Breathless by Lurlene McDaniel

by Lurlene McDaniel

What is the toughest request anyone can be asked to fulfill?Travis Morrison is a champion diver and one of the most popular kids at school. On the first day of summer vacation, while boating on the lake with his friends, Travis attempts a silly stunt dive that goes wrong. He fears he has broken his leg. Instead, his trip to the hospital reveals he has a rare form of cancer, and to save him, the doctors tell his parents they must amputate. In an instant, Travis’s life and the lives of everyone around him are forever changed.Travis is determined that he and only he should decide the course of his life. He has a plan, but he can’t carry it out alone. Will he convince one of his friends to fulfill his most important request?Lurlene McDaniel tackles a controversial subject, probing the issues of personal choice and quality of life.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Teen, Drama, Romance

Hardcover

First published May 12, 2009

About the author

Lurlene McDaniel (born c. 1948) is an author who has written over 50 young adult books. She is well known for writing about characters struggling with chronic and terminal illnesses, such as cancer, diabetes, and organ failure.


Other places to find her are...
https://www.facebook.com/lurlenemcdan...
http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/aut...
http://www.youtube.com/user/LurleneMc

Reviews

[Ivana - Diary of Difference · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably the last book I am reading this year, unless I finish another one till midnight. It's a book of choice and not a simple one. It is a choice between life and death, between suffering and peace. It really touched me and it opened my mind.. I thought about all the possibilities in my life and all the bad things that could happen to me. How would I react and what will be my final decision. This is a book that I will never forget and will always keep rereading it again and again, reminding myself that destiny can be cruel sometimes. I recommend it to all people with an open mind, because this book is worth it!

[Meret Magdi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars (:
Whats with author Lurlene and death?💔🙄..
Throughout the book, I had troubles deciding whether I should give this book a 3.5 or a 4..
I decided to go with a 3.5 though xD..
But there were some things I particularly liked, a lot, in this book..
Like the begining and the ending of the book :D, I also really liked Cooper..
Its a nice book :D..

[MisskTarsis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tenía tiempo que no lloraba tanto con un libro...
Y no es porque este brillantemente escrito, sino que después de tener tanta familia fallecida y padeciendo de cáncer, me sentí muy identificada con todos esos sentimientos. Con la impotencia. Con la falta de fe. Con el hecho de que sabes que tu muerte es algo inminente. Luchar contra porcentajes, ¿cómo sonreír en esa situación? ¿Cómo mantienes la esperanza cuando todo sigue empeorando?

Se me rompió el corazón cuando el doctor habló de coserle los párpados... asdf, todo lo que él no quería, estaba pasando. Ninguna madre querría dejar a su hijo ir, pero, ¿eso es vida?

[The Book Queen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay, this was awful.

My main problem is the characters. The MC is an arrogant, selfish, vain, self-absorbed jerk; his best friend is a typical bad boy with a mysterious past (I hate this trope); his girlfriend is a slut, who we are told the MC loves for reasons other than her reputation, but we aren't given any of these reasons; and is sister is a pathetic, gullible baby, who for some reason falls in love with the bad boy. Even the adults are unlikeable: the MC's parents show no regard for his feelings whatsoever.

Aside from character issues, the writing itself is dull, and the plot is predictable and boring.

[Kynthos-the-Archer (Kyn) · Rating 5 out of 5]

11th July 2013:

Just to drop a note here to say that I will NOT be reviewing this book due to personal reasons.

Don't get me wrong tho, cos this is an amazing book and a very well written one. I would highly recommend it to others who wish to explore more on euthanasia and the struggle of family and friends with loved ones who has critical illness.


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9th July 2013:

I have just finished this today. Can't tear myself away from it once I've started reading it.

Thing is, the events in this book strike too close to home for me that I am now at lost as to how to review it properly without my emotions getting in the way.

I will try to review it if I could. Maybe I'll do so tomorrow if I am up to it.

