Mourning Song

One Last Wish #2

by Lurlene McDaniel

You don't know me, but I know about you.... I can't make you live longer, I can't stop you from hurting. But I can give you one wish, as someone did for me.

It's been months since Dani Vanoy's older sister Cassie has been diagnosed as having a brain tumor. And now the treatments aren't helping. Dani is furious that she is powerless to help her sister, and she can't even convince her mother to take the girls on the trip to Florida that Cassie has always longed for.

Then Cassie receives an anonymous letter and check. Dani knows she can never make Cassie well, but against all odds she dares to make Cassie's dream come true.

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Fiction, Childrens, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult Contemporary

148 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 1992

About the author

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


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

Reviews

[MylaT · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the book MOURNING SONG in the series of One Last Wish by Lurlene McDaniel. The setting takes place in present day Ohio but they travel to Florida.The main characters are Dani Vanoy, Cassie Vanoy, and Austin Cole. Dani is Cassie’s sister and Austin is Danis best friend. Cassie is sick in the hospital and has a brain tumor and the doctor told the family she will not make it. I found this book in the library at my school.

In this novel, Cassie had received $100,000 from someone anonymous that was going through the same thing she was going through. Cassie didn't want to spend the time she had left in the hospital. So she begged her sister Dani to take her to Florida to spend her last moments there since she didn’t get to go on her senior trip. Dani begged Austin to drive them down there and he finally agreed to it. Dani and Cassie and Austin did it behind their parents back. Cassie loved the beach and wanted to go to DisneyLand so they went and enjoyed themselves.

I loved this book and i’ve always enjoyed Lurlene McDaniel books. The book ended pretty much the way I knew it was going to end so it wasn’t no surprise. My favorite part of the book was when the two sisters went into a wedding store and tried on different dresses. It just showed how sister have such a great bond.

My personal opinion was that I really liked this book. If you like Lurlene McDaniel books and you like to read sad stories then this book and definitely others of hers are a must read!

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mourning Song is about Cassie and Dani; Cassie is 17 and has a brain tumor and only has a few months left to live. Dani just wants her sister to enjoy the time she has left but their mother insists she continue radiation treatment for that slim chance of survival. Using the anonymously donated One Last Wish money, Dani breaks her sister out of the hospital and takes her on the beach vacation she's dreamed of.
I liked this one! It was nice to see the sister's bond and Dani struggling with the reality of the loss of her sister and the desire to keep her sister happy. I don't remember parents being a big deal in the OLW books I read when I was younger and this book highlighted why. Mrs. Vanoy is a mother struggling by already being a widow but now having her daughter dying...but she just wouldn't listen to reason. And you can't really blame her but I did want to shake her and tell her to not be so selfish. While still sad, the ending was much more peaceful and satisfying with all ends tied up.

[Alycia_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I wish it had started off with a bit more back story and character development before just jumping into the action of Cassie's terminal illness. I also thought that the act of the trip to Florida was a little irresponsible and unrealistic. Granted, this book took place in a different time period will the lack of security of the hospital and the ease of them traveling four states without anyone ever catching them, even though it was all over the news stations and the papers. Over all though, I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read the next book!

[Rosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another installment in the One Last Wish series. In this book, Dani struggles with accepting that her sister Cassie is dying from a brain tumor. After Cassie receives a letter and check to fulfill a wish, she, Dani, and their friend Austin plan an escape to take a trip to Florida. It takes the girls' mother a while to understand why they acted as they did, but the family comes together for Cassie to give her the peace of mind and heart she has wanted.

[Mary Bronson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was such a great book. I have been reading One Last Wish series out of order, but oh well. I still enjoy each one of them. I thought this was such a heartwarming and heartbreaking book on loosing a loved one, but also how families can come to together in the end. I thought Deni was such a great main character. I like the lengths she went to make her sister one last wish come true.

[Livvy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cruise read.

[Samantha Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very sad and sweet book about two sisters coping with one of them coming down with a deadly disease and them doing something together one last time .

[Traceylee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why

I don't know if I ever have this author less then give stars she is great and even though I am 54 I love them

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can only say, I'll be giving all of this series 5 stars again. Don't fight me, my heart is too much involved.

[Shanna Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, emotional, and heart wrenching. Exactly what I always hope to find in a Lurlene McDaniel book. I loved this one so much. It brought smiles, tears, and one or two giggles.

[Rebecca Soto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lurlene McDaniel has a way if bringing you to tears but not necessarily in a bad way. Love this series.

[Milaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so emotional. I love it. I couldn't put this book down and couldn't stop reading it. 👍

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Actual Rating: 3.0

This book wasn't my favorite because I found the characters to be a bit boring. Now I know that is a terrible thing to say about a 17 year old girl dying with a brain tumor but the supporting characters weren't the best either.

In this book Dani learns that her older sister only has a couple months to live. She has an inoperable brain tumor that will eventually cause her organs to shut down and stop working. Cassie gets her One Last Wish letter & money early on in this book and Dani sets out to make the end of her life as great as possible.

