Maybe One Day by Melissa KantorPublished by: HarperTeen on February 18, 2014
Genre: Contemporary, Friendship
Pages: 304
Source: Edelweiss
Buy on Amazon • Book Details
Rating: ★★★★★
Zoe and her best friend, Olivia, have always had big plans for the future, none of which included Olivia getting sick. Still, Zoe is determined to put on a brave face and be positive for her friend.
Even when she isn't sure what to say.
Even when Olivia misses months of school.
Even when Zoe starts falling for Calvin, Olivia's crush.
The one thing that keeps Zoe moving forward is knowing that Olivia will beat this, and everything will go back to the way it was before. It has to. Because the alternative is too terrifying for her to even imagine.
In this incandescent page-turner, which follows in the tradition of The Fault in Our Stars, Melissa Kantor artfully explores the idea that the worst thing to happen to you might not be something that is actually happening to you. Raw, irreverent, and honest, Zoe's unforgettable voice and story will stay with readers long after the last page is turned.
I almost didn’t read Maybe One Day, and oh my god that would have been a massive mistake! I think my problem was that I like romance books, and this is not a romance; it’s about friendship. Those kinds of books usually don’t get me as excited as romances. Then I just woke up one day a few weeks later and was like, “Wait a minute.. this book sounds good!” So I downloaded it and read it. THANK GOODNESS FOR WEIRDLY IMPULSIVE THOUGHTS!!!
Maybe One Day has one of those best friend relationships that I’m always jealous of. The best friend you do everything with, the one you call about anything and everything, the one you share dreams with, the one who you visit so often that their house is your second home.. I want one of those friendships! I was so incredibly envious of Olivia and Zoe. Usually I don’t get this obsessed over friendships (I save that for the romances!) but man, this one totally pulled me in! I wanted it for myself!
As I’m sure you can imagine, Maybe One Day is a definite tear-jerker. That’s something you should expect from the synopsis alone, and it definitely pulls though. Towards the end it was a little awkward for me because I was reading in Starbucks but I felt like I wanted to start bawling so I kept trying to blink back tears, to the point where I was blinking so much that I could barely read! *BLINK BLINK BLINK* I will not cry I will not cry I will not cry *BLINK BLINK BLINK*
There are some things you worry about. And then there are some things you don’t worry about. You don’t worry about them because they’re too awful to contemplate worrying about.
Even though a lot of Maybe One Day is just living day to day without tons of drama/excitement/twists/turns, I was never bored. In the context of the story, I really enjoyed the day-to-day set up of it. I think it worked really well for an illness, because that’s definitely something you have to keep dealing with, and it keeps affecting you.
There is a tiny bit of a romance in Maybe One Day (as noted in the synopsis) but it’s definitely not a focus. It’s a side plot, and I’m really glad for that, because the friendship is what dominates this story and that’s how it should be!
This book left me with so much to think about. There are a lot of messages about death, afterlife, God, dreams, and futures (or lack thereof). I think it touched on a really strong and emotional topic but without being cheesy or lame (especially about the afterlife parts). Seeing a teenager having to think about those things literally crushed my soul! Maybe One Day will leave you a broken, sobbing mess.
“We’re not going to be dancers, but one day our lives are going to be amazing, Zoe. Totally amazing.”
I don’t know about you guys, but sometimes I love a good cry book. Maybe One Day is an excellent cry book, but it’s also so much more than that! It will emotionally own you and I promise it will haunt your thoughts for weeks to come!
“Life is Long.”
“Not always,” I reminded her.
The Verdict
I just can’t. I hate being sad and this obviously ends sadly. I now how awesome these books are but it would ruin me. Happy it was such a great read for you.
Sounds like a great book. I think I am going add this one my wishlist ;)!
Great review, thanks!
Maybe One Day sounds like such a great book– thought provoking and intriguing. I love how it focuses on friendship, which I think isn’t really a focus of a lot of YA books, rather than romance.
Ugh I totally agree with everything you said here! The friendship between Olivia and Zoe was really the best part of the whole book and I’m a total sucker for that kind of stuff. Ugh the end of this book was totally so heartbreaking, and all of the points leading up to that moment were even more rewarding. Fantastic review, Ashley! <33
I’ve been curious about this one the reviews have been all over the place. And I actually love friendship books sometimes more than romance – I think bc I haven’t read as many. I also love a good heartbreaking story like this one in a while and cancer books ALWAYS get to me! The thought-provoking nature of it is making me want to read it all the more, too! Glad you loved it, chickie!
I got teary-eyed reading the synopsis. This book sounds so lovely!
Yeah! This sounds like exactly what I was hoping it would be! I’m so glad this is a book about friendship versus being a book strictly about cancer, that’s always a plus! The characterization sounds pheonominal and I’m really looking forward to seeing it firsthand. Zoe and Olivia sound like such realistic, raw characters – and that’s always a big plus for me! And the way you explained what an emotional impact this book leaves on you…it just makes it sound that much better!
I’m definitely going to have to pick up a copy of this ASAP! Thanks for another brilliant review Ashley! 😀
Okay, I never would have looked twice at this book, but the fact that you rated it 5 stars makes me very curious! Sometimes I want a good cry book, and I love when an author can reduce me to a sobbing mess. I may have to try this book out!
From your review, this book sounds great… but I’m afraid of cry-books. Especially ones with illness. How much heartbreak can we expect from reading this book, Ashley? In case I ever chose to read it, I need to be emotionally prepared! xD
Definitely be prepared for heartbreak! If you don’t want to cry, then it might be better to pass on this one… Maybe One Day is absolutely a cry book!