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SOME FOREWORDS BY THE AUTHOR:

Abimelech went to the tower and stormed it. But as he approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire, a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull. Hurriedly he called to his armorbearer, “Draw your sword and kill me, so that they can't say, ‘A woman killed him.’” So his servant ran him through, and he died.
JUDGES 9:52–54 (NIV)

The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically. Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through.”
But his armor-bearer was terrified, and would not do it; so Saul took his sword and fell on it.
1 SAMUEL 31:3–4 (NIV)


Dear Reader,

This is a book I've wanted to write for a long time, well over ten years. What intrigues me about the subject of euthanasia is the ethical dilemma it poses. I know, however, that a novel is built on characters and plot, and until recently the characters hadn't come together in my head. The plot hadn't jelled in my heart. Finally it did and I wrote Breathless.

What excited me then and still does now is the difference between ethics and morality. Some people explain that ethics are what we saywe believe and morality is how we acton what we believe. We might say one thing, but when no one's looking, what do we do? In Breathless, my characters face this quandary and make difficult choices.

Ultimately we all make choices in life, both good and bad. These decisions shape our character and create our life paths. Most choices do not involve life and death. The choices in Breathless do.

I hope you will give this novel about euthanasia serious thought. I'm still pondering the topic myself.

Maybe you will ask yourself, “What would I do if this happened to me?” Maybe not. I certainly hope you never face such difficulties, but may this novel open your mind and your heart.

Best wishes always,
Lurlene McDaniel


(extracted from the book's foreword page)

[Trinity · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Please note that what is written in this review are my opinions, please do not take offense to it. If you may be offended by what I am writing please stop reading, if you do not agree with me then please just do not say anything at all because these are my thoughts on the book and I simply won't care if you decide to comment hurtful things*

“Foreknowledge is a burden, a weight I can hardly bear. Maybe that’s why God keeps the future hidden from us. If I knew I would have a terrible accident, would I live my life trying to avoid it? Would I lock myself inside a room being safe? Or would I go outside and live day to day”

Wow. I thought this was an incredible book. I thought that the multiple point of views were perfect for this story, and I thought there was so much in between the little amount of pages that I thought were great. When I was reading this book, the first chapter already hinted that I was going to be crying through this book. I did cry at a few scenes but it's wasn't a sob fest for me like I thought it would. Don't get me wrong, it was an emotional book but I wasn't really in the mood to cry and let a few tears fall and left it at that. This book wasn't what I was expecting it to turn out to. I felt that many things were left unsaid and I hated that.

- Travis
I thought that it was very serious what Travis was planning to do, but I knew it was right. I don't have a special thing to do when I grow up, (diving, baseball, basketball, music, etc..) but I honestly have no idea how I would react if I was not able to do it anymore. I thought there was sense into what Travis wanted to do but I did not like how he was planning it. It was a lot to ask but he never, not once, considered the guilt that would wash over his best friend. It was all I could think about.

I thought all the characters were unique and great in their own ways. I do wish there was more to said to them all. Ugh, I have so many question running through my head with all the things left unsaid. This book was unique and I thought there was a lot of creativeness written through this book.

Overall, I was shocked a lot of them didn't understand what he was asking. I know it would be very difficult to even consider what he was proposing but it is his life and he has to make his own decisions. I wouldn't want to continue living if I knew I was going to die either way. I wouldn't want to continue life strapped with cords and having tubes everywhere, it would be misery and I would simply not want to live anymore. If I knew there was a chance I would get better I would fight but knowing there is no chance wouldn't it be better if you were able to say goodbye to your loved ones and be able to die in a way you wanted to? This may not go for everyone but this is how I saw this. I thought this book was beautifully written, the only reason why this book is rated 4 stars instead of 5 is because I thought many things were left unsaid.

