Fear of Missing Out
My husband would say that I definitely have a huge case of FOMO or the fear of missing out. Not usually on fun things...it's more like a fear of missing opportunities. I worry that I have to do things now or I won't get another chance at them later.
But Kate McGovern's YA novel Fear of Missing Out is all about missing out on life. The main character, Astrid, is a junior in high school and she has already managed to beat cancer once. But when she finds out the tumor in her brain has returned, she realizes that this year might be her last. While her family and friends push her to participate in a clinical trial that might give her a better chance at prolonging her life, Astrid feels passionately that she should just make the most of the time she has left.
She even goes as far as researching the experimental technology of cryopreservation--freezing her body at the moment of death in the hopes that at some future time she could be thawed and cured. For fear of missing out on everything life has to offer, Astrid goes with her best friend, Chloe, and her boyfriend, Mohit, on a cross-country road trip to see the sites she has always wanted to see and decide whether her possibilities are worth it.
Astrid is faced with some really difficult things--that even adults have a hard time coming to terms with. As Astrid's health fades, her mom, her brother, and her friends start to realize what life might be like once Astrid is gone and what that means for their own lives. Will they be able to move on? How will they deal with grief? Etc. I think that McGovern did a great job at truly showing how teenagers might deal with these sorts of ideas.
A few other reviews I read of this book mention that they don't like the relationship between Mohit and Astrid but I think that the way that Mohit reacts to a lot of things that happen in the book is legitimate. What 16 year old boy wouldn't handle the imminent death of his girlfriend poorly and stumble through a relationship like that? Even her best friend, Chloe, has her moments where she seemingly can't handle what is placed on her shoulders.
I will tell you...this book is sad. Especially as Astrid's health is declining, it can start to remind us of our own friends and family members who have dealt with death or sickness. But I promise that this book is also beautiful! It reminds us of the importance of life and taking every second that we can get. Astrid takes the time to list so many of the things that she will miss when she is gone. Things like cheeseburgers, the view from the top of the Bunker Hill monument, the smell of sunscreen, Netflix, and dozens of other things.
I think this is a great YA fiction book for anyone who also has a fear of missing out on life. It does a great job of addressing themes of love, friendship, loss, death, and sickness. I hope you guys will check it out and order a copy here!
She even goes as far as researching the experimental technology of cryopreservation--freezing her body at the moment of death in the hopes that at some future time she could be thawed and cured. For fear of missing out on everything life has to offer, Astrid goes with her best friend, Chloe, and her boyfriend, Mohit, on a cross-country road trip to see the sites she has always wanted to see and decide whether her possibilities are worth it.
Astrid is faced with some really difficult things--that even adults have a hard time coming to terms with. As Astrid's health fades, her mom, her brother, and her friends start to realize what life might be like once Astrid is gone and what that means for their own lives. Will they be able to move on? How will they deal with grief? Etc. I think that McGovern did a great job at truly showing how teenagers might deal with these sorts of ideas.
A few other reviews I read of this book mention that they don't like the relationship between Mohit and Astrid but I think that the way that Mohit reacts to a lot of things that happen in the book is legitimate. What 16 year old boy wouldn't handle the imminent death of his girlfriend poorly and stumble through a relationship like that? Even her best friend, Chloe, has her moments where she seemingly can't handle what is placed on her shoulders.
I will tell you...this book is sad. Especially as Astrid's health is declining, it can start to remind us of our own friends and family members who have dealt with death or sickness. But I promise that this book is also beautiful! It reminds us of the importance of life and taking every second that we can get. Astrid takes the time to list so many of the things that she will miss when she is gone. Things like cheeseburgers, the view from the top of the Bunker Hill monument, the smell of sunscreen, Netflix, and dozens of other things.
I think this is a great YA fiction book for anyone who also has a fear of missing out on life. It does a great job of addressing themes of love, friendship, loss, death, and sickness. I hope you guys will check it out and order a copy here!
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