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She, Myself, and I
Ever since Rosa’s nerve disease rendered her quadriplegic, she’s depended on her handsome, confident older brother to be her rock and her mirror. But when a doctor from Boston chooses her to be a candidate for an experimental brain transplant, she and her family move from London in search of a miracle.
Sylvia - a girl from a small town in Massachusetts - is brain dead, and her parents have agreed to donate her body to give Rosa a new life. But when Rosa wakes from surgery, she can’t help but wonder, with increasing obsession, who Sylvia was and what her life was like. Her fascination with her new body and her desire to understand Sylvia prompt a road trip based on self-discovery...and a surprising new romance. But will Rosa be able to solve the dilemma of her identity?
Sylvia - a girl from a small town in Massachusetts - is brain dead, and her parents have agreed to donate her body to give Rosa a new life. But when Rosa wakes from surgery, she can’t help but wonder, with increasing obsession, who Sylvia was and what her life was like. Her fascination with her new body and her desire to understand Sylvia prompt a road trip based on self-discovery...and a surprising new romance. But will Rosa be able to solve the dilemma of her identity?
384 pages, Audible Audio
First published September 5, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
August 13, 2017
When I first heard about this book I was actually very excited to read it. When I saw it on NetGalley I had just watched both Criminal (2016) and Self/Less (2015) two movies with the same exact same concept and both strangely staring Ryan Reynolds. Similar to those movies, this book is about a girl who gets her brain transplanted into another body and then things start to happen. So, I figure that since those movies didn’t totally suck, and that their concept was cool, I would want to read a YA contemporary about it, because why not.
In the end, I was kinda disappointed with what I got.
When Rosa, a girl with a nerve disease that rendered her a quadriplegic get her brain transplanted into the body of a brain dead girl named Sylvia, she goes on a search to find what makes a person a person. Is it just the body? Is it the mind? Is it the soul, and if so, where does that lie? Also, is there anything left of Sylvia in the body Rosa now inhabits?
To answer these, Rosa goes on a journey of self-discovery to find out about Sylvia’s past and her own future. Along the way, crazy things happen and love begins to bloom. Some parts of it were nice, some parts of it seemed slightly unrealistic. I admit, I was not a huge fan of the writing and the romance felt a little forced. Really, I think the book could have done without it.
Also, I feel like this book took a turn. I wanted it to focus a bit more on the effects of the transplant, in a physical and psychological way. I wanted more reaction from Rosa and those around her. I wanted a little less romance. Still, I didn't hate this novel.
Ok, so time for me to make some slightly controversial statements.
There are people complaining that there wasn’t enough information on the disease and the way the transplant went on. Personally, I prefer it. I want to read a contemporary, not a medical journal. Sure, I would have wanted some specifics but not to the point that people are demanding.
There are a lot of people complaining that this book implies that Rosa had no life due to her being disabled. They say that this is ableism (discrimination in favor of able-bodied people) and that it suggests that Rosa would not have had any opportunities while in her condition. Let’s be clear, I am not an ableist. I have never discriminated against someone for any condition that they may have. That said, if you are a quadriplegic teenage girl, there isn’t much you can do. The opportunities for her were very little and that’s just a sad reality. So, yes, she now gets to actually stand up and see the world, and have a new life. One with more opportunities than she would have. It’s not saying that people with disabilities can’t be happy and have lives. It’s stating the fact that there is a lot more that you can do when you aren’t completely paralyzed in your entire body, as Rosa was.
So, why am I defending a book that I rated only two stars? Well, because this book barely held my interest. At times I was into it, but mostly I was entirely out of it. It took me weeks to finish this book, when usually I read books in 2-3 days, tops. Sometimes, when a book is just that good, I’ll read it all in one sitting. This wasn’t one of those books. That’s why I gave it two stars. Not because I saw it as an ableist novel, or whatever.
**I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**
In the end, I was kinda disappointed with what I got.
When Rosa, a girl with a nerve disease that rendered her a quadriplegic get her brain transplanted into the body of a brain dead girl named Sylvia, she goes on a search to find what makes a person a person. Is it just the body? Is it the mind? Is it the soul, and if so, where does that lie? Also, is there anything left of Sylvia in the body Rosa now inhabits?
To answer these, Rosa goes on a journey of self-discovery to find out about Sylvia’s past and her own future. Along the way, crazy things happen and love begins to bloom. Some parts of it were nice, some parts of it seemed slightly unrealistic. I admit, I was not a huge fan of the writing and the romance felt a little forced. Really, I think the book could have done without it.
Also, I feel like this book took a turn. I wanted it to focus a bit more on the effects of the transplant, in a physical and psychological way. I wanted more reaction from Rosa and those around her. I wanted a little less romance. Still, I didn't hate this novel.
Ok, so time for me to make some slightly controversial statements.
There are people complaining that there wasn’t enough information on the disease and the way the transplant went on. Personally, I prefer it. I want to read a contemporary, not a medical journal. Sure, I would have wanted some specifics but not to the point that people are demanding.
There are a lot of people complaining that this book implies that Rosa had no life due to her being disabled. They say that this is ableism (discrimination in favor of able-bodied people) and that it suggests that Rosa would not have had any opportunities while in her condition. Let’s be clear, I am not an ableist. I have never discriminated against someone for any condition that they may have. That said, if you are a quadriplegic teenage girl, there isn’t much you can do. The opportunities for her were very little and that’s just a sad reality. So, yes, she now gets to actually stand up and see the world, and have a new life. One with more opportunities than she would have. It’s not saying that people with disabilities can’t be happy and have lives. It’s stating the fact that there is a lot more that you can do when you aren’t completely paralyzed in your entire body, as Rosa was.
So, why am I defending a book that I rated only two stars? Well, because this book barely held my interest. At times I was into it, but mostly I was entirely out of it. It took me weeks to finish this book, when usually I read books in 2-3 days, tops. Sometimes, when a book is just that good, I’ll read it all in one sitting. This wasn’t one of those books. That’s why I gave it two stars. Not because I saw it as an ableist novel, or whatever.
**I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**
February 27, 2018
This is a really difficult one to review. To be honest, I didn't like the book that much. I can't call it a bad book, but it certainly wasn't a good book either. I really loved the summary, a book about a girl who gets a full brain transplant looked like an amazing and probably very emotional story. But, it actually wasn't that emotional.
I did like the first half of the book. This part focused on the part before Rosa's brain surgery and her recovery process. It was really nice to read about such a difficult topic and it felt very realistic. It must be so hard to wake up in a completely new body and I'm glad the author didn't rush this process too much. The second part of the story focused more on her learning to love her new body and coming to terms with the fact that she lives in a body that once belonged to a girl with a totally different life. Before I started this book I thougt that I would be loving that part, but it was just so different from what I expected it too be. It felt weird and a bit fake, like the author had a difficult time imaging how a real girl would react I a situation like this.
I loved the side characters more than the two main characters, I think they were really good and really realistic. Especially the brother is such a complete cutie. He knows exactly what his sister needs and really is her light in the darkness. Sometimes you just need someone who gives you the much needed reality check even in the darkest times. And he really is the best in doing that. The parents acted like every parent would react in a situation like this. Rosa herself who is a very strong girl but isn't very brave when you talk about social interactions suddenly seems a bit recited in the second part of the book. She just started acting out of character a bit too much for me to find it believably. I understand a surgery like that is completely life-changing, it was just a bit too much.
I'm a romance addict, but the romance part in this book just felt unnecessary for me. It was a bit rushed and felt too fake. She really doesn't know the guy for that long and I would think that a girl who has been cut of from society for such a long time and isn't even over the fact that she lives in a new body would be a bit more hesitant to trow herself into a relationship like that. I get the fact that she craves a for a bit of love (other that the love she receives of her family). I wouldn't have missed it if they just stayed friends.
Overall it was a decent book and I don't regret reading it, it just missed some depth.
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I did like the first half of the book. This part focused on the part before Rosa's brain surgery and her recovery process. It was really nice to read about such a difficult topic and it felt very realistic. It must be so hard to wake up in a completely new body and I'm glad the author didn't rush this process too much. The second part of the story focused more on her learning to love her new body and coming to terms with the fact that she lives in a body that once belonged to a girl with a totally different life. Before I started this book I thougt that I would be loving that part, but it was just so different from what I expected it too be. It felt weird and a bit fake, like the author had a difficult time imaging how a real girl would react I a situation like this.
I loved the side characters more than the two main characters, I think they were really good and really realistic. Especially the brother is such a complete cutie. He knows exactly what his sister needs and really is her light in the darkness. Sometimes you just need someone who gives you the much needed reality check even in the darkest times. And he really is the best in doing that. The parents acted like every parent would react in a situation like this. Rosa herself who is a very strong girl but isn't very brave when you talk about social interactions suddenly seems a bit recited in the second part of the book. She just started acting out of character a bit too much for me to find it believably. I understand a surgery like that is completely life-changing, it was just a bit too much.
