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Summary
Summary
Everyone has a fear of missing out on something--a party, a basketball game, a hangout after school. But what if it's life that you'll be missing out on?
When Astrid learns that her cancer has returned, she hears about a radical technology called cryopreservation that may allow her to have her body frozen until a future time when--and if--a cure is available. With her boyfriend, Mohit, and her best friend, Chloe, Astrid goes on a road trip in search of that possibility. To see if it's real. To see if it's worth it. For fear of missing out on everything.
Author Notes
Kate McGovern is the author of Fear of Missing Out and Rules for 50/50 Chances , which was called a "standout contemporary read" by Booklist . She lives with her family in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in a house full of books.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-Sixteen-year-old Astrid has an astrocytoma in her brain, a sweet younger brother, a grief-stricken patient advocate of a mom, a loyal and honest best friend, and a super caring boyfriend. But she may not have any of them for long, with little hope for treatment of her tumor. Her future on earth looks grim, but what if she woke up in a future where there was a cure? While her mother urges a grueling trial study, Astrid pursues cryopreservation with mixed reactions from her friends and family. A vlog to help fund a road trip to the cryopreservation company and potentially the experience itself goes viral after Astrid finally makes a decision about how to handle the end of her life. Yet this is not a road trip YA novel; rather it is an unflinching account of the intrusion of terminal illness into a teen's life. Astrid approaches her ordeal with candor and self-respect, which does not make her a saint; she makes mistakes and misjudgments along the way. The author compellingly portrays her unique ties with her loved ones and how her death will affect each one differently. The relationship between Astrid and her mother is extraordinarily, palpably full of love and vulnerability. The poignancy is tempered by humor, the science Astrid so loves, and by her determination to take what control she can over her painfully shortened life. McGovern's impeccable writing carries readers through an incredible journey of self-exploration. VERDICT A compelling and heartrending read that should not be missed. Highly recommended for all YA libraries.-Lee De Groft, Jamestown High School, Williamsburg, VA © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
In this novel by McGovern (Rules for 50/50 Chances), protagonist Astrid has a terminal form of cancer (astrocytoma, a heartbreaking, thematic link to her name), which reaches through the brain in "star-shaped cells." Her cancer is back after a lengthy period of remission, during which science lover Astrid began to study the brain with her doctor. Astrid's diagnosis raises the stakes in all of her relationships-with her mother, who is desperate to get Astrid into a clinical trial; with her best friend, Chloe, who is there for Astrid through her illness; and with her soulful boyfriend, Mohit, whose fierce love for Astrid and spiritual faith give him courage to understand their predicament. When Astrid's sudden interest in the scientifically questionable cryopreservation startles everyone around her, she bravely explores this possible path, enlisting friends and loved ones to help. "What is a person?" she asks Mohit when he worries about whether a future-Astrid, courtesy of cryonics, would still be the real Astrid. Questions about life and death, God and faith pervade this novel. Mohid and Astrid are in a constant state of wonder over life's infinite mysteries, giving this title emotional, spiritual, and intellectual heft. Astrid's unusual pursuit of possible life beyond cancer and death will draw readers into this thought-provoking story. Ages 12-up. Agent: Jessica Regel, Foundry Media. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Astrid first had an astrocytomaa brain tumor made of star-shaped cellsin ninth grade. Two years later its back, and Astrid knows she doesnt want to go through the ordeal of chemo and hospitals again. Instead she decides to investigate cryopreservation, on the chance that her frozen bodydubbed a corpsicle by her best friend Chloecould someday be revived after her death. Accompanied by her boyfriend Mohit and by Chloe, Astrid road-trips from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Sedona, Arizona, to tour the cryopreservation facility, posting vlog updates along the way. As they drive, with stops that include kitschy landmarks and a visit to her off-the-grid, semi-estranged father, Astrid keeps a running list of things Ill miss when Im dead and contemplates what the end of her life means and who will be affected by it. Astrids voice is matter-of-fact, with a good amount of gallows humor. The existential questions she raiseswhat does it mean to be a person? what happens after we die? should we use science to interfere with natural death, and if so, under what circumstances?are thought-provoking and ripe for discussion, but just as compelling is Astrids humanity as a sixteen-year-old dealt an epically bad hand. Her eventual decision, while it feels inevitable, is devastating; keep a box of tissues handy. rachel l. smith March/April 2019 p 87(c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
After two years in remission, Astrid's brain tumor is backand this time, it's not going away.Sixteen-year-old Astrid Ayeroff has a tumor wrapped around her brain stem. Since she's already beaten cancer once, Astrid's single mother and her Indian-American boyfriend, Mohit, are convinced she can do it again. Thanks to Astrid's internship at her doctor's office, though, she's learned enough to realize that this time she's unlikely to survive, even if she enrolls in a promising new clinical trial as Mohit and her mom wish. So while her mother researches experimental treatment options, Astrid investigates cryopreservation, a scientific technique for freezing a body at the moment of death and possibly reviving it in the future. In the process, she realizes she needs to make some difficult decisions about how she wants to livewhich means deciding how she wants to die. A deeply felt, nuanced story of coping with terminal illness, McGovern's (Rules for 50/50 Chances, 2015) novel features a protagonist whose voice strikes just the right balance between poignancy and wit. The well-paced plot prioritizes Astrid's grief while simultaneously providing windows into the struggles of the people she loves, including a diverse cast of characters. Astrid's best friend, Chloe, has two mothers; Astrid and her family are assumed white.A heartbreaking story of loss and grief peopled with nuanced, endearing characters that ultimately leaves the reader with a feeling of triumph. (Fiction. 14-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
People freeze embryos and tissue cultures for safekeeping. What about freezing a body at death in the event that future medical advances could mean reviving the deceased if a cure for the illness is found? Astrid, narrator of this compelling story, happens upon the little-known science of cryopreservation when considering clinical trials and other possibilities for dealing with her brain tumor recurrence. Her friend Chloe supports the inquiry into cryopreservation and raises money online for a road trip to Arizona to find out more about it. Astrid's boyfriend, Mohit, is skeptical, but goes along on the trip for support. This provocative twist on a story of life-threatening disease is just one aspect of a powerful account about a teenager's fight to live. While taking us through Astrid's worsening symptoms and struggle to maintain a normal front at school, McGovern (Rules for 50/50 Chances, 2015) also captures a parent's raw grief and the emotional burden of an impending death on close friends. The online funding effort and accompanying vlog add a layer of public intrusion into Astrid's plight, but the narrative never seems crowded. A unique, fascinating look at treatment choices and the right to die, wrapped up in a searing tale of characters brimming with life.--Anne O'Malley Copyright 2010 Booklist
