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Anything But Ordinary Lib/E
Bryce remembers it like it was yesterday: the scent of chlorine, the blinding crack and flash of pain, blood in the water.When she wakes up in the hospital, all Bryce can think of is her disastrous Olympic diving trial. But everything is different now. Bryce still feels seventeen, so how can her little sister be seventeen too? Life went on without her while she lay in a coma for five years: Her best friend and boyfriend have just graduated from college. Her parents barely speak. And everything she once dreamed of doing--winning a gold medal, traveling the world, falling in love--seems beyond her reach.But Bryce has changed too, in seemingly impossible ways. She knows things she shouldn't--things that happened while she was asleep, things that haven't even happened yet. During one luminous summer, as she comes to understand that her dreams have changed forever, Bryce learns to see life for what it truly is: extraordinary.
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First published September 11, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 311 reviews
July 22, 2012
a promising (and bee-yoo-tiful!) young diver hits her head and wakes up five years later. things have changed. she has missed her chance at the olympics, her family is falling apart, and her boyfriend is now engaged to her best friend. bryce should be paralyzed but by sheer force of will she is walking again almost instantly. but she doesn't want to tell the handsome young intern (who has taken a curious interest in her case) about the strange visions she gets along with blinding pain, because she's afraid she'll have to go back to the hospital. because, you know, that wouldn't be a good idea or anything.
i am tempted to put this on my "paranormal-romance" shelf because i'm so confused about why a girl with a closed head injury would get visions that predict the future. that unbelievable plot point aside, there is just way too much going on here. soap opera central. and the ending! oh, the ending!
the more i think about this book the more ridiculous it gets. all that grumbled, i think it has its readership among teens who like their romances overwrought and dramatic.
i am tempted to put this on my "paranormal-romance" shelf because i'm so confused about why a girl with a closed head injury would get visions that predict the future. that unbelievable plot point aside, there is just way too much going on here. soap opera central. and the ending! oh, the ending!
the more i think about this book the more ridiculous it gets. all that grumbled, i think it has its readership among teens who like their romances overwrought and dramatic.
September 4, 2019
Definitely not the best written book I've ever read, but I enjoyed it. Contrary to a lot of the other opinions, I really liked the ending.
November 16, 2012
Ok, first of all I must admit that the author Lara Avery lives one floor above me, but I am not being biast. I told her I'd tell her my true thoughts about the book, and I will! In short, "Anything But Ordinary" is a great book. A quick read and an interesting story, that's for sure!
The following contains spoilers.
Bryce is a champion diver with dreams of the Olympics. She is a bright high school student and has a loyal best friend and wonderful boyfriend. The one dive changes everything. She is knocked into a coma and wakes up 5 years later to find her whole life is different.
I am keeping the synopsis brief because I really think everyone should go read the book and experience thi fascinating story for themselves. I felt for Bryce, and kept trying to imagine what I would do in her situation. I love that she has many choices to make and it takes the reader right along with her on her difficult road to recovery and fitting into a life that was fast-forwarded.
My only negative comment about the book (and the reason it is 4 stars instead of 5) is that there is a slight supernatural "future glimpsing" twist to this book. I didn't like it. I liked the fact that the rest of the story seemed so realistic and believable, and throwing in a fantasy twist made it seem super out of place and just...uncomforatable.
However, overall this book is amazing and Lara Avery is such a talented writer. I'm thrilled to read more of her stuff in the future! She's also a very sweet person. PLEASE read this book and dare to be entertained!
The following contains spoilers.
Bryce is a champion diver with dreams of the Olympics. She is a bright high school student and has a loyal best friend and wonderful boyfriend. The one dive changes everything. She is knocked into a coma and wakes up 5 years later to find her whole life is different.
I am keeping the synopsis brief because I really think everyone should go read the book and experience thi fascinating story for themselves. I felt for Bryce, and kept trying to imagine what I would do in her situation. I love that she has many choices to make and it takes the reader right along with her on her difficult road to recovery and fitting into a life that was fast-forwarded.
My only negative comment about the book (and the reason it is 4 stars instead of 5) is that there is a slight supernatural "future glimpsing" twist to this book. I didn't like it. I liked the fact that the rest of the story seemed so realistic and believable, and throwing in a fantasy twist made it seem super out of place and just...uncomforatable.
However, overall this book is amazing and Lara Avery is such a talented writer. I'm thrilled to read more of her stuff in the future! She's also a very sweet person. PLEASE read this book and dare to be entertained!
September 7, 2012
The intriguing premise of Lara Avery's Anything But Ordinary is what initially drew me to this book- I mean girl-in-coma-wakes-up-years-later with visions sounds pretty captivating- unfortunately, the book's story execution and character development fell very flat.
Seventeen year old Bryce has a terrible accident on the day of her Olympic diving trials and ends up in a coma. Five years later, she miraculously wakes up and seems to recover swiftly. But everything is different- Bryce is now 22, her parents' marriage is breaking, her baby sister is now a rebellious, wayward 17 year old and her BFF and high school boyfriend have moved on. Then Bryce starts to have weird visions, visions of things that happened while she was asleep and visions of things to come. And through it all, Bryce must rediscover who she is and the life she wants to live.
Anything But Ordinary starts with a potentially complex and fascinating premise, but the story never lives up to that potential. This book seems to have an identity crisis of sorts; it can't decide if it's a contemporary or a paranormal or a love story. It has elements of all three, and individually these elements can, at times, be compelling and intriguing, but they don't really mesh well together or cohesively. The story just never finds its balance or flow.
The narration is anything but smooth and has a disjointed, clunky feel to it. At times I found myself fully engrossed in the story, but then the choppy flow would yank me out of the story. The writing itself is not bad, in fact there are quite a few really beautiful and thought-provoking lines, and the actual story being told is worth telling. However, the total story execution and development falls very short.
There are quite a few different arcs focused on in the story (Bryce's new romance, her parents fragile marriage, her sister's rebellion, her BFF and former boyfriend's relationship), yet not a whole lot actually happens from beginning to end. Avery crafts a poignant and insightful look into how Bryce's accident has affected everyone around her, but again the story as a whole lacks cohesiveness. However, I did appreciate the realism and believability found within this exploration. The fragile, distant and almost cold nature of Bryce's parents' marriage in the wake of their daughter's accident and coma feels startling real. And the reckless, desperate nature of Bryce's little sister's rebellion (drinking, smoking, relationships with many guys, etc) is easy to understand and believe.
For the most part, the characters in this book aren't particularly memorable or masterfully developed. I had a hard time connecting with Bryce. I certainly sympathized with her, but found her unrelatable; boring and, at times, unbearably selfish. I neither like or dislike the other important characters (Bryce's parents, her BFF Gabby, old boyfriend Greg and new boyfriend Carter) and never felt genuinely invested in them. But I did really love Sydney, Bryce's little sister. Now Sydney isn't always easy to like or take, she can be relentlessy bratty and makes stupid choices, but she's unabashedly honest and amusingly witty. But more than that, Sydney's pain, fear and desperation is so palpable and real. She's really the one shining gem in this otherwise dull lot of characters.
The ending of this book is annoyingly abrupt and unexpected and had me "WTFing" and scoffing in frustration. Honestly, after everything the author put her characters and me, the reader, through I felt kind of gypped by the ending *stomps foot*
MY FINAL THOUGHTS: I walked away from this book seriously conflicted and disappointed. Anything But Ordinary has a few bright spots (Sydney, a certain level of poignancy, and an arresting idea), but the disjointed flow, dull characters and less than great execution, makes it an overall lackluster read.