I'm a romance addict, but the romance part in this book just felt unnecessary for me. It was a bit rushed and felt too fake. She really doesn't know the guy for that long and I would think that a girl who has been cut of from society for such a long time and isn't even over the fact that she lives in a new body would be a bit more hesitant to trow herself into a relationship like that. I get the fact that she craves a for a bit of love (other that the love she receives of her family). I wouldn't have missed it if they just stayed friends.
Overall it was a decent book and I don't regret reading it, it just missed some depth.
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September 14, 2017
Wow. This was really thought provoking. I hurt for Rosa. I understood her. I hurt for Sylvia's family. I hurt for Joe. I hurt for Elliot.I hurt for everyone in this book. . .except maybe Jane. This book pulled on my emotions so hard and it really made me think a lot. I highly recommend this book.
June 13, 2022
This was a 'done and dusted in a day' book for me. It was captivating, intriguing and had so much human condition element, I truly enjoyed it. A lot of ethical questions surface, a lot of what if's and I think the author did a great job and tackling this sensitive story from all ends. Really enjoyed it.
May 26, 2017
She, Myself, and I follows 18-year-old Rosa, the first ever recipient of a full-body transplant. Rosa suffers from a terminal nerve disease that’s controlled her life since elementary school. While the surgery involves months of rehab, it’s her only hope to not only survive, but to live the life she never would’ve had otherwise. In the months of adjusting to her new body, Rosa becomes obsessed with the girl whose body has become hers. Her journey to discover more about Sylvia leads her on a journey of self-discovery as well. Rosa must learn who she is in this new body and make peace with what she’s gone through to live.
I was initially intrigued by the premise of this story and the psychological drama. What makes a person? Our brains? Our souls? Our bodies? Rosa grapples with this throughout the novel, and it makes for a really compelling read. Rosa is incredibly descriptive of her surroundings, in part, I feel, because she’s spent so much of her life unable to go out in the world and interact with people. She sees the world in a unique way that was really enjoyable to read.
Rosa’s search to find out more about Sylvia’s past was completely understandable, despite the fact that her doctors and her parents encourage her to move forward. I enjoyed the road trip aspect of the story, although I did find it somewhat unbelievable that she’d run away with Ethan, a journalist she meets in the park across from the hospital. I wasn’t completely sold on her romance with Ethan, but I enjoyed their relationship. Ethan is a well-developed character who loves other people’s stories, so it’s understandable that he’d be interested in Rosa despite not knowing the truth of her situation.
Although I personally enjoyed the book, I believe it could be problematic for disabled readers. Because the story focuses mostly on Rosa’s life after the surgery, we don’t get a good representation of her life with a terminal nerve disease. Because the story gives her a new lease on life, it implies that living with her disability meant that Rosa couldn’t have a meaningful life. Additionally, I didn’t feel I had a good grasp of who Rosa was before she winds up in Sylvia’s body. There wasn’t enough medical information to the story, in that we don’t really know much about the progression of Rosa’s disease or the first-ever full-body transplant surgery. I think the story could’ve been more compelling if it had focused more on Rosa’s past; at the same time, the ablest ideas—that living in a disabled body is inherently awful—would be even more pronounced if we had more of Rosa’s past.
Ultimately, while I personally was able to enjoy the book, I can’t fully recommend it, particularly to anyone with a disability or chronic illness. While an able-bodied reader might be able to enjoy Rosa’s identity journey, I don’t feel that we particularly need any more stories about able-bodied people, or that we need miraculous recovery stories for disabled characters. I’m giving this 3 stars for the writing and storytelling, but I honestly don’t feel good about recommending this book.
I was initially intrigued by the premise of this story and the psychological drama. What makes a person? Our brains? Our souls? Our bodies? Rosa grapples with this throughout the novel, and it makes for a really compelling read. Rosa is incredibly descriptive of her surroundings, in part, I feel, because she’s spent so much of her life unable to go out in the world and interact with people. She sees the world in a unique way that was really enjoyable to read.
Rosa’s search to find out more about Sylvia’s past was completely understandable, despite the fact that her doctors and her parents encourage her to move forward. I enjoyed the road trip aspect of the story, although I did find it somewhat unbelievable that she’d run away with Ethan, a journalist she meets in the park across from the hospital. I wasn’t completely sold on her romance with Ethan, but I enjoyed their relationship. Ethan is a well-developed character who loves other people’s stories, so it’s understandable that he’d be interested in Rosa despite not knowing the truth of her situation.
Although I personally enjoyed the book, I believe it could be problematic for disabled readers. Because the story focuses mostly on Rosa’s life after the surgery, we don’t get a good representation of her life with a terminal nerve disease. Because the story gives her a new lease on life, it implies that living with her disability meant that Rosa couldn’t have a meaningful life. Additionally, I didn’t feel I had a good grasp of who Rosa was before she winds up in Sylvia’s body. There wasn’t enough medical information to the story, in that we don’t really know much about the progression of Rosa’s disease or the first-ever full-body transplant surgery. I think the story could’ve been more compelling if it had focused more on Rosa’s past; at the same time, the ablest ideas—that living in a disabled body is inherently awful—would be even more pronounced if we had more of Rosa’s past.
Ultimately, while I personally was able to enjoy the book, I can’t fully recommend it, particularly to anyone with a disability or chronic illness. While an able-bodied reader might be able to enjoy Rosa’s identity journey, I don’t feel that we particularly need any more stories about able-bodied people, or that we need miraculous recovery stories for disabled characters. I’m giving this 3 stars for the writing and storytelling, but I honestly don’t feel good about recommending this book.
February 17, 2018
I really enjoyed this, which surprised me for some reason -- possibly because it's not my usual kind of genre. Full review to follow once I've had some lunch.
-- Full review -- Will also appear on Miriam Joy Reads --
Ha, so that took slightly longer than planned. But then I realised if I didn't write a review soon I'd forget everything about the book and be unable to write one, and that would be a shame, because I actually enjoyed this a lot. More than I expected to, for some reason, although I'm not sure why my expectations were so low -- possibly because I don't read a huge amount of contemporary? Although this isn't exactly straightforward contemporary. Modern medicine isn't quite at the stage of brain transplants, although we're getting closer every day, so I guess there's a slightly speculative aspect to this.
Anyway, this is about a girl with a degenerative nerve disease whose brain is transplanted into the body of a coma patient. It explores some pretty big themes, as you can imagine: what are you prepared to do to stay alive? What makes you you, and can you still be yourself when you look completely different? How do you know if people like you for yourself or for the body you happen to be wearing?
And, of course, once you bring theology into the question it becomes more complicated. Is it ethical to perform an operation like this, and what happens to the souls of both patients?
You can imagine, then, that the book is quite heavy. But it's actually not. It manages to keep the tone relatively light, and while I'm not exactly the best judge of books that talk about dying (look. I exist in a permanent state of terror about mortality and am very easily triggered into yet another existential crisis, I handle the thought of death very badly), I never felt like it went too dark.
I also really, really loved Rosa's brother Elliot. He's irreverent, sometimes inappropriate, and not afraid to say things like they are -- but he's also amazing. He cares so much. He manages to be unexpectedly philosophical. He knows how to make Rosa feel better when nobody else can. And he's just super awesome. Like, I'm a sucker for great sibling relationships, and this one in particular got to me.
I have to admit, I didn't really understand Rosa's decision to go off on a road trip with Joe, an aspiring journalist she meets in the park outside the hospital. I get that she needs answers about the girl whose body she now has; anyone would. But running away from hospital just seems like a ridiculous idea when you've had major surgery, especially with someone you barely know. I mean, come on, if you're going to go on a road trip, do it with your awesome brother!
(There was also romance with Joe, and I didn't object to it as much as I thought I might, mostly because it did serve to underline the broader questions of identity and what it means to have someone else's body, but it might have worked just as well without.)
I enjoyed the writing style, though I'm not sure there was particularly anything unusual about it. It just managed not to annoy me, and I've read too many books with an annoying writing style lately, so I guess I'm more easily pleased than sometimes.
I've seen a few reviews were people have suggested that perhaps the central conceit of the novel is ableist: was Rosa's life not worth living because she was paralysed? Isn't it inherently problematic to say she needs a 'healthy' body to live her best life? I have to admit, I didn't think about that while reading. But that's mostly because it seemed to me that her disease was literally killing her, and that this was a last resort to avoid certain death that would otherwise occur before too long. I'm not paralysed in any way, and I can't speak for the representation on that front, though I feel slightly bad that it didn't occur to me to consider it earlier, but I didn't read it as 'disabled person has to become abled to be happy' -- I read it as 'dying person does what's necessary to Not Die', which is quite a different story.
On the whole, though, I found it enjoyable, and compulsive, and a distraction from all the things I was supposed to be reading for uni. It was probably a 3.5* read, but I'm going to be nice and round up.
-- Full review -- Will also appear on Miriam Joy Reads --
Ha, so that took slightly longer than planned. But then I realised if I didn't write a review soon I'd forget everything about the book and be unable to write one, and that would be a shame, because I actually enjoyed this a lot. More than I expected to, for some reason, although I'm not sure why my expectations were so low -- possibly because I don't read a huge amount of contemporary? Although this isn't exactly straightforward contemporary. Modern medicine isn't quite at the stage of brain transplants, although we're getting closer every day, so I guess there's a slightly speculative aspect to this.
