I Wasn't Ready

     I wasn’t ready for the emotions that The Arrival of Someday by Jen Malone brought me. This contemporary YA novel is about Amelia a teenage girl. Amelia, nicknamed Rollermort on the roller derby track, has a rare liver disorder she was born with. This disorder hasn’t given her any problems since she was really young but now has flared and puts her on the organ transplant list. This novel takes us through how Amelia, her family, and her closest friends deal with all that goes along with being sick and being on a transplant list.

    I have been staying away from books centering around mother’s or mother’s passing since my own mother passed away a few months ago. Seeing as this book is quite obviously about a teenager and her liver problems I did not think I would have any problems. Boy was I wrong. Every time Amelia’s mother came to comfort her and show her love for her, I was overly emotional. How lucky is Amelia to have an amazing mom who will hold her while so she can go to sleep when the monsters in her head won’t be quiet.

     The book was a great read and I rated it 4 stars but what really wrapped it up for me was the authors after note. The author, Jen Malone, goes on to explain what prompted her to write this book and how important it is to become an organ donor. There are so many people waiting on transplant lists that could be helped by just signing up to become a donor. You cannot take them with you so you might as well donate them to someone in need. This hit home because we just recently got a letter in the mail thanking us for our mother’s cornea donation after she passed. Because she chose to be an organ donor, a man just two hours from us is able to see (more?) than he could before.

     I am an organ donor but if you are not and would like to become one, consider following this link and signing up to become a donor. There is a frequently asked questions section that will help answer any questions you might have.