Seventeen year old Bryce has a terrible accident on the day of her Olympic diving trials and ends up in a coma. Five years later, she miraculously wakes up and seems to recover swiftly. But everything is different- Bryce is now 22, her parents' marriage is breaking, her baby sister is now a rebellious, wayward 17 year old and her BFF and high school boyfriend have moved on. Then Bryce starts to have weird visions, visions of things that happened while she was asleep and visions of things to come. And through it all, Bryce must rediscover who she is and the life she wants to live.
Anything But Ordinary starts with a potentially complex and fascinating premise, but the story never lives up to that potential. This book seems to have an identity crisis of sorts; it can't decide if it's a contemporary or a paranormal or a love story. It has elements of all three, and individually these elements can, at times, be compelling and intriguing, but they don't really mesh well together or cohesively. The story just never finds its balance or flow.
The narration is anything but smooth and has a disjointed, clunky feel to it. At times I found myself fully engrossed in the story, but then the choppy flow would yank me out of the story. The writing itself is not bad, in fact there are quite a few really beautiful and thought-provoking lines, and the actual story being told is worth telling. However, the total story execution and development falls very short.
There are quite a few different arcs focused on in the story (Bryce's new romance, her parents fragile marriage, her sister's rebellion, her BFF and former boyfriend's relationship), yet not a whole lot actually happens from beginning to end. Avery crafts a poignant and insightful look into how Bryce's accident has affected everyone around her, but again the story as a whole lacks cohesiveness. However, I did appreciate the realism and believability found within this exploration. The fragile, distant and almost cold nature of Bryce's parents' marriage in the wake of their daughter's accident and coma feels startling real. And the reckless, desperate nature of Bryce's little sister's rebellion (drinking, smoking, relationships with many guys, etc) is easy to understand and believe.
For the most part, the characters in this book aren't particularly memorable or masterfully developed. I had a hard time connecting with Bryce. I certainly sympathized with her, but found her unrelatable; boring and, at times, unbearably selfish. I neither like or dislike the other important characters (Bryce's parents, her BFF Gabby, old boyfriend Greg and new boyfriend Carter) and never felt genuinely invested in them. But I did really love Sydney, Bryce's little sister. Now Sydney isn't always easy to like or take, she can be relentlessy bratty and makes stupid choices, but she's unabashedly honest and amusingly witty. But more than that, Sydney's pain, fear and desperation is so palpable and real. She's really the one shining gem in this otherwise dull lot of characters.
The ending of this book is annoyingly abrupt and unexpected and had me "WTFing" and scoffing in frustration. Honestly, after everything the author put her characters and me, the reader, through I felt kind of gypped by the ending *stomps foot*
MY FINAL THOUGHTS: I walked away from this book seriously conflicted and disappointed. Anything But Ordinary has a few bright spots (Sydney, a certain level of poignancy, and an arresting idea), but the disjointed flow, dull characters and less than great execution, makes it an overall lackluster read.
July 24, 2017
This book would've been more appropriately called "Pretty Ordinary." I had such high hopes from reading the first few pages that it was my airplane book for today, but that turned out to be a big mistake. This book has narrative inconsistencies, factual inaccuracies, two-dimensional characters, parents whose actions simply cannot be believed, and dialogue that is both flat & insipid. Still, it's a quick read and once Bryce, the main character, gets her last bit of bad news, somewhere around page 275, the book marginally improves.
Teens will, no doubt, enjoy this book because they'll think it's dramatic. More discerning readers (no matter what their age) will know otherwise: the book is one, big, long tell-not-show.
I actually think the story arc is a fairly interesting one, so my hope is that in time this very young author will develop a better sense of pacing, dialogue, narration, and character.
Teens will, no doubt, enjoy this book because they'll think it's dramatic. More discerning readers (no matter what their age) will know otherwise: the book is one, big, long tell-not-show.
I actually think the story arc is a fairly interesting one, so my hope is that in time this very young author will develop a better sense of pacing, dialogue, narration, and character.
September 6, 2012
Thanks to an advance reading copy, I got a chance to check out Anything But Ordinary by Lara Avery a few weeks early. The premise to this YA novel is compelling - seventeen-year-old Bryce wakes up in the hospital after an Olympic diving trial gone wrong, only to discover that she missed the last five years of her life, and she's actually twenty-two. Her best friend Gabby and her boyfriend Greg commiserated together... to the point that they began dating each other, thinking Bryce would never come out of her coma. Bryce still feels seventeen in her head, as if the dive that landed her in the hospital was just yesterday, but in reality, her little sister Sydney is now seventeen, and running around with a partying crowd that likes to drink, dress alternatively, and stay out late. Bryce's parents have become distant from each other, due to the stress of her accident. Her mom and dad have different ideas about how to structure her recovery, and this leads to more bickering.
The novel's plot kept me reading, even though some of the dialogue was mildly bland and perhaps not as in depth as it could have been. I was interested to see how Bryce would handle the many difficult situations she had to face. I especially would have liked to see the relationship between Bryce and her sister Sydney fleshed out, because I got the impression we were only seeing the tip of the iceberg. A few more flashback scenes of her former life would have helped her loss resonate with readers even more strongly.
One problem is that the Olympic trials plot sparked my interest, and yet the Olympics are barely discussed as a goal of Bryce's. After she wakes up, she realizes she will never be able to compete, and the novel doesn't focus on her coming to terms with this, favoring the romantic triangle instead. This felt sorely lacking because Bryce devoted practically her entire life to training for the Olympics and the loss of this dream is barely addressed.
The extreme insensitivity that Bryce's best friend Gabby displays when confessing that she is now dating Bryce's then-boyfriend, Greg, is almost unbelievable. While Gabby is later redeemed as a character, the initial reveal makes you wonder why Bryce was friends with Greg and Gabby in the first place. Neither of them even call her when she comes out of her coma while they're traveling Europe! I did think that Greg's confusion and cowardice was convincing and realistic, and the messiness and circular nature of the situation made me torn between whether Greg should remain with Gabby or return to Bryce. The slideshow of Greg and Gabby's five years together really captures what kind of bond they've forged in Bryce's absence.
There were moments when the author went a bit overboard in demonstrating Greg's flaws, in an attempt to contrast them with the strengths of the new love interest, med student Carter, who watched over Bryce and read to her while she was in her coma. For example, we see a flashback scene where Greg is smoking and Bryce won't stand within ten feet of him because she is an athlete.
Carter is a likeable love interest, although many aspects of his character are very Gary Stu, such as his extravagant plans to give Bryce her own version of a high school graduation, senior photo, and prom.
Avery does a good job of showing Bryce wavering between her seventeen-year-old self and her twenty-two-year-old self, because while physically she is twenty-two, mentally she is still seventeen in many ways. She feels behind, like a genuine late bloomer, when she attends Gabby's bachelorette party with girls who have already graduated from college and are comfortable drinking and dancing in clubs.
The novel is generally realistic fiction except for a subplot that deals with the visions Bryce unexpectedly experiences after awakening. The visions show her things she couldn't possibly remember from when she was in the coma, and sometimes they appear to predict future events. This is not very well explained, and it adds an element of the magical or mysterious to a novel that is otherwise rooted in everyday life. If the entire novel was magical realism, this might be slightly more believable, but as it is, it feels like a misplaced plot point, designed to give Bryce a "purpose" for coming back to life.
The cicada metaphor that opens and closes the novel is apt, and foreshadows the ending for the reader. Avery does a good job of lulling us into thinking nothing is wrong. I don't want to say too much about the ending, but there are some glaring concerns in regards to how Bryce's loved ones might respond to or misunderstand a decision she made... so while it's poetic in a sense, it's also unsettling.
