It's My Life

by Stacie Ramey

If she wants a future with him, she'll have to make peace with her past.

Jenna's never let her cerebral palsy get her down. But when she discovers that her condition was actually caused by an injury at birth, she's furious with her parents, who withheld the truth. And as they push her to get yet another difficult procedure, Jenna feels her control over her life starting to slip.

Enter Julian, Jenna's childhood crush. He's just moved back to town, and he's struggling in school, so Jenna reaches out to him—anonymously— to help. Soon, their conversations are about so much more than class. She's falling for him all over again, hard and fast. But would Julian still be interested in her if he knew who she really was? And can she find a way to take back her own narrative before she pushes away everyone she loves?

Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult, Disability, Fiction, Health, Teen

317 pages, Paperback

First published January 7, 2020

About the author

Stacie Ramey is the award-winning author of The Sister Pact, which was named a YALSA 2016 Popular Paperback and a 2015 PSLA Top 40. Her other novels earned Florida Book Awards as well as critical acclaim. Her short story “Without Being Asked” appears in the anthology Coming of Age: 13 B’nai Mitzvah Stories.Her newest project, Spellbound by Murder, a cozy mystery set in a magical New Englandbookstore and featuring a close-knit cast of intergenerational women, will be released in 2026.

Reviews

[Boston · Rating 2 out of 5]

Arc provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I am so incredibly disappointed about this book. I went into it with high hopes. By chapter 5, I was sure it would be a 4 stars at least (more if I could get someone to verify the representation). Things went downhill quickly from there.
First off, I can’t and won’t speak for the representation of Cerebral Palsy in this book, so I’ll only be reviewing it based on overall enjoyment and general author competence.
There were a lot of things wrong with this book. I find it highly unlikely that any 15 year old would be allowed to ask for medical emancipation from her parents. I find it even more unlikely that her uncle/lawyer would not only approve of it, but also encourage it and keep it a secret from her parents.
Also unlikely that a 15 year old and a senior in high school would end up in the same English class. (Also, I’m pretty sure neither the main character nor the author knows what the term “catfishing” means.)
The character “arc” was more of a character teleportation. There was no growth or change, just her dad telling her how it would be and her suddenly agreeing.
The feminist lines in this book were nice until you read lines like “…no way am I going to eat chocolate cake in front of a boy.” And realize that they didn’t really mean much. There were more sexist/misogynist lines, but they require way too much context and backstory and I’m just tired at this point.
Overall, this was such a huge disappointment and I wish I had loved it, but I could barely make it to the end.

[The Nerd Daily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published on The Nerd Daily | Review by Nathalie DeFelice

I’m always looking for books with diverse representation and I’m very excited to say this is the second book that I’ve gotten to read with Cerebral Palsy (CP) representation. It’s a lovely and heartfelt story about a young woman coming to terms with the actions surrounding her condition, as well as finding a little romance in the cutest way. It’s a story of family and friendship, and I was so glad to have gotten to read and review it for The Nerd Daily.

It’s My Life is the story of Jenna, who finds out that her cerebral palsy wasn’t present at birth, but was caused by a doctor’s malfeasance. Even worse, her parents and uncle have kept this from her all of her life, and just as they are pushing her to do another difficult procedure to help her with her CP, she feels her life falling out of her control. Her solace comes in the form of Julian, her former friend/neighbour that has come back to her town and is going through some struggles of his own. Jenna decides to help him, but anonymously. Through their phone chats, Jenna starts to feel something more than just friendship, but would Julian still like her if he knew who she actually was?

This story sets off to give readers an idea of what it’s like to live life with CP, it was very raw and full of feeling. Despite the setback that Jenna has because of her physical condition, you can definitely see her fighting spirit through and through, especially with how she’s attempting to deal with all of the emotions of finding out the secret her parents have been keeping from her. I loved Jenna’s personality. She’s witty but stubborn, and sticks to her convictions. However, she’s also vulnerable. She’s taking control of her life in the small ways that she can, even if it comes at a detriment to her. While she struggles with some self-esteem issues, she works through them in the best way she can.

Something that I truly loved seeing in this story was the fact that we didn’t brush aside how Jenna’s everyday activities went. Things like getting out of bed or even getting dressed are a little different when you have CP, and it was very enlightening to read. More importantly, the sibling relationships between Jenna and her brother and sister are the sweetest. Yes, they care about her well-being, but they certainly won’t leave her out of any shenanigans they’re going to be a part of.

Jenna’s relationship with her parents is a little more complicated because she’s dealing with her emotions from finding out about the medical malfeasance. The relationship becomes more strained when she decides to take action in regard to her medical decisions, because she’s determined to gain independence from them without regard to the cost. While this was something I didn’t necessarily agree with in the story, I could see where Jenna’s becoming more desperate for some control of her life. There are a few tense scenes in the story concerning this, but I do wish we’d gone a little more in depth.

The romance that is happening through text in this story is cute, and mostly going on through text messages. I don’t want to say too much about it because there’s some fun that happens that’s too sweet to spoil. While I’m here I also want to mention that I absolutely adored how Stacie Ramey included music in this story. Not just because there are some of my favourite bands included, but because music can also be a way of release for a lot of people. Ramey captures how Jenna loses herself in the rhythms and songs that play throughout the story, and they make for beautiful scenes in the book.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. There are some areas that I would have loved to see more development, but I think it would give this story a more serious tone than what is intended. The romance is sweet, but it isn’t too much, if that’s something you’re concerned with. It’s a high school story that I am excited to have on my shelf.

