Published: March 2014
Number of Pages: 336, Kindle Edition
Genre: Young Adult, Illness, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Romance,
Plot: When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, her prognosis is grim. To maximize the time she does have, she vows to spend her final months righting wrongs—however she sees fit. She convinces her friend Harvey, who she knows has always had feelings for her, to help her with a crazy bucket list that's as much about revenge (humiliating her ex-boyfriend and getting back at her archnemesis) as it is about hope (doing something unexpectedly kind for a stranger). But just when Alice's scores are settled, she goes into remission.
Now Alice is forced to face the consequences of all that she's said and done, as well as her true feelings for Harvey. But has she caused irreparable damage to the people around her—and to the one person who matters most?
Julie Murphy's Side Effects May Vary is a fearless and moving tour de force about love, life, and facing your own mortality. (Goodreads.com)
Personal Thoughts: This was not a book I entered into lightly, mostly because of TFIOS by John Green and how it ripped my heart out and broke it into a bazillion pieces! That being said... this book didn't do that to me. I did like it, but the main character, Alice, kind of drove me to the looney bin!
Alice, in this story, learns she has leukemia. She doesn't have long to live and treatments are rough on her. Typical cancer story - she's got a lot of things to tell people and she wants to fix some of the things in her life before she's gone for good. She enlists this guy, Harvey, who's been sweet on her for EVER to help complete this list and then, she goes into remission. The cancer is gone for now, she's not dying.
She has to face all that she's done over the last few months and deal with Harvey and his feelings too.... let's put it this way. I read the book in just two days. It's a quick read, a stand alone, and quite quirky.
Alice is a bitch, so prepare yourself for that... but I like reading about mean girls because I am personally not one! Ha! It was a nice change of pace for me between two series that I was reading!
Recommended Age Level: 16+
Rating: 3
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