Sorry Not Sorry

by Jaime Reed

Janelle and Alyssa used to be BFFs -- but not anymore. Alyssa became leader of the shallowest girls in school while Janelle got involved in activism with new, true friends.

But, suddenly, Alyssa's diabetes becomes the talk of the school. It's turned life-threatening; without a kidney transplant, her chances are not good. Despite reservations, Janelle gets tested and finds that she's a rare, perfect match with Alyssa for a transplant. But organ donations aren't very common in her community, and she starts to feel pushback. When feuds and accusations push the girls further apart, Janelle doesn't know what to do. Will the match bring the girls back together, or drive them apart for good?

Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult, Friendship, Romance, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Race

290 pages, Paperback

First published February 26, 2019

About the author

Author of young adult paranormal series The Cambion Chronicles.

About Me:

I’m a self-proclaimed movie and music snob with a playlist for every occasion in life. I’m freakishly tall with large feet, and I have a slight obsession with the gym, cool 80’s references, and orange soda. My weapon of choice: sarcasm.

Teen fiction always captured my interest and I appreciate the newness of that time, and well, I get nostalgic. Right now I’m on a serious paranormal/ fantasy kick. I’m all about the weird and my stories explore cool mythical creatures not many people have heard about. I try to create characters who are people of color. There aren’t enough of them in young fiction and there should be more heroines of different backgrounds battling the forces of evil. Let’s face it, the extraordinary can happen to anyone.

Reviews

[Ari (Books. Libraries. Also, cats.)]

Read my original review on my blog!

Thanks to the @KidLitExchange network for the review copy of this book--all opinions are my own.

SORRY NOT SORRY by Jaime Reed is a diverse story of friendship between two girls from different backgrounds: Alyssa is a white girl raised by a single mom and has grown up chronically ill, while Janelle is a Black girl raised by a family full of philanthropists. These former besties have grown apart, but when Alyssa’s diabetes puts her in dire need of a kidney donation, Janelle wonders if she could be a match. Janelle struggles with the decision to help Alyssa despite the bad blood between them. Meanwhile, flashbacks reveal what really tore Janelle and Alyssa apart.

While considering donating a kidney to Alyssa, Janelle receives backlash from her friends, classmates, community, and family, especially for being a young Black girl donating to a white girl. I loved that this book addressed the different views on organ donation and healthcare in different communities, and how Janelle's experience is different than that of a white organ donor. SORRY NOT SORRY is told from Janelle’s perspective, and is an #OwnVoices novel.

SORRY NOT SORRY is also about teens making a difference in their community; their town has recently been devastated by a storm. Janelle is a lovable protagonist who works to organize relief efforts. The storm also leaves Janelle and her crush Mateo (a cute, sensitive boy who loved to bake!) staying under one roof; their sweet romance balanced out the seriousness of the novel.

SORRY NOT SORRY is a short, quick read about making hard decisions, building community, falling in love, and best friends finding their way back to each other. It’s perfect for readers who love Ibi Zoboi, Renee Watson, and Nic Stone.

[PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 STARS

Janelle may be the only possible kidney donor for her ex-best friend Alyssa. Against all odds, she’s an almost perfect match which doesn’t mean she’ll want to donate or that Alyssa will accept.

I never connected to SORRY NOT SORRY, although Jaime Reed’s word building was engaging she included a lot of extraneous detail that took the focus off the main characters and plot.

The reason the girls stopped being friends felt contrived. I wanted to feel for Alyssa as her health declined, but we’re never really shown how she appeared sicker. The romances did nothing for me either. The plot was too predictable to feel fresh or unique.

I can’t point to anything wrong with SORRY NOT SORRY. YA readers who enjoy stories of friendship and/or medical issues will probably like this book.

