Review by Booklist Review
Agnes has progeria, a rare disease that causes her body to age 10 times the normal rate. She's already surpassed her life expectancy and knows things won't be going well for much longer. When a mishap at school brings an old friend, Boone, back into the lives of Agnes and her best friend, Moira, the dynamics of the trio change as romantic feelings begin to surface. Using first-person narration, the chapters alternate between the three friends, offering insight into their individual struggles. Boone's stark home life, made worse by his mother's depression, stands in contrast to Moira's loving, carefree family. Yet, Moira battles with her body image and self-acceptance, in spite of her happy home. Most heartfelt, though, is Agnes, who refuses to be defined by her disease. Weight-obsessed Moira and Agnes' religious stepmother come off at times as caricatures, but readers who can look past these flaws will find a story of greater depth. Even though the narrative is counting down to Agnes' last days, the ending remains climactic and affecting.--Thompson, Sarah Bean Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up-Sophomores in high school, Agnes and Moira are a study in opposites. Agnes, tiny and delicate, has a terminal disease, while Moira, her best friend, is a towering pillar of strength and intimidation. She uses her assets to protect Agnes from the wrecking balls at school, aka fellow students. The countdown is on for Agnes. She doesn't know it, but as the story unfolds over 100 days, Agnes is dying. Before the teen dies, she and Moira rekindle a friendship with a boy named Boone. Four years earlier, the three misfits meshed well together until a fateful dodgeball tragedy. Agnes broke an arm when Moira fell on her after Boone tripped her. A horrified Moira refused to speak to Boone after the incident. Now in the spring of their sophomore year, Boone, a bear of a boy, could really use a friend. Dealing with the fallout of his abusive father's death and his mother's deep depression, Boone works hard keeping his life afloat. With her trademark spunk, Agnes helps bring Boone back into the fold, and both girls fall for Boone, but he only has eyes for Moira. Teens will empathize with the bucketloads of inner turmoil writhing within the three main characters, who have more than their fair share of challenges. Agnes, Moira, and Boone are likable, and readers will ache right along with the characters as they struggle with misunderstandings and preconceived notions. While the book is nearly 400 pages, the chapters are short, switching among the voices of the three characters. VERDICT Rife with compelling contemporary issues, this novel delivers a heartfelt story to a diverse readership. Recommended for most teen collections.-Mindy Hiatt, Salt Lake County Library Services © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
A shattered friendship between high schoolers Agnes, Moira, and Boone is pieced together as they share their struggles: Moira with body image and fat-shaming; Boone with his family's low income and his mother's spiraling depression; and Agnes, who suffers from progeria, with a short lifespan. The friendship-enmity-friendship path is predictable, but the rotating first-person narratives provide urgency and reflection as Agnes's death unsurprisingly approaches. (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
