Cheyanne Young

*I WAS APPROVED OF MY REQUEST AND PROVIDED WITH A PHYSICAL ARC IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW. THIS DOES NOT AFFECT MY OPINION*

My brain hurts just thinking about ways to sum this book up in a way that makes it look as good as it is.

Cheyanne Young is—not only the author of this book but also—a shop owner I rep for on Instagram. So, you can see how nervous I was when this book finally made it into my hands? VERY.

BUT THAT NERVOUSNESS WAS LONG FORGOTTEN AFTER THE PROLOGUE FREAKING show more DEMOLISHED MY HEART AND SOUL!!! (Yes, caps were absolutely needed to express this.)

The Last Wish of Sasha Cade is—to put it simply—a heart wrenching, gut-punching, tear-jerking, sob-worthy read. Everything about this book was absolutely perfect, and I am so thankful to have had my request approved by the publisher KCP Loft.

I sat in class, reading this book while I was wallowing in my own natural self-pity that is depression, and nearly began to cry from feelings. This book brought out emotions I didn't even know I had, and I absolutely loved it!

The first thing I pegged when reading was on the first page of the entire book.

"...Sasha told me not to think of it like that. She didn't want the cancer to be the bad guy here."

As someone who has watched multiple loved ones suffer and pass away from cancer, I've often seen it as the bad guy. But in this book's case, cancer was portrayed as the hero. Had Sasha not gotten cancer, Elijah likely would've never been introduced. Had Sasha not gotten cancer, Raquel wouldn't have gone on the awesome adventure her friend had left for her and Eli. Had Sasha not gotten cancer, THIS BOOK NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED!

SO, to put it simply, I absolutely adored and loved everything that was this book. I was stunned into my seat, unable to speak without a tear or two slipping from my eyes. I IGNORED MY CLASSES AND LESSONS JUST TO FINISH THIS BOOK, DARN IT!

The characters were well developed throughout the entirety of the novel; the plot was well driven and well executed, and I loved being able to read this plot from Cheyanne's writing style. If someone were to ask me what book I currently suggest, it'd be this freaking heart wrecker right here!

So, if you don't believe you should read this book, perhaps you should reread this entire review. I am unashamedly giving The Last Wish of Sasha Cade by Cheyanne Young 5/5 stars for wrecking my entire life and giving me something to smile about. show less

"The Last Wish of Sasha Cade" deals with death, grief, friendship, family and moving forward. Raquel has just lost her best friend, Sasha, to cancer and is struggling with the loss. Her pain is real and heartbreaking making her a very sympathetic protagonist. Many books have left me sobbing into my pillow at the end, but I think this is the first one that has made me cry before I had finished the prologue!

Even though Sasha died so soon, I loved that, as the reader, I grew to know her just show more like her brother Elijah did through her videos, letters, planned adventures and through the stories Raquel shared. Her kindness, love of life and personality shone through, and she quickly became my favourite character. The adventures that Raquel and Elijah shared allowed Raquel to mourn, reminisce and appreciate the love Sasha had for her. The depth of their friendship was truly beautiful and a highlight of the novel.

The romance between Elijah and Raquel did feel a bit rushed but it didn't bother me as much as it usually does because they made such a cute couple and Sasha was there in spirit guiding them every step of the way. Elijah was such a lovely young man. Compared to Sasha's, his life was harsh but he wasn't bitter or jaded, and I loved that he could cry for a sister he never had the chance to meet in person. However, he won me over completely when he and Raquel spent the weekend at the Black Bear Lodge. His awe at the magical setting and his eagerness in playing the Wizard's Quest made me smile. He really was like a little boy and his enthusiasm was infectious.

I cried tears of pain at the start of "The Last Wish of Sasha Cade", but by the end I was shedding tears of joy. Thanks for recommending this book, Fiona. It was a good one! show less

I was really pleasantly surprised by this book. I'm kind of burnt out on YA titles these days, especially trilogies, but this is actually a pretty exceptional and well-written piece of YA fantasy.

Powered brings back memories of NBC's Heroes or even X-Men. One of the primary differences seems to be that in the Powered universe Heroes and 'Supers' have lived alongside humans for most of appreciable history and they have their own society and civilization that humans seem to know about, but show more don't try to penetrate. This really doesn't come into play a whole lot in the book, I just found it to be a unique piece of world building.

Maci isn't the most likable character that you're ever going to find in the annals of literature, but I did find her to be relatable and her feelings to be representative (enough) of teenagers.

Unlike other recent YA fantasy/dystopian trilogies the love story in Powered actually serves a purpose in the narrative more than just making Maci more relatable.

I also loved the absolutism found in the Super-society (blonde hair/blue eyes = good; dark hair = evil; Heroes don't have bad dreams, the twin thing, etc.) and the way that Maci and her allies must fight to overcome her own stigmas that society puts upon her.

All this being said, King City felt a little bit like the Capitol in The Hunger Games (with fewer dystopian elements) and Pepper seemed to be almost a photo-copy of Cinna. Neither of these things detract from the story though.

I'm looking forward to the next one. show less

Find this review and others at Carlene Inspired.

Cancer may have taken Sasha's life, but in the months leading up to her passing it didn't dim her light. Knowing her best friend, Raquel, would be lost without her she created a mission of sorts. Letters, videos, and a mysterious boy lead Raquel on a scavenger hunt, one that will bring her closer to her best friend even after she is gone and one that will ultimately test her.

Oh my, I had no idea what I was getting into with this book, none at show more all. The blurb for The Last Wish of Sasha Cade is mysterious, giving you just the bare minimum of information to pull you in. I love a good Young Adult read with fairly adult storylines. In this case, Raquel "Rocki" has just lost her best friend and in mourning her passing, as well as losing the comfort of fitting in, she is gifted Sasha's last wish, a scavenger hunt that will reveal parts of Sasha that Rocki thought she knew, but clearly didn't. Sasha, though gone, is an incredibly powerful character in this book, her videos and Rocki's reflections of the past revealing that she was incredibly prideful, self confident, vivacious, and holding onto a few secrets. Rocki is smart, shy, and unaccustomed to life without her best friend, the leader of their two man pack. I could relate to her in so many ways, even in her youth, as she realized she had lost both her crutch and her friend in life and as she realized she didn't have as much sense of self as she had once thought. The Last Wish of Sasha Cade reads so much like a coming-of-age story for Rocki, just as the scavenger hunt reveals more of Sasha it reveals more of Rocki too. And Elijah, oh Elijah, he is handsome, sweet, far more mature than I expected, and a sort of knight in not-so-shiny armor for Rocki. The three go on an adventure, one that takes them through Rocki and Sasha's hometown, one that explains who Elijah really is, and one that takes Rocki on a memory trip through their lifelong friendship.

This one gets to you, so if you're going to read it prepare to use a lot of tissues. It's heartbreaking and yet still filled with a hopeful message. Cheyanne Young creates a world for the characters that is believable, the situations incredibly realistic, and she uses descriptive language to make the emotion feel like it is your own. Some of the events, like Elijah's almost too-perfect nature and Rocki's incredibly nice boss, are hard to believe, but even those things couldn't take away from this read for me. The strength of Rocki and Sasha's friendship, Rocki's family bonds, and the feelings of first real love made this book a homerun for me. The Last Wish of Sasha Cade is a heartwarming story of timeless friendship that will stay with me forever.

ARC provided. show less