Warning - Spoiler:
My suspect for the ending: Emily. I thought it would have been Cooper at first but something about the way it was written had me thinking it was Emily. I'm not sure if I'm correct but I believe it was her. She knew that he was living in hell and I think that the author made it her because a lot of us probably suspected it was Cooper. Let me know who you thought it was!

[Patricia (Patricia's Particularity) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up on Lurlene McDaniel's books I have found I am never left unaffected or wanting. Lurlene McDaniel has always found a way to present death, life and everything in between with grace and in a beautiful way.

Travis loves his life - he has the perfect girlfriend, the perfect best friend, the perfect family and he is the star diver on the fast track. Travis knows how great he has it and does not pretend otherwise. One day at the lake Travis shows off by diving off a cliff, but as he jumps he feels agony in his leg. After a trip to the hospital Travis learns a broken leg would be the least of his worries. Travis is diagnosed with Bone Cancer. In true Travis-form, Travis does not let this bring him down. However, after relapses and learning he might never get better Travis asks his friends and sister to help him live the rest of his life the way he wants to and not the way the cancer wants to. But will they help him? If they say yes are they really helping or not?

Breathless is not only told from Travis' point of view but from Darla's, Emily's and Cooper's. In doing so we are given each character's thoughts, emotions, and struggles with what Travis asks them to do. Given the topic of this novel, telling this story could not have been done any other way. This is not just Travis' story. It is all of their stories. Lurlene McDaniel has done a fantastic job in showing how everyone deals with the possibility of death in different ways; Travis is not the only one affected by his illness, everyone is.

This novel will haunt you - you will be left asking yourself if assisted euthanasia is wrong or right? Or is it that simple? Is it black or white, or murky gray? Especially in this case, were our main character is a teen. Lurlene McDaniel has never shied away from giving the truths of life, and she is not about to stop in Breathless.

[Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Incredible Stars
Wow, this book was really good and also brought me into tears at the end. I was right about the ending because he soon dies. I loved everything about this book from the setup, to the writing, and to the characters. Towards the end was at a point that I just wanted to keep reading because it was so good. I felt really bad for Darla, Cooper, Emily, and Travis's parents to see him have cancer and had to see him die. I really felt bad for Darla because it was hard to say goodbye to someone that you really loved in your life and they have been through a lot while being a young couple falling in love. That would be the hardest thing you could possibly face in life. I also felt bad for Cooper too because they have been friends for a really long time and having to say goodbye would be hard. This book was also really easy to follow because it is a age group where I could understand and relate too. This book was so emotional and so good and I would read this again and again. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves a little romance and a book that has emotion but that is good at the same time.

[Theresa Miller · Rating 1 out of 5]

I went to reserve the other Breathless at the library, and this one came up on the list. A new Lurlene McDaniel book? About assisted suicide? I clearly needed to read this one. I haven't read a Lurlene in years and years- not since I still enjoyed her books.
Two important things to note in this book, I believe.
One- In the eighth grade, I wrote a short story about a girl who falls off a ladder and breaks her leg, and when they x-ray it, they find out she had cancer. This was totally when I was in my Lurlene McDaniel reading frenzy, so this makes sense. What doesn't make sense is that I thought of one of her plots fifteen years ago, when I was in middle school. That is how lame of a plot this is. Oh, and then in my story they I think it all turned out happy and fine and whatever, instead of my main character wanting to kill herself. Only difference.
Two- Lurlene McDaniel hates women. There are five women in this book, and let me tell you how highly they're all thought of. One is the sister of the main character, and she's too much of a baby to be allowed to do anything. She's a love interest of the best friend, but they all acknowledge that he's too much of a "bad boy" for her, so they never get together. There's also the girlfriend, who we're told is loved for more reasons than her big boobs, but we never learn what those reasons are. There's the main character's mom, who's a nurse, which is I guess acceptable, but her main role toward the end is to discount everything Travis says. Which is fine, I suppose, if what she's trying to discount are his assisted suicide ideas, but she comes off as all moms of teens seem to- totally off base and out of touch. They there's the girlfriend's mom, who's a DV survivor, which is CLEARLY her fault for staying- this is the only perspective we're ever given. And then there's the mom of the best friend, who's a prostitute, and clearly a horrible person. I really don't think Lurlene likes any of these women, and I'm not sure why she created them if she hates them so much. None of them really add to the story.
Anyway, if you want to read this, you could do it in one easy sitting. It's just so poorly written, I can't even believe it.