Anyway, this is about a girl with a degenerative nerve disease whose brain is transplanted into the body of a coma patient. It explores some pretty big themes, as you can imagine: what are you prepared to do to stay alive? What makes you you, and can you still be yourself when you look completely different? How do you know if people like you for yourself or for the body you happen to be wearing?
And, of course, once you bring theology into the question it becomes more complicated. Is it ethical to perform an operation like this, and what happens to the souls of both patients?
You can imagine, then, that the book is quite heavy. But it's actually not. It manages to keep the tone relatively light, and while I'm not exactly the best judge of books that talk about dying (look. I exist in a permanent state of terror about mortality and am very easily triggered into yet another existential crisis, I handle the thought of death very badly), I never felt like it went too dark.
I also really, really loved Rosa's brother Elliot. He's irreverent, sometimes inappropriate, and not afraid to say things like they are -- but he's also amazing. He cares so much. He manages to be unexpectedly philosophical. He knows how to make Rosa feel better when nobody else can. And he's just super awesome. Like, I'm a sucker for great sibling relationships, and this one in particular got to me.
I have to admit, I didn't really understand Rosa's decision to go off on a road trip with Joe, an aspiring journalist she meets in the park outside the hospital. I get that she needs answers about the girl whose body she now has; anyone would. But running away from hospital just seems like a ridiculous idea when you've had major surgery, especially with someone you barely know. I mean, come on, if you're going to go on a road trip, do it with your awesome brother!
(There was also romance with Joe, and I didn't object to it as much as I thought I might, mostly because it did serve to underline the broader questions of identity and what it means to have someone else's body, but it might have worked just as well without.)
I enjoyed the writing style, though I'm not sure there was particularly anything unusual about it. It just managed not to annoy me, and I've read too many books with an annoying writing style lately, so I guess I'm more easily pleased than sometimes.
I've seen a few reviews were people have suggested that perhaps the central conceit of the novel is ableist: was Rosa's life not worth living because she was paralysed? Isn't it inherently problematic to say she needs a 'healthy' body to live her best life? I have to admit, I didn't think about that while reading. But that's mostly because it seemed to me that her disease was literally killing her, and that this was a last resort to avoid certain death that would otherwise occur before too long. I'm not paralysed in any way, and I can't speak for the representation on that front, though I feel slightly bad that it didn't occur to me to consider it earlier, but I didn't read it as 'disabled person has to become abled to be happy' -- I read it as 'dying person does what's necessary to Not Die', which is quite a different story.
On the whole, though, I found it enjoyable, and compulsive, and a distraction from all the things I was supposed to be reading for uni. It was probably a 3.5* read, but I'm going to be nice and round up.
March 1, 2019
Çok gerçek dışı. Acayip. Değişik.😐
June 18, 2017
I received an ARC of She, Myself, & I from BookCon and while I am exceptionally thankful for that, it in no way affects my review.
I wanted to love this book. From the minute I read the summary, I knew I had to get my hands on it, and my friend and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time during BookCon to grab an ARC. I guess the only book I could possibly compare it to is that Meg Cabot novel about the girl who has her brain placed inside the body of a celebrity. This is nothing like that.
Rosa is in many ways a typical teenager. Her brother is simultaneously annoying and a best friend; she has friends online across the world she'll probably never meet in real life; her parents hover a little too much. But she's also been diagnosed with a real, debilitating, terminal illness. Her independence has slowly been taken away by this neurological disorder that isn't ever named (so far as I know) and the specifics of which remain vague. Still, it's shown that the longer it progresses, the less Rosa has a chance at life.
Until tragedy strikes, and one family is losing their teenage daughter. But for Rosa, this means she might get to live.
I love how She, Myself, & I addressed so many questions that there aren't really answers to--ethical, spiritual, physical. One brain, one body--so is it all Rosa? Is anything left of the dead girl? As painful as it was, I loved that struggle, because it made it feel so much more real. Rosa's questioning her own soul, what it means now that all that's left of her old self is her brain.
While the ideas and themes were great, the writing just didn't do it for me. The dialogue was fairly bland and the writing was quick, simplistic, and not very descriptive. The romance felt a little forced for me, less insta-love and more like Rosa picked the best out of all of her options and simply went for it. I didn't feel much chemistry between them, and honestly thought it would have been more interesting had they remained simply friends. The book didn't particularly need the romance; it didn't improve from it, and Rosa is already dealing with so many other changes I feel like the focus should have remained on them.
There were a few other plot points that fell flat for me, but I won't mention them because I don't want to give out any spoilers. That's because I know there will be people who love this book more than I did. I really want to read more of Emma Young's writing in the future because I can see the potential here and feel like her perfect book for me simply hasn't been written yet.
I probably won't go around recommending this book, but I'll certainly hand it off to someone else so they'll have the chance to read it.
I wanted to love this book. From the minute I read the summary, I knew I had to get my hands on it, and my friend and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time during BookCon to grab an ARC. I guess the only book I could possibly compare it to is that Meg Cabot novel about the girl who has her brain placed inside the body of a celebrity. This is nothing like that.
Rosa is in many ways a typical teenager. Her brother is simultaneously annoying and a best friend; she has friends online across the world she'll probably never meet in real life; her parents hover a little too much. But she's also been diagnosed with a real, debilitating, terminal illness. Her independence has slowly been taken away by this neurological disorder that isn't ever named (so far as I know) and the specifics of which remain vague. Still, it's shown that the longer it progresses, the less Rosa has a chance at life.
Until tragedy strikes, and one family is losing their teenage daughter. But for Rosa, this means she might get to live.
I love how She, Myself, & I addressed so many questions that there aren't really answers to--ethical, spiritual, physical. One brain, one body--so is it all Rosa? Is anything left of the dead girl? As painful as it was, I loved that struggle, because it made it feel so much more real. Rosa's questioning her own soul, what it means now that all that's left of her old self is her brain.
While the ideas and themes were great, the writing just didn't do it for me. The dialogue was fairly bland and the writing was quick, simplistic, and not very descriptive. The romance felt a little forced for me, less insta-love and more like Rosa picked the best out of all of her options and simply went for it. I didn't feel much chemistry between them, and honestly thought it would have been more interesting had they remained simply friends. The book didn't particularly need the romance; it didn't improve from it, and Rosa is already dealing with so many other changes I feel like the focus should have remained on them.
There were a few other plot points that fell flat for me, but I won't mention them because I don't want to give out any spoilers. That's because I know there will be people who love this book more than I did. I really want to read more of Emma Young's writing in the future because I can see the potential here and feel like her perfect book for me simply hasn't been written yet.
I probably won't go around recommending this book, but I'll certainly hand it off to someone else so they'll have the chance to read it.
June 19, 2018
Can I put this in the sci-fi section? Because come on - brain transplant? The book is exploring the areas that are really alien to most people. I don't think it was a good medium to showcase the struggle of people who get donor organs.
At least the lovestory was kind of cute. At times. The best part of the book was Elliot. But he was maybe too perfect? Can it be possible?
At least the lovestory was kind of cute. At times. The best part of the book was Elliot. But he was maybe too perfect? Can it be possible?
March 8, 2018
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Eighteen year old Rosa is dying and the only way to save her life is to transplant her brain into a donor body. Sylvia, also eighteen, has been in a coma since she fell into a frozen reservoir trying to rescue a friend and was submerged for 42 minutes. After Sylvia is pronounced brain dead her parents agree to donate her body to save Rosa but who is Rosa when she wakes up in a new body? She believes people will think she is Frankenstein's monster and begins a journey trying to resolve her frightening issues of identity, love and the meaning of life with the help of her brother, Elliott, and her new friend, Joe.
Thought provoking and compelling, reading this book will leave you emotionally wrung out but clutching at the straw of hope that all will work out well for Rosa in the end. Highly recommended.
Eighteen year old Rosa is dying and the only way to save her life is to transplant her brain into a donor body. Sylvia, also eighteen, has been in a coma since she fell into a frozen reservoir trying to rescue a friend and was submerged for 42 minutes. After Sylvia is pronounced brain dead her parents agree to donate her body to save Rosa but who is Rosa when she wakes up in a new body? She believes people will think she is Frankenstein's monster and begins a journey trying to resolve her frightening issues of identity, love and the meaning of life with the help of her brother, Elliott, and her new friend, Joe.
Thought provoking and compelling, reading this book will leave you emotionally wrung out but clutching at the straw of hope that all will work out well for Rosa in the end. Highly recommended.
October 26, 2017
I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK
February 7, 2018
After reading the blurb of 'She, Myself and I' by Emma Young, I was immediately interested.
18 year old Londoner, Rosa suffers from a terminal nerve disease. She uses a voice activated wheelchair and has been told that she will not survive for long. 18 year old Sylvia Johnson, is in a coma in a hospital in Boston. Declared brain dead, her parents make the heart wrenching decision to switch off her life support machine and donate her body to a new experiment that will see the first ever brain transplant.