Despite the above criticisms, common enough in a debut novel, as a reader I did enjoy the book and thought it was worth reading.
The novel's plot kept me reading, even though some of the dialogue was mildly bland and perhaps not as in depth as it could have been. I was interested to see how Bryce would handle the many difficult situations she had to face. I especially would have liked to see the relationship between Bryce and her sister Sydney fleshed out, because I got the impression we were only seeing the tip of the iceberg. A few more flashback scenes of her former life would have helped her loss resonate with readers even more strongly.
One problem is that the Olympic trials plot sparked my interest, and yet the Olympics are barely discussed as a goal of Bryce's. After she wakes up, she realizes she will never be able to compete, and the novel doesn't focus on her coming to terms with this, favoring the romantic triangle instead. This felt sorely lacking because Bryce devoted practically her entire life to training for the Olympics and the loss of this dream is barely addressed.
The extreme insensitivity that Bryce's best friend Gabby displays when confessing that she is now dating Bryce's then-boyfriend, Greg, is almost unbelievable. While Gabby is later redeemed as a character, the initial reveal makes you wonder why Bryce was friends with Greg and Gabby in the first place. Neither of them even call her when she comes out of her coma while they're traveling Europe! I did think that Greg's confusion and cowardice was convincing and realistic, and the messiness and circular nature of the situation made me torn between whether Greg should remain with Gabby or return to Bryce. The slideshow of Greg and Gabby's five years together really captures what kind of bond they've forged in Bryce's absence.
There were moments when the author went a bit overboard in demonstrating Greg's flaws, in an attempt to contrast them with the strengths of the new love interest, med student Carter, who watched over Bryce and read to her while she was in her coma. For example, we see a flashback scene where Greg is smoking and Bryce won't stand within ten feet of him because she is an athlete.
Carter is a likeable love interest, although many aspects of his character are very Gary Stu, such as his extravagant plans to give Bryce her own version of a high school graduation, senior photo, and prom.
Avery does a good job of showing Bryce wavering between her seventeen-year-old self and her twenty-two-year-old self, because while physically she is twenty-two, mentally she is still seventeen in many ways. She feels behind, like a genuine late bloomer, when she attends Gabby's bachelorette party with girls who have already graduated from college and are comfortable drinking and dancing in clubs.
The novel is generally realistic fiction except for a subplot that deals with the visions Bryce unexpectedly experiences after awakening. The visions show her things she couldn't possibly remember from when she was in the coma, and sometimes they appear to predict future events. This is not very well explained, and it adds an element of the magical or mysterious to a novel that is otherwise rooted in everyday life. If the entire novel was magical realism, this might be slightly more believable, but as it is, it feels like a misplaced plot point, designed to give Bryce a "purpose" for coming back to life.
The cicada metaphor that opens and closes the novel is apt, and foreshadows the ending for the reader. Avery does a good job of lulling us into thinking nothing is wrong. I don't want to say too much about the ending, but there are some glaring concerns in regards to how Bryce's loved ones might respond to or misunderstand a decision she made... so while it's poetic in a sense, it's also unsettling.
Despite the above criticisms, common enough in a debut novel, as a reader I did enjoy the book and thought it was worth reading.
February 9, 2024
What happens to your life when you wake up after being in a coma for 5 years?
You get...
A memorable story about seizing the day.
You get...
A memorable story about seizing the day.
September 19, 2012
The Gist: Girl woke up from a five-year coma; life around her predictably changed. Her family's drifted apart. She lost her best friend and boyfriend. On top of it all, she's sensing something different about herself: her senses are heightened and she's remembering things from other people's past. She's also getting glimpses of the future - hers and her loved ones. What's happening? Many called her a miracle but some days, she wonders, is she really? Or is she nothing but a freak of nature?
The Review: Much like Bryce at the beginning when she was innundated by confusion, I had pretty much scratched my head for the better part of this novel. From the vague explanation about her new-found extra-ordinary abilities to dealing with waking up finding your life wasn't what it was, I felt that the novel was a bit disorganized - somewhat all over the place.
There is a lack of cohesiveness that starts from the time she wakes up from coma, creating and fulfilling her bucket list, and the eventual end. Sometimes, it was too much of everything and too little of something definite. Her bucket list - which consisted of things she missed from high school, felt like a random thing used to fill the pages. I thought that if this list came after a certain point in the novel where she found out the consequences of having her ability, then it would've made sense. The order felt wrong somehow.
The narrative has a mystical characteristic that just didn't work when it should. We're talking about a girl who literally slept for five years and woke up with some extra ordinary abilities - magical and miraculous. But Bryce herself didn't seem that vested in what was going on most of the time.
Cicadas usually precedes her visions but for the life of me, I couldn't find the connection. Someone, please...explain this to me like I'm five years old.
So the ending. Yeah. I've tried to wrap my head around it but I've failed so many times. Just because you saw how it ends, doesn't mean you'll go on and make it happen, lady. It's like a morbid version of a self-fulfilling prophecy only she didn't need encouragements from people, she just...let it happened. Ever heard of fighting fate? You can, you know. If you want it enough, that is. Oh but what am I rambling about anyway? It seems futile, considering I wasn't at all clear on how this book ended. I've drawn to my own conclusion that fade to black scenes are soooo overrated.
VERDICT: I read this in less than three hours and it's not because it had me completely entranced. It's because I waited and waited until it got better. Sadly, it didn't live up to its title. I have a feeling that if this book didn't end the way it did, it'd have gotten a better rating. I don't care much for how it ended - the story seemed unfinished.
The Review: Much like Bryce at the beginning when she was innundated by confusion, I had pretty much scratched my head for the better part of this novel. From the vague explanation about her new-found extra-ordinary abilities to dealing with waking up finding your life wasn't what it was, I felt that the novel was a bit disorganized - somewhat all over the place.
There is a lack of cohesiveness that starts from the time she wakes up from coma, creating and fulfilling her bucket list, and the eventual end. Sometimes, it was too much of everything and too little of something definite. Her bucket list - which consisted of things she missed from high school, felt like a random thing used to fill the pages. I thought that if this list came after a certain point in the novel where she found out the consequences of having her ability, then it would've made sense. The order felt wrong somehow.
The narrative has a mystical characteristic that just didn't work when it should. We're talking about a girl who literally slept for five years and woke up with some extra ordinary abilities - magical and miraculous. But Bryce herself didn't seem that vested in what was going on most of the time.
Cicadas usually precedes her visions but for the life of me, I couldn't find the connection. Someone, please...explain this to me like I'm five years old.
So the ending. Yeah. I've tried to wrap my head around it but I've failed so many times. Just because you saw how it ends, doesn't mean you'll go on and make it happen, lady. It's like a morbid version of a self-fulfilling prophecy only she didn't need encouragements from people, she just...let it happened. Ever heard of fighting fate? You can, you know. If you want it enough, that is. Oh but what am I rambling about anyway? It seems futile, considering I wasn't at all clear on how this book ended. I've drawn to my own conclusion that fade to black scenes are soooo overrated.
VERDICT: I read this in less than three hours and it's not because it had me completely entranced. It's because I waited and waited until it got better. Sadly, it didn't live up to its title. I have a feeling that if this book didn't end the way it did, it'd have gotten a better rating. I don't care much for how it ended - the story seemed unfinished.
May 21, 2013
Opening Line: Most divers forget to see the space, the air.
