Genre: YA/Middle Grade
Published: July 14, 2015
(Originally published in Norwegian in 2011)
Pages: 288
Ages: 10+
Synopsis
"Give this one to fans of Gabrielle Zevin's Elsewhere"—School Library Journal
During a diving competition Linda discovers that she has a rare heart condition and is told that her only hope of surviving is a heart transplant. Sensitive, introspective, and intelligent, Linda refuses to be wrapped up in cotton wool, despite her parent’s wishes. Determined to experience everything a 13-year-old girl should, Linda starts to work her way through a list of all the things she and her best friend wish to do: have a first kiss, go to a pop concert, travel without parents . . . But as Linda starts to tick these off, a mysterious emo boy called Zak appears — and always at the most unexpected moments. And he is happy to accompany her on daring escapades, particularly those that her timid best friend refuses to go on. But is Zak good or bad? And why is he the only one that Linda can share her fears with?
Minus Me is a gripping, addictive novel — written with heart-stopping emotional honesty — from one of Norway’s most acclaimed young adult writers.
Review
I won a copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program. Books are offered in this program in the hopes that the winners will read them and write an honest review afterwards (it is not a requirement, but it does help you to win more books in the future.)
This book had a very The Fault in Our Stars feeling to it for me. It's the story of a girl who knows pretty early on in the story that her days are numbered and she's got things she needs to do before death claims her.
Because this is a YA book, Linda's thoughts and goals are rather juvenile, but she's on the brink of teenager hood (I know that not's a real phrase) so that's really to be expected, and it was very fitting for the story. And the language and phrasing in the story did a great job of pulling me into the character so I felt like I was 13 again.
As an adult and parent (although I have a few years before I even have a tween on my hands), I appreciate the lessons this book teaches. It's not often you read a YA book from the perspective of a bully, but that's really what Linda is. But this story shows her personal growth, and how she realizes how her actions have made others feel, making her in turn more empathetic to others feelings. It also shows that even a bully isn't always all bad, and maybe they don't realize how hurtful their actions are.
I could see this book having a broad appeal, at least among girls because even though Linda is a bully, she's a sympathetic character from the get go and she doesn't always come across as a bully for the most part, so I think most tween girls could probably see themselves in her character.
Overall I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. I read it in less than 24 hours because it kept me intrigued and turning the pages. I would definitely recommend it to tween and teen girls and any other YA fans. - Katie
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Challenge Scorecard
Because this book was originally written in Norwegian and only recently translated into English, I used it to fulfill my "Originally written in a foreign language" category. I'd say that was probably a given, or at least the place where it makes the most sense to use it.
Other categories it would fit include:
A book published this year (In English at least)
A book by a female author (I think)
A book set in a different country (Norway)
A book based entirely on it's cover (For me at least.)
A book I could finish in a day
A book by an author I've never read before
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