I read this one in a day. Once I picked it up, I just couldn't put it down. The whole idea of a kid living in a hospital because he couldn't bring himself to leave after his parents died there really resonated with me. I also really liked that he thought Death was after him, even though I recognized early on that Death was not who Andrew thought she was.
Andrew is one of those fiercely loyal people and I loved the way he tried so hard to protect everyone around him from Death too. And the way he helped his friends out, even when it got him in trouble. It's nice to see a character who empathises with others and acts selflessly.
The main character writes a comic as a way to pass the time and excerpts from this are scattered through the book. Patient F, the comic's hero, is shown not to be as heroic as Andrew might initially have thought and through recognizing this, Andrew begins to understand his own situation better. I didn't love the comic, to be honest, but that's just me. I don't really read comics and I rarely enjoy them. I still really enjoyed the book, just skimmed over the comic book sections.
The main character writes a comic as a way to pass the time and excerpts from this are scattered through the book. Patient F, the comic's hero, is shown not to be as heroic as Andrew might initially have thought and through recognizing this, Andrew begins to understand his own situation better. I didn't love the comic, to be honest, but that's just me. I don't really read comics and I rarely enjoy them. I still really enjoyed the book, just skimmed over the comic book sections.
If you don't believe me, here's the blurb:
Andrew Brawley was supposed to die that night. His parents did, and so did his sister, but he survived.
Now he lives in the hospital. He serves food in the cafeteria, he hangs out with the nurses, and he sleeps in a forgotten supply closet. Drew blends in to near invisibility, hiding from his past, his guilt, and those who are trying to find him.
Then one night Rusty is wheeled into the ER, burned on half his body by hateful classmates. His agony calls out to Drew like a beacon, pulling them both together through all their pain and grief. In Rusty, Drew sees hope, happiness, and a future for both of them. A future outside the hospital, and away from their pasts.
But Drew knows that life is never that simple. Death roams the hospital, searching for Drew, and now Rusty. Drew lost his family, but he refuses to lose Rusty, too, so he’s determined to make things right. He’s determined to bargain, and to settle his debts once and for all.
But Death is not easily placated, and Drew’s life will have to get worse before there is any chance for things to get better.
A partly graphic novel.
That sounds like a cool book. The fact that you couldn't put it down is a good sign.
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