By all accounts, Anything but Ordinary should be a really great read. The blurb sounds promising: a diver training to be Olympian miscalculates the distance of her dive, ends up seriously injuring her head and goes into a coma. Five years later she's mysteriously recovered and now has strange visions. The rest of the world, including her best friend and boyfriend, have moved on while she's left to pick up the pieces. Sounds promising, right?
Avery has a really cool idea here. Unfortunately, the book doesn't live up to the blurb and is actually quite boring.
The MC Bryce is supposed to be a sympathetic character. She's been through a lot and to find out that everyone else has moved on is a really, really hard thing to do. Even though I wanted to like her and wanted good things to happen to her, I found her making way too many Bad Life Decisions to justify any sympathy I might have felt towards her. Bryce is this weak, fragile maiden that we're supposed to feel sympathetic for but instead I didn't like her much.
Another issue I had with Bryce's characterization is how she didn't seem to be all that sad about not being to dive again. Usually with athletes recovering from injuries and who can't do their chosen sport, there's a period of mourning. Of rage and anger at losing their opportunities. But with Bryce? Not so much. She doesn't really express any sadness about not being to dive. Instead, she's more focused on her love interests, Greg and Carter. Did Bryce actually like diving that much? Unknown.
The plot itself was incredibly problematic as well. Bryce has special powers that are never really explained and I'm not sure what the point of her powers are either. She just seems to have convenient cases of flashbacks that let her see her family grieving, her boyfriend hiding it out in her barn and Carter reading to her. Anything But Ordinary was boring because I wasn't emotionally invested at all. At one point I was checking the page count because I wasn't sure I could finish.
I think what ultimately disappointed me the most would be the ending. Well. It wasn't much of an ending. I think that it was meant to be poignant, to make us feel sad about the lost potential and the chances that Bryce would miss in the future. Avery was aiming high but she did not deliver. Instead, she left me with a "What the heck" moment and that is never a good way to leave readers.
I will say one nice thing about the book though: Avery's got a pretty good command of language and her use of foreshadowing is accurate. Unfortunately it's let down by the dismal plot and poor characterization.
By all accounts, Anything but Ordinary should be a really great read. The blurb sounds promising: a diver training to be Olympian miscalculates the distance of her dive, ends up seriously injuring her head and goes into a coma. Five years later she's mysteriously recovered and now has strange visions. The rest of the world, including her best friend and boyfriend, have moved on while she's left to pick up the pieces. Sounds promising, right?
Avery has a really cool idea here. Unfortunately, the book doesn't live up to the blurb and is actually quite boring.
The MC Bryce is supposed to be a sympathetic character. She's been through a lot and to find out that everyone else has moved on is a really, really hard thing to do. Even though I wanted to like her and wanted good things to happen to her, I found her making way too many Bad Life Decisions to justify any sympathy I might have felt towards her. Bryce is this weak, fragile maiden that we're supposed to feel sympathetic for but instead I didn't like her much.
Another issue I had with Bryce's characterization is how she didn't seem to be all that sad about not being to dive again. Usually with athletes recovering from injuries and who can't do their chosen sport, there's a period of mourning. Of rage and anger at losing their opportunities. But with Bryce? Not so much. She doesn't really express any sadness about not being to dive. Instead, she's more focused on her love interests, Greg and Carter. Did Bryce actually like diving that much? Unknown.
The plot itself was incredibly problematic as well. Bryce has special powers that are never really explained and I'm not sure what the point of her powers are either. She just seems to have convenient cases of flashbacks that let her see her family grieving, her boyfriend hiding it out in her barn and Carter reading to her. Anything But Ordinary was boring because I wasn't emotionally invested at all. At one point I was checking the page count because I wasn't sure I could finish.
I think what ultimately disappointed me the most would be the ending. Well. It wasn't much of an ending. I think that it was meant to be poignant, to make us feel sad about the lost potential and the chances that Bryce would miss in the future. Avery was aiming high but she did not deliver. Instead, she left me with a "What the heck" moment and that is never a good way to leave readers.
I will say one nice thing about the book though: Avery's got a pretty good command of language and her use of foreshadowing is accurate. Unfortunately it's let down by the dismal plot and poor characterization.
May 25, 2012
My Thoughts: I did not know what this book was about when I first starting reading it. I remember reading the summary a few months ago and knowing I wanted to read it, thats it.
I am so happy I read it! We are introduced to Bryce who loves swimming. She was 17 years old when this happened. She’s a diver and one day during competition she dives and never wakes up. She is in a coma for five years. Yes, you read that right, 5 whole years. She wakes up and everyone has moved on. Her best friend is dating her boyfriend, her younger sister is now 17 years old.
She wakes up, and is in a state of shock, but in my opinion, she handled the whole thing pretty well. She seemed very mature and ready to get back on her feet (literally). Her family has changed so much and her best friend and boyfriend have graduated high school, graduated college, and went backpacking, and are ready to start their lives together in another state. Everything is different.
There is also a new guy in Bryce’s life named Carter. He is attending medical school and he worked at the hospital. He really complicates Bryce’s feelings.
Bryce keeps having flashbacks and premonitions. She goes into a state of dreams.
I’m not sure what else to say about this, the ending was a bit off for me. It was confusing at first and took a minute to understand it. Maybe that was the point. I didn’t love the ending. But I got the point, I really did.
The characters were easy to like, and Bryce really made me feel for her. I understood everything she was going through and the challenges she faced.
Overall: I honestly loved this one, despite its few flaws, and yes there were a few. But it was still a beautiful story.
Cover: It’s very blue and I love that the girl is diving! This is the cover I would pick for the book, it really draws you in and makes you want to read it!
What I’d Give It: 5/5 Cupcakes
_________
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
August 25, 2012
The problem with reading an advance copy is that you want to talk about it but you can't tell much without going into spoilers. What sounds like an interesting premise - 17 year old has a tragic accident at her Olympics diving trial (think Greg Louganis), ends up in a coma for 5 years, wakes up and discovers her boyfriend engaged to her best friend and her family is falling apart - descends into ridiculous and implausible situations, inane dialogue and the strangest ending ever. For me, it's a wall banger but I did finish it so perhaps that counts for something. Young Adult
May 11, 2014
I love how the book ended the same as it began.
August 11, 2018
So, this book was nothing like I expected. I like mermaid books, and something about the way the figure on the cover is dressed and floating in the water made me think she was one. Then in the description, it said something about her being an Olympic swimmer (water) and having mysterious abilities that developed while she was in a five-year-long coma (or was it really a coma?). So, I thought there would be a big reveal somewhere in the book with her being a mermaid, or some fantasy explanation. But, no such thing happened. This book has no fantasy; the mysterious abilities are explained scientifically within the contemporary setting. I read the book all the way through to find out whether my theories were true and to see were the story led, but it disappointed me on both accounts. I can say that the mermaid theory was a total misconception on my part. But I still didn’t end up liking the book, especially the ending. It was at once fairy tale perfect and tragic at the end, and I couldn’t bring myself to appreciate it.
January 21, 2013
Why You Must Read This:
Compelling plot. Bryce wakes up after five years of being in a coma. Everything is her different. Her once innocent twelve year old sister has become a punk rebel, her friends have graduated from college, and her boyfriend is with her best friend. Major betrayal issues from the start.
