Shelved is an original feature at Once Upon a Prologue where I talk about a book that has meant a great deal to me, whether because of the issues it dealt with, the romance, or relationships, or the emotions it conveyed. Sometimes this will be a book I feel hasn't gotten enough attention; sometimes it will be a book we all know and love. The purpose is to draw more attention to these relevant, amazing books.
The focus of this edition is the heart-felt SEND ME A SIGN by debut author Tiffany Schmidt!
Send Me a Sign by Tiffany Schmidt Published: October 2, 2012 (Walker Children's) Source: E-ARC from the publisher Rating: Swoon-worthy Add it/Purchase:Goodreads | B&N | Amazon Connect with the author: Twitter | Website
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Mia is always looking for signs. A sign that she should get serious with her soccer-captain boyfriend. A sign that she’ll get the grades to make it into an Ivy-league school. One sign she didn’t expect to look for was: “Will I survive cancer?” It’s a question her friends would never understand, prompting Mia to keep her illness a secret. The only one who knows is her lifelong best friend, Gyver, who is poised to be so much more.
Mia is determined to survive, but when you have so much going your way, there is so much more to lose. From debut author Tiffany Schmidt comes a heart-wrenching and ultimately uplifting story of one girl’s search for signs of life in the face of death.
My Review
Send Me A Sign is one of those extremely rare books that took me beyond the mere act of reading a story, and actually propelled me into the story itself, until I felt like I was living the events taking place. I clicked immediately with Mia; who of us hasn't searched for a sign to tell us which direction to go, how to make the right decision? My heart went out to Mia as she struggled to understand what having cancer would mean to her, her family, and her friends, and ultimately, decided to keep the truth from those most important to her. Mia was a sympathetic character who made some mistakes throughout Send Me a Sign, but I adored her, as well as this heart-felt, heart-wrenching, poignant story about life, death, and courage.
Author Tiffany Schmidt brings Mia and her family to life with clarity and a wonderfully told story. From Mia's fact-obsessed father to her image-obsessed mother, and the boy next door who cares so unabashedly for her, and the friends who love, but don't understand her, I found something to like in most of the characters. I enjoyed the evolution of Mia's relationships with her parents, and loved watching her become her OWN person. I didn't always understand their reactions and motivations, but what I DID love was the way Mia interacted differently with each of them. She played so many roles, and while most of them were genuine: daughter, friend, girlfriend, the one that stood out most to me was her relationship with Gyver.
Of all the signs Mia searched so ardently for, she missed every single one pointing her to this sweet, steadfast, loyal boy, choosing instead to pursue a relationship with her crush, Ryan. Ryan turned out to be an amazing supporting character, but it was painful, watching his devotion to Mia, and the ramifications of how their relationship was tested by Mia's illness. I kept praying for Mia to make the right decisions in several aspects, but especially when it came to Ryan and Gyver. Both boys had a lot to offer her, and both had a lot to teach her about life, and about how to be truly brave. I won't say how it all turned out, but I WILL say I shed a lot of tears, some sad and some happy!
Send Me a Sign is a spectacular, heart-breaking look at what cancer means and does to people. It's a story about family coming together. It's a story about friendships being broken, and repaired. It's a story about choosing: life over death, hope over fear, love over isolation. It's a story I will never, ever forget.
** Tiffany is donating $1 for EVERY pre-order of Send Me A Sign to cancer charities. PLEASE consider pre-ordering a copy of this touching book, then emailing confirmation to Tiffany. **
I lost my amazing Grandma Jean on October 23, 2008. (I lost my Grandpa Tom the previous year.) I miss them both all the time and I think of my grandma when I need to make a hard choice. Her voice is my conscious. If cancer didn't exist, she might still be with me. Cancer research is very important to me. Finally, I wanted to share the song that I listened to during some of the hardest parts of Send Me a Sign:
Moll is a lifelong, avid reader, who wrote her first "stories" in seventh grade. She continued writing through high school and into adult-hood. She's a twentysomething, Southern girl at heart, who loves crushing on fictional characters. When Molli isn't writing, she can be found spending time with her friends and family, on Twitter, or generally geeking out over music, movies, and her favorite television shows. (The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural, Doctor Who, and Once Upon a Time). She often wears more than one scarf at once, tends to say "y'all" too often, and adores: hot tea, chocolate, the color pink, shiny jewelry, kick-ass females, and swoon-worthy boys.
Love to the tips of your fingers. And when you find that love — wherever you find it, whoever you choose — don't run away from it. But you don't have to chase after it either. You be patient, and it'll come to you...when you least expect it. Don't be afraid. And remember — to love is to live. - Jen Lindley; Dawson's Creek
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Cringe-worthy. This book is not worth your time. There were too many flaws for me to enjoy the story; the errors be it plot, grammar, etc overpowered the story.
Shrug-worthy. I enjoyed this book, but I likely won't be re-reading it. It was a good read but didn't make a big impression. There was a good story being told, but it either didn't hold my attention, or I didn't connect with the characters.
Beam-worthy. This one was really good! I would rate it between "good" and "great," and I am liable to reread it eventually. It had a few flaws but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of it.
Squee-worthy. I will definitely reread this book, because it left a lasting impression on me, and had few flaws! I am liable to wave this book in front of you to convince you to read it.
Swoon-worthy. One of the special books that affected me, emotionally, and won't ever be forgotten; this book was perfect. I won't stop until I've convinced multiple friends to read it.
FTC Notice
In accordance with FTC guidelines, this disclosure will serve as a notice that all reviews posted on this blog are my own honest thoughts. Review copies received via publisher or via author will be given an honest, fair review. No monetary compensation of any kind has changed hands for the books that I review on this blog. I am a reader who loves what I do. I review books out of a love of reading. Books received for blog promotion from the publisher/author will be noted with a small note in each review.
