Courtney Sheinmel

An absolutely beautiful, and at times heartbreaking, novel about a 13 year old girl who is HIV positive. Sheinmel's writing is both gentle and harsh, exposing us to the realities of being an HIV positive teen, while attempting to remind us that life is precious. While that sounds a bit stiff or mushy, Positively is neither of those. Instead, it's a beautiful novel written with all the angst of a girl who has twice as many problems as the rest of us -- and how she learns to grow. Loved it show more (even though it made me cry a few times). show less

Edgewater honestly made me deeply sad. I couldn't relate personally to the incredible wealth and privileged lifestyle that Lorrie led but I definitely could relate to her loss, deep loneliness, and feelings of responsibility to care for others. She was forced into being the grownup in a bizarre situation. She and her sister Susannah were young and should have been cared for by the adults in their lives but instead Lorrie was made to feel responsible.

The story is filled with hidden motives show more and secrets that caused more and more pain. Some characters ran away, some went a little batty in their anxiety and fear, and some were oblivious.

This story made me cry, it made me feel vulnerable. It was gritty and real.

I received this galley in consideration for my honest opinion.

For all of my reviews please see my blog at: https://blessedandbewildered.wordpress.com show less

This book was pitched to me as a modern day Grey Gardens and I was instantly interested in it. If you’re unsure about what Grey Gardens is, here’s a brief synopsis: In the 70s, two filmmakers came across a crumbling mansion in the East Hamptons. The residents were Big Edie and Little Edie, a formerly wealthy mother and daughter duo, who were living in absolute squalor. If you look at the pictures of the house or watch the documentary, it’s hard to imagine anyone living with wild show more animals in the house.

EDGEWATER does not stray far from this. It’s established that Lorrie lives her entire life worrying about her trust money (which is the only money her family has) and is fearful of people coming to Edgewater, the crumbling mansion that she lives in with her sister, her sister’s boyfriend, her aunt, a few dozen cats, and all the wild animals that are able to wander into the house. The house, once one of the grandest houses in the area, has fallen into complete disrepair due to lack of money and the fact that Lorrie’s Aunt Gigi, the sisters’ guardian, seems almost too eccentric to function.

After the trust money seemingly disappears, Lorrie is booted from her horse camp and is sent back home to Edgewater. She is forced to take a job while she tries to figure out what had happened to the trust her mother set up for her and Susannah before she took of to London with her boyfriend. While trying to pay for gas, Lorrie runs into Charlie Copeland, wayward son of a prominent political family.

I rated the book 4 stars because I did enjoy the characters and the friendship between Lorrie and Lennox. Lennox is very privileged but she goes out of her way to help Lorrie when it comes to money and being a support system. She’s definitely not ashamed of Lorrie, her situation, or the decaying house Lorrie lives in.

Lorrie, though, is an unlikable character. It’s not necessarily a bad thing- imagine being a 17 year old surrounded by rich people and knowing you’re the laughing stock of the country club because of your house and family. Lorrie does everything she can to make sure they survive but she also has this chip on her shoulder that makes her lash out at Lennox. While she apologies and the girls make up within a couple of pages, there is definitely an air of resentment throughout the book… which feels real and natural, to be honest.

There were a few troubling elements to the book. It does feel odd that no one checked in on the girls, especially knowing that Gigi isn’t quite right and the house is in shambles. The book mentions that a neighbor continuously called the cops over the house and it’s hard to imagine that CPS was never involved at any point. It was also deeply unsettling to read about Susannah, who is 15, having a live-in boyfriend who reads as much older than her (he doesn’t go to school, plays poker, drives, and purchases beer) and not only is this a “non-issue”, the only reason Lorrie seems to not like him is because he steals from the house. I know this was meant to be a device to show just how uncared for these girls are, but it was still deeply disturbing to read.

There are two plot twists in the book. One I figured out beforehand and the other knocked me off my feet. I’ve seen reviews saying that both of these plot twists were overdone but I think feel that they fit in well with the premise of this book.

If you’re looking for a book with a little mystery, a lot of scandal, and few house raccoons, this is the one for you. show less

Student Review by: Hannah H
Grade Range: 8th Grade and up
Genre: YA Realistic
Literary merit: Excellent
Characterization: Very good

Review:
Sloane is living her life day by day, and she has no worries because she has her eccentric and beautiful sister Tally (Natalie), her dad, and her very loyal best friend Juno. Sloane and Tally’s mother died when they were little. Sloane never really thought about death, until on a day just like any other, her life is derailed when her sister commits show more suicide and she is completely in shock. She doesn’t understand why. Tally was incredibly smart and always trying to make the world a better place. She was the type of girl that just captivated everyone she came across. Sloane is so attentive always capturing every moment just in case it can be used in her writing, so how come she couldn’t see how depressed Tally was? How could she not have seen this coming? The only thing Tally had on her when she died was a list with random things from California and a phone number for a boy named Adam who says he’s never heard of Tally. In an attempt to figure out why Tally did what she did, Sloane goes on a journey to California to find Adam and get some answers. On this journey, she finds an unlikely friendship as well as a new understanding of her sister as well as herself.

The Survival List by Courtney Sheinmel is a must-read! I absolutely loved it. It’s filled with loss, grief, and a lot of love. It is such a heart-warming story. I loved the character development in this story. Sloane was completely ruined by her sister’s death in the beginning but in the end, she picks herself up. After searching for a way to understand her sister better, she realizes she still has people that need her and she has to go on living without Tally. She is a very strong character. I would have liked a little more background on Adam but other than that Sheinmel’s writing was awesome. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone that has had a loss in their life or anyone who is looking for a good read. show less