It makes you ask "What if?" This could happen to anyone. As Bryce is at the Olympic trials, she miscalculates her dive and hits her head on the pool, knocking her unconscious. Okay, so we're not all champion swimmers, but life-threatening accidents are very real possibilities. I found myself wondering what I would do upon waking up in her situation. Sure, a second chance at life is within reach, but could I accept the fact that no one thought I'd wake up and so everyone moved on, including the love of my life? It does make sense, thinking about how much pain the left behind family and friends went through with grief and acceptance, but that doesn't make the hurt any less. It's interesting to see Bryce navigate through all the loss she feels. She'll never get back those five years. The question is, how will she move on and start as a brand new person?
Carter. Carter is cute, smart, and a medical student who is Bryce's first new friend when she wakes up. He wants to be there for her if he'll let her. Not only does the reader see him in a protective role but also as a possible love interest. He is quiet in a way that many main YA guys are not and sits back rather than rushing her into a relationship. Some of the things he does for her, though little, are swoon worthy! He's got some pretty fabulous cooking skills to boot.
The family dynamics are realistic. Bryce's family has basically fallen apart in her absence, which is what you'd expect when a daughter and a sister has been so well loved. Without giving too much away, I enjoyed watching that dynamic again change as Bryce comes home from the hospital and figures out her new role in the family.
The ending. I've been in love with endings lately. Tears will stream down your face as you read the last chapter, which says a lot about Avery's writing ability. I felt so connected to Bryce by the end of the story, and it isn't even in 1st person! Everything comes full circle in this book. I can't think of a more suitable ending. Seriously, the ending sealed this book's rating for me.
What Bugged Me:
Greg, Bryce's old boyfriend. He's kind of a jerk. But knowing that I had such a strong emotional response to a character, again, reveals a great deal about the author's ability to mold amazing prose.
Final Verdict:
Anything But Ordinary reminds us that life is a miracle in which every second must count. A page turner that will rip your heart out (in the best way possible).
Compelling plot. Bryce wakes up after five years of being in a coma. Everything is her different. Her once innocent twelve year old sister has become a punk rebel, her friends have graduated from college, and her boyfriend is with her best friend. Major betrayal issues from the start.
It makes you ask "What if?" This could happen to anyone. As Bryce is at the Olympic trials, she miscalculates her dive and hits her head on the pool, knocking her unconscious. Okay, so we're not all champion swimmers, but life-threatening accidents are very real possibilities. I found myself wondering what I would do upon waking up in her situation. Sure, a second chance at life is within reach, but could I accept the fact that no one thought I'd wake up and so everyone moved on, including the love of my life? It does make sense, thinking about how much pain the left behind family and friends went through with grief and acceptance, but that doesn't make the hurt any less. It's interesting to see Bryce navigate through all the loss she feels. She'll never get back those five years. The question is, how will she move on and start as a brand new person?
Carter. Carter is cute, smart, and a medical student who is Bryce's first new friend when she wakes up. He wants to be there for her if he'll let her. Not only does the reader see him in a protective role but also as a possible love interest. He is quiet in a way that many main YA guys are not and sits back rather than rushing her into a relationship. Some of the things he does for her, though little, are swoon worthy! He's got some pretty fabulous cooking skills to boot.
The family dynamics are realistic. Bryce's family has basically fallen apart in her absence, which is what you'd expect when a daughter and a sister has been so well loved. Without giving too much away, I enjoyed watching that dynamic again change as Bryce comes home from the hospital and figures out her new role in the family.
The ending. I've been in love with endings lately. Tears will stream down your face as you read the last chapter, which says a lot about Avery's writing ability. I felt so connected to Bryce by the end of the story, and it isn't even in 1st person! Everything comes full circle in this book. I can't think of a more suitable ending. Seriously, the ending sealed this book's rating for me.
What Bugged Me:
Greg, Bryce's old boyfriend. He's kind of a jerk. But knowing that I had such a strong emotional response to a character, again, reveals a great deal about the author's ability to mold amazing prose.
Final Verdict:
Anything But Ordinary reminds us that life is a miracle in which every second must count. A page turner that will rip your heart out (in the best way possible).
September 9, 2014
What if you had the ultimate second chance, only to discover that it's on a bungee cord? Bryce was on track to become an Olympic diver when she miscalculated her dive by a fraction and hit her head. Five years later, she emerges from a coma to find just how much life has passed her by. Her boyfriend Greg and her best friend Gabby are college graduates. Her parents are barely communicating and her dad, who was her diving coach now works in admissions at Vanderbilt because he couldn't shake the image of her hitting her head. He's also given up restoring the antique airplane in the barn behind their house. Her younger sister, Sydney is remote, angry and drinks, sometimes a lot.
None of the medical staff can understand why she's awake and in full possession of her faculties and they want her to remain at the hospital, but she's got a secret that she doesn't want to share, at least not now. She has strange visions, sometimes of things from her past while she was in her coma, sometimes of people and events which may not have happened yet. They're accompanied by heat and pain in her head which leave her dazed and on the floor or ground. Despite all this, she's determined to get her strength back so she can do as much as possible.
Would that life be so simple. She's devastated by the news that Gabby and Greg are getting married, but even more upset when she realizes Greg still loves her, even with his wedding just a few weeks in the future, and she's terribly conflicted by her own feelings. Dealing with that emotional storm happens at the same time she's trying to figure out her feelings for Carter the intern who she discovers came to her room and spent time with her for several years while she was comatose and has a younger brother who is in a coma like hers was before she woke up.
Sorting all this out, as well as reconnecting with her parents and sister would be challenge enough, but when she is on her way to the bridal dinner, Carter hits her with a huge zinger which is followed by another major event the next day that's a gut twister for Bryce. Going into more detail would give too much away, but I can say that this was a very difficult book to put down. I even read it while making supper and almost missed the rice boiling over.
While technically not a pure YA book, teens, especially those who like a love story or one with an interesting love triangle will enjoy it. I found the ending both sad and beautiful.
None of the medical staff can understand why she's awake and in full possession of her faculties and they want her to remain at the hospital, but she's got a secret that she doesn't want to share, at least not now. She has strange visions, sometimes of things from her past while she was in her coma, sometimes of people and events which may not have happened yet. They're accompanied by heat and pain in her head which leave her dazed and on the floor or ground. Despite all this, she's determined to get her strength back so she can do as much as possible.
Would that life be so simple. She's devastated by the news that Gabby and Greg are getting married, but even more upset when she realizes Greg still loves her, even with his wedding just a few weeks in the future, and she's terribly conflicted by her own feelings. Dealing with that emotional storm happens at the same time she's trying to figure out her feelings for Carter the intern who she discovers came to her room and spent time with her for several years while she was comatose and has a younger brother who is in a coma like hers was before she woke up.
Sorting all this out, as well as reconnecting with her parents and sister would be challenge enough, but when she is on her way to the bridal dinner, Carter hits her with a huge zinger which is followed by another major event the next day that's a gut twister for Bryce. Going into more detail would give too much away, but I can say that this was a very difficult book to put down. I even read it while making supper and almost missed the rice boiling over.
While technically not a pure YA book, teens, especially those who like a love story or one with an interesting love triangle will enjoy it. I found the ending both sad and beautiful.
August 13, 2012
The Militant Recommender is recommending Lara Avery's Anything But Ordinary this week because it is an Olympic summer and Bryce Graham, our heroine in this extraordinary story, is an Olympic contender. She is a 17 year old diver who, when reporters asked her her secret, replied concentration, or focus... but never mentioned fear. Or space. The lack of it... the length of a cicada (relevent when you read the story), one inch...was all it took to end Bryce's career at the Nashville Olympic Diving Trials when she overshoots her dive by that amount and hits her head on the cement.
