Zoe and her best friend, Olivia, have always had big plans for the future, none of which included Olivia getting sick. Still, Zoe is determined to put on a brave face and be positive for her friend.
Even when she isn’t sure what to say.
Even when Olivia misses months of school.
Even when Zoe starts falling for Calvin, Olivia’s crush.
The one thing that keeps Zoe moving forward is knowing that Olivia will beat this, and everything will go back to the way it was before. It has to. Because the alternative is too terrifying for her to even imagine.
In this incandescent page-turner, which follows in the tradition of The Fault in Our Stars, Melissa Kantor artfully explores the idea that the worst thing to happen to you might not be something that is actually happening to you. Raw, irreverent, and honest, Zoe’s unforgettable voice and story will stay with readers long after the last page is turned.
Friendship is loyalty. Friendship is trust.
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Sometimes, life get’s hard.
Sometimes, we are dealt what we think are the worst cards only for them to end up much, much worse than so.
Sometimes, we have to deal.
Sometimes, I also read horribly depressing books and end up in these horrible funks that seem to go on for ages and I know now that I’ve finished Maybe One Day I’m going to be in one for a while, but this is bittersweet. Bittersweet, indeed.
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That’s what Maybe One Day is, bittersweet, and heartrendingly touching.
This book really opens your eyes to the sad, but sometimes beautiful, obstacles life throws at some very special people. I loved the feeling I had while reading this that there was an inseparable bond between Olivia and Zoe that not even death could tear at. This pair was so lovable and I loved how the apparent will to just live was so present between them. There was so much selfless love here and it had me crying more than once. I wanted to bundle both these girls in my arms and wish everything well, but I couldn’t, I couldn’t, I couldn’t.
Maybe One Day is not a love story. Yes, there’s romance and a beautifully supportive boy named Calvin who’s both parts understanding and gentle, and yes, he’s great for Zoe and Zoe is just lovely for him, but this is not a love story. Calvin and Zoe are a side story; another tale for another time. If you want a love story, one that rocks your world and makes you question life itself, wrong book, not what you’re here for.
You’re here for the life, the want to explore and the inability to all against a ticking clock.
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I tried to keep myself unattached from Maybe One Day. I’ve read The Fault in our Stars, If I Stay, The Book Thief, all the tear-jerking-worthy books you can name, and I knew how this would end. I knew it wouldn’t be good for my mind or my soul and I told myself to stay detached, but sometimes, unfortunately, that’s impossible, but it’s also, sometimes, a very good thing. Quoting one of my favorite Lumineers songs, ” it’s better to feel pain than nothing at all.”
I felt so much for this book. The tug and pull of friendship, the fight against cancer, the quarrels among the girls, the downfall of a family. There’s so, so much pain in this book, but there’s also so much depth and perspective.
Life is not perfect; not for anyone. There’s the constant state of a horribly dizzying roller coaster and the unexpected twists, turns, drops. There’s nothing we can do.
Sometimes life doesn’t need to be perfect for it to be worthwhile, and Melissa Kantor taught me that.
I want to keep this book forever in my heart and cherish it with all my might, and something tells me I will.
Read Maybe One Day because sometimes all we need is a little bit of hope.
Rating: 9/10
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