A Review in Which Kit Cries: The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen

By -
     



Good day, friends! Kit Heart here with a new review! I'll be talking about The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen. This book came into my possession by way of my cousin, and I'm not quite sure whether to thank her, or find a way to poison her food. The book was hard-hitting and beautifully written which is why-

                                                  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
       Five stars! I absolutely adored it, and wasn't quite sure what to do with myself when I finished it.

Ok. So, a quick summary before I launch into my pros and cons list. The book is about Jessica, a junior in high school with a promising track career ahead. When a tragic accident causes her to lose her leg, she's completely lost. In the story, she struggles to get back on her feet (oh, I'm so sorry about that pun) and find her new place in the race of life. 

     Pros
  • Jessica was just amazing. Her narration, her feelings, it all felt so real. From her breakdowns, and her anger, the way she recovered was accurate. She messed up, she got depressed, but she got back up. She didn't feel like pen and paper. She felt like someone I could just walk down the street and meet.
  • Friendships-SUCH GOOD FRIENDSHIPS. Fiona is Jessica's best friend, and a complete ray of sunshine. But will not take anything from no one. She knows when to be nice and when to be firm, and when to take her friend out to eat. 
  • The track team. They were all so nice, and friendly and felt like a family! I'm a track runner myself, and it felt so great to see the sport and it's teams and the way everything works represented to accurately!
  • The descriptions. My writing style includes making sure that the reader sees what the characters are experiencing, and Van Draanen captured it all perfectly. You could see the house, the school, and you could feel what Jessica was talking about when she described running, or her crush, or just how she felt about her dog! The emotion conveyed in every description was amazing. Just-I can't. I bawled.
Image result for disney sad gif


  • Have I talked about the dog? Jessica's dog is just perfection. 
  • The romance did not take over the story! Jessica didn't spend chapters obsessing over her crush, nor did anything revolve around it! The story was deep and had so much more to it!
  • Her family. They were so sweet, and real, and even her 13 year old sister who moves her thumbs more than the rest of her body was just so helpful through it all!
  • The dog. 
  • Did I mention the puppy?
  • THE ENTIRE BOOK WAS JUST PERFECT

             Cons
  • Uh.......
  • Wait. Let me think.
  • Ok. So some of the medical stuff was a bit beyond me?? But it doesn't really make the book unbearable (obviously) and if you slow down at those scenes, it does add dimension to the book (OK WAIT THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A CON.)
  • The beginning was a tad rushed?

       So, that pretty much sums it up. The book was relatable, and the writing was beautiful. I will definitely be reading more by the author. I recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind a good stab in the feels, and hope you guys will read it! Signing off, Kit!


                                               Wdut?
              Anyone else read this? Because if so-PLEASE COME AND FREAK OUT WITH ME!! Tell me what you think, and if you haven't read it, are you planning to? (You better.😑)





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Planning Fails

By -
Image
    When I opened this tab to start writing, it began to rain outside. It still is, right now, as I stare out the window, the sky is grey and water pours over the trees and roof. This is making me think about how, later this week, my family wants to go to the beach. I immediately hope our plans won't be ruined by the rain. And that leads us to today's post.    I am most definitely a TYPE A  person. I like things planned and under control, preferably under  my  control. I make lists and schedules and set reminders on my phone. (Don't let this make you think I'm organized, I'm really not.This actually tends to balance out with the fact that I'm also extremely forgetful, a bit chaotic and I tend to misplace things all the time). So when my plans get messed up, I get a little upset. Ok, a lot upset.    There are so many examples I can give. When I finished seventh grade, and a week before eight grade started, my parents had to make the in...
Read more

Why Should I Bother?

By -
Image
    I was fifteen, sitting on the cafeteria table during a summer camp I was working. Surrounded by other volunteers and a couple of the adult teachers. My best friend, who was working the camp with me, sat on a chair below. Somehow, we had switched subjects from the hilarity of the kids we were taking care of, to politics. One of the adult teachers was from Eastern Europe, with a heavy accent and a big smile. We had grown to like him pretty well. Yet he was the leader of a group of teenagers who were advocating for socialism in America, demeaning our government, and overall just spouting wrong information. I was floored, and my best friend made eye contact as if to ask ‘should we say something?’.     It can’t be lost on anyone that we’re faced with this sort of decision often in our country. A country of free speech, of opinions and change. I love living in a place where we can defend our opinions, speak up without fear. But sometimes, I find myself and others si...
Read more

Legendary (Review: WARNING SEQUEL AND SQUEALING AHEAD)

By -
Image
   Ok, so this review is a little out of place because I never reviewed the first one but I HAD TO because I love this book so much my heart shattered and is somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic. It's Legendary by Stephanie Garber (check out the post on our IG @thepageflippers) and is the sequel to Caraval . Here's the summary you get online for both ( just so you have an idea on what the first one is about and aren't completely lost. Totally not to remind myself.) Caraval:   Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their ruthless father. Now Scarlett's father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the legendary, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over. But this year, Scarlett's long-dreamt-of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor who she has just met, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soo...
Read more