She wakes to find herself in a hospital. Machines are beeping. Her parents are there but they look different, somehow. Her Mom's hair is shorter. Her Dad's thinner. She'd been in a coma, apparently... but for how long? She asks and her parents and the doctor all glance at each other. Where's her little sister? "She's... gotten older. We all have, even you" her mother tells her. What IS going on?
Then a strange girl enters her room. She's dressed in fishnets and boots. Wait a minute. Is THAT her 12 year old sister, Sydney? She asks Sydney her age and she tells her...17. How can SHE be 17 when Bryce is 17? Or WAS 17. She'd been asleep for 5 years! She was 22! A grown-up!
This is all just the beginning of a book that makes you appreciate every minute. Bryce is given her life back, but what she does with that life and how it affects her former best friend and her highschool boyfriend, her parents, her sister and... Carter, the caring young med student who befriends her (and what's his secret? Why does she feel like she knows him?) is what makes this such a compelling read.
Bryce is a young woman who comes alive on the page. We care about her. It's such an unputdownable bittersweet story that you may want a box of tissues within easy reach. Or maybe two.
She wakes to find herself in a hospital. Machines are beeping. Her parents are there but they look different, somehow. Her Mom's hair is shorter. Her Dad's thinner. She'd been in a coma, apparently... but for how long? She asks and her parents and the doctor all glance at each other. Where's her little sister? "She's... gotten older. We all have, even you" her mother tells her. What IS going on?
Then a strange girl enters her room. She's dressed in fishnets and boots. Wait a minute. Is THAT her 12 year old sister, Sydney? She asks Sydney her age and she tells her...17. How can SHE be 17 when Bryce is 17? Or WAS 17. She'd been asleep for 5 years! She was 22! A grown-up!
This is all just the beginning of a book that makes you appreciate every minute. Bryce is given her life back, but what she does with that life and how it affects her former best friend and her highschool boyfriend, her parents, her sister and... Carter, the caring young med student who befriends her (and what's his secret? Why does she feel like she knows him?) is what makes this such a compelling read.
Bryce is a young woman who comes alive on the page. We care about her. It's such an unputdownable bittersweet story that you may want a box of tissues within easy reach. Or maybe two.
September 17, 2016
This book had a decent story line, but I just couldn't find the story gripping. I felt it lacked a strong writing style and although I know there was intention of depth in the teeny-bopper book, it lacked serious depth. Overall, not impressed. I also didn't like the reader of the audio book. She made everyone sound drab.
June 20, 2012
The premise is great, but the ending definitely left me saying "WTH?" and dropping a star from the rating. I don't require a happy ending, but I don't like endings that come out of nowhere, either.
June 7, 2016
I was bored with her. Then I felt bad for her. Then I hated her. Then I was annoyed. Then I liked her. On the last page, I hated her again.
June 10, 2020
I am so upset about this. Andksjsks
September 18, 2025
If you prefer medically accurate stories, this is not the book for you. Both potential love interests were problematic. The medical student gave me all kinds of ICK vibes from boundary crossing to what he disclosed at the end. Bryce’s former boyfriend showed no allegiance to his fiancé.
The narration for the audiobook was also sub par.
The narration for the audiobook was also sub par.
May 20, 2022
It was a really good quick read! The only thing I didnt like about this novel was the out of place future glimpses. This was the only fantasy element of this novel and it felt distant from the book, like it didn’t belong there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2017
This books was entertaining enough, but it was just not realistic and I did not feel attached to the characters in any way. There was no emotional connection, and I did not care what happened to them. Seventeen year old Bryce Graham is a promising diver who suffers a devastating, coma-inducing brain injury during an Olympic trials dive competition. Anything But Ordinary opens when Bryce awakens five years later in Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
Her younger sister, Sydney, is now seventeen, her father's hair is grayer and things have changed immensely as Bryce is about to learn. She has missed graduating from Hilwood High and four years of college. Bryce wonders about what has happened to her best friends and teammates, Greg and Gabby.
In the days immediately after awakening from the coma, Bryce makes a remarkable recovery. She can talk, use her hands and use a wheelchair. She is even beginning to stand and take a few steps. This makes her recovery all the more astounding and of interest to researchers in neurology. Although Bryce's recovery appears to be going well, in fact, she is having strange visions accompanied by intense pain. While most of the visions are of events that have already happened, Bryce does have a vision of the future as well. She decides that she will not tell anyone about what is happening, despite being asked about her memory by her doctor, Dr. Warren.
Dr. Warren, who suspects Bryce isn't being truthful about what's going on, wants Bryce to remain in hospital for several more weeks to undergo tests, but Bryce wants to leave as soon as possible. Anxious to get on with her life, Bryce is allowed to go home. At home though, Bryce discovers that life for her family has changed a great deal. Her parents argue and are no longer close. Her father has quit coaching and stopped working on the airplane he was building. And her sister Sydney is a party animal, often getting drunk and staying out late at night to party.
As she begins to take her life back and heal from her brain injury, Bryce feels trapped by her past and the years she has missed. While she has been in a coma, life has gone on for Gabby and Greg, both of whom went to Stanford instead of Vanderbuilt which they received scholarships for. Bryce's world is further turned upside down when she learns that Gabby and Greg are engaged to be married and that they are moving to D.C where Gabby will study law. Greg was Bryce's boyfriend before her accident and now she must come to terms with the fact that he is marrying her best friend. This is even more difficult because Gabby seems oblivious to the effect this has on Bryce whom she has asked to be her maid of honour.
When Bryce returns to Vanderbilt for a CAT scan, she has a vision while undergoing the scan. The results puzzle her doctors but she refuses to stay in hospital and has her new friend, Carter, who is a second year medical student drive her home. Eventually Carter does tell Bryce the result of the scans and what it means for her future.
Bryce continues to prepare for Gabby and Greg's wedding, by agreeing to be Gabby's maid of honour and going shopping for dresses. Greg, however, is having second thoughts about the wedding and tells Bryce he is still in love with her. He begins to see her behind Gabby's back and although Bryce tries to discourage him and continually walks away from him, she does become involved with him again, while also beginning a relationship with Carter.
Bryce tries to encourage her parents to reclaim their lives again and to develop a life outside of looking after her. She eventually manages to talk to Sydney and come to an understanding of what her younger sister's life must have been like while she was in a coma for five years and her parent's life revolved around keeping watch at the hospital.
It takes Sydney to help Bryce come to the realization that her relationship with Greg belongs in the past. At the rehearsal dinner when Greg once again confronts Bryce about his marriage to Gabby, Bryce asks him what he really wants in life and tells him that this is something he alone must determine. At this time, Carter reveals to Bryce the result of the earlier CAT scan and the true state of her health.
While the concept behind this story was interesting, Avery does some things well but misses the mark on others. Lara Avery does a great job of portraying the difficulties a young person might encounter after being sidelined for just long enough to make a substantial difference. Bryce is physically 22 years old but still emotionally only 17 years old. While her friends have finished university and are socially more mature, Bryce is still very much a teen. The author also does a good job of capturing the emotional toll of Bryce's injury on her family. Sydney, who feels abandoned by both her parents as they focus on Bryce, rebels with her goth clothing and acting out.
Because Bryce's physical abilities return so quickly (she is walking within a matter of days) that aspect of her recovery takes a second hand to the relationships in her life - especially her friends from high school. In fact, the relationship between Gabby, Greg and Bryce takes the forefront of the storyline. Bryce seems to become completely focused on Greg and Gabby, who have developed a life together but which gradually unwinds after Bryce comes back into their lives. Bryce seems unable to come to terms with their relationship and to recognize the blossoming interest of Carter, who has more than a passing interest in her. She repeatedly tells Greg that she doesn't want to meet him again, yet continues to do so.