[Sofii♡ (A Book. A Thought.) · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the beginning, this book called my attention due to the representation, since I'd never read about a main character with cerebral palsy, I thought it would be something very interesting for me to read. I ended up enjoying it, I think it's a book that despite touching a super-serious theme has the ability to be quite light to read, which is great. It also has adorable scenes and a great family support system. However, it has some weak points that need a little more work and I'll talk more about them later.



3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

You can find more of my reviews on my blog A Book. A Thought.

In the book we follow Jenna, she's a young woman who suffers from cerebral palsy and after she finds out that her condition was caused due to a bad praxis, she's furious with her parents for having hidden it from her. Soon she must also face a new intervention and all this makes Jenna feel that her life is getting out of her control. When Julian, her childhood love, returns town, Jenna begins to send him messages anonymously to help him with his homework, but soon their conversations become more serious and a stronger feeling begins between them. Jenna starts to have doubts about what she's doing, and wonders if he really wants her once he discovers who she really is.


I think that a type of book where the main character suffered from a condition such as cerebral palsy should be taken very seriously and give it the place it deserves, I'm very happy to have run into this type of book, I must admit I was totally ignorant about this condition, so I think I'm a little bit wiser now, which is always a good thing. Beyond that, I'm not in a position to criticize the rep due to my ignorance on the subject, so based on the author's note, which so gently leaves us at the end of the book, it shows that she's an informed person since she has worked with children suffering from cerebral palsy, so I think it's great that she clarifies that to us. It was super painful to see Jenna going through all those treatments and to see all those devices that she uses to improve her quality of life, but it was eye-opening as well.

There's a huge romantic weight in this story, it's pretty much focused on it, it's a very adorable romance, but there are scenes where I think Jenna could be somewhat obsessed with Julian and they made me uncomfortable, these scenes are all about senseless jealousy, you know? but leaving that aside has super sweet and adorable moments that made me smile. The rest of the relationships in the book are very positive, which I'm very grateful for, the relationship with her family is very supportive and loving, (it's also very interesting to see how much the family is affected when a family member suffers from cerebral palsy), and also presents a very beautiful friendship relationship.


Medical Emancipation is touched upon, which I think is super interesting since I haven't read much about it. I think it's a subject that although it's taken very seriously at the beginning, it doesn't have the necessary depth or seriousness, I think it's touched very lightly and that's why it was unable to have a strong impact for me.

Something super curious and that I think adds another dimension to the story, is the fact that she has another self in her head, as another healthy version of herself, and whenever she has a difficulty she returns to that scene in her head and she revives it with her healthy self, "Jennifer" she calls it and we see how she would react to each situation. I think it's very smart, and it also gives us the opportunity to get to know Jenna better.


Sadly I don't have much to say about the characters, because they don't have a great depth in their personalities or lives, the only one we focus on is Jenna, and although I like first-person POV, I would have liked to know more about the other characters. Another thing that was annoying for me was the transition between chapters, which is done very abruptly and when another chapter begins you almost feel lost by a moment, there are also very strange time jumps and all this doesn't help the plot flows well.

In summary, I think the idea is to give us a look at the daily life of a person with cerebral palsy and I think that's really well achieved, has very solid moments like the family relationship and some of Jenna's internal thoughts, that help us to know her more. But on the other hand, it has weak points that need more work such as the transitions of the chapters and the deep and development of the secondary characters. Anyway, it's a book to highlight due to its representation and I would recommend it, no doubt, it's very easy to read and it will leave you thinking.




First Thoughts || 12/06/19

I enjoyed the book, it was easy to read and has very lovely moments, with a solid family support and good friendship, although the romance was a little too much at times, I don't get bothered about, though and I end up thinking that it was fine, but there's a lot in the plot that needs to be worked on, especially the development and depth of the characters and the transition between chapters, I think they're the weakest points.
I'll talk a little more about it and its representation of a character with Cerebral Palsy in my full review super soon, because I think it deserves my greatest attention.
I greatly appreciate the author's note at the end of the book

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this in exchange for a review but, of course, all thoughts are my own.
full video review here: https://youtu.be/3dDGJVTf464

I am a sucker for romances where someone is messaging the other person anonymously, so this was right up my alley. I really enjoyed the romance and development. We get to see them as friends and see how their relationship grows without judgement with her disability. I thought the two did well together and I loved how he always stood up for her and made her feel wanted even when [it's claimed] he didn't know she was the one messaging him.
I did have some issues with the romance side of the plot, mostly being that the reveal was quite a let down and the suspense created around the moment felt...off. We are led up to this moment only for something completely random to happen, which made little sense to the story. Then, there is an argument (this isn't spoiler as it's YA romance 101 lol) and it makes NO SENSE. Like why was anyone mad here? I have no clue.
There was also the issue of how the heck wasn't it obviously he was into her and she just kept playing dumb? And even if he really didn't know she was the one texting him, why was he giving her so much attention in person? Felt kind of slimy to me.
Other than that, it was a cute romance.

NOW where this story really drops the ball is with the other "main" plot happening. This seems to have great representation for her disability, so I was so disappointed in how her medical emancipation plot was handled. It really goes NO WHERE and basically is used to beef up the plot and make it more about her disability. It creates tension between characters that lasts 10 whole sentences and then dissipates again. The reasoning also made little sense.

If you're reading for the romance, it is enough to pull you into the story, but the rest is just sloppy and lackluster.

[Kathryn S (Metaphors and Miscellanea) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A timely narrative about disability, sense of self, and first love, It’s My Life deftly navigates the difficulties–physical, emotional, and social–that accompany serious disability, through the eyes of a smart, likable, and relatable narrator. Though it does get a bit cheesy and/or implausible at times, the story itself is an important one, specifically targeting the younger end of the YA spectrum with a solid message of hope.

