Book: The Running Dream
Author: Wendelin Van Draanen
Genre: YA Fiction
Page Count: 336
Personal Rating: 3/5
Her life revolves around running; at home, at school... even in her dreams. So when sixteen year old Jessica Carlisle loses her leg in a fatal accident, she thinks her life is over. Though time passes slowly, Jessica eventually goes back to school, where she not only feels self-conscious and out of place, but also overwhelmed with the amount of schoolwork she's missed. With the help of her classmate Rosa, a girl with cerebral palsy, Jessica is not only passing math with flying colors, but she's also beginning to come to the realization that things might not be as bad as they seem.
Months go buy and Jessica gets back on her feet with a prosthetic leg, but running is still out of the question. How can she think about running when she can barley walk on her new leg? And on top of that, running legs cost over $20,000! With her parents drowning in hospital bills, there's no way Jessica could ever afford one. Her best friend Fiona, along with Gavin, Jessica's crush, and the rest of her school track team want nothing more than to see their teammate back on the track, but is it possible?
Reading this book was like taking a stab in the dark. I'd never heard of it (or the author) before, so I had no idea if it was worth reading or not, but I'm glad to say it was! From the first chapter of this book, I felt a personal connection. My best friend from high school was involved in an accident where she almost lost one of her limbs. It was traumatic for everyone involved, including myself, and her recovery process was similar to Jessica's. The way the author described Jessica's hospital stay, her first night home and her first days back to school were spot on. I could connect and relate to everything she said because I'd been there before, not as Jessica, but as her friend, Fiona.
My favorite character out of the entire novel is Rosa. To me, she indicates hope! She doesn't let her condition, cerebral palsy, hold her back, and she inspires Jessica to do the same, to be the best person she can be. I love how you can see Jessica's character grow the more she hangs around Rosa, and I love how dedicated Jessica becomes to helping people see Rosa for who she really is, not her condition!
Gavin, on the other hand, is my least favorite character. To me, he seemed fake. He never talked to Jessica before her accident, but all of a sudden when she goes back to school with a missing leg, he wants to talk and flirt with her? Jessica is afraid he's only hanging around because he feels sorry for her (which, of course, he denies) BUT THEN towards the end of the books, he ADMITS to Jessica that he only dated his ex girlfriend, Merryl (who's best friend, Lucy, died in the same accident Jessica lost her leg in) because he felt bad for her. So, to me, he just admitted that he's doing the same to Jessica.
All in all, this book was worth it! It's an easy read, fast paced, and inspirational. Some of the characters seemed underdeveloped (which was why I gave it a 3/5) but other than that, it was great.
Author: Wendelin Van Draanen
Genre: YA Fiction
Page Count: 336
Personal Rating: 3/5
Her life revolves around running; at home, at school... even in her dreams. So when sixteen year old Jessica Carlisle loses her leg in a fatal accident, she thinks her life is over. Though time passes slowly, Jessica eventually goes back to school, where she not only feels self-conscious and out of place, but also overwhelmed with the amount of schoolwork she's missed. With the help of her classmate Rosa, a girl with cerebral palsy, Jessica is not only passing math with flying colors, but she's also beginning to come to the realization that things might not be as bad as they seem.
Months go buy and Jessica gets back on her feet with a prosthetic leg, but running is still out of the question. How can she think about running when she can barley walk on her new leg? And on top of that, running legs cost over $20,000! With her parents drowning in hospital bills, there's no way Jessica could ever afford one. Her best friend Fiona, along with Gavin, Jessica's crush, and the rest of her school track team want nothing more than to see their teammate back on the track, but is it possible?
Reading this book was like taking a stab in the dark. I'd never heard of it (or the author) before, so I had no idea if it was worth reading or not, but I'm glad to say it was! From the first chapter of this book, I felt a personal connection. My best friend from high school was involved in an accident where she almost lost one of her limbs. It was traumatic for everyone involved, including myself, and her recovery process was similar to Jessica's. The way the author described Jessica's hospital stay, her first night home and her first days back to school were spot on. I could connect and relate to everything she said because I'd been there before, not as Jessica, but as her friend, Fiona.
My favorite character out of the entire novel is Rosa. To me, she indicates hope! She doesn't let her condition, cerebral palsy, hold her back, and she inspires Jessica to do the same, to be the best person she can be. I love how you can see Jessica's character grow the more she hangs around Rosa, and I love how dedicated Jessica becomes to helping people see Rosa for who she really is, not her condition!
Gavin, on the other hand, is my least favorite character. To me, he seemed fake. He never talked to Jessica before her accident, but all of a sudden when she goes back to school with a missing leg, he wants to talk and flirt with her? Jessica is afraid he's only hanging around because he feels sorry for her (which, of course, he denies) BUT THEN towards the end of the books, he ADMITS to Jessica that he only dated his ex girlfriend, Merryl (who's best friend, Lucy, died in the same accident Jessica lost her leg in) because he felt bad for her. So, to me, he just admitted that he's doing the same to Jessica.
All in all, this book was worth it! It's an easy read, fast paced, and inspirational. Some of the characters seemed underdeveloped (which was why I gave it a 3/5) but other than that, it was great.
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