Greg is confused and behaves in a very dishonorable way by refusing to acknowledge that he is leading Gabby on, meeting Bryce behind her back and even trying to pursue a physical relationship with Bryce. And Gabby doesn't seem to recognize Greg's interest in Bryce. This strange triangle is frustrating and predictable. We know Greg is probably going to call off the wedding and when he does, it's really no surprise.
Bryce received little help in terms of psychological counselling to help her pick up the pieces of her life. She was simply allowed to sign out of the hospital because she was legally an adult and she refused to return for check-ups. This was ostensibly due to the visions which Bryce wanted to keep secret, but this wasn't believable. The visions were never really explained and while most were of events that happened while Bryce was in a coma, one inexplicably was of a future event that allowed Bryce to save her sister.
Near the end of the novel, Bryce finally confronts Sydney, who has suddenly "burnt out" from her bad behavior and now appears to be open to talking to her sister. Bryce learns what life has been like for Sydney for the past five years. On this night, Sydney and Bryce spend the evening together drinking and dancing at a club, and eventually they, and the "friends" they are with ,get drunk.
Bryce realizes that the visions she previously had of Sydney were about this night, and that if she allows Sydney to ride home in the car with theses drunk friends, she will not make it. But Bryce passes out on the floor of the club, and finally saves Sydney in the nick of time, convincing her not to ride with them. In the morning, Sydney is crying at the table with the newspaper next to her -
he friends had died in a drunk driving accident. This was a very interesting scene and it was too bad their relationship wasn't explored more in the book. It would have added considerable depth to both characters.
Bryce is able to make up with Gabby. They both realize that, in some ways, they were using Greg to hurt each other. Gabby and Greg do not get married, and Greg moves away, allowing Bryce and Gabby to start their friendship anew, as adults this time. Soon after Bryce's 23rd birthday, after she was given a car by her parents and had slept with Carter for the first time, Bryce passed away. It was not unexpected, knowing that her brain would eventually swell to the point of killing her, but it was touching and emotional nonetheless.
Her younger sister, Sydney, is now seventeen, her father's hair is grayer and things have changed immensely as Bryce is about to learn. She has missed graduating from Hilwood High and four years of college. Bryce wonders about what has happened to her best friends and teammates, Greg and Gabby.
In the days immediately after awakening from the coma, Bryce makes a remarkable recovery. She can talk, use her hands and use a wheelchair. She is even beginning to stand and take a few steps. This makes her recovery all the more astounding and of interest to researchers in neurology. Although Bryce's recovery appears to be going well, in fact, she is having strange visions accompanied by intense pain. While most of the visions are of events that have already happened, Bryce does have a vision of the future as well. She decides that she will not tell anyone about what is happening, despite being asked about her memory by her doctor, Dr. Warren.
Dr. Warren, who suspects Bryce isn't being truthful about what's going on, wants Bryce to remain in hospital for several more weeks to undergo tests, but Bryce wants to leave as soon as possible. Anxious to get on with her life, Bryce is allowed to go home. At home though, Bryce discovers that life for her family has changed a great deal. Her parents argue and are no longer close. Her father has quit coaching and stopped working on the airplane he was building. And her sister Sydney is a party animal, often getting drunk and staying out late at night to party.
As she begins to take her life back and heal from her brain injury, Bryce feels trapped by her past and the years she has missed. While she has been in a coma, life has gone on for Gabby and Greg, both of whom went to Stanford instead of Vanderbuilt which they received scholarships for. Bryce's world is further turned upside down when she learns that Gabby and Greg are engaged to be married and that they are moving to D.C where Gabby will study law. Greg was Bryce's boyfriend before her accident and now she must come to terms with the fact that he is marrying her best friend. This is even more difficult because Gabby seems oblivious to the effect this has on Bryce whom she has asked to be her maid of honour.
When Bryce returns to Vanderbilt for a CAT scan, she has a vision while undergoing the scan. The results puzzle her doctors but she refuses to stay in hospital and has her new friend, Carter, who is a second year medical student drive her home. Eventually Carter does tell Bryce the result of the scans and what it means for her future.
Bryce continues to prepare for Gabby and Greg's wedding, by agreeing to be Gabby's maid of honour and going shopping for dresses. Greg, however, is having second thoughts about the wedding and tells Bryce he is still in love with her. He begins to see her behind Gabby's back and although Bryce tries to discourage him and continually walks away from him, she does become involved with him again, while also beginning a relationship with Carter.
Bryce tries to encourage her parents to reclaim their lives again and to develop a life outside of looking after her. She eventually manages to talk to Sydney and come to an understanding of what her younger sister's life must have been like while she was in a coma for five years and her parent's life revolved around keeping watch at the hospital.
It takes Sydney to help Bryce come to the realization that her relationship with Greg belongs in the past. At the rehearsal dinner when Greg once again confronts Bryce about his marriage to Gabby, Bryce asks him what he really wants in life and tells him that this is something he alone must determine. At this time, Carter reveals to Bryce the result of the earlier CAT scan and the true state of her health.
While the concept behind this story was interesting, Avery does some things well but misses the mark on others. Lara Avery does a great job of portraying the difficulties a young person might encounter after being sidelined for just long enough to make a substantial difference. Bryce is physically 22 years old but still emotionally only 17 years old. While her friends have finished university and are socially more mature, Bryce is still very much a teen. The author also does a good job of capturing the emotional toll of Bryce's injury on her family. Sydney, who feels abandoned by both her parents as they focus on Bryce, rebels with her goth clothing and acting out.
Because Bryce's physical abilities return so quickly (she is walking within a matter of days) that aspect of her recovery takes a second hand to the relationships in her life - especially her friends from high school. In fact, the relationship between Gabby, Greg and Bryce takes the forefront of the storyline. Bryce seems to become completely focused on Greg and Gabby, who have developed a life together but which gradually unwinds after Bryce comes back into their lives. Bryce seems unable to come to terms with their relationship and to recognize the blossoming interest of Carter, who has more than a passing interest in her. She repeatedly tells Greg that she doesn't want to meet him again, yet continues to do so.
Greg is confused and behaves in a very dishonorable way by refusing to acknowledge that he is leading Gabby on, meeting Bryce behind her back and even trying to pursue a physical relationship with Bryce. And Gabby doesn't seem to recognize Greg's interest in Bryce. This strange triangle is frustrating and predictable. We know Greg is probably going to call off the wedding and when he does, it's really no surprise.
Bryce received little help in terms of psychological counselling to help her pick up the pieces of her life. She was simply allowed to sign out of the hospital because she was legally an adult and she refused to return for check-ups. This was ostensibly due to the visions which Bryce wanted to keep secret, but this wasn't believable. The visions were never really explained and while most were of events that happened while Bryce was in a coma, one inexplicably was of a future event that allowed Bryce to save her sister.
Near the end of the novel, Bryce finally confronts Sydney, who has suddenly "burnt out" from her bad behavior and now appears to be open to talking to her sister. Bryce learns what life has been like for Sydney for the past five years. On this night, Sydney and Bryce spend the evening together drinking and dancing at a club, and eventually they, and the "friends" they are with ,get drunk.
Bryce realizes that the visions she previously had of Sydney were about this night, and that if she allows Sydney to ride home in the car with theses drunk friends, she will not make it. But Bryce passes out on the floor of the club, and finally saves Sydney in the nick of time, convincing her not to ride with them. In the morning, Sydney is crying at the table with the newspaper next to her -
he friends had died in a drunk driving accident. This was a very interesting scene and it was too bad their relationship wasn't explored more in the book. It would have added considerable depth to both characters.