(The blurb here on Goodreads covers the story fairly well, so I'm not going to bore you by repeating that.)

This is the second book I’ve read this year about a character with cerebral palsy (the first being A Curse So Dark and Lonely), and in terms of awareness about the condition and how serious it can be, this one did a far more thorough job. Of course, with such a wide variety of symptom manifestations, this is not a criticism of the other book; rather, it is a compliment of this one. (Note: while this isn’t an OwnVoices story, the author noted at the end of the book that she is a speech-language pathologist who works with a lot of CP patients, and as far as I can tell, she has done a solid job of research. If there are any OwnVoices reviewers out there who disagree with that, please let me know and I’ll edit that last part accordingly.) We see all the pains Jenna deals with on a regular basis: repeated hospital visits that put her behind in class, crutches and a wheelchair that impair her mobility, unexpected spasms that cause additional injuries to her, an inability to go out in the cold without extra layers because her body does not warm up easily, and so on. The condition is an essential and omnipresent part of who she is.

And yet–and this is the important part–it doesn’t overwhelm her identity, either. She is a multifaceted character and though I’m sure there are going to be people who complain about her being “too immature,” she feels like a real high school student, with a wide range of interests and emotions that permeate both her narration and her conversations. She loves to learn, sneaking online access to her friend’s AP Psych textbook even after she had dropped the class, just to keep seeing the material. She enjoys hockey, musicals, Panic! at the Disco, and Disney movies. She believes in magic and the Jewish concept of there always being 36 saints on Earth. She cares deeply about her family and is super close with her siblings. Like so many teenage girls, she has a crush on a boy. Like so many teenage girls, she is also deeply insecure about herself.

And here’s one of the most interesting elements of the book: one of the ways Jenna deals with this insecurity is through imagining herself as having a sort of alter-ego named Jennifer. The key difference between herself and Jennifer is not just that Jennifer is more confident; it’s that Jennifer doesn’t have cerebral palsy. This leads to Jennifer having a thriving social life, an easy time talking to boys like Julian, and an easy time graduating at the top of her class. Whenever Jenna’s life gets difficult–an embarrassing situation, being under anesthesia before a difficult surgery–she slips into a sort of daydream where she imagines herself as somebody who doesn’t have to live with the physical constraints she has grown accustomed to. It is a striking narrative device, a deeper sort of wishful thinking that highlights just how many ways Jenna’s condition has affected her well-being.

While Jenna’s story is the center of this novel, I would be remiss if I did not talk about some of its other strengths. Her relationship with Julian feels genuine, not just an “oh you’re cute let’s date” kind of deal, but something way more emotional, rooted in shared history and shared opinions and a whole lot of trust. It was nice to see a cute high school romance that didn’t have to deal with all sorts of sabotage or cheating or jealousy.

Side note, while we’re on the topic of romance: remember how I mentioned earlier that this book skews toward the younger side of YA? Here’s a nice twist: there’s nothing about sex, not even any making out, not even a thought or a daydream, just things about kissing and slow-dancing. And there’s not much (if any) profanity, either, meaning this is a book that parents can really feel comfortable giving to their younger teens.

But back to other nice side details. Jenna has a lot of really healthy relationships in this book. Her whole family is supportive of her (with the exception of the whole parents-keeping-secrets-and-not-giving-her-a-say-in-her-treatment piece), and they all do their best to take care of her, in ways ranging from the large/obvious–hospital visits, helping her in and out of the car, and so on–to the small and sweet. Heck, Jenna’s sister Rena decorates her wheelchair on a regular basis. How’s that for sisterhood? Also, no matter what goes on in Jenna’s life, her best friend Ben (who, incidentally, is casually gay) is by her side with encouragement and assistance and advice, and seriously I just like seeing a great friendship in a book that doesn’t have a random falling-out over stupid things like miscommunication.

But, of course, there are flaws. There’s a major side plot with Jenna trying to file for medical independence from her parents, essentially barring them from making decisions about her treatment. Everything about that plot thread was kind of strange, from the fact that Jenna’s uncle was literally acting as her lawyer against her parents to the bizarre way in which the question is finally resolved. In fact, the whole reason that that particular conflict resolves the way it does–which I won’t go into, because spoilers–was just weird and came totally out of left field. And though, for the most part, I thought Jenna was an excellent depiction of a truly typical teenager, rather than the ultra-mature teens we see in a lot of YA these days, there were still some moments where things in her life felt like scenes out of a cheesy teen movie, rather than a plausible story. That said, she does end up maturing substantially over the course of the story, which helps negate that flaw somewhat.

Basically, this is a book that is certainly worth a read, primarily for its representation and for its stellar protagonist. Though the book itself is a very quick read, Jenna’s story is simultaneously cute and memorable.

TRIGGER/CONTENT WARNING: ableist language (from a truly terrible person, so it is strongly condemned by all the other characters)

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with an eARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

[Renata · Rating 3 out of 5]

“That Jenna is stronger than Mulan, prettier than Cinderella, and smarter than Belle.”

[Liza Wiemer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stacie Ramey draws the reader in from page one. I immediately sympathized with Jenna Cohen, a Jewish girl who is proud to be Jewish and is dealing with medical issues that come along with having cerebral palsy. My heart went out for her and the suffering she's endured. We understand quickly that Jenna has struggled not only physically, but emotionally, and is working hard to figure out how this condition defines her life.