[Brianna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book could have been A LOT better.
It felt rushed. 150 pages for a book? That's not even enough time to let your characters grow. I was very disappointed.
I wanted to know more about the relationships, the characters, what happened over the period of time, but it just happened too fast.
Maybe it was because everyone was awaiting a new novel by her, maybe it was because she didn't plan it out properly or took enough time. You're supposed to feel connections with characters, normally I do even if I've never been in some sort of similar situation.
This book totally bombed, but I still recommend it to anyone that has loved her books in the past. It's still Lurlene McDaniel, just not as well done, but yet enough to make me cry at the end like all her other novels.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG! Another 5/5* book....

Before I even picked up this book I was a little disappointed because of how thin it was (165pg), and I thought I wouldn't get much out of it. I mean, c'mon, how much can you really get out of book that is less then 200 pgs? Especially a book that is about such a serious subject?

So, reluctantly I picked up the book and started reading it. Once again, the pages flew by without me noticing because the book was that good!

This book is about a teenager named, Travis, who is a champion diver for his HS. Diving and being in the water is something that Travis lives for. He practices hard to be where he is and who he is. But before school starts again for the next year an accident puts Travis in the hospital. Now the accident wasn't life threatening, but after running some tests (not sure what prompted them to do the tests), the doctors discovered that there was something else going on that was most certainly life threatening.

Because of an accident, Travis finds out that he has bone cancer, and what continues is about what Travis has to give up, sacrifice to try and beat the odds and survive the big "C".

This book had a bunch of great characters in it. You had Travis, the main character, who was so brave and only until the end, did he remain strong.


Then there is Emily, his younger sister who sticks by Travis throughout his ordeal and who, in the end, ends up doing something huge and unselfish and very surprising!

There is also Darla, Travis's girlfriend, who I completely admire. Darla was such a strong and loyal girlfriend. Sticking with Travis throughout everything he went through, when she could have easily had walked away. But no, she stayed and did nothing but try and make Travis happy. She did everything for Travis.

And then you have Cooper, Travis's best friend. Cooper was also loyal, but at the same time confused by what Travis asks of him. (Travis asks favors of all three of the other characters but can they do what he wants?)

This book makes you question so much. To me, the main question being, how far would you go for someone you love? Also, what is the right and wrong thing to do in a situation like this?

If you haven't, you need to go out and get this book! Yes, it is short, but it definetly delivers!

[rameau · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is how I think about my life: Before I got sick, endless possibilities. After? No possibilities.

Travis has his whole life ahead of him, then he doesn't. A broken leg starts a vicious cycle of hospitalisation, out patient treatment, pain, medication, remission, and relapse. Pain changes him. It changes the people around him. It changes everything.

There's a lovely author's note in the beginning to warn those who find the word euthanasia a trigger. I for one would have loved to read this story without knowing the outcome. I would have liked to have been brought to the conclusion silently, surreptitiously. I would have liked to have been convinced despite my reluctance.

I guess that's the problem. I never was reluctant. I can understand wanting pain to end, wanting to choose that moment for themselves, I can understand choosing dignity. I was a convert before the preaching started.

That just leaves the delivery itself for me judge.

