Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic

Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic
Published: January 17, 2012
Publisher: HMH Children's Books

Synopsis: Austin Parker is on a journey to bring truth, beauty, and meaning to his life. Austin Parker is never going to see his eighteenth birthday. At the rate he’s going, he probably won’t even see the end of the year. The doctors say his chances of surviving are slim to none even with treatment, so he’s decided it’s time to let go. But before he goes, Austin wants to mend the broken fences in his life. So with the help of his best friend, Kaylee, Austin visits every person in his life who touched him in a special way. He journeys to places he’s loved and those he’s never seen. And what starts as a way to say goodbye turns into a personal journey that brings love, acceptance, and meaning to Austin’s life.

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Do you know what you’d do if you have a little amount of time left to live? Austen Parker does. Austen knows he doesn’t have a lot of time left, and he also knows the things he wants to do while he’s still alive. Never Eighteen is a short--204 pages--novel about a boy on a mission to help/mend things with people in his life—or used to be in his life--and do things he never done before. It is a story that I will remember for a long time. The story was heart-wrenching, especially at the very end. I loved the friendship between Austen and Kaylee. It’s believable. Not just their friendship, the characters are believable and realistic. I felt for both of them: Austen because he is dying at a young age and Kaylee for seeing her best friend die. Never Eighteen is funny, heart-breaking, and poignant read. It would make you laugh, cry, and make you think about what life is all about. Megan Bostic did an amazing job for her debut novel; she captured a heavy subject, which was well-written. It’s been a long time since a book made me cry—Bostic’s book made me cry. But, please, don't let this crying drama depress you enough not to pick this book. (In my experience, if it makes me cry, it means the book is really good.) A fair warning though: Just try not to finish it in a public place. P.S. Even thought the age limit for this book said 12 and up, personally, I recommend it for everyone age 14 and up. Rating: 5/5 ( Recommend it; so buy it, devour it, love it!)