I fell in love with Jenna's family. I read a lot—over 1200 books since January 2010—and I have to say that Stacie's portrayal of a family stands out as one of the very best. They're not perfect, but their love for one another, the way they see Jenna and help her just be Jenna, captured my heart. Yes, her mother is a worrier. Yes, her dad wants to tell her what to do medically. But all of this was so relatable and done with so much love I felt it radiating off the page. The relationship with her younger sister Rena is also one I cherished—flawed, but close. Oh my heart! Then there is big brother Eric, who is away from college but present in so many ways. Truly beautiful and special. Uncle Steve also plays an important role. He's an attorney and advocate for Jenna. This could have been a hot mess, but again, Stacie handles some tough issues magnificently.

Dealing with CP is a huge part of this novel, but Stacie also included a sweet romance that has its own complications. Julian has his own issues and I really cared about him and wanted the best for him.

For me, this is a very memorable novel, and there is one scene in particular that left me breathless. I loved how the siblings were being siblings and it was so fun to see them come together, even though there were consequences for their actions.

IT'S MY LIFE was a labor of love over a ten-year period for Stacie. That love really shows in the diverse representation and the respectful, eye-opening, thoughtful way she shows one person's struggle with CP. It's not everyone's, but it belongs to Jenna Cohen and she felt real to me!

Highly recommend!

[Brigi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book, but I think it would have needed an extra 50-100 pages and some things more fleshed out at the end.

I have never read a book with a protagonist with CP, so I was keen to learn about Jenna's life and how she copes with all the medical stuff and her schoolwork. I thought the medical emancipation would become more important, and actually that's the part that let me down at the end - I thought after all the arguments, Jenna would surely decide on her own, but it felt like she just gave in to her father's persistence.

The romance was fine, but I wish Jenna and Julian had spent more time together in real life, and not through the texting.

A good read, just wish it was more elaborate in some aspects!

Rep: Jewish mc with cerebral palsy, gay side character

[Dylan · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars.

I've only read one other book with a main character with Cerebal Palsy (Brigid Kemmerer's A Curse So Dark & Lonely), which (coming from someone without the condition), had pretty well done representation and I think that this one had it as well, I just had a problem with just about everything else in this book.

The entire premise of it all was just so unrealistic. Our main character, Jenna, is seeking medical emancipation from her parents so that she can have the end decision on all medical decisions. Sounds like a decent plotline, right? But no, not the way it was handled in this story.

I mean...her "lawyer" is her UNCLE??? And she expects him to keep it a secret from his own brother and sister-in-law?? (he does keep it a secret, but the reveal lasts maybe a page and the entire family seems to forget that this happened, even though it's supposedly the main plot??).

Can we just talk about the romance? One of my favorite tropes is "we're talking online anonymously but we actually know each other irl and in the end we fall for each other's real selves and we live happily ever after", so that was also a selling point of this book for me, but there was hardly any backstory about Julian which made me not care for him as much, and the reveal for this was again, unmoving.

I know, I know, it sounds like I don't like this book, and while I didn't love love love it, I can appreciate the representation and what it could potentially do for teens with CP.

*Thanks so much to Sourcebooks Fire for allowing me to read a copy of this early so I can review it before it's release!*

[Cherlynn | cherreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything about this book:

- The strong friendships and familial ties
- The disability rep
- The hockey pride
- The cute romance and texts
- The protagonist's arc
- Lessons about life and reminders that we can all do with

This was such a heartwarming and insightful read. I loved the author's note as well, in which Stacie Ramey said that 'authors shouldn't love one of their books more than the others, but sometimes we can't help ourselves'. She also shared how the book took 10 years to write and wasn't about a kid with a disability (what it is actually about, I'll leave you to find out on your own).

I'm surprised this doesn't have a higher rating but personally I would definitely recommend it.

[Samantha (WLABB) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenna was thrown for a loop, when she learned that her cerebral palsy was due to medical malfeasance. She began to withdraw from the real world, and settled into her imaginary one, where she was Jennifer, and she did not have CP. But, when her childhood crush returned to town, Jenna was reminded of who she used to be, and needed to decide who she wanted to be.

While I was reading this book, I thought the main conflict was going to be Jenna seeking medical emancipation from her parents, but that was not the case. For me, this was a story of a young women, who sort of lost herself after uncovering a family secret, and then made a bunch of choices, which push her further and further away from who she was. The once bold and daring young woman began to close herself off from the world, but when Julian, her childhood crush, re-entered her life, she began to remember who she was.

I make it sound like this was so smooth journey, but in reality, Jenna encountered a lot of bumps along the way, many of which, she created herself. She became bitter about her parents keeping this secret from her, and she lashed out in various ways, many of which were her attempt at taking back some control of her life. I won't say I agreed with the choices she made, but it was an important journey for her to take. She needed to make those mistakes, see the error of her ways, and come to terms with her past in order to be able to move forward.

I know, it is starting to sound like Jenna was super angsty, but there were a lot of really fun and lovely moments in this book as well. Jenna was truly blessed with an amazing family. The bond and camaraderie she shared with her brother and sister made me so jealous. The love flowed freely between them, and they looked out for Jenna and cared for her without treating her like she was a porcelain doll. Her parents were also amazing. Her father was the one, who listened and understood Jenna, while her mother gave unending care and support to her. This was all acknowledged by Jenna, so she never seemed like an ingrate.

I felt the drama with her parents was the sort to thing all kids experience with their parents. She was a teen trying to exercise her autonomy. Is that so unusual? I think not, and I guess that is why I was ok with the pushback she was giving her parents. Did I think her way of dealing with it was a bit extreme? Yes, but when the voice of reason spoke, she did listen.