McDaniel chose four alternating first person present voices to tell this story. I can see why she would want to make the voices and feelings of Travis' sister, girlfriend, and best friend as strong as his. His illness doesn't just concern him, it affects everyone around him differently. I can also understand—now that I've read the ending—why the author would want to fade away all differences between those different voices, but it doesn't help when I'm in the middle of the story and have to turn back pages just to see and remember who is talking. Was it Travis or Emily talking to Darla? The girls are talking about Travis but is this his sister or girlfriend? So, yes, I can understand the value of the ambiguity. I just hate when it's used to justify gimmicks.

This also might be part of the preaching to the choir effect, but I didn't find the storytelling particularly poignant. The closest I came to tears was when Coop casually accepted his lot in life, not when Travis was ready call it quits.

As for the usual suspects, I have three, and they're all women.

You can also read this review on Anachronist's Books as portable pieces of thoughts-blog.

[Arielle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't say enough bad things about this book. It's disjointed, contradictory, implausible in its details, disdainful of its character sketches (cuz they're not full characters) and inconsiderate of the reader. Lurlene says in a note in the beginning that she knows novels are built on character and plot (hooray!) so she had to wait 10 years, until they jelled, to write this book. Unfortunately, we have different definitions of these words. So it's a poorly written issue book that skirts around the issue, for the most part, and mentions in passing things like (spoiler alert) amputation, the death of a friend and the insistence of parents that their child will not get a DNR or otherwise get to live as he wishes.
The next book I'm going to read is also a Lurlene (I know, I know) but man, this one is not a good example.

[Readaholic Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-written, thought producing novel that touching on a controversial issue. I just wish we saw more of the ending.

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a gut-wrenching read for me and I'm sure most anyone would feel the same way. As the blurb says, this is about Travis, a champion diver for his high school. Diving is what he eats, breathes, and sleeps. It's his passion. If a person has a true passion as Travis did, and that gets taken away for whatever reason, what's the person going to do and how will he/she deal with the toughest parts of life?

This little book about a difficult subject is told in multiple POV's, which I think worked really well. Nothing confusing about it at all. Travis and his sister and a few friends have different "trials" in life or "crosses to carry" and they each deal with things in their own way.

Travis's sister loved him dearly and she dealt with his tragedy by doing something that I could never do, but I don't judge her. Life is difficult for Travis and his friends and real life is even harder.

This book is definitely worth reading and I can see why others have given it 4-5 stars.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was actually looking for a different book with the same title when I found this one, and I got kind of excited because I was a huge Lurlene McDaniel fan as a kid. True to the form of her books from the 1980s, this one is depressing as hell. The story is about euthanasia, which is explained on the first page in an author's note (kind of kills all suspense about what's about to happen), and for a middle grade audience, she does an ok job with that. The story is about a boy with aggressive bone cancer, and the three people closest to him in life. The book probably deserves less than 3 stars, but I read it in about an hour and enjoyed it, so not picking "liked it" felt dishonest. Recommended only for McDaniel fans.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must have a thing for books about choices. First I read "If I Stay" (amazing, but that's besides the point) and now Breathless.

Choose to live or choose to die? That's what it comes down to. Travis has cancer and his life is ruined. His dreams of being an Olympic diver? Gone. High School? Done. The only things he still has are his friends and family. Even then it's not all it's cracked up to be.

In the beginning of the book, it brings up the point that many of us say "I'd never do that!" when in fact, if push came to shove, those rules would change. Seeing Travis's story, I'm inclined to agree. You never know exactly what you're going to do in any situation.

It's a good quick read that will make you think about yourself and your choices.

[Anka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breathless es un libro que te da mucho que pensar y te hace dudar de todo. Es increíble,me he esforzado muchísimo en no llorar! No es la típica historia que empieza mal y acaba bien, no, y eso es lo que me ha sorprendido.

[Eve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give this book 4 stars only because it's so short and the characters are not well and fully developed... Great book, it would be even better with few more pages:)

[Gisbelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably the most emotional book I have read so far. I couldn't stop crying. It is just so prefect.

[Melenia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read. Powerful and controversial topic. Still not sure what I think about it. Well written, but I hate when things don't get all tied up at the end.

