Review: Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor

Title: Maybe One Day 
Author: Melissa Kantor
Publisher: HarperTeen 
Publication date: Feb 18th, 2013

Genre(s): Young Adult (Realistic Fiction)

Source: Publisher

Format: ARC

Pages: 384

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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.

 It’s not always easy to get through the day when someone you love is hurting. Some people don’t really know what it feels like to be in pain, or even have someone they love go through pain. Others have experienced it, and have been through the emotional roller coaster that is automatically accompanied by tragedies. After having read “Maybe One Day” by Melissa Kantor, I understood the true struggle one goes through when someone close is struggling and experiencing physical and mental pain. The book is full of hope, heartache, and true friendship. Melissa Kantor had the ability to suck the readers into this world and plot from the first page. It takes a very talented writer to create characters in which the readers are able to understand and connect with, to care for and invest in them emotionally. Melissa Kantor made great usage of climatic order, slowly building up the plot of the story as it becomes more intense.

“Maybe One Day” follows the story of two teenage girls, Zoe and Olivia, who spent most of their lifetime together. They both had big plans for their future, where Olivia says ”We're not going to be dancers, but one day our lives are going to be amazing, Zoe. Totally amazing.” All of that comes crashing down when Olivia is diagnosed with Leukemia. Both girls’ lives start to crumble as they start to learn how to cope with this new reality in front of them. The book shows us how these two young girls manage and learn from this experience throughout the span of one year. Melissa Kantor does not only show us how Olivia is suffering, but how Zoe is suffering as well. While Olivia suffers from her sickness, Zoe suffers from her shock, her loneliness, and how much it hurt her to see her best friend sick. As Zoe says, “Time does not care how precious it is, how hard you are working not to squander it. Time passes.” The readers are able to see how these two girls develop and grow up compared to the beginning of the book.

While reading, Melissa Kantor is able to stir every emotion in you, from laughing all the way to crying. The book is written from Zoe’s point of view, which is to show and emphasize how the friend is hurting just as much as the sick person. At such a young age, it is hard and heartbreaking to see two beautiful girls having to go through what Zoe and Olivia are going through. Melissa Kantor made an excellent job in writing from a sixteen year olds’ point of view, and personally, I was able to connect really easily with the character. The pain that the characters felt, I felt. It was surreal how reading can stir up the strongest emotions in you. 

All the great things aside, there were a few lacking aspects in Maybe One Day. Apart from everything else, the process of Olivia’s cancer treatment felt unrealistic. Everything was rushed, and I can guarantee that it is not as simple as starting chemo the same day you are diagnosed. The book also felt a little bit depressing at times, which is understandable due to the tragic topic it covers, but I think there’s still a limit to how depressing it should be.

Like “The Fault in Our Stars”, a cancer book, got a lot of the readers attention out there, Maybe One Day is most likely to follow its steps. Sometimes it’s hard to read about a tragedy that is happening to many people out there, but we do in order to understand. “Maybe One Day” will help you open up your eyes to how truly tough loss is. Whether it’s mentally or physically, it is still the same.