I found this an interesting and enjoyable story of one young woman's quest for autonomy, which featured a sweet romance, a fantastic family, and a rock solid friendship.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS

[Stephanie Froebel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.3/5

(note: I am extremely giddy writing this review)

Ahhhhh. So at first, I definitely was not 'vibing' with this book. The story did not seem overly specicial and the character was strangely obsessive? Also the modern references were definitely a shock to my literary world. I am definitely not used to seeing references about the Netflix movie (and book) To All The Boys I've Loved Before (which might I add is an aMaZiNg story) or references about Death Note (also super AmAzInG). But as the story continued, I was looking forward to every texting thread. The flirtatious dialogue was just to die for!!! I often found myself looking forward to those parts more than really anything else.

Towards the end though I did find the guy to be a bit idealistic and strangely caring for a girl he hasn't seen in years (which though cute, is just not realistic as much as girls wish it would be). Relationships can not be a one way street of the girl being a damsel in distress, feeling so unconfident that the guy has to repair her and stills he hardly believes his extremely kind words. I guess I just wish the Jenna, the main character, gave more attention and care for the guy she is infatuated by and it wasn't all about her and her hard life (though her story is terribly difficult and I can see myself struggling with the same things as she if I were in her shoes).

I thought I didn't relate to the character because no I am not obsessed with my kindergarten best friend, and no I do not have a physically disabling condition, but at the end of the day I was able to see a lot of parallels in my own life. We both struggle with overbearing parents who are just 'trying to protect/save us' and never want us to leave the nest. We both love To All the Boys I've Loved Before and Death Note. We both are AP students with similar curricular interests in Psychology and English. We both love watching hockey. And we both wish we were this idealistic versions of ourselves that we also fear to live up to.

Overall, I am finding myself taking more from books (even fluffy YA) as more than just a giddy story that I can use for escape. I am starting to find the deeper thoughts the authors have in their literature and using what I read about other characters to simultaneous analyze myself, and I like it. Yes, I like it a lot.

Anyways, enjoy reading everyone! Reading is a great way to spend a digital detox. :)

[Kera’s Always Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could rate this higher than five stars, I would! This book made me ugly cry in the best, best way.

I don't think that I have ever read a book with such an incredible representation of a disability. I honestly didn't know much about Cerebral Palsy, and this was incredibly eye opening.

Jenna is a teenage girl with CP; spastic CP to be a little more specific. She has a wonderful family; supportive and loving parents and two siblings that she shares an incredible bond with. They all band around her so wonderfully. But, Jenna recently discovered that there was someone to blame in her disability. There is a girl (a normal girl, in her words) she could have been had her doctor not made a mistake during her birth, and since discovering that bit of information, it changes her. She doesn't want to be dad's tough little girl anymore. She starts to believe that she needs more of a say in her medical treatments. All they do is casue her more pain and make her sick, but never really make her any better. So she decides to go forth with a medical emancipation to take her life into her own hands.

There is so much more to this story. There are so many layers and levels of self discovery. At the same time as she is dealing with all this loathing, the boy she fell in love with as a child has just moved back to town after years of being away. This book is a journey of Jenna realizing who she is and finding out if she can get mack to that girl who believes in real magic.

I cannot say enough good things about this book. It was so greatly written. I really do believe that this is a story that everyone should read. It isn't just some teenage girl coming of age fairy tale. This is a story about real, raw struggle and pain. About family and about what secrets and truths can do to relationships; what they can do to the way you see yourself and what you feel you deserve. Do yourself a favor and check this incredible story out!

[trufflebooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 STARS.

Overall I enjoyed this book. It had a lot great representation for CP and I think really embodied the perspective of someone with CP. The cute texts with the love interest reminded me a lot of Tweet Cute and I thought it was such a great addition to the story. Towards the end, I couldn't really connect with the protagonist as much and her decisions just seemed stupid for someone who's apparently so smart. Her need to be heard seemed to constantly waver throughout the plot and her parents infuriated me a lot - props to the author for making me feel such rage and annoyance, however. It would've been great to see more character development in her sister, her parents and just more of her cool uncle. More backstory with the love-interest would've added more depth too. At the end of the day, this book was an enjoyable contemporary that tugged at your heartstrings in many instances but held more potential than anything else.

[Becca Akins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this contemporary romance. Jenna's story and her development in this book was a real highlight. The anonymous texting was super cute. I recommend this book!





I had received an e-arc copy of this book. It does not affect my rating or review.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh, this book is seriously amazing!!! I read it in almost one sitting and am still trying to think through all of my emotions!

Jenna was an incredible main character. The author displayed her thoughts perfectly and I felt myself sympathizing with her throughout the entire book. Jenna’s issues with cerebral palsy and with her parents were written so well that even though I have never experienced what she does, I felt like I knew exactly what she was going through and how she felt.

Julian was also a wonderfully developed character, despite us only really hearing from him through his and Jenna’s texts and when he and Jenna talked at school. The interspersed flashbacks to his and Jenna’s childhood experiences also lent a lot to his character as it let us have a glimpse into a simpler time for the both of them. I also really enjoyed reading Jenna and Julian’s texts with each other because it showed a side of them both that neither completely showed in real life, while still making them get to know in other in a way that was unique to them.

Of course, I can’t talk about the main characters without spotlighting the spectacular secondary characters in It’s My Life. I always say that the secondary characters make or break a book, and given my appraisal of this novel, it’s fairly obvious where my opinions stand on these characters. Jenna’s parents were wonderful and had so much depth, which I’m not going to get into, but their stances on Jenna’s CP were explained so well and I really understood where they were coming from. I also loved Ben, Jenna’s best friend, because he was so funny and incredibly supportive of Jenna. He really seemed like a great friend and was perfectly developed as a character. Rena and Eric, Jenna’s siblings, were also some of my favorite characters because they led their own lives while still caring about and for Jenna. It seems like in some books with disabled characters, the entire family is completely and utterly devoted to caring for the character, with no regard for their own personal lives. I loved that Rena wasn’t necessarily close friends with Jenna at school because it made it apparent that she knew that Jenna had good friends and could handle herself without Rena being over clingy. Eric also had his own life in college, and when he was home, he did things he wanted to do while still caring for Jenna. I also loved Jenna’s uncle Steve because he cared about her so much that he was willing to help her gain her rights, even though it might strain his relationship with Jenna’s parents. I really love Jenna’s whole family and I feel like they were an incredible family to have for someone in Jenna’s situation.