[Abi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a weird beginning to me, but the last 50 or so pages were so so so so good. Normally I don't like when books end without giving real answers to the plot, but the way this book ended felt poetic. Even though I didn't love the first 100 pages, i would re-read this book just for the ending

[Kourtni Daniels]

I really liked this book and want to read more like it.

[Orinthia Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won't review this due to personal reasons. I'll just say that I understand Travis' feelings, and the others too.

[Rachel Yzenbaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Traditional Lurlene McDaniel. Great book with an ending that I was not expecting.

[Kory Keller · Rating 2 out of 5]

YA book. Star athlete gets cancer, lots of stereotypical high school characters dealing with life. Ethical dilemma near the end. Not a great book.

[Hailey Wheaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal Response:
Personally I didn't think I would like this book, but as soon as I started reading it in class, I didn't want to put it down. This book always left me on the edge of my seat, no matter what part I left off on. There was always something that made me wonder what was going to happen next. The only thing that I didn't like was that it was pretty predictable as to what is going to happen next, but yet there were still many predictions that could've led up to the outcome of the cliffhanger.

Plot:
Breathless started off with Travis being a very good diver, and Emily being Travis' sister even though she wasn't as special as Travis she did still cheer her big brother on. Darla lives with an abusive parent and is dating Travis. Cooper lives with his drunk mom and has to take care of himself and his mother. Everything was so called "normal" until Darla, Cooper, Emily, and Travis went to the lake and went to go swimming. Travis thought it would be a "good idea" to jump off the cliff that was there. He was noticing some pain in his leg earlier that day, but all of a sudden it got worse when he got to the top of the cliff. Travis went to jump off the cliff and he heard a pop in his leg. He needed help to get out of the water from Cooper. They took him to the hospital because there was a huge bulge in his leg. They then later on found out it was cancer, and that it would have to be amputated. He got it amputated and then realizes that he can't dive anymore and that he has to figure out how to use his prosthetic leg. Travis thought he was cancer free until he felt random chest pains. He went to the doctors and found out that he had lung cancer. He knew that he was eventually going to die, so he told Cooper that he wanted to go to the lake to let himself drown. He told Cooper and then his sister found out and then he told his girlfriend Darla. Not long after that he had a seizure and was now paralyzed, and he really didn't ever want to turn out that way so not long after that his sister knew that he wanted to die, so she snuck in his hospital room and put insulin in him. Travis then died only seconds after she put the insulin in him. After Travis died Cooper left to go to boot camp, Darla left to go live with her sister in New York, and Emily stayed in her home town.

Recommendations:
I recommend this book to anyone who has dealt with cancer, or to people who have seen someone who is close to them deal with cancer. This would also be a great book for people who like cliffhangers and books that keep you on the edge of your seat and make you keep wanting to read. I also recommend this book teenagers (13 years and older) because it did have a little bit of sexual content and it also did have some swear words as well.

[Emilija Topalzoleva · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is story about friendship, sickness, faith and hope, life and dreams. It kept me reading it and hoping for the best. What we are supposed to do when in pain? What are we supposed to do, when our friend, boyfriend, brother is in pain?

It was too short for me. I just needed more of this.

[Josie Kicherer]

Personal Response: I thought that this book was good because it had many plot twists. The character changes so much as you continue to read through this book. There is a lot happening in the book, and there is a lot to take under but it is really easy to follow.

