Never Eighteen

A Must Read

This novel is inspiring, loving, sadening, emotional, and a story of letting go. I know that sounds like all sad and emotional, BUT, you must read this for it's MORALS!!!!! I mean this guy is dying and he does these amazing things for nothing in return but that he makes an impact in that persons life.
Although quite short, this story demonstates how people in this world can be decent.
THIS IS MY ALL TIME FAVOURITE(Even passing The Hunger Games)

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Poignant Read

I was surprised to see how small this book was when it arrived in the mail. But, boy , don’t be fooled. It packs a punch. I really loved Austin as a main character. Considering the title, I thought I may know what was going to happen, and the closer I got to the end, the more I dreaded it—in a good way, though. This book is an emotion-packed one—quite poignant. Grab a box of tissues before settling in with this one.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Courage and closure - bring your tissues!

I've read several books kind of like this one, where the reader knows, as does the main character, that he or she isn't going to make it: Jenny Downham's Before I Die and Chris Crutcher's Deadline to name two, and I think it's the 'what am I going to do in the short time I have left?' that makes them so poignant and popular. I'm normally not the kind of person who goes out of her way to pick up what is sure to be a tear-jerker, but I really enjoyed Austin's "road trip of courage and closure", as I like to call it. Austin knows he's dying and he needs to get his affairs in order and that means saying what he needs to say to the people in his life, even if they don't want to hear it, won't change anything or take his advice. It's all we can do, though, live our lives the best way we know how and hope that we made an impact the way Austin and his legacy made an impact on the people in his life. I do wish that I was more familiar with the geography of this book's setting and how Austin visits his favorite places, but as it was, these scenes were well drawn and evocative. I think fans of the two books I mention above will enjoy (or at least sob throughout) this one as well.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

An Amazing Book!!!!

This was the very last book I read in 2011 and it seems to me that it was supposed to be that way. My dad passed away in 2005 during the early morning hours of New Year's Day. Today it is New Year's Eve--seven years later. I'm not sure you ever get over losing a parent or a child, but the way that I've tried to make sense of my personally horrific loss, has been to make my life matter. In honor of my father, I've chosen to live with courage and hope. The truth is that I would not be a debut author if my father died. So bitter sweet.

As I'm writing this review, I'm terrified that I won't be able to do it justice, that I'll be unable to express just how much it moved me. This book is beautiful. It speaks softly, but resonates deeply. It has everything that a real life has...love, shame, mistakes, friendship, hate, hope, loss, fear, regret, laughter and belief. It has the belief that it is never too late to want more from your life--even when life is short.

I found a connection with every single character in this book--saw myself in bits and pieces of every human interaction, but I loved Kaylee and Austin. They will haunt me--I'll think about them often. This is one of those books that doesn't feel like a story. It feels like it was real. I know them now and they are a part of me and I'm better for having had them in my life.

Megan Bostic is my fellow debut author at the Class of 2k12 and the Apocalypsies, but I urge you to champion this book. My love and admiration for it have nothing to do with my connection to her. This is a book that matters. This is a book that I believe in.

I would be extremely grateful if, when you read this book, you'll stop by and share your thoughts on it with me.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A more to-do before the toodle-loo

never eighteen hits the ground running - and right from the start, despite waking up from that recurring dream, Austin takes off to accomplish his to-do list of people to see, places to go, truths to voice that makes time feel even shorter and more precious to hold.

I got a little impatient with never eighteen since the reason for Austin's to-do list does not become clear until the end. It gets a little obvious (and I suppose the summary does hint at it), but it is almost as if everyone was in denial and no one said it outright - including myself. I would have expected Austin to have mentioned it earlier on, especially since he was so bent on seeing everyone before he goes.

I can see how Austin desires closure for himself and everyone in his life, but it is hard to determine whether he makes an impact on everyone he visits. Some of the people seem pretty random - he knows them, but no longer that well, so his interest in their well-being - while compassionate - is taken with a grain of salt. Other people like his separated parents make more sense - and ends on a good note.

Well-written and thoughtful, never eighteen follows a teen who wants to make the most of his life and leave a lasting impression on people he values.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A compelling debut

Really 4.5 stars

I knew this book would be moving and emotional just from the synopsis, and it certainly was. In Never Eighteen, Megan Bostic takes the reader on a physical and emotional journey right along with Austin, leaving us, like those he visited, changed at its conclusion.

