Love always, Kate

Love always, Kate by D. Nichole King is an amazing book.  It feels weird to say it is a nice or good story, because it isn’t. It is a story about a girl battling cancer. It is a very powerful, beautiful and sad story altogether.  I’ve read a few books about the main character battling cancer before (Before I Die, The fault in our stars) but this book is different. For me, this felt more real.

I know the stats, and they get scarier every time I have to come back here. But I have people counting on me. Someone fills that small percentage. Why shouldn’t it be me?

I wanted to write my own summary, but I changed my mind. I felt it was better to use the blurb beacuse it gives you a real feel of the story:

Dear Diary,
Leukemia’s been my life since I was eleven. Now, six years later, I want my life back. Only I’m not sure what that is. The test results came back today. 22,000. Which means I’m officially out of remission—again. I have three options:

1) Another round of chemo.
2) A super-new experimental drug.
3) Dump it all— forget the meds and treatments and enjoy the time I have left.

I think I know what I want. Then, in walks Damian, changing everything.

I mean, everything…

He’s got his own set of issues. It binds us together, you know? We understand what it’s like to lose what matters most in seconds. Still, the last thing I need is to have someone else to crush if I can’t fight hard enough. And the last thing he needs is someone else to grieve.

Never mind. I’m down to two options now.

Somehow I know that whichever one I choose, the result will be the same. With the sand in my hourglass seeping to the bottom, I hope there’s enough left to show Damian that life’s worth living.

Worth fighting for. Worth dying for.

Love Always,
Kate    

Although I’m a real booklover, I’m not one to cry over a book. But I have to say I’ve been bawling my eyes out over Love always, Kate. Kate and Damian’s story really touched me. I also really liked that there was no ‘insta-love’ like in a lot of books I’ve read the last few months. This story also felt more real than anything I’ve read before. The author doesn’t shy away from the real world. Like, Damian sees Kate throwing up – more than once – and that’s also how they meet. And we get to see both sides of the story. But just Kate’s battle, but we also get a sneak peek of Damians struggle to go on.

Just because it’s not easy, doesn’t mean it’s not worth it.

Quote on wardrobe

And I can’t forget to mention it is filled with amazing quotes. I had a hard time selecting just two or three for this review. I just had to put one up on my quote wardrobe. I really liked the writing style. The diary entries really added another layer to the story, an insight in what Kate was feeling and thinking. Kate felt real.
Al in all, a phenomenal  book. 

 5 out of 5 stars