Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic

Genre: Young Adult-Contemporary
Source: Checked out from Library
Series: No, Standalone

Buy It: The Dolphin Bookshop (Shop Indie!),  The Book Depository
Challenge: Free Reads, Debut Author Challenge 2012, 2012 Contemporary Challenge
First Line: "I had the dream again."

I had the dream again. The one where I’m running. I don’t know what from or where to, but I’m scared, terrified really. 

Austin Parker is never going to see his eighteenth birthday. At the rate he’s going, he probably won’t even see the end of the year. But in the short time he has left there’s one thing he can do: He can try to help the people he loves live—even though he never will. 

It’s probably hopeless. 

But he has to try.

      Never Eighteen is small.  Never Eighteen is short.  Never Eighteen packs a punch.  It only took me two days to read and would've taken a lot less time if I'd read it in one sitting but, I couldn't.  Never Eighteen was so thought provoking and emotional that you just can't read it straight through.
     The writing in this book wasn't all that special.  It was the story that was beautiful.  Megan Bostic doesn't write flowery prose or amazing cliffhangers; she tells an amazing story.  Austin, Kaylee, Jake, Suz, Mrs. Briggs, Peggy, and every other character in this book completely captured me.  Never Eighteen consists of so many different stories all wound into 204 tiny pages.  Megan Bostic managed to give each character a fair spotlight without over describing anyone or anything.  I feel like the story was just so perfect.  Every piece of the book fit together more fantastically than a puzzle. 
     Kaylee and Austin were completely and totally perfect for each other.  I was actually anticipating Austin telling Kaylee his true feelings just as much as he was.  I loved the chemistry between them and how they had been friends for nine years.  It really was just a cliché kind of relationship (friends don't want to tell each other how they really feel) but, Megan Bostic wrote their characters beautifully.  Every character in the book was dealing with their own issues but, still played a part in the Big Picture.  
     I also really liked how music played a part in the story, at least a little bit.  I can't wait to listen to the never eighteen playlist!  I really liked the idea behind the whole story and how the book played out.  Never Eighteen made me see some things a little differently.  It was definitely a tearjerker.  I was actually standing in the middle of Lowes when I read the ending (don't ask, lol!) or else I would've been crying.  I mean, Never Eighteen is a cancer book and the ending is completely inevitable but, it was just so beautiful and sad at the same time.  Megan Bostic really hit home.  
     I know that Never Eighteen had mixed reviews but, I completely connected to Austin and Kaylee.  I fell in love with every character in the book regardless of their flaws.  Kaylee and Austin were great together, as friends and as "something more" (no spoilers, I promise!) .  I feel like I can't even say everything that was so amazing about it.  Simply put, Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic was fantastic.  It's a book that everyone should read.


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