Austin is sure that he won't live to see his eighteenth birthday because of the cancer. However, he also knows that many of the people around him have virtually stopped living even though they still have life. And so Austin decides that, before he dies, he wants to help others redirect their lives...he wants them to truly live even though he can't. Austin recruits Kaylee, his best friend, to be his chauffeur for the weekend, and they even visit a variety of people and even some places together. Somehow, during the course of the weekend, Austin's visits to say goodbye turn into so much more than that. It becomes a journey for everyone involved...and every journey begins with a single step...

Let me just say: Wow. For a book that is on the short side, Never Eighteen sure packs a LOT of emotion. With the exception of Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma, I don't remember the last time my heart broke for so many characters in a single book. Every stop on Austin's journey yielded a new story for him or for his friend, stories that were by turns painful, touching, and beautiful. In addition to the depth of this book, I loved the way in which it was told. The writing was a unique blend of conversation, quasi-stream of consciousness, and narrative, and I truly felt everything that Austin did. Everything flowed well together, even the moments that were difficult or awkward. And yes, I will admit that I did have tears in my eyes at the end of this book...and I know that I wasn't the only one.

The only thing I did want from this book was more. I would love to know how Austin's visits affected everyone in the long run. Even without that, I've found myself thinking about this book long after it was over. Never Eighteen has a powerful message and one that I think readers of all ages can appreciate.

Never Eighteen is a compelling debut by Megan Bostic, one that is full of more poignant moments than many books I've read. I cannot wait to see what this author writes next!

Heartbreaking

Austin Parker cannot fix his own problems, as they are out of his hands, but he is on a mission to fix everyone else's. Not having the chance to live his own life the way he'd like to Austin is determined to make sure the people he's crossed paths with in life know how lucky they are to have a future and live it to the fullest. I admire Austin in his journey of closure, he wants to do something with his short life and feels this approach is his best chance. It was refreshing that even with his efforts things don't always go as he plans, and that's okay.

Megan Bostic has done a great job creating a book with so much feeling in it, for not only Austin and his struggles but for everyone in the story. She tackles many issues in the book, while most are only briefly discussed, they make room for a lot of emotion and consideration.

Never Eighteen is another inspirational book about struggling with an illness that I could never imagine having to face. Her characters, especially Austin and Kaylee, are strong ones with big hearts. Their friendship is as close to perfect as any, they joke and kid but both really love each other.

The book is fast paced, and a quick read. I think if the story was longer and maybe a little more detailed I could have really felt the pain and happiness expressed in the pages. I just felt like I flew through the pages and got to the end, and Austin is an admirable guy, but I felt disconnected from him even after just finishing the book, he was just, while relatable and like the boy next door, a hard to reach character. I would describe trying to connect with him as watching a TV show about someone watching a TV show and trying to understand what the characters in the show are watching on their set.

I liked Never Eighteen, it's a wonderful book about many tough issues that are everyday life for some. Austin's outlook on life and how he wants to be remembered is endearing and I'm so glad I got to read this book about his journey.

Great book!

Tears were falling down my face as I read this book. I loved the whole concept of it. It gave my heart and eyes a whole new outlook on life. That we only have one life to live. And its not who you know or what you done. It's how you lived it.



If you have just a few months to live what would you do? I find myself asking this question and the first thing that always comes in to my mind is forgiveness. I would make amends with everyone I wronged. I would do my best to set things right again, no matter what the cost. Austin did just that. With a few months left, Austin sets out to make things right. His journey of his life and what went wrong in it, Austin just wants everything to be okay for when he leaves.

Now, the people Austin visited all struggled in life themselves. He ask small favors to call the person, or just to say I'm sorry. Austin's courageous visit to each person set my heart on path that I never been on. Watching Austin used his last days to help others is simple amazing. Austin has come to terms with what is happening in his body and to see how selfless he is in his actions made me fall in love with him.

And now the part that really made the water works flow. All this time, Austin has been in love. He has loved her from afar and never said a word. What Austins leaves behind is so much more than a memory but a legacy. Austin himself changes everyones point of view and to see them come around because of what Austin did made my heart cry out. The final letter that Austin left not only made me cry harder, but had me laughing and smiling. By the end of the book, I knew Austin. To see him go with his last wishes will only be right for him.

Such an amazing and compelling story, Ms. Bostic's writing leaves no eyes dry. At the end of the book, with Austin's last line, I knew what I had to do. Open the book again and start from page one.