This is, in my opinion, a fascinating idea for a story, just because it's amazing to me that we are at the scientific stage of actually being able to make it a reality. Despite this, there's quite a bit of controversy flying around in the reviews for this book about whether there should have been more reference to the scientific procedure and whether the writer has suggested that a disabled life isn't one worth living. Obviously, this isn't the case and I don't think the writer, in any way, suggested that this is an option for anyone facing or living in the same way as Rosa. Having said this, I am incredibly fortunate and I am able-bodied so I read this novel from that perspective.
The opening chapters I thought were brilliant, I was immediately hooked and felt all the angst, anxiety and worry that Rosa felt before her surgery. Having said that, there is, granted, a very quick transition from the surgery to Rosa being back on her feet and being able to sprint down a Louisiana street.
It raised some huge issues: who actually are we? Does our body make us, us? Can you transfer a soul to another body just by moving the brain? Does your outward appearance define who you are? Is it right for humans to play God? These are all questions that I'm fascinated with anyway, but I thought it was a clever to tackle these in a YA novel.
The only thing that really disappointed me about this book was the romance element. I'm guessing here, but if you had just had major surgery, surgery that had never been conducted before and had meant that you were essentially learning to speak, walk, move, think in a world that you had been locked out of during your recovery from the surgery, which is months, I think the last thing you'd encounter would be a love interest. For me, this cheapened the story and it slipped too much into a generic, teenage love story that it kinda put me off continuing to read the book. It just seemed so typical that the boy of her dreams just happens to be conveniently sat in the hospital park and he immediately want to talk to her. I hate that forced convention of romance at the best of times and it was so unnecessary here. I'm glad I did continue to read because Young pulls it back towards the end and begins to raise some more interesting questions about how you would move forward and conduct life after that experience. I'm just disappointed the romance was introduced in the first place, because, to be honest, it really cheapened Rosa's experience and character for me.
I think in some cases you can run a romance alongside another major plot line, but here I don't think it works. What does work though, is Rosa's internal voice, the relationship with her brother, her family, her new body and the doctors and nurses around her. There was a lot here that I thoroughly enjoyed, just a part of me thinks that you could have done a little more with such a great idea.
One thing that I'm guessing won't be an issue for the later editions, was that in my copy, the formatting of the text was so confusing. Some dialogue was all one line making it difficult to determine who was speaking and to who, and sentences were split onto different lines marking it hard to follow the text. It was quite distracting from the story and I've not experienced it in any other ARC copy I have read on my kindle.
A big thank you to Netgalley, Emma Young and Stripes Publishing for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
18 year old Londoner, Rosa suffers from a terminal nerve disease. She uses a voice activated wheelchair and has been told that she will not survive for long. 18 year old Sylvia Johnson, is in a coma in a hospital in Boston. Declared brain dead, her parents make the heart wrenching decision to switch off her life support machine and donate her body to a new experiment that will see the first ever brain transplant.
This is, in my opinion, a fascinating idea for a story, just because it's amazing to me that we are at the scientific stage of actually being able to make it a reality. Despite this, there's quite a bit of controversy flying around in the reviews for this book about whether there should have been more reference to the scientific procedure and whether the writer has suggested that a disabled life isn't one worth living. Obviously, this isn't the case and I don't think the writer, in any way, suggested that this is an option for anyone facing or living in the same way as Rosa. Having said this, I am incredibly fortunate and I am able-bodied so I read this novel from that perspective.
The opening chapters I thought were brilliant, I was immediately hooked and felt all the angst, anxiety and worry that Rosa felt before her surgery. Having said that, there is, granted, a very quick transition from the surgery to Rosa being back on her feet and being able to sprint down a Louisiana street.
It raised some huge issues: who actually are we? Does our body make us, us? Can you transfer a soul to another body just by moving the brain? Does your outward appearance define who you are? Is it right for humans to play God? These are all questions that I'm fascinated with anyway, but I thought it was a clever to tackle these in a YA novel.
The only thing that really disappointed me about this book was the romance element. I'm guessing here, but if you had just had major surgery, surgery that had never been conducted before and had meant that you were essentially learning to speak, walk, move, think in a world that you had been locked out of during your recovery from the surgery, which is months, I think the last thing you'd encounter would be a love interest. For me, this cheapened the story and it slipped too much into a generic, teenage love story that it kinda put me off continuing to read the book. It just seemed so typical that the boy of her dreams just happens to be conveniently sat in the hospital park and he immediately want to talk to her. I hate that forced convention of romance at the best of times and it was so unnecessary here. I'm glad I did continue to read because Young pulls it back towards the end and begins to raise some more interesting questions about how you would move forward and conduct life after that experience. I'm just disappointed the romance was introduced in the first place, because, to be honest, it really cheapened Rosa's experience and character for me.
I think in some cases you can run a romance alongside another major plot line, but here I don't think it works. What does work though, is Rosa's internal voice, the relationship with her brother, her family, her new body and the doctors and nurses around her. There was a lot here that I thoroughly enjoyed, just a part of me thinks that you could have done a little more with such a great idea.
One thing that I'm guessing won't be an issue for the later editions, was that in my copy, the formatting of the text was so confusing. Some dialogue was all one line making it difficult to determine who was speaking and to who, and sentences were split onto different lines marking it hard to follow the text. It was quite distracting from the story and I've not experienced it in any other ARC copy I have read on my kindle.
A big thank you to Netgalley, Emma Young and Stripes Publishing for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 2, 2018
This novel is my first read for 2018!
I find this book pretty interesting. The storyline, for me, is completely unique and something that I haven't read before. My curiosity led me to start 2018 with this book.
The story is about Rosa Marchant, an eighteen-year-old girl from London who traveled with her family to Boston for a surgery. She's quadriplegic and about to have a second shot at life through an operation that will transfer her brain to another girl's body. Sylvia, a girl from Massachusetts, is brain dead and her parents agreed to donate her body and give Rosa that second chance at life. Rosa woke up months after the surgery, with an increasing obsession and fascination for the girl who gave her body, what her life was and what kind of person she was. Every time she looks in the mirror, she's plagued with an overwhelming sense of not being real. Rosa's having some identity crisis and hopes that she can make peace with herself by knowing who Sylvia was. So comes a journey of self-discovery and acceptance for a girl who only had a brain left and a borrowed body.
I would not say that this book is one of the best books I have ever read. Yes, the writing's okay, the characters are well-written and the plot is well-thought off. But it's not completely extraordinary in the sense that it's mind-boggling. No. For me, what pulled me in and made me truly enjoy this book is the main character herself, Rosa.
I don't know why but I feel this sense of connection with her. Maybe it's empathy or something else but I really liked her. I just can't really express how much I look up to this character. Rosa is young but she had definitely faced one of the hardest things imaginable. Imagine taking that leap, your brain with all its memories, all thoughts, all laughter, all those defining things that make you who you are, being transplanted to a completely different and foreign body. What are the odds of surviving and making it through? How likely would it be for the body to reject you? Reject your brain? For me, that would've felt unnerving but Rosa was such a brave girl. Deciding to go through with the surgery and just you know, taking the chance to fight for your happiness, to fight for another shot at life even if death might be the consequence. That is why I absolutely adore the main character. It took a lot of courage and accepting of her, mentally and physically but she made it.
I'm happy with how the story went. I may have teared up a little. I just wish that the story kind of delve deeper into the things concerning the surgery and the psychological aspect of it more. The identity crisis was hard to read but I enjoyed it.
I highly recommend this book for anyone!
I find this book pretty interesting. The storyline, for me, is completely unique and something that I haven't read before. My curiosity led me to start 2018 with this book.
The story is about Rosa Marchant, an eighteen-year-old girl from London who traveled with her family to Boston for a surgery. She's quadriplegic and about to have a second shot at life through an operation that will transfer her brain to another girl's body. Sylvia, a girl from Massachusetts, is brain dead and her parents agreed to donate her body and give Rosa that second chance at life. Rosa woke up months after the surgery, with an increasing obsession and fascination for the girl who gave her body, what her life was and what kind of person she was. Every time she looks in the mirror, she's plagued with an overwhelming sense of not being real. Rosa's having some identity crisis and hopes that she can make peace with herself by knowing who Sylvia was. So comes a journey of self-discovery and acceptance for a girl who only had a brain left and a borrowed body.
I would not say that this book is one of the best books I have ever read. Yes, the writing's okay, the characters are well-written and the plot is well-thought off. But it's not completely extraordinary in the sense that it's mind-boggling. No. For me, what pulled me in and made me truly enjoy this book is the main character herself, Rosa.
I don't know why but I feel this sense of connection with her. Maybe it's empathy or something else but I really liked her. I just can't really express how much I look up to this character. Rosa is young but she had definitely faced one of the hardest things imaginable. Imagine taking that leap, your brain with all its memories, all thoughts, all laughter, all those defining things that make you who you are, being transplanted to a completely different and foreign body. What are the odds of surviving and making it through? How likely would it be for the body to reject you? Reject your brain? For me, that would've felt unnerving but Rosa was such a brave girl. Deciding to go through with the surgery and just you know, taking the chance to fight for your happiness, to fight for another shot at life even if death might be the consequence. That is why I absolutely adore the main character. It took a lot of courage and accepting of her, mentally and physically but she made it.