[Caught Between Pages · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[American Mensa · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Jaime Reed’s book, Sorry Not Sorry, she writes about two girls’ friendship that ended, but something catastrophic may bring them back together. This story of two girls’ friendship inspires other girls to push aside any petty arguments when it comes down to important life decisions.
Most people have that one friend who was their best friend all the way through 8th grade, but then high school came, and they got distant. Janelle is a senior in high school this year. She has always been a more reserved person, and she only has one or two friends. Alyssa has suffered with diabetes her whole life, and it has been normal except for a few times here and there when she goes into a diabetic shock. Janelle has always had her back, and she always knew exactly what to do if Alyssa had a problem. Alyssa was just too prideful to have somebody helping her out especially because she didn’t want to feel different in high school. Janelle swore she wouldn’t tell anyone about Alyssa having diabetes, but it slipped one day. Alyssa wouldn’t forgive her about this slip up.
These two girls always will find a way back to each other though. They were fighting for years and something terrible just happened to bring them together. Something went wrong with Alyssa and her diabetes. Will Janelle step up to the plate? Will she just keep going on with life like nothing ever happened?
Reed makes sure to capture every moment and everything that the characters are feeling. Even though the book is written in first person, you can get a sense of how the other characters around Janelle are feeling. Reed starts off the book as if it is just some high school drama but hooks you at the end with a big event that takes place. She draws readers in with gossip and high school, but then throws a curveball at you.
This book deserves a 5 star rating because Reed knows how to write in a way where it makes you want to pick up the book in your spare time. She wants to make sure that all the readers are happy. This book is for readers in middle school or high school because it shows what two high schoolers are going through. Even though we can’t all relate with diabetes, we can relate to high school or middle school drama and how it can either build up or tear down friendships.
Review by Zelie M, age 13, Central Pennsylvania Mensa

[Megan Coppadge · Rating 3 out of 5]

I realized why this book irritated me so much... At 30 years old I’m too old for all of these new words or phrases that I have to Google in order to understand. 😭 But in all seriousness this was a good book. I LOVE how diverse the characters are. That is one of the best things about this book. The sass of the characters was another great thing. When you strip down all of the extra words and such this is a really good story. I’ve never read anything like it and that’s a fantastic thing. I have no doubt that people younger then me will really be able to connect with the characters.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Teen readers who gravitate toward "sick lit," those stories about individuals facing challenging health issues, will enjoy this one. While I'd like to think that someone could be as forgiving and generous as Janelle, I'm not sure that I could buy the premise that she'd be able to get over her emotional wounds enough to willingly sacrifice a kidney for the girl who was once her best friend but had betrayed her. No one asks her to do this, but since she comes from a long line of do-gooders and activists determined to make a difference in the world, she decides that it's the right thing to do. In her eyes, it doesn't matter that she and Alyssa are more enemies than friends and have been at war for the last three or so years. As she sees Alyssa's condition deteriorate due to diabetes and malfunctioning kidneys, she starts investigating the prognosis and begins to investigate organ donation. The story shifts back and forth in time so readers can understand what led to the fracturing of the girls' once-strong bond. Of course, there are love interests for both girls and a different close friend for Janelle, all adding complication to the main plot. Teen readers will enjoy pondering what they would have done in this particular situation: Would they give up a kidney to give a former friend a chance to live a more fulfilling life for a few years? Would Janelle have felt differently if her relationship with Mateo not heated up? For some readers and some of the characters' peers, the decision is made even more complicated because Janelle is black and Alyssa is white.

[Kate Waggoner · Rating 4 out of 5]

@kidlitexchange #partner

Thank you to the @kidlitexchange network and the publisher for the advance copy of Sorry Not Sorry by Jaime Reed. This book was released in February 2019.

Janelle and Alyssa used to be best friends. They shared secrets with each other that they never told anyone else. Now, it's their senior year and they're frenemies. The only way they communicate is through quips and jabs. One day, Alyssa collapses and is rushed to the hospital. Now everyone knows her secrets and her health is steadily declining. Janelle is the one person who can save her life. The question is, will the girls be able to put their bitter pasts behind them in order to move forward?

