Life and Other Complications - Heather Mullaly

Author: Heather Mullaly

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Drama

Rating: 4.5 stars.

In a Nutshell: A well-written YA story that had me captivated till the end.

Story:

17 year old Alyson is used to life as a shunned person because of her HIV-positive status. The only friends she has are the peers from a support group for teens with life-threatening diseases, with Caroline and Luke being her best buddies. Alyson is nursing a secret crush on Luke but with their illnesses, she is sure she doesn’t want to act on her feelings.

When she is called to testify in a trial against Richard Walsh, she knows that some of the lies she has told her friends will come crashing down. But she also realises that the only way out is to go ahead with the opportunity to give Richard Walsh his due punishment.

Why is Alyson against Richard Walsh? What lies has she told her friends? Will there be a future for her with Luke? Read and find out.

The story comes to us in the first person perspective of Alyson.

While a YA book doesn’t usually have complicated characters with shades of grey, the people in the story are etched well enough to make a place in your hearts. Alyson has a tendency to ramble, which initially gets on your nerves. But as you see what she has gone through, you will come out in her support. Luke is a typical teen heartthrob who does nothing wrong. I would have loved to see his darker side (there are hints of it) but he is still quite memorable. Carolyn, though the third wheel of the trio, is given enough of plot space to make a mark. The rest of the support group kids are also well-sketched within their secondary roles. The parents are more uni-dimensional in comparison but this story isn’t about them. Of the adults, the maximum impact is that of Richard Walsh. I don’t want to go into spoilers but his track is carved in a way totally unlike how such characters are usually detailed out. Creepy but very effective for the story.

The teens in the story, who range from 15-18, all act their age. I have truly begun to appreciate this aspect in YA fiction because most YA books get the age authenticity totally wrong. The romance-related stuff is also perfect for the target age range. It goes deep without going over the top. However, there is certain content which might be triggering. Read my TW list below and take a call accordingly. The author has handled it excellently but it still makes for a very uncomfortable reading experience if you are sensitive about such stuff.

Most of us can’t imagine living life with a life-threatening disease. So the inner thoughts and insecurities of such people is portrayed excellently through the teens in the support group. (Need I say, keep tissues ready?) Their friendship and bonding is the highlight of the story.

Initially, I was very distracted by the writing style. The sentences seemed slightly choppy and there was a fair bit of telling than showing. But once I got caught in the plot, my attention didn't waver even once from the story. That's the power of good storytelling. So if you ask me now how I felt about the stylistic elements of the writing, I have no answer, because after about 5%, I simply forgot to pay attention to that factor. For a relatively new indie author (this is just her second book), this is a job well done.

I completed this book within a single day, which is testament not just to its pace but also to how much the story had me within its grip. It was predictable in certain aspects but not so much as to take away from my enjoyment. (Because of the YA factor, I was mentally prepared for a happy/inspiring ending.)

If you are looking for an emotional and thought-provoking read written in a YA style, do try. Heartily recommended.

The book covers many dark themes. Here’s a list of possible triggers for you to judge its suitability better: bullying, sexual abuse, child rape, parental abandonment, suicidal thoughts. Again, the content is handled very well by the author, but because of how dark it goes, I wouldn’t recommend it to the younger YA segment. It is better for readers aged 16+.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author through ‘StoryOrigin’ and these are my honest thoughts about it.