I'm happy with how the story went. I may have teared up a little. I just wish that the story kind of delve deeper into the things concerning the surgery and the psychological aspect of it more. The identity crisis was hard to read but I enjoyed it.
I highly recommend this book for anyone!
November 21, 2017
Okay, first off, I had a hard time caring about this book because I totally fundamentally believe exactly one thing about brain transplants: you're still YOU. End of story. So for Rosa to be so namby-pamby, "who AM I zomgggg???" was really annoying because I already had a firm opinion about the matter. Moving past that, let's talk about how non-sequiturial the ENTIRE plot was, when you view it through Joe's lens: "hello random strange boy, you and I just saw a man who was following me. Whaaaaaaat, his daughter looked just like me? Feigned surprise...but hey, how 'bout you drive out to her hometown so I can get to know more about this rando girl who looks like me because OF COURSE THAT MAKES SENSE." ???????????? Joe, do you really want to get laid THAT badly?? Then, let's address the Occam's Razor scenario. You've just had major brain surgery. You start experiencing dizziness, blackouts, and disorientation. Do you think it's a) something to do with that major surgery/various medications you're on, or b) the dead departed spirit of the girl whose body you're inhabiting? If you picked A, congratulations! You heard hoofbeats and thought horse, not vengeful teen ghost.
In conclusion, none of the plot makes sense and I skimmed a majority of the book because Rosa's a narcissistic, self-centered bitch (and the writing's not particularly great, either). The growth she shows at the end doesn't make up for how shitty she was to everyone throughout the story.
In conclusion, none of the plot makes sense and I skimmed a majority of the book because Rosa's a narcissistic, self-centered bitch (and the writing's not particularly great, either). The growth she shows at the end doesn't make up for how shitty she was to everyone throughout the story.
September 3, 2022
I expected this book to be really emotional but it let me down which is a shame. Fantastic concept but not very well executed unfortunately
June 20, 2020
I never put disclaimers, but I am putting one right now because this book has a lot of love surrounding it, a lot of good ratings, but this is about to be a very controversial opinion.
also, *SPOILERS*
The first few pages of this book had me completely hooked on everything characters and story on the setting I love it all and then the surgery happened and Honestly I was bored out of my mind until the extreme end of this book and I still didn't love it. And to be completely honest the first however many pages maybe the first 70 was actually SO good I would have given it a 4 to 5 star rating easy, but I can't believe how quickly this book got boring to me I couldn't believe that the surgery had happened so quickly and was over so fast and how I seemed to just be reading about her "new life" and just seemingly random events that to me meant absolutely nothing and her life decisions from here on out but feel like the whole "loving yourself" part was not there until the very end of the book, like I said, this is a controversial opinion, there are a lot of people who like this book and I would have given it 4 or 5 stars definitely in the beginning, but I just can't give anything higher than a 2 because I was practically waiting for it to be over and I didn't like reading any of it except for the first seventy-ish pages and the last page of the book. This book is gonna be 2 stars for me.
also, *SPOILERS*
The first few pages of this book had me completely hooked on everything characters and story on the setting I love it all and then the surgery happened and Honestly I was bored out of my mind until the extreme end of this book and I still didn't love it. And to be completely honest the first however many pages maybe the first 70 was actually SO good I would have given it a 4 to 5 star rating easy, but I can't believe how quickly this book got boring to me I couldn't believe that the surgery had happened so quickly and was over so fast and how I seemed to just be reading about her "new life" and just seemingly random events that to me meant absolutely nothing and her life decisions from here on out but feel like the whole "loving yourself" part was not there until the very end of the book, like I said, this is a controversial opinion, there are a lot of people who like this book and I would have given it 4 or 5 stars definitely in the beginning, but I just can't give anything higher than a 2 because I was practically waiting for it to be over and I didn't like reading any of it except for the first seventy-ish pages and the last page of the book. This book is gonna be 2 stars for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2017
This book was very... strange to me. I really wanted to like it, but it honestly disappointed me in many ways.
This book explores Rosa after she receives a brain transplant so that she now has the body of a different girl. It's a very unique premise and that's one of the reason I was excited when I got approved for the e-galley. Rosa is lost - wondering if she's still her or if Sylvia, her donor, and the original owner of the body she now inhabits, is a part of her that she'll never be able to shake.
"What will I become? If I fall in love or strike a person, will she be doing the loving or hitting, or me? If I sleep with someone, without her consent, could it classify as abuse?"
First off, if you're looking for a book that features a main character with a disability, I suggest venturing elsewhere. There's barely any mention of her life pre-Sylvia.
Yes, I know that the blurb mentions that she gets a new body, but I figured we'd get some information about what state she'd been in before. Instead, there were vague mentions of a "nerve disease" and it seemed like from the first few pages that she was quadriplegic (although she mentions moving her hand slightly?). But after that, she gets the surgery, and there is barely any mention of whatever condition she had. (Of course, the blurb does mention that she's quadriplegic, but it's missing from the actual book).
This is forgivable to an extent, since I gleaned from the blurb that the book wouldn't be about her illness anyway. The real thing that ruined the book for me was the main character and her reckless, dangerous decisions that put her in harm's way time, after time, after time.
This girl clearly had no regard for anything but her "mission". With her new body, she visits the town and friends of her donor and interacts with them, not considering what kind of pain that would put them through. She leaves her hospital, where she was not discharged, without telling her family where she was going, and runs off with this guy she barely knows (though the romance was swoony - we'll get to that later) and doesn't consider her own safety.
I'd call her selfish, but she didn't really care about her mental well-being either. The doctors specifically warn her that finding out a bunch of details about the donor would mess with her psychosis. Does she care? Not really. When she gets dizzy spouts and faints, does she tell her doctors? Nope. [SPOILER: This is apparently explained as side effects of her medication later on, rather than the mental trauma she put herself through but she a) didn't know this at the time and wanted to keep exploring and b) didn't even fully believe it once she found out. END OF SPOILER]
Two things made this book somehwhat enjoyable for me: the ending and the romance.
As I said before, the romance was pretty sweet. Joe is a cute guy, a nice guy, a bit of a pushover, but he really cares about Rosa's well-being. He's also a writer, a journalist to be specific, and I thought that was very cute as well.
The ending helped to salvage this book for me. For the majority of the story, Rosa makes reckless, impulsive, and dangerous decisions, but in the end she finally seems to learn how to think things through. I found myself enjoying the last 15% of this novel, as she starts to make amends with Joe, her family, and herself.
I'm sad that I couldn't enjoy this book. Not only that, but it's pretty forgettable. I'm writing this review just days after finishing, and it took me a while to remember the character names. Unfortunately, despite my hopes, She, Myself, and I, just wasn't for me, and I don't recommend it.
September 12, 2017
This story is amazing.
It's such a unique concept, but realistic too. It's hard to imagine a brain transplant but it's definitely a possibility for the future. Since other organs can be transplanted into a new body, why not a brain too?
The complications from this kind of surgery are fascinating as well. Not only does Rosa have to adjust to having a new body and a completely new face, the families of both Rosa and Sylvia have to adjust as well. It's easier for some more than others.
Many parts of this story reminded me of Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon. Rosa must stay in the hospital to recover from the surgery, until she meets a boy... It wouldn't be a YA book without a little romance.
Though this book isn't a thriller, some parts were so chilling that it made my heart pound. Just the idea of waking up from surgery with a new face and body is so hard to imagine. But that's the magic of reading: living through things that are almost unbelievable.
This is a great novel. I definitely recommend it.
I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for a review.
It's such a unique concept, but realistic too. It's hard to imagine a brain transplant but it's definitely a possibility for the future. Since other organs can be transplanted into a new body, why not a brain too?
The complications from this kind of surgery are fascinating as well. Not only does Rosa have to adjust to having a new body and a completely new face, the families of both Rosa and Sylvia have to adjust as well. It's easier for some more than others.
Many parts of this story reminded me of Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon. Rosa must stay in the hospital to recover from the surgery, until she meets a boy... It wouldn't be a YA book without a little romance.
Though this book isn't a thriller, some parts were so chilling that it made my heart pound. Just the idea of waking up from surgery with a new face and body is so hard to imagine. But that's the magic of reading: living through things that are almost unbelievable.
This is a great novel. I definitely recommend it.
I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for a review.
March 9, 2018
We spend our whole lives unintentionally committing ourselves to memory. We study the curve of our bodies, the shape of our faces, the dimple in our cheeks, that slightly crooked tooth or the moles we have dotted about our skin. We like some of them, so much so we probably wouldn’t give them up lightly, but others we might swap gladly. But whether we like what we see, or not, the person we see looking back at us in the mirror is who “me” is. So imagine, and really genuinely try to imagine, that the next time you look into that same mirror it’s like looking across a sink in a bathroom at a stranger washing their hands across from you. You don’t know the way their hair flops to one side all the time which gets on their nerves, you don’t know about that scar on their knee from when they fell off their bikes and you definitely don’t know what makes them “them”. Would you want to? Would you trade places? Would you still be “me” if your brain was in their body?