This is a captivating story about friendship and making difficult decisions. Janelle is a strong and empowering protagonist. The book covers the topic of decisions, specifically how the choices we make, or don't make, change our lives. Reed's voice is engaging and propels the story line along. There is a minor romance story line that enhances the overall story line and conflict rather than detracting from it (as sometimes happens in YA novels). The character of Mateo is wise beyond his years and offers Janelle and the reader deeper insight into the ideas of friendship, choices, and the question of why do bad things happen to good people. While this is a YA novel, it is appropriate for middle school students.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

WAGUGFTJBFTYJJIY

this was sO goOd. oh my godddd

now let’s get on to the pros n cons, shall we?

pros:

- the characters are great. even the background characters. they’re flawed, but that’s the beauty of it.

- janelle’s family. they all seem close as family and their personalities clash like together like an actual family.

- i could relate to alyssa. the reason for her and janelle’s reason for splitting as friends was a logical reason to me. as a stubborn person, i guess that’s why i could relate to her so well. people view her as being the sick person and people giving sympathy is annoying, simply. it was just so spot on.

- the references. aHh

- i have a love/hate relationship w/ slang being used in books, but i think i’ll accept it. it doesn’t make the author seem like she’s trying to “fit in with the teenagers” in my opinion.

- the writing. the writing is so descriptive and UGHHHHH. it’s some good writing lol

cons:

- it was a little slow at times, and i lost interest here ‘n there, but it didn’t take long to get out of the “slowness.”

- i know i said that the slang didn’t bother me, but it could just be a personal preference to be okay with it or not. it was kinda distracting at times but i got over myself lol

[Michelle Boyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

PopSugar 2022 reading challenge #43

Two young girls are the best of friends until the day they aren't. Then, they're essentially frenemies. They're not getting along and have different goals. However... when one of the duo suddenly needs a kidney donation because of her diabetes and failing health, will her ex-bestie donate her own?

I mean, at its core it is a good story: Give life to others any way you can. Ignore the blatant racism of others (idiots that think a black kidney cannot be gifted to a white recipient, omfg). Make the world a better place. All of that is lovely.

The issue here is just that I didn't care about either teen. There's nothing that makes me think I'm their friend, or that as a reader I actually "know" one of them. They're just kind of characters going through the motions to get to the end of the book, in which a kidney gets donated, and a life gets saved. All well and dandy. But... I don't "care" in the way I should -- I'm not invested in the girls and their journeys.

[Jayme Carruthers · Rating 4 out of 5]

@kidlitexchange #partner .
Thank you to the #KidLitExchange network for the review copy of #SorryNotSorry. All opinions are my own.
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Have you ever had a friend who felt more like your sister? Janelle and Alyssa are like that. Or more so, WERE like that. But now Alyssa is one of the it girls and Janelle does her own thing. After a falling out, the two girls can't stand each other. .
So what happens when there's an emergency? Who do you think is going to stick around - the new friends or the old? What would you do to save a friend?
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This book was a really great way to get young girls to think about what they might do for a friend. And better yet, if you have a falling out with your best friend, can your friendship ever be saved? .
This book is best suited for middle school. Well written and easy to read, with a story that'll make an impact. 💜☕☕☕☕
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#books #bookstagram #bibliophile #bibliophilebesties #IGreads #ireadtoo #teacherreads #YA #ARC #reviewer #ireadtoo

[Marjolein · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised. This book had so much more depth than I expected, and I loved the writing so much that I highlighted some quotes for myself, which I normally don’t really do. 💐 This book is about Janelle and the relationship with her former best friend Alyssa. On day Alyssa collapses and is taken to hospital and Janelle might be the only one who can help. 💐 This book paints people in such a realistic and real way. When I read it, I was being reminded of people I know and knew with similar characters. Jaime is in my eyes the queen of writing good friendships. During the book you find out what happened to make Alyssa and Janelle frenemies and I just loved their relationship and the relationships throughout the book. 💐 When you pick this up you might expect an easy and ‘shallow’ book but this book is so much more. It also give so much info about the disease Alyssa deals with, so it’s informative as well.