Dani & Cassie's mom is not on board with taking Cassie on the vacation she wants to go on so Dani has to sneak her out of the hospital. They head off on a road trip from Ohio to Florida to see the ocean. Cassie gets very sick along the way but eventually they get there and she is able to see walk along the beach and go to Disney World. The family was not able to make it back to Ohio for Cassie's final days so she passed away in a Florida hospital surrounded by her mom & sister. I was more prepared for her passing this time

[Melissa Strong · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mourning Song is a dramatic modern day novel which explores the repercussions of death. Dani and Cassie have already lost their father at young ages when Cassie at seventeen is diagnosed with cancer. She has only a few months left in life and McDaniel explores the consequences of this for not only Cassie but also for her younger sister Dani and their mother. The injustice of Cassie's impending death casts a shadow over the family causing strained relationships until a mysterious donor gives Cassie $100,000. Dani and Cassie decide to enjoy life as much as possible but can it ever replace Cassie's life? McDaniel's novel though thrilling in guessing what next tragedy will come is a trivial exploration of these issues. Her writing is designed for a young girl's mind and will provide little stimulation fro more experienced readers. Certainly an entertaining read, Mourning Song is a quick and unsophisticated view of death, love, and life.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was about Dani who found out that Cassie, her sister was diagnosed with brain tumor and she only had a few weeks to few months to live. Dani wants to do something for her sister before her sister set off to another world. Therefore,she decided to take her sister to the beach in Florida since it was Cassie's dream. However, this trip is dangerous for Cassie and challenging for Dani to accomplish.
I like this book because it demonostrate how family members are willing to do anything for another. Like Dani, willing to take risk and take Cassie to the beach even though her condition may not be well enough for travel. Throughout this book, lots of encouragement, sisterhood, love is shown through the book and very heart touching.

[Megan S · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave this book 4 star because I really enjoyed this book. I felt like I just wasn’t to read more. I would always wake up and I had nothing to do so I got out my book and started reading until it brought me to sleep. It’s about a girl and her sister is diagnosed. She just wasn’t to do something nice for her sister. But while she was at the hospital she got a letter in the mall with a lot of money in it. She wasn’t to take her sister on vacation but they don’t think there mother will approve. To find out if there mother approves or not you’ll just have to read the book.

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gonna get this out of the way first: Dani and Cassie's mom was an idiot who made her daughter's illness All About Her, basically saying she only cared about what made HER feel safe and comfortable and being too selfish to TELL her dying daughter she was dying. Dick move, Mrs. Vanoy, dick move. Dani wasn't anything special but I applauded her making Cassie's dream come true even if it meant having to deal with her mother's tantrums when she finally got to Florida.

Aside from that...eh. Not the worst, but I wouldn't read again.

[Mikaela R · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like these books. Lurlene McDaniel is one of my favorite authors. Even though I don't really like to read that much. It was sad how Dani's sister Cassie was going to die and there was no way the doctors could stop the tumor. I loved how Dani and her friend Austin, took Cassie all the way to the beach and took her away from the hospital, because Cassie didnt get to go with her class. All in all this book was good.

[Ale · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is about agirl who has cancer. she could not go on her senior trip because of it. hr only wish was to see the sea. When a mysterios person gives her thousands of dollars her sister kidnaps her sick sister and takes her to the sea with the help of a friend. this is so sad. get the book to find out more. i really want people to read lurlene mcdaniel's books.

[Allison]

This is my favorite book of hers' yet. It just struck me right in the heart. To think that someone went through all that. It just really touched me like no other book I've ever read. It is great, passionate, lovely, sad, mortifying, and more. I don't believe I will ever come across another book quite like this one.

[Emily Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love all of Lurlene McDaniel's books. I uaed to read them as soon as they came out... I haunted the school library or book store waiting for the release of each one. This one is about the love between two sisters, and how the one left over deals with the loss of the other... very touching.

[Tara Dawn (Colourful WordWench) · Rating 5 out of 5]

i can't believe these books are still around! actually i can. they are good. it's been 20 yrs since i read them and still remember them. glad that a new audience gets to enjoy them...the good and the bad the smiles and the tears.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sad, yet sweet, story. I liked how Dani wanted to give Cassie her dream, but it was quite dangerous how she went about it. All in all, it was a good story and one I'd recommend to fans of this type of story.

[Isabelbailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent on parenting and what life is all about

[The Third Place A Teen Library]

F McDA olw

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

yet another sad story about the losing a loved one. I don't know how lurlene always makes me care for the characters in so few pages but every book always makes me cry. such good stories! :-)

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!!! It inspired me to hopefully take part in Mercy Ships one day:)

[Stacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤❤❤❤❤

[Shannon Rickert · Rating 5 out of 5]

i have always like these books they are all sad but have a good story behind them, about all types of diseases. When i need to get down from my vampire horror faze i pick these up.

[Rondi Denning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another GREAT yet heartbreaking book written by Lurlene! A tragedy that brought a family closer together!