That’s pretty much Rosa’s dilemma now. Because after suffering from the age of seven from symptoms of a seriously damaging and debilitating nerve disease, Rosa has been selected for a breakthrough surgery which sees her brain being put into the head of another girls body. Sylvia.
The author of this book has so artfully handled some really mind blowing questions, largely about our identities to ourselves but also about how people identify us, or with us. There is so much more to us than the body we carry ourselves in.
I loved Rosa, her voice was the perfect blend of sarcasm, vulnerability and fight that I just love to read about. Her journey is pretty weird - I mean she’s going to find out about the dead girl whose body she’s so fortunate to live in (mind blowing again!). But the thought processes, questions and possibilities of such a thing are what makes this book so brilliant.
This is a book about identity. But it is also so much more than that. An easy book to recommend.
ARC provided free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
That’s pretty much Rosa’s dilemma now. Because after suffering from the age of seven from symptoms of a seriously damaging and debilitating nerve disease, Rosa has been selected for a breakthrough surgery which sees her brain being put into the head of another girls body. Sylvia.
The author of this book has so artfully handled some really mind blowing questions, largely about our identities to ourselves but also about how people identify us, or with us. There is so much more to us than the body we carry ourselves in.
I loved Rosa, her voice was the perfect blend of sarcasm, vulnerability and fight that I just love to read about. Her journey is pretty weird - I mean she’s going to find out about the dead girl whose body she’s so fortunate to live in (mind blowing again!). But the thought processes, questions and possibilities of such a thing are what makes this book so brilliant.
This is a book about identity. But it is also so much more than that. An easy book to recommend.
ARC provided free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 5, 2018
WHAT. This book had such a unique and strange premise that I just had to check it out. It definitely wasn’t what I expected, but I ended up really enjoying it.
Pros:
- Rosa seemed realistic... because she was super stubborn and she didn’t go along with everything everyone else wanted her to.
- Elliot is hilarious. He’s definitely my favorite character.
- Benches.
- The ending wasn’t perfect....
- Rosa was 18, and in my opinion, she SEEMED like it. Sometimes she was childish, sometimes she acted too self-important, but she seemed realistic.
- Also THAT PREMISE THOUGH. Wut even.
Cons:
- Rosa’s mum was super annoying, and her dad was a pushover
- What even was the thing with her doctor? He was weird/creepy
- Some things were a little too simple and convenient
- There was very minimal plot
- It was a bit slow in the middle, mostly due to lack of plot
- Okay but the cons list has like nothing
- It was still fabulous trust me
Extra pro: the naked hardcover is SO gorgeous. *sigh* She Myself and I was just... very thought-provoking. Quite unlike anything I’ve read before.
Pros:
- Rosa seemed realistic... because she was super stubborn and she didn’t go along with everything everyone else wanted her to.
- Elliot is hilarious. He’s definitely my favorite character.
- Benches.
- The ending wasn’t perfect....
- Rosa was 18, and in my opinion, she SEEMED like it. Sometimes she was childish, sometimes she acted too self-important, but she seemed realistic.
- Also THAT PREMISE THOUGH. Wut even.
Cons:
- Rosa’s mum was super annoying, and her dad was a pushover
- What even was the thing with her doctor? He was weird/creepy
- Some things were a little too simple and convenient
- There was very minimal plot
- It was a bit slow in the middle, mostly due to lack of plot
- Okay but the cons list has like nothing
- It was still fabulous trust me
Extra pro: the naked hardcover is SO gorgeous. *sigh* She Myself and I was just... very thought-provoking. Quite unlike anything I’ve read before.
September 1, 2018
As her body fails her, Rosa prepared to have her brain transplanted into a new body, the body of a dead girl, Sylvia after her brain died in an accident but her body was left in a working order.
Dealing with the two collisions, her mind in the other girl's body, she meets Joe who helps her to accept and understand who Sylvia was and realise she deserves a chance to live after all without having to feel guilty nor wonder whom the strange guy is following her around or if the press are into her case being the first in future brain transplants a pioneering thing...
It was a book which really was serious but in a good way. We see how it's so much to cope with as you see a girl struggle with her identity due to unforeseen circumstances she never asked for at all. The drama and situation was full on and seeing her try and cope with all the changes showed how strong teens can be facing huge medical operations.
Dealing with the two collisions, her mind in the other girl's body, she meets Joe who helps her to accept and understand who Sylvia was and realise she deserves a chance to live after all without having to feel guilty nor wonder whom the strange guy is following her around or if the press are into her case being the first in future brain transplants a pioneering thing...
It was a book which really was serious but in a good way. We see how it's so much to cope with as you see a girl struggle with her identity due to unforeseen circumstances she never asked for at all. The drama and situation was full on and seeing her try and cope with all the changes showed how strong teens can be facing huge medical operations.
December 22, 2017
The subject of this book was very unique and intriguing. A medical condition that is deteriorating Rose’s body but a brain transplant that could save her? You have my attention.
Rose had a short childhood before her disease took control of her life. She is completely immobile and confined to a wheelchair. Her brother is always at her side but it doesn’t help the loneliness of companionship for friends.
In Boston Rose’s dreams of having a normal life could be achieved by getting a new body, by means through a brain transplant. Rose goes for the surgery and wakes up in her body. But as her life moves forward without any ailments, she wonders who the person was that had this body before her?
Thus begins Rose’s adventure of finding information on her donor. The book was very interesting and well informed on the science aspect. Young did a wonderful job at the psychological part of having a brain transplant and the surgery itself. I didn’t feel like I was being led astray, it felt genuinely real.
Rose was a strong character who didn’t hesitate to live longer, even if it meant a risky surgery. She jumped right into her new life after the surgery with no hesitation. Her brother was a great side character as was Joe. It was heartbreaking seeing everything Rose’s parents would do to let their daughter live a normal life. It was well written but I was wanting more closure at the end.
Should you read it? An enjoyable unique story that takes the impossible to reality.
Rose had a short childhood before her disease took control of her life. She is completely immobile and confined to a wheelchair. Her brother is always at her side but it doesn’t help the loneliness of companionship for friends.
In Boston Rose’s dreams of having a normal life could be achieved by getting a new body, by means through a brain transplant. Rose goes for the surgery and wakes up in her body. But as her life moves forward without any ailments, she wonders who the person was that had this body before her?
Thus begins Rose’s adventure of finding information on her donor. The book was very interesting and well informed on the science aspect. Young did a wonderful job at the psychological part of having a brain transplant and the surgery itself. I didn’t feel like I was being led astray, it felt genuinely real.
Rose was a strong character who didn’t hesitate to live longer, even if it meant a risky surgery. She jumped right into her new life after the surgery with no hesitation. Her brother was a great side character as was Joe. It was heartbreaking seeing everything Rose’s parents would do to let their daughter live a normal life. It was well written but I was wanting more closure at the end.
Should you read it? An enjoyable unique story that takes the impossible to reality.
April 22, 2018
An engaging and involving read courtesy of Lovereading4kids in return for an honest review. I genuinely found myself connecting with Rosa, she is a fully realised character we meet at the time of her experimental surgery to transplant her brain into the body of a girl who is brain dead.
Having fallen in a reservoir at temperatures that effectively kept her in a perfect, hypothermic state, Sylvia is almost the right age and build for Rosa's brain to be given to.
The story itself shows how Rosa comes to terms with her 'Frankenstein's daughter' body (her mother is the doctor who pushed for this procedure), her connection to Sylvia, how everyone around her copes and Rosa's struggle with the concept of 'just because we can, should we?' elements of science. Is she a secret from the world or a gift of hope?
It is a really well told story that I was grateful to have the opportunity to read.
Suitable for older readers due to subject/mild swearing/short sex scene
Having fallen in a reservoir at temperatures that effectively kept her in a perfect, hypothermic state, Sylvia is almost the right age and build for Rosa's brain to be given to.
The story itself shows how Rosa comes to terms with her 'Frankenstein's daughter' body (her mother is the doctor who pushed for this procedure), her connection to Sylvia, how everyone around her copes and Rosa's struggle with the concept of 'just because we can, should we?' elements of science. Is she a secret from the world or a gift of hope?
It is a really well told story that I was grateful to have the opportunity to read.
Suitable for older readers due to subject/mild swearing/short sex scene
June 18, 2024
too freaky!! also pretty much every 18 year old has an identity crisis so who had the genius plan a teenager would be a good candidate for a full body transplant
April 23, 2025
emotsionaalne ja sügav, käsitles mitmeid teemasid
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October 14, 2017This novel was..... interesting. The concept is really good and I was intrigued because of it. An experimental brain transplant? Rosa gets a whole new body?! Could that even work?!? It is more than understandable that Rosa would want to know who Sylvia is, what her life was like and who Rosa is now, but I wanted to know so much more about what was going on.