[Tweller83 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This seemed a little far-fetched to me. Having known someone who was on the transplant list and having a relative who passed away and was able to give organs, there is a LOT that goes into matching and it just didn't seem that likely that while the mother was not a candidate, the best friend was? If you can get past that one thing, this wasn't a horrible book but the miscommunication troupe is all over this in so many of the relationships that it just got super old super quick. I liked it okay and would read something else from this author, but it was just an okay read for me.

[Barbara White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life lessons abound in Sorry Not Sorry. My students love this story. I purchased extra copies to fill the need in my classroom.
If you've ever had a BFF and had a huge fight with your BFF, you can relate to this book, no matter what your age.
Thanks to Jaime Reed for this touching, thought-provoking novel. I look forward to more, as do my students.
Thanks to Goodreads First Reads for a copy of Sorry Not Sorry.

[Stephenee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read - this is more of a YA read, but every now and then I need a mindless read. This is one of those. The characters were in high school, but were wise beyond their age. The plot was fast moving and the book was fun. It was like stepping back into high school, but I wasn't 100% sure that I wanted to go back!

A good summer read, beach read or anytime read! Don't hesitate to grab this one today!

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was somewhat good. The setting takes place in there hometown when a hurricane strikes which causes some conflict between the protagonists. Janelle and Alyssa are ex-best friends and are total opposites now. Alyssa is ill and Janelle may be the only one who can save her. I did enjoy the book but, it’s not really the genre I like. I would recommend this to someone who enjoys drama and twists in a book.

[Annika · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. When I first picked it up, I thought that it wouldn't be very good, but I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. Whenever I could really sit down and just read, I would find myself looking up to find that more time had passed than I thought. Though it's not the most spectacularly written book, it was enjoyable and a positive read with a good message.

[Caitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really deep book full of emotional stress and just plain life. I loved it because sometimes you just need to hear other peoples problems to better appreciate all that you have and I love how the author makes you feel like you're right alongside Janelle as she realizes all that she's missed or misunderstood.

[Shannon Levine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Between 1.5-2 stars.

[Nicole Gaddini · Rating 3 out of 5]

**3.5**

[Caroline]

do not read enless 12 or older

[April · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boy howdy did I not enjoy this at all.

[Alli · Rating 1 out of 5]

no

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was a good book. being black and having a disability myself, i really understood janelle’s motives. although some things were, i guess, odd and dumbed down, it was very cute nevertheless.

[Bella Starr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so good! It shows that true friendship can make it through anything!

[Isabel M · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a nice coming of age story. A very quick read. I loved the friendship aspect.

[Kaylea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not sure why i bought this book, but at the time it was a really good light read.

[Linnea Urban · Rating 5 out of 5]

***I cried***

[Jennine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably a 3.5. More of a teenager book with a feel good message. Very light read

[Ellie M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book because my library was giving away ARCs and this was one of them I chose.
There are some books that just aren't as good when I read them more than once. And then there are some that I can read again and again.
I saw this book on some list on this site back in November and had been wanting to read it since then. I didn't think I could wait until February. And luckily I didn't have to.
My library's "new YA" shelf had run out of good options already. And this was perfect.
The other book I got an ARC of was Pretend She's Here but I couldn't get through twenty pages without crying and having to put it down. I don't know what it was, just something about the themes.
So Sorry Not Sorry is a winner.

[PirateKitty101 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sorry Not Sorry is a sad book. I gave this book four stars because it is a very entertaining book with some twists and turns, but I didn't give it the last star because a lot of the plot is explained on the back cover, and I would like a little bit more suspense and unknown.