Book review - Cursed

Title: Cursed
Author: Karol Ruth Silverstein
Genre: realistic fiction
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Rating:

painfully honest

Summary (provided by publisher): As if her parents' divorce and sister's departure for college weren't bad enough, fourteen-year-old Ricky Bloom has just been diagnosed with a life-changing chronic illness. Her days consist of cursing everyone out, skipping school--which has become a nightmare--daydreaming about her crush, Julio, and trying to keep her parents from realizing just how bad things are. But she can't keep her ruse up forever.
Ricky's afraid, angry, alone, and one suspension away from repeating ninth grade when she realizes: she can't be held back. She'll do whatever it takes to move forward--even if it means changing the person she's become. Lured out of her funk by a quirky classmate, Oliver, who's been there too, Ricky's porcupine exterior begins to shed some spines. Maybe asking for help isn't the worst thing in the world. Maybe accepting circumstances doesn't mean giving up.

My opinion: Books about chronic illness tend to focus on finding positivity. We see sick kids as eternally sunshiny, plucky, inspirations. Ricky is the exact opposite. She suffers constant pain. She's cranky, angry at the world, and desperate to be "normal". If she can't feel normal she just wants to hide from her reality. Even once she begins to accept her new normal, she stays prickly. This isn't a flaw she needs to correct but rather an inherent part of her personality. It's nice to see a protagonist who isn't everyone's best friend. Even more than that, this book has an important message about medical care. Ricky learns about her condition, reads up on potential treatments. She's an informed patient and learns to advocate for her own care. While there were some less realistic elements, the messages are strong enough to make up for flaws.

More information: Cursed releases June 25.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.