Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Hop in, we’re going for a read

Far from the Tree by Robin Benway

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After finishing Far from the Tree, I told myself, “Well, that was a ride.” But was it a good or bad one? Yes. There were things I loved, and things I hated. Sometimes I thought the characters were amazing, sometimes horrible (really horrible, and not necessarily where you might think that yourself). They were real and they were stereotypes. They are good and they are bad. In other words, human. Robin Benway created a story of three biologically siblings (boy, girl, girl). And there are […]

“Sometimes there just aren’t enough words to fill the crack in your heart.”

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When Emmy and Oliver were seven Oliver’s father picked him up from school for a three day weekend. When Oliver wasn’t in school the following school day it became clear that something awful had happened. Oliver’s disappearance rocked their Californian suburban neighborhood and, ten years later, his reappearance is equal shattering. While Oliver was missing Emmy grew up under the weight of her childhood best friend’s absence; her parents’ fear of losing their daughter manifested itself into extreme over protectiveness and led to quiet rebellion […]

“That’s what parents do. They catch you before you fall. That’s what family is.”

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I didn’t know much about the plot of Far From the Tree before picking it up. My sister Snapped me the cover with the caption “you will like this” so I added it to my TBR without a second thought. I trust her recommendations; while we don’t have identical tastes we have a pretty good understanding of what the other will like. In this instance she was most definitely correct. Far From the Tree is told in alternating points of view. Grace is 16 years old and just […]

ABC After-School Special on Steroids (and I mean that in a good way)

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As I read this young adult novel, I had no idea that it had won the National Book Award.  All I knew was that I found the main characters compelling and that a few passages caused some serious tears.  It felt like an “ABC After-School Special” (yes, I’m totally dating myself) done by a really skillful indie director. Far from the Tree tells the story of three teenagers, all abandoned by the same mother, but ending up in three very different situations.  As a baby, […]

Sarah Dessen, Jr.

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A few weeks ago, I got my BookBub email of the day, which included this book. The description said, “for fans of Sarah Dessen,” and I said, “hey, I’m a fan of Sarah Dessen. This must be for me.” And I downloaded it. Yesterday I read it in pretty much one sitting during all of the football games that were on in my house. And yes, it had Sarah Dessen-like qualities. But Sarah Dessen is the master, and Robin Benway is just her student. Still […]

I would watch this on TV

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3.5 stars Margaret “Maggie” Silver learned to pick her first lock when she was barely past the toddler stage, which is unsurprising since both her parents and all their friends are spies. Maggie’s father can tell her she’s grounded in more than twenty languages, but she’s never actually gone to school and rarely interacted with someone her own age. So when the Silver’s current mission requires her to go to a fancy prep school in Manhattan, Maggie is actually more out of her depth than […]



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