Three major things stood out for me as I read. Firstly, I wish we got to find out more about what Rosa's nerve disease was, a bit more backstory on how she got to the point of needing a miracle, and a bit more understanding of how the transplant happened (I'm a bit of an anatomy geek so I kept thinking about how difficult it must be to transplant only the brain and what that would entail). Secondly, I really enjoyed the road trip aspect of the book, especially since it makes sense that Rosa would want to go out and discover the world around her, but I found it a bit unrealistic that she would run off with someone she barely knows. That being said, I thought their relationship was cute but better suited for a friendship than a romance.
Lastly, I got the impression that Rosa felt that she had no life and no opportunity because she was disabled. The full-body transplant is always referred to as a new lease on life, or that her life is just starting, but what we know about Rosa's disease is that it first showed signs at 10 and it progresses till she's 18. As we don't find out a lot of information of what life was like for Rosa pre-transplant, there is a slight implication that she had no life because she was disabled.
At the end of the day, it was an interesting but slightly weird read, based on a really interesting idea.
Three major things stood out for me as I read. Firstly, I wish we got to find out more about what Rosa's nerve disease was, a bit more backstory on how she got to the point of needing a miracle, and a bit more understanding of how the transplant happened (I'm a bit of an anatomy geek so I kept thinking about how difficult it must be to transplant only the brain and what that would entail). Secondly, I really enjoyed the road trip aspect of the book, especially since it makes sense that Rosa would want to go out and discover the world around her, but I found it a bit unrealistic that she would run off with someone she barely knows. That being said, I thought their relationship was cute but better suited for a friendship than a romance.
Lastly, I got the impression that Rosa felt that she had no life and no opportunity because she was disabled. The full-body transplant is always referred to as a new lease on life, or that her life is just starting, but what we know about Rosa's disease is that it first showed signs at 10 and it progresses till she's 18. As we don't find out a lot of information of what life was like for Rosa pre-transplant, there is a slight implication that she had no life because she was disabled.
At the end of the day, it was an interesting but slightly weird read, based on a really interesting idea.
September 4, 2017
Having to watch a child's life transition from one of never-ending promise and light into the creeping and unrelenting darkness of shadows is the very skeleton that worst nightmares are made of. Desperation has sent a London family across the pond to the brilliant medical minds of Boston, where they hope to find a solution to their problem. Rosa's parents are hopeful and optimistic even though they are at the end of their ropes; it is critical that they do everything they possibly can and leave no stone unturned in their efforts to save their daughter.
Rosa's body has been deteriorating since she was very young, but she did have a few years of a blessedly normal childhood before the robbing of her freedoms began. It almost makes it worse, being able to remember what it felt like to pedal a bike through the park or chase after an older brother. As a teenager she is completely immobile and confined to a wheelchair under the constant eye of her parents, and Rosa has been privy to each and every audacious betrayal of her body. Her brother provides a bit of welcome comic relief and familiarity, but he cannot take the place of the carefree friendship a best mate can provide, nor the tender kisses a relationship could bring. Rosa knows if she doesn't go through the with the surgery, she will have no future. She will have nothing.
But is it worth it? The medical team in Boston has what they believe to be the cure for all that ails her -- a new body. An actual new body. With medical advances allowing places around the world to transplant kidneys, hearts, arms, and even . . . heads, they feel confident that they can once again push the boundaries of science and transplant Rosa's brain into that of a new body, rendering her "whole" once again. Rosa keeps having these terrible thoughts. . . that of Frankenstein and his sad and twisted monster, and she cannot help but be terrified that even if her brain is kept intact, that some part of her will be lost in the transition from broken to repaired.
With no choices left, Rosa has to take the plunge. She has to allow this to happen -- or die. Putting her trust and faith in the team of doctors around her, she submits to their surgery.
As Rosa begins her new life in a new body, she can't help but wonder about the person who used to inhabit it. Is it really so easy, to fit her brain into another skull, suddenly attach her feelings to another's heart, breathe through foreign lungs, touch with hands previously used by someone else? Do all of these things now belong to her, free and clear? Is there such thing as a soul, and does the former inhabitant of this body still have some claim? Is Sylvia, the girl who had to die to Rosa could live, still lingering? Rosa's mind won't shut off and she finds herself caught in a sticky web of something almost like an obsession, not able to recognize herself in this new skin and fearful of the repercussions. Who was Sylvia before she died? Was she happy, did she love? Was she kind or was she a mean girl? What sort of adventures had this body had before Rosa was inserted inside of it? And can Rosa simply move on and live a life of normalcy, or will she forever be an invader in someone else's private space?
In an attempt to wrap her mind around present circumstances, Rosa sets out to find out everything she can about her donor. With the help of a handsome journalist, she road-trips to the town Sylvia grew up in, anxious to weave her way into the places and people that helped mold the person who gave her life for hers. But it's complicated -- Sylvia is dead and no one knows about the transplant, not to mention Rosa is legally forbidden to initiate any contact with Sylvia's mourning family. Unfortunately for Rosa, being able to move on with her life depends on knowing Sylvia from the outside-in, and so she throws caution to the wind and embarks upon an adventure of her own.
She, Myself, and I is the new novel by Emma Young, an award-winning journalist and author. While diving into the mind of a self-conscious and emotional teenage girl cannot be easy, I found that the author slipped into Rosa's brain accurately and with the restraint that I would expect from a young lady who's accepted that she was doomed to a life of nothingness, but then is given the chance of a lifetime. Rosa held back much of her emotions in a way that spoke to me, in that I felt at times that Rosa was afraid to embrace her panic and trepidation at the surgery and results, so she kept her feelings in check with as much control as she could muster. She almost seemed to shrink even further into herself, and with no medical precedent to truly help her navigate her complicated beliefs and feelings (and that of those around her), Rosa felt very much alone.
Despite that, I rate She, Myself, and I a 3 out of 4 stars. Reading that the author is well-versed in science and technology, as well as an expert in psychology, I was expecting. . . more. The transplant surgery in itself is extraordinary and revolutionary, and while I did not expect (nor want) a ton of science, I did expect more of an explanation on some aspects. Because Rosa was so shut off from her feelings, almost as if she was afraid a dam would break if she delved too deep, a lot of the plot around the surgery felt flat and one-dimensional. I also felt as if the author could have pushed more -- more into the romantic relationship between Rosa and the journalist, more into the relationships between Rosa and her family, and definitely more into the relationships between Sylvia and HER friends/family. Rosa struck out on the trip to find answers, but I feel as if she returned with just as many questions. The closure was not complete for me, and a lot of the dialogue felt hollow.
All in all, I would recommend She, Myself, and I to readers 15+ due to some sexual content and mature situations.
Rosa's body has been deteriorating since she was very young, but she did have a few years of a blessedly normal childhood before the robbing of her freedoms began. It almost makes it worse, being able to remember what it felt like to pedal a bike through the park or chase after an older brother. As a teenager she is completely immobile and confined to a wheelchair under the constant eye of her parents, and Rosa has been privy to each and every audacious betrayal of her body. Her brother provides a bit of welcome comic relief and familiarity, but he cannot take the place of the carefree friendship a best mate can provide, nor the tender kisses a relationship could bring. Rosa knows if she doesn't go through the with the surgery, she will have no future. She will have nothing.
But is it worth it? The medical team in Boston has what they believe to be the cure for all that ails her -- a new body. An actual new body. With medical advances allowing places around the world to transplant kidneys, hearts, arms, and even . . . heads, they feel confident that they can once again push the boundaries of science and transplant Rosa's brain into that of a new body, rendering her "whole" once again. Rosa keeps having these terrible thoughts. . . that of Frankenstein and his sad and twisted monster, and she cannot help but be terrified that even if her brain is kept intact, that some part of her will be lost in the transition from broken to repaired.
With no choices left, Rosa has to take the plunge. She has to allow this to happen -- or die. Putting her trust and faith in the team of doctors around her, she submits to their surgery.
As Rosa begins her new life in a new body, she can't help but wonder about the person who used to inhabit it. Is it really so easy, to fit her brain into another skull, suddenly attach her feelings to another's heart, breathe through foreign lungs, touch with hands previously used by someone else? Do all of these things now belong to her, free and clear? Is there such thing as a soul, and does the former inhabitant of this body still have some claim? Is Sylvia, the girl who had to die to Rosa could live, still lingering? Rosa's mind won't shut off and she finds herself caught in a sticky web of something almost like an obsession, not able to recognize herself in this new skin and fearful of the repercussions. Who was Sylvia before she died? Was she happy, did she love? Was she kind or was she a mean girl? What sort of adventures had this body had before Rosa was inserted inside of it? And can Rosa simply move on and live a life of normalcy, or will she forever be an invader in someone else's private space?
In an attempt to wrap her mind around present circumstances, Rosa sets out to find out everything she can about her donor. With the help of a handsome journalist, she road-trips to the town Sylvia grew up in, anxious to weave her way into the places and people that helped mold the person who gave her life for hers. But it's complicated -- Sylvia is dead and no one knows about the transplant, not to mention Rosa is legally forbidden to initiate any contact with Sylvia's mourning family. Unfortunately for Rosa, being able to move on with her life depends on knowing Sylvia from the outside-in, and so she throws caution to the wind and embarks upon an adventure of her own.