Jenna and Julian’s relationship was amazing!! I loved seeing how it developed over the whole story, from their half-anonymous texting, to the ice skating, to the dance. It was so sweet and had so much depth and compassion. It’s the kind of romance anyone would want for themselves and I enjoyed every moment of it.

It’s My Life is a wonderful, amazing book and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a lighthearted but still emotional book! If you’re trying to get out of an extended reading slump, this is definitely the book for you!!

[Lost in Book Land · Rating 3 out of 5]

Happy Monday!


I had another full week of reading last week which means another full week of reviewing and blogging! My Goodreads shelf is overrun right now with currently reading books (like 20 plus books I think) and being honest I am not currently reading them all. I have either finished many of them, am actually in progress of reading them, it might be the next book in a graphic novel series and I put it on my list so I can start it when I have more Hoopla loans, or I started it and set it down for now. I started this book a little while back on my Kindle and decided that I was going to buckle down and finish it! I have just been so busy with work and life stuff that I had not gotten back to it. Add on top of that my Kindle screen going weird (every time I would turn it on half of it would stay off or something?) but I got a new Kindle about a week ago and I am back in business!


SPOILERS AHEAD


Jenna is a high school junior with Cerebal Palsy but she never lets that get in the way of living her life. However, she has made a recent discovery, that her Cerebal Palsy might have been caused by an injury that occurred during her birth. This turns Jenna's whole world upside down. Jenna decides it's time to start taking control of her life. Jenna starts by dropping from her AP classes to normal classes at school and then contacting her lawyer uncle to try to get medical rights for herself. She is tired of all the secrets and wants to be able to make medical decisions for herself. On top of all of this Jenna's childhood crush, Julian comes to back town. Julian seems to be struggling in school and Jenna wants to help but she wants to do it anonymously. However, there conversations quickly turn from helpful with school to a bit romantic. Can Jenna hide who she is forever or will her identity come out and will Julian accept her? Will Jenna find out more about her birth and her Cerebal Palsy?


This was an interesting read. There were times when I did not want to put it down and there were times when I was really not happy with Jenna and her character. I felt like the way she was contacting Julian was a little catfishy (I understand her reasoning behind it) but it still did not feel right once it turned from friendly to romantic. Seeing Jenna struggle with her medical decisions and trying to decide if she should go against her parents or not and learning about her birth was an interesting part of this book and I always wanted to keep reading when we got to those parts. Or when it came to parts about her family (like when we would see interactions between her and her sister or brother). I will say as we got closer to the end I definitely began to enjoy the book more again (like I did at the start). However, I just do not think overall, that this read was what I was expecting/ hoping for. I am going to give this book three stars on Goodreads.





**Thank you to the publisher for an E-ARC copy via Netgalley

[Madison · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s My Life is a story about growing up, finding your voice and asserting control over your life, while also learning to accept others for the choices they make. Unfortunately, an awkward text-based romance drives what should be a sweet story of first love, but overall It’s My Life is about empowerment and family.

When Jenna discovered that her Cerebral Palsy was caused rather than just happened, it changed how she views her parents, the medical system, her lack of say in the decisions happening about her body, even her body’s limits. When an old friend—and longtime crush— returns to town, Jenna is torn between avoiding the inevitable rejection and a chance to get close to him. She starts chatting with him via text, refusing to reveal her identity. Meanwhile, as her parents discuss yet another surgery, Jenna considers medical emancipation.

I know this is just one girl’s story and every person with Cerebral Palsy and a disability is different, prefers different terms, has a different approach to their abilities, life, etc, but I know that the perspective in this story is a powerful message about abilities and empowerment, control and strength. Jenna, at times, refuses to let her CP stop her. Ice skating? No problem. Sneaking out? If her siblings can, she can too. But on the other hand, how she views herself—as something that boys will not want to date— is negative and destructive. This negativity extends outside her disability and into body image as well.

While I personally didn’t love Jenna’s voice, hers is perhaps an authentic teen voice (very happy for teens to disagree with me on that) - experiencing first love, navigating high school dramas, fighting with parents and all the struggles that come with growing up. She has a lot of learning and growing up to do, and she does learn and does grow up in the book. While it might be clear to the reader that she is being unfair to those around her, her concerns with control over her body and decisions about her body were completely understandable. Jenna struggles between accepting her body for what it is and can do and experimenting with treatments that could make her or her life ‘better’. No right answer is given and Jenna herself isn’t really sure. But this book is more about the journey of making decisions rather than having all the answers.

She has a great relationship with her siblings and very supportive parents, who while they annoy Jenna with their overprotectiveness and overpowering assertiveness, genuinely care for her and support her. Jenna’s sister, Rena is particularly supportive of Jenna and they have a great relationship. However, as the book is written in first person perspective, we don’t get to see this relationship outside of Jenna’s thoughts and how it works for her.

