* “The unfolding of this narrative is wonderful, and as the characters develop their friendship, readers will feel increasingly connected to them until the very end, which feels like it comes lamentably soon. . . . Middle grade readers who like realistic stories with interesting, complicated characters and difficult real-world problems are going to love this one. . . . Another heartrending home run for Sumner.”
Description
Two starred reviews!
From the acclaimed author of Roll with It comes a “winning, cathartic joy ride” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) of a middle grade novel about three kids with big diagnoses, bigger personalities, and one outrageous plan to team up and scam a wish-granting foundation.
Violet Marino doesn’t want sympathy. And she definitely doesn’t want friends. She just wants to play soccer and deal with the whole slowly-going-blind thing on her own terms.
Then she witnesses a boy choke on a hot dog at a hospital picnic. Enter Wyatt: dangerously charming and full of terrible ideas, especially for a kid with a newly transplanted heart. Add sharp-as-a-blade Noor, who is always armed with excellent snacks she can’t eat, thanks to chemo. Other than their illnesses, the three don’t have much in common—except for the fact that a wish-granting foundation keeps calling.
Ever the optimist, Wyatt has a plan: team up to game the foundation, even if it means faking friendship. One wish is fine, but three sick kids on three epic adventures? That’s history-making. The scheme starts off as a distraction. But soon the stakes feel real. Because when you finally let someone in, there’s more to lose.
Reviews
* “Sumner combines hard-won hope and biting humor in a striking novel . . . Organic, perceptive dialogue relays the fully realized protagonists’ fears and anxieties surrounding their health challenges and arrayed adolescent concerns, including crushes and future planning. Dynamic character interactions celebrate connection in the face of triumphs and hardships, culminating in a winning, cathartic joy ride.”
“Sumner hits the right bittersweet balance in this middle-grade novel about friendship and the unfair challenges of life.”
“Sumner’s middle-grade novel exudes a sense of joy in between the moments that make Vi, Wyatt, and Noor’s lives difficult. . . . Through exploring their varying family dynamics, Sumner portrays the support systems that exist beyond the sick child, ultimately showing that hardships can bring families closer together or drive them apart."
