This is such an emotional read. The story is very well written and the characters are utterly believable. ( )

Many years before the rise of contemporary YA, Wendy Orr wrote this visceral and raw story, drawn in part from her own real life experiences. Anna bears the brunt of a terrible car accident, breaking her neck and suffering other injuries, which take some time to reveal themselves. Her anger permeates the story, often in the form of sarcastic asides (some of my favourite lines), as Anna rapidly casts aside any illusions of a happy ever after ending. Seventeen-year-old Anna's whole life has been derailed and she doesn't know who she even is anymore. A powerful, relevant read about the shattering of hopes and dreams and the remaking of them, cracks included. ( )

The car accident changed Anna’s life forever, crippling her, giving her perpetual high-level pain, and ending her future as an athlete. Anna comes back, slowly, painfully, unexpectedly, and, in the process, creates a new, better life for herself. ( )

Anna, athletic and driven, is horribly injured in a tragic accident. As she leaves her old life behind, she is afraid that there is nothing left. She struggles to heal, love, and find out who she really is. A trio of poems that