ends up the same.
"I felt like I was at war with myself. I wanted nothing more than to feel something, but I didn't know how to deal with what came after the feeling..."
Alice's character really was a big B-word! While dealing with cancer might be tough, the hurt people around her constantly and acted immature and selfish. Maybe that's why the ending made me so emotional.. Either way I know that this book gets asolid 4 stars but is on my all-time-favorites bookshelf.