Jenna is a strong and clever young lady. She is book smart but her social skills need a little work. She engages with the boy she has long loved via secret text messages, flirting with him via text but avoiding him in real life. He takes it very well, interestingly. I’d love to have the discussion with teens about this sort of technology-driven social interactions and the power imbalance and how this relationship might be received if it was gender switched. Not so cute and flirty but creepy, instead? Well worth a discussion. Jenna’s best-friend is your standard YA gay best-friend character—ready to offer relationship and lifestyle advice, but we readers learn nothing more about him outside of his interactions with Jenna.

An easy read with an important message, It’s My Life is a book that will need to be unpacked with teen readers do discuss the undertone messages on body image, abilities and relationships.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

Find more reviews, reading age guides, content advisory, and recommendations on my blog Madison's Library

[Kasey Giard · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know, just leave it to Stacie Ramey to create still more characters that I can’t help falling in love with. I really, really needed a solid, heartfelt contemporary book, and IT’S MY LIFE totally had me covered. I love Jenna’s awkwardness and her tendency to overthink things. I love her passion and her relationship with her mom.

Actually, I want to say more about her and her mom. Because I felt like that was a really complex relationship, since Jenna’s really pushing back against her parents’ assumptions about her medical treatment and care. She’s feeling lied to by her parents and unable to communicate to them her need to make her own medical decisions.

Though we only see Jenna’s point-of-view, I felt like it was easy to see that so much more was happening between the lines. Her mom felt like this real, complicated character with conflicting desires but a consistent commitment to her daughter. I don’t know if that makes total sense, but I just found myself having a lot of respect for Jenna’s mom because clearly she had a lot going on in her head and heart.

IT’S MY LIFE is at its core, a personal journey story. At the beginning, Jenna feels like her perfect life starring the cooler, better version of herself is completely out of reach. Jenna has two choices: she can sit back and let that life stay a fantasy, or she can pull together all her courage and figure out a way to make things happen for herself.

I love that theme in the story so much, and I think Stacie Ramey does real justice to the part of life where we must choose to become the main character in our own stories. I’m so glad I read this book, and I think it will really stay with me for a long time.

If you liked MY SISTER’S KEEPER by Jodi Picoult or IMPOSSIBLE MUSIC by Sean Williams, or just find yourself in the mood for an uplifting contemporary story featuring a strong protagonist, make sure you check out IT’S MY LIFE.

[Joyce Sweeney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Stacie Ramey's work, but I think this book just might be my new favorite. Jenna Cohen has always battled her cerebral palsy with achievement. Stellar grades. Warrior spirit. But when she learns her parents may have lied to her about the origins of her condition, something snaps. Jenna begins to wonder how much of who she is is really a creation of her parents and she sets out to live her life, right or wrong, the way she wants it. In the midst of this, comes Julian, childhood friend and now potential boyfriend. When he gets in trouble for defending Jenna, her first reaction is to rage at him. This is more of the same, someone else calling the shots. What's worse, his decisions have landed her just where she dreads being the most, helpless in the hospital. Jenna knows she is ready to hear the whole truth about herself, her birth and her family and only in that truth, does she finally find the strength to craft the life she really wants. All hers. This book has heart, compassion and truth and reminds us that people are not their disability in the strongest, most dramatic way I have ever read.

[Aida Alberto · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful story filled with ups and downs. Lows and highs. Yes it is a YA book but the subject matter is one that will appeal to anyone no matter what age you are because we've all messed up. We've all thought things about ourselves that aren't true. And yes sometimes we even give up on ourselves but this wonderfully well written book will show you what happens when you finally take that flying leap. Pick up this gem of a book and prepare to loose chunks of time as you loose your self in the story. Happy reading!

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always love books whose main character is named Jenna because it is so.... rare. This one is different from any other novel I've read in the young adult genre in the best way possible. I am so thankful that more and more authors are finding courage and strength in creating stories centered on teens with medical conditions and non-abled journeys. This one was beautiful in so many ways.

[Bonita Slovinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenna is a junior in high school and she has a childhood crush on Julian, who has moved back to her hometown. Jenna also had Cerebral Palsy. Through out her life she has gone through multiple treatments, procedures, and surgeries as she’s grown. Jenna blames the doctor who delivered her for her CP. When she discovers that her parents sued their OB/Gyn for Medical Malfeasance, she becomes angry that her parents kept that a secret from her, feeling that the should have told about it when she was old enough to understand. She gets angrier yet with her parents as she gets older, because her parents don’t let her have much say in the decisions around her medical care. They do not fully understand the turmoil that tests, dye injections, and surgical procedures put her body through. She desperately wants more of a say about this. She asks her uncle, who is a lawyer, to make ready Medical Emancipation documents for her if she cannot get her parents to agree about including her in future medical decisions.
Jenna is also a high school junior, who should be in AP classes, but has decided not to continue with them because she misses a lot of school. This is a decision she made that her parents do not like. She tries real hard not to let her CP take away to much from her high school experiences. When her crush, Julian, is placed in her English class, she realizes he is behind. She thinks Julian does not even notice her, so she devices a plan to help him with class, but does not divulge who she is. Through texts, they get closer, but she keeps her identity from him, afraid her CP, may be different for him now than it was when they were little and neighbors. With pressure from her best friend, she agrees to reveal her true identity and her feelings for Julian at an upcoming school dance. Unfortunately things do not go as smoothly as she hoped they would.
This YA novel is one of a few where the main character has a physical disability. Ramey, has created a likable teenage girl who struggles with being in high school, family, and a first boyfriend, all the while dealing with a very difficult disability.

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Content warnings: hospitalisation, chronic illness, catfishing

3.75 stars

On the one hand, this was a compelling story about a teenage girl with cerebral palsy deciding to take control of her medical treatment. On the other hand, it's about the same girl catfishing her first crush, one of her brother's friends, who's returned to her school after years away. And, like, there IS a romance there, but so much of the romance was tied up in her lying about her identity that it kind of gave me the ick.

[Chloe Zako · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely amazing. I loved every single part of it and I could not put it down! I highly recommend for teens my age. The ending was the best part.

[Israel · Rating 5 out of 5]

cool book love it

[Taylissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great representation on disability and how it affects people with day to day life.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first romance novel in quite a while, but it hit the lonely spot in my heart 😂. Probably means the author did a decent job of connecting with the readers. I don't have much background knowledge on CP, so I wouldn't judge the novel on its medical accuracy. Overall the novel wasn't bad and I would happily read it again. I wouldn't say it's the best thing I've ever read but it connected with its readers (even made me cry a bit haha) which is appreciated.

[Laina SpareTime]

Cross-posted from my blog where there's more information on where I got my copy and links and everything.

I liked about three quarters of this book, but it really fell down at the end for me. I am not a person who thinks that every book about a marginalized person needs to be ownvoices, but I think in some cases it does make a difference and honestly? I think this book is an example of a time when working with (/in a position of power over) people with a disability is not the same as fully understanding their experience.

Oh, for context – I don’t have cerebral palsy. Earlier this year I had a serious spine injury that has caused me to have some limited mobility and chronic pain, so that’s my deal. I obviously don’t speak for all disabled people here.

I think a lot of the book actually gets a lot right. Things like annoying, kinda ableist school aides that no one likes (my high school had one that NO ONE liked too – she constantly touched people on the shoulders and stuff and like can you not), Jenna’s appreciation when people ask her if she needs help instead of just doing things for her, quite a few things are well done.

But it falls flat on the idea that Jenna should have autonomy over her medical decisions. Basically her father says “Stop it, you’re not going to be medically emancipated” and she goes “Oh, okay”. They decide what’s best for her and she realizes they’re right. They never really address any of the issues that she had in the first place.

Spoilers ahead.

Jenna’s parents and doctor basically decide that she’s going to have a baclofen pump implanted and she talks to one person who had a good experience with it so she does. And obviously it works out perfectly and her mobility is super increased and her disability is super minimized. The narrative never seems to address the idea that her parents might be wrong about the choices they’re making for her. Jenna asks, “What if this is the best it gets?” and her mom says, “I know it’s not.”

But what if it was? Same with her academics – Jenna has gone from AP classes to Gen Ed classes and her parents are like “you can do better” but what if she can’t? What if that’s too much? She says, “It’s not that I can’t do this stuff. It’s just that I don’t want to have to reliably do it.” And what if reliably doing All The Things is just too much for her?

And what happens when Jenna turns eighteen and her parents can’t make medical decisions for her anymore? They haven’t taught her how to make informed decisions. Her father thinks she’s “just a kid” and that the idea that painful, invasive medical procedures that barely cause any improvement and may cause regression or even worse side effects might not be worth it is basically seen as an impossible thing.

I watch Jessica Kellgren-Fozard and she has a couple of videos about how hard school was for her, and I kept thinking about Jenna going to college and what might happen if she was suddenly thrown into an enviroment where suddenly she’s alone to make all these decisions by herself in a way that she never has before – medical ones and also social ones. How is she going to make good choices coming from a background where she shows up to doctor’s appointments, they talk around her, and decisions are made for her? Or even social ones – Jenna is going to have to manage her own spoons and how much she can take on. How many classes you take and clubs you join can make a really big difference in your quality of life and the narrative never seems to acknowledge that.

I also found it weird that Jenna apparently doesn’t know any other disabled people. She mentions, like, blogs from teens with CP but she doesn’t have a single disabled friend.

Otherwise – the romance was cute enough. I liked Jenna’s relationships with her family, but most of the characters didn’t actually have character arcs outside of Jenna. Her best friend Ben especially seemed to only exist to be Jenna’s gay best friend. The writing was really easy to read and flowed well, and there was a lot of realism to the story. I liked it a lot right up until the end.

And I actually liked the message that not telling your kid a big element of their identity until their teens is a bad idea and will probably lead to them reacting badly, like not telling a kid they’re adopted until they’re a teen. It’s not the kind of thing you should find out from a google search. I thought it was interesting that Jenna wasn’t so much mad at the idea that she was disabled, but at the idea that it could be someone’s fault and that she could have been had such a different life. I think that’s actually relateable – I kind of wonder what my life would be like right now if I’d crossed the road at a different spot in January and that was nobody’s choice but mine.

I just don’t really like some of the underlying messages. It felt it was butting up almost against inspiration porn. Especially when you combine that with the only other, only very briefly mentioned, disabled character saying she doesn’t like the word “disabled” and prefers “differently abled”. While I know they must be out there, I don’t actually know a disabled person who prefers “differently abled”.

Wish I could have put my whole heart into loving this one, but I couldn’t.

Representation: Jenna has cerebral palsy (obviously) and she’s also Jewish. She’s a fairly spiritual person, too. It’s cool to see that done sort of casually? Like it’s not what the book is about, just a part of the character.

Her best friend Ben is queer – I think gay – and a male nurse she likes is said to have a boyfriend. They’re both kind of stereotypical and don’t really have story arcs outside of Jenna (which obviously makes sense with the nurse but shows badly with her best friend).

Content notes: Jenna is given like no medical autonomy and that’s really stifling. She also breaks a bone falling on ice and yes this is a very specific content warning. Leave me alone. She spends some time in the hospital for pneumonia. Jenna also faces some ableism, both from general things like old buildings and also an aggressive person hurling slurs at her.

[estephany (taylor’s version) · Rating 3 out of 5]

okay amazing!! definitely very good! i liked the ending and i liked the representation! i also liked the authors note!!