Blue-Celled Boy

by Drea le Bil

Honor student Andrew Bratchyk is desperate to finish the eighth grade without his pesky little brother, crazy mom and dorky dad getting in his way. His mission to complete middle school is derailed when he is unexpectedly diagnosed with a rare cancer. Andrew quickly turns his curse into a blessing. He humorously and heroically learns to navigate school, friendships, and his peculiar relationship with God. Andrew also shows that he is fiercely independent and capable, despite having to rely on his eccentric family and dedicated medical team to assist him with his daily challenges. In the midst of his catastrophic diagnosis and grueling treatment, he searches for normalcy. In the chaos and confusion of his illness, Andrew comes to terms with humanity, learns life lessons, and shares his profound wisdom with others.

Blue-Celled Boy is the first book in the series, Rhabdo Road, preceeding Semper Polaris.

The series is inspired by the real-life events of the author’s family. A portion of the proceeds of all sales supports non-profit pediatric oncology foundations. drealebil.com

Appropriate for ages twelve and older. Slight profanity.

221 pages, Paperback

Published November 26, 2020

Reviews

[Larissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful, poignant story told from the perspective of a 14 year old boy living with cancer. It's raw and real and gave me a better understanding of the tremendous journey these patients go through. I laughed, I cried, and I cheered for Andrew Bratchyk and his family.

[Maria Wolansky · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was fairly well written and written from the point of view of the teenage boy afflicted with cancer. I wished other points of view were used. For example, how did the dad cope? What were his thoughts? The little brother? The mom?
The story is heart wrenching and informative regarding this particular cancer and the various treatments. My heart goes out to the family.