The premise of this book was interesting and a quick read. However I felt that this book was missing something so it fell flat

This book deals with some pretty tough subjects including loss, grief, and coping. For such shitty subjects, I think that they’re handled as gently as possible in this. I’m not going to say that this book didn’t break my heart, because it did, but it was also … hopeful? The focus wasn’t just on negative of having terminal melanoma, but also about dealing with that fact and trying to make the most out of the time that remained, which isn’t an easy feat for someone at young as Alex. I think it provided a good lesson that life should be lived to the fullest. Yes, I know, easier said than done, and I’m totally guilty of not doing it myself, but books like this are such a huge freaking slap in the face that you’ve got one life and you’ve got to live it! Eat that dessert, forgive that person, and jump out of that plane (with a parachute, of course)…! Your time is not limitless, so make the most of what you have.

Aside from what I found to be inspiration to live life to the fullest, this story also puts dealing with difficult situations into perspective. There are so many ways to deal with challenges, you can be so angry that all you do is go around breaking stuff, you can fall into a bottomless black hole of self-pity, or you can try to find some sort of silver lining. Not to make this about me (I mean, it is my blog so I guess I can do that a little bit), but recently I’ve been getting dealt some pretty shitty cards, and I’m the first to admit that I have not been the best at handling the situations. After I read this, I definitely felt a little ashamed about how I’d been acting. This book is a reminder that you cannot control the things that happen to you, but you can control how you react to those things.

The ending of this is pretty wide open. Normally I am not a fan of stories that do not get wrapped up nicely with a pretty little bow on top so that I understand exactly what happens. For this one, though, I think I am okay with it. It’s sort of like a “choose your own adventure” … “choose your own end to Alex and Molly’s story”. Personally, I’m choosing the happy path.

Live Fast, Die Young is a realistic portrayal of the impact terminal illness has, not only on the individual but also their family and friends. I loved the writing style, devoured the story and wished it was a full-length novel. I will be looking out for more of Vanessa Barneveld's work.
A short story with a big impact. Add it includes recipes!