Plot Summary: Travis and Cooper have been best friends since day one. One day can change everything can change someone's life forever. Travis had colleges lining up for him with how he dives his life was completely set for him. Darla Travis's girlfriend, Emily Travis's little sister, and Cooper Travis's best friends were on a boat ride at Travis's favorite diving place until the unthinkable happens. Travis dives off the cliff and plunges into the water he comes up screaming and is taken to a hospital immediately. He had broken his leg and the doctors were doing multiple tests on him. Then they break the horrible news that he has bone cancer and will have to have is right leg amputated immediately. His heart shatters and he listens to his whole life go down the drain. After the surgery the recovery was long and painful going through rounds of chemo but the doctor soon spreads the news to him that the cancer is spreading. The life is drained from Travis, he does not want to fight any longer. So he tells his parents that he wants a, do not resuscitate order. His parents refuse so he goes to Cooper and tells him his wish Cooper refuses but Travis still tries to persuade him. After the cancer has taken over Travis's body who will make the ultimate decision?

Characterization: Over the course of the book Travis's character changes a great deal. He starts off with his whole life planned out and everything's going good. Diving is going amazing and he is doing what he loves. Until he is diagnosed with cancer. Soon after this he does not want to fight anymore he gave up on his life and everyone in it.

Recommendation: I recommend this book to anyone 12+. There is many plots and settings in this book. There are many cliffhangers and sad parts. I recommend this book for anyone over the age of 12 because of the choice of words used.

[Saylor Alberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personal Response:
At first this book bored me and I did not find it very interesting. But as the book progressed, I started to find it hard to put it down. As Travis started to get more and more sick every day, he started to have suicide thoughts with was very scary and intense. The very end of the book left me confused, shook up, and I wanted to know who really killed Travis. It was such an interesting ending, and I have never read a book like this one before. I have thought about this book for a week now, and I still wonder who really did it. I have an idea, but the thought of not knowing for sure kills me. In the end, I am not sure if I like the idea of choosing your own ending, but I really did end up enjoying it.

Plot Summary:
Travis had a great life. He was the best diver around, he had a beautiful girlfriend Darla, he had an awesome friend named Cooper, and he had a wonderful sister named Emily. One day he and his crew went to a cliff to go cliff diving. Travis had no fear. He was an amazing diver and was super excited to dive into the cool blue water. But when Travis hit the water, he heard his leg snap. So he was rushed to the hospital, but he knew that he would be back diving in only a few short months. Then, he got the worst news of his life. He found out he had cancer, and his leg had to be cut off to try to get rid of it. His cancer only kept spreading throughout his body and he started to get depressed and was having thoughts of suicide. Travis had it all planned out. He wanted his best friend cooper to drive him to the lake so he could drown himself. Emily and Darla soon found out the boys were hiding something and figured it out. They were completely against the idea but then saw where Travis was coming from. So they set up a date to all go to the lake together as the crew one last time. But the day before, Travis gets so sick he can not breathe on his own. Machines have to do it for him, and that is exactly what he did not want to happen. So at the end he dies because his heart stops. But at the very very end of the book, we find out that someone came into Travis's hospital room and gave him insulin to stop his heart. But the book never tells us who did it.

Characterization:
Emily is a good, smart girl, and she is Travis's little sister. She always gets good grades, and is known as a goodie-tu-shoes. She and her entire family has strong faith in God and she always tries to trust and believe in God. She has always had a crush on Travis's best friend named Cooper. As the book progresses you can see the damage that Travis's illness did to her. She starts to lose hope, her grades plummet, and she completely looses her faith in God because she thinks he can't hear her and he is never going to answer her prayers. This proves that someones illness does not just do damage to them. It can damage the people they love even more. I am not sure if Emily is the one who killed her brother or not, but if she is the one who did, I could never see her doing that in the beginning of the book.

Audience Recommendations:
I would recommend this book for anyone 12 and up. The reading is easy, but the comprehension and story is a little confusing at the end. Anyone who enjoys realistic fiction, and doesn't mind a sad ending will enjoy this book. If you do not like depressing, and confusing endings, I would suggest you not to read this book. If you dislike endings that leave you hanging where you have to make it up on your own, then do not read this book. I think that both boys, girls, men, and women will find this book interesting. Overall I do not really know if I liked it or disliked it. You will have to find out for yourself if this is the kind of book for you.