Bryce is able to make up with Gabby. They both realize that, in some ways, they were using Greg to hurt each other. Gabby and Greg do not get married, and Greg moves away, allowing Bryce and Gabby to start their friendship anew, as adults this time. Soon after Bryce's 23rd birthday, after she was given a car by her parents and had slept with Carter for the first time, Bryce passed away. It was not unexpected, knowing that her brain would eventually swell to the point of killing her, but it was touching and emotional nonetheless.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2022
I can’t stop thinking about this book but not in a good way. I really couldn’t tell if the book was supposed to be fantasy or sci-fi or chicklit. The ending just made me so mad that the cute parts of the book are cancelled out. The plot and writing style are very much a product of 2012 novels; thus, I am trying not to judge the book 10 years later against different standards. But it’s hard not to.
September 24, 2012
I have no idea how I feel about this book. Maybe I will need days to figure it out I don’t know all I know is that I’m completely and utterly surprised and shocked by the development of the story and the ending.
Usually when you read the summary of a book, like it or not you can somehow predict how it will go it was not the case I finished it with a big “What the hell?”
Like it or hate it I doesn’t matter I don’t think this book could let anyone indifferent.
For the most part I liked it, the story was well written and you could really empathize with the struggle of the main character….I think the end changed everything, I felt like Bryce let me down in a way, It was a real hardship.
I mean she was so angsty, do not read if you are depressed because it would seriously take a toll on you.
In Conclusion: if this book was written with the goal to shock I’ll say it nailed it. I also have to give kudos to the author this ending was a risky bet but she did it anyways. This story is deep and really touch you deep, not really a book for me though but I can understand why some people gave it 5 stars, it a very bold story.
Stars 2.5/5
Usually when you read the summary of a book, like it or not you can somehow predict how it will go it was not the case I finished it with a big “What the hell?”
Like it or hate it I doesn’t matter I don’t think this book could let anyone indifferent.
For the most part I liked it, the story was well written and you could really empathize with the struggle of the main character….I think the end changed everything, I felt like Bryce let me down in a way, It was a real hardship.
I mean she was so angsty, do not read if you are depressed because it would seriously take a toll on you.
In Conclusion: if this book was written with the goal to shock I’ll say it nailed it. I also have to give kudos to the author this ending was a risky bet but she did it anyways. This story is deep and really touch you deep, not really a book for me though but I can understand why some people gave it 5 stars, it a very bold story.
Stars 2.5/5
August 24, 2012
Bryce is 17 when she hits her head during a diving competition, and 22 when she wakes up from a coma. Bryce feels the same, but everything is different. Her little sister is grown up into a rebellious teen, her parents barely look at each other, and her boyfriend Greg is engaged to her best friend Gabby. Bryce does her best to work through it all, driving herself to walk and make her life normal again, with a little help from Carter, a med student who sat by her side through those five years.
Bryce's reaction to being an Olympic-hopeful to an adult in physical therapy, as well as being a 17-year-old finding herself suddenly of post-college drinking age, was spot-on. She had plenty of spunk and was a genuinely likable character. Her flashbacks created little pockets of beauty in an otherwise straightforward story. I wanted much more of Bryce and Carter, Carter was such an interesting character; I also really liked Sydney - I could have used a lot less of Gabby & Company. The ending was so bittersweet... at least it wasn't a tearjerker ending, as it could have been.
Bryce's reaction to being an Olympic-hopeful to an adult in physical therapy, as well as being a 17-year-old finding herself suddenly of post-college drinking age, was spot-on. She had plenty of spunk and was a genuinely likable character. Her flashbacks created little pockets of beauty in an otherwise straightforward story. I wanted much more of Bryce and Carter, Carter was such an interesting character; I also really liked Sydney - I could have used a lot less of Gabby & Company. The ending was so bittersweet... at least it wasn't a tearjerker ending, as it could have been.
February 19, 2013
A girl that woke up, and finally realized that she had been in a coma for 5 years, from a diving accident. However, it was definitely unordinary that a girl that has been asleep for 5 years has regained most of her senses right away, although she had a little trouble walking.
5 years, is definitely a long time and many things would change, which happened to Bryce. She had to wake up to and realized that her boyfriend is engaged to her best friend, and her sister has become a junkie.
From this book, I’ve realized to not hide your feelings and express how you feel, because if you hide what you think, no one will ever understand your point of view. For example, Bryce kept that she was unhappy with her best friend and ex-boyfriend together, but without expressing her thoughts, everyone got hurt.
Life is full of opportunities where you can express how you feel, which is why you should fully support your point of thoughts and tell others how you feel. This book is an amazing book, especially if you’re into miracles and sad endings.
5 years, is definitely a long time and many things would change, which happened to Bryce. She had to wake up to and realized that her boyfriend is engaged to her best friend, and her sister has become a junkie.
From this book, I’ve realized to not hide your feelings and express how you feel, because if you hide what you think, no one will ever understand your point of view. For example, Bryce kept that she was unhappy with her best friend and ex-boyfriend together, but without expressing her thoughts, everyone got hurt.
Life is full of opportunities where you can express how you feel, which is why you should fully support your point of thoughts and tell others how you feel. This book is an amazing book, especially if you’re into miracles and sad endings.
February 11, 2017
An interesting read, but I didn't like that she died at the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2016
It's 12:21 at night and I am currently dying over the end of this book.
I definitely liked this book much more than I thought I was going to! Still had some problems with it, but overall it was worth my time and I would recommend it because I've never read something like this before.
I had some issues with Bryce, but for the most part I liked her. I just hated it in the beginning when she was being a little hoe with Greg.
Speaking of Greg, I am so glad that Gabby and Bryce realized that THEY DID NOT NEED HIM SINCE HE WAS TERRIBLE.
My favorite was Carter. He was the only good thing about this book, just saying <3
I have to say that how Lara ended the book was beautifully written, but at the same time IT BROKE MY HEART.
Overall 83%
I definitely liked this book much more than I thought I was going to! Still had some problems with it, but overall it was worth my time and I would recommend it because I've never read something like this before.
I had some issues with Bryce, but for the most part I liked her. I just hated it in the beginning when she was being a little hoe with Greg.
Speaking of Greg, I am so glad that Gabby and Bryce realized that THEY DID NOT NEED HIM SINCE HE WAS TERRIBLE.
My favorite was Carter. He was the only good thing about this book, just saying <3
I have to say that how Lara ended the book was beautifully written, but at the same time IT BROKE MY HEART.
Overall 83%
August 16, 2018
I was excited about the amnesia aspect of this book. Plus, I thought there would’ve been some foul play with the car plunging off the bridge into the water. Maybe MC (cannot even remember her name) wasn’t the driver after all?
Well, nothing interesting happened. No bad guys. No dastardly deeds. Pfffft! Apparently, there was a romance that she forgot about with a vague, barely mentioned character. She gets an inkling, they share a few meaningful looks, and they live happily ever after. This love interest remains mostly unknown to the reader.
It felt like the cliff notes version of a story. Nothing fleshed out other than the great relationship with her big bro.
Disappointed.
Well, nothing interesting happened. No bad guys. No dastardly deeds. Pfffft! Apparently, there was a romance that she forgot about with a vague, barely mentioned character. She gets an inkling, they share a few meaningful looks, and they live happily ever after. This love interest remains mostly unknown to the reader.
It felt like the cliff notes version of a story. Nothing fleshed out other than the great relationship with her big bro.
Disappointed.
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