She, Myself, and I is the new novel by Emma Young, an award-winning journalist and author. While diving into the mind of a self-conscious and emotional teenage girl cannot be easy, I found that the author slipped into Rosa's brain accurately and with the restraint that I would expect from a young lady who's accepted that she was doomed to a life of nothingness, but then is given the chance of a lifetime. Rosa held back much of her emotions in a way that spoke to me, in that I felt at times that Rosa was afraid to embrace her panic and trepidation at the surgery and results, so she kept her feelings in check with as much control as she could muster. She almost seemed to shrink even further into herself, and with no medical precedent to truly help her navigate her complicated beliefs and feelings (and that of those around her), Rosa felt very much alone.
Despite that, I rate She, Myself, and I a 3 out of 4 stars. Reading that the author is well-versed in science and technology, as well as an expert in psychology, I was expecting. . . more. The transplant surgery in itself is extraordinary and revolutionary, and while I did not expect (nor want) a ton of science, I did expect more of an explanation on some aspects. Because Rosa was so shut off from her feelings, almost as if she was afraid a dam would break if she delved too deep, a lot of the plot around the surgery felt flat and one-dimensional. I also felt as if the author could have pushed more -- more into the romantic relationship between Rosa and the journalist, more into the relationships between Rosa and her family, and definitely more into the relationships between Sylvia and HER friends/family. Rosa struck out on the trip to find answers, but I feel as if she returned with just as many questions. The closure was not complete for me, and a lot of the dialogue felt hollow.
All in all, I would recommend She, Myself, and I to readers 15+ due to some sexual content and mature situations.
January 1, 2020
Look, I usually love a YA because they’re an easy read and I like knowing what the teenzzz are reading. This was bad, I didn’t like the way time passed in the book, I thought the protagonist was kind of an asshole. Like not outwardly but a lot of her thought patterns I was like... okay you’re the worst. This was a slogggg.
June 21, 2021
Benim için çok ilgi çekici bir konusu vardı, bir başkasının bedeninde sadece beyniyle var olmak. Rosa’nın düşünceleri ile sorgulamaları benim de gerçekten böyle bişey olsa nasıl olurdu diye sorgulamama neden oldu. Güzel bir roman, bilimsel olarak ne kadar olası bilmesem de mucizevi bir şey. Severek okudum
May 30, 2021
Emma Youngi poolt kirjutatud raamat “Tema, mina ise ja mina” meeldis mulle väga. Aga oma arvamuse põhjal annan sellele raamatule neli tähte viiest. Kohe kui olin raamatu tagumise kaanel olevat lühitutvustust lugenud olin raamatust huvitatud ning raamatu lugemist aitas kaasa minu ema, kes oli seda varem lugenud ja ütles et see on väga hea raamat.
See raamat ajas mind nutma, tekitas tundeid, pani mind mõtlema ning tekitas tahtmise edasi lugeda. Raamatus on tegemist eneseotsingud ja kerge armastusega. Peateglane Rosa otsib iseennast ja soovib leida vastuseid oma küsimustele ning samal ajal leiab otsingutel oma esimese armastuse.
Loomulikult kõige huvitavam osa oli see, kus kahest tüdrukust tehti üks. Rosa, kellel oli tetrapleegia ehk neljajäsemehalvatus, aju siirdatakse Sylvia, kellel on ajusurm, kehasse ning neist saab nüüd üks isik. Doonorkeha idee on imeline ja arvata võib, et see lahendab kõik mured. Inimene, kes varem ei saanud ennast liigutada, saaks endale uue keha, millega ta saab teha asju, mida varem ei saanud. Aga arvatavasti see nii ei ole ning seda oli Rosa pealt näha. Rosal tekkis hivu Sylvia vastu, kelle keha ta endale sai. Ta tahtis teada, et milline Sylvia oli, mis talle meeldis/ei meeldinud, mis Sylvia huvid olid, jne.
Mis mulle aga ei meeldinud oli loo romantiline osa. Rosa kohtub haigla pargis ühe poisiga, kelle nimi on Joe ning kes on ajakirjanik. Joe'd huvitavad inimese elulood, eriti need, mis on uskumatud ja erilised. Joe’il tekkis huvi Rosa vastu ning tahtis teda tundma õppida. Rosa aga ei tohtinud rääkida peaaju siirdamise ja enda uue keha kohta midagi. Nende vahel tekkis väikene sõprus ning Joe aitas Rosal haiglast põgeneda ning minna otsima ja mõistma Sylviat ja leida vastust muudele Rosat piinavatele küsimustele seose Sylviaga.
Kõik oli siiamaani hea. Ma sain aru, miks Rosa oli nii lihtsalt nõus minema Joe’iga, kes oli tegelikult täiesti võõras talle, tripile avastama ja mõistma Sylviat. Mida mina ei mõistnud oli see, et miks autor nägi põhjust tekitada romantiline suhe nende kahe vahele? Esiteks nad tundsid üksteist väga vähest aega, vaid mõned päevad enne tripile minekut ja see trip kestis ka ainult mõned päevad. Võib vaielda, et Rosa oli siiski 18-aastane neiu, kellel ei olnud varem romantilisi ega seksuaalseid suhteid, mis tõttu veetes aega Joega, kes näeb tema sisemist ilu ja mitte Sylvia ilusat keha, armub ta Joe’sse. Aga kas see on loogiline? Ning miks armus Joe Rosasse? Sellele mina põhjust ei leidnud. Kui mõelda, et Rosa on 18-aastane neiu, kellel ei ole varem olnud romantilisi ega seksuaalseid suhteid ning enamus oma elust on ta voodis või haiglas veetnud, kas ta siis just ei oleks valmis nii kiiresti armuma ja minema seksuaalsesse vahekorda?
Igatahes on raamat hea ning ma soovitan seda raamatut igale vanusele. Raamat sobib inimestele, kes tahavad ennast leida või avastada uusi asju.
See raamat ajas mind nutma, tekitas tundeid, pani mind mõtlema ning tekitas tahtmise edasi lugeda. Raamatus on tegemist eneseotsingud ja kerge armastusega. Peateglane Rosa otsib iseennast ja soovib leida vastuseid oma küsimustele ning samal ajal leiab otsingutel oma esimese armastuse.
Loomulikult kõige huvitavam osa oli see, kus kahest tüdrukust tehti üks. Rosa, kellel oli tetrapleegia ehk neljajäsemehalvatus, aju siirdatakse Sylvia, kellel on ajusurm, kehasse ning neist saab nüüd üks isik. Doonorkeha idee on imeline ja arvata võib, et see lahendab kõik mured. Inimene, kes varem ei saanud ennast liigutada, saaks endale uue keha, millega ta saab teha asju, mida varem ei saanud. Aga arvatavasti see nii ei ole ning seda oli Rosa pealt näha. Rosal tekkis hivu Sylvia vastu, kelle keha ta endale sai. Ta tahtis teada, et milline Sylvia oli, mis talle meeldis/ei meeldinud, mis Sylvia huvid olid, jne.
Mis mulle aga ei meeldinud oli loo romantiline osa. Rosa kohtub haigla pargis ühe poisiga, kelle nimi on Joe ning kes on ajakirjanik. Joe'd huvitavad inimese elulood, eriti need, mis on uskumatud ja erilised. Joe’il tekkis huvi Rosa vastu ning tahtis teda tundma õppida. Rosa aga ei tohtinud rääkida peaaju siirdamise ja enda uue keha kohta midagi. Nende vahel tekkis väikene sõprus ning Joe aitas Rosal haiglast põgeneda ning minna otsima ja mõistma Sylviat ja leida vastust muudele Rosat piinavatele küsimustele seose Sylviaga.
Kõik oli siiamaani hea. Ma sain aru, miks Rosa oli nii lihtsalt nõus minema Joe’iga, kes oli tegelikult täiesti võõras talle, tripile avastama ja mõistma Sylviat. Mida mina ei mõistnud oli see, et miks autor nägi põhjust tekitada romantiline suhe nende kahe vahele? Esiteks nad tundsid üksteist väga vähest aega, vaid mõned päevad enne tripile minekut ja see trip kestis ka ainult mõned päevad. Võib vaielda, et Rosa oli siiski 18-aastane neiu, kellel ei olnud varem romantilisi ega seksuaalseid suhteid, mis tõttu veetes aega Joega, kes näeb tema sisemist ilu ja mitte Sylvia ilusat keha, armub ta Joe’sse. Aga kas see on loogiline? Ning miks armus Joe Rosasse? Sellele mina põhjust ei leidnud. Kui mõelda, et Rosa on 18-aastane neiu, kellel ei ole varem olnud romantilisi ega seksuaalseid suhteid ning enamus oma elust on ta voodis või haiglas veetnud, kas ta siis just ei oleks valmis nii kiiresti armuma ja minema seksuaalsesse vahekorda?
Igatahes on raamat hea ning ma soovitan seda raamatut igale vanusele. Raamat sobib inimestele, kes tahavad ennast leida või avastada uusi asju.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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