Book Review: Invincible by Amy Reed

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Invincible
Author: Amy Reed
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Realistic Fiction | Romance
Release Date: April 28th 2015
Review Source: Katherine Tegen Books

The Fault in Our Stars meets Go Ask Alice in this dramatic romance about a teenage girl who survives a terminal cancer diagnosis, only to get trapped in the deadly spiral of addiction. Fans of Gayle Forman and Sara Zarr will be swept away by this gritty romance, the first in a duology.

Evie is living on borrowed time. She was diagnosed with terminal cancer several months ago and told that by now she'd be dead. Evie is grateful for every extra day she gets, but she knows that soon this disease will kill her. Until, miraculously, she may have a second chance to live.

All Evie had wanted was her life back, but now that she has it, she feels like there's no place for her in it—at least, not for the girl she is now. Her friends and her parents still see her as Cancer Girl, and her boyfriend's constant, doting attention is suddenly nothing short of suffocating.

Then Evie meets Marcus. She knows that he's trouble, but she can't help falling for him. Being near him makes her feel truly, fully alive. It's better than a drug. His kiss makes her feel invincible—but she may be at the beginning of the biggest free fall of her life.

 

At first glance, I thought I was going to really love this book. The cover vaguely reminded me of the movie poster for “The Fault in our Stars” by John Green. Then I went to read the back cover to get a better understanding of the story before I assumed it was a TFIOS rip-off. Turns out the book is about a girl with terminal cancer who finds love. I decided to go into it with an open mind either way.

Disclaimer: THIS IS NOT TFIOS.

If you go into it with that mentality, you will be highly disappointed.

See, Evie has had nothing less than terminal cancer for about a year; beforehand, she was a happy cheerleader with the sweetest boyfriend and most supportive best friend anyone could ask for. Even when she was diagnosed, though, her boyfriend and best friend never fell short of being the people they always have been. Her friend visits her regularly and her boyfriend is as caring as ever. Of course, her parent worry and her sister is a little bitter over the lack of attention she is getting, but it is all as normal as it could be when you’re extremely terminal. Over her year at the hospital she has made two great friends, and frankly, she is liking their company a lot more than anyone of her old friends. They understand her situation and make it bearable.

Although, throughout the entire first half of the book, it just felt like Evie was wallowing in her own self-pity. She feels guilty about the struggles her family are going through with her condition, and she feels sorry her friends don’t understand her like they used to. Page after page it was the same depressing routine, and it just seemed like she couldn’t wait for this cancer to finally kill her. Then, POOF!! No more cancer and she can begin trying to adjust back to her life pre-sickness.

The love interest, Marcus, is finally introduced. I believe he was the only thing keeping her sane from her self-deprecating thoughts. Then she just starts going through this downhill spiral that seems to have no end. She has issues with drugs, she’s not trying in school, she is disrespectful to her parents. By this point, I had already lost hope in Evie and was just frustrated with her.

I was disappointed with her character development. I think she was selfish and careless and wanting too much too soon. There is a bit of a cliffhanger at the end for the second book, but after being so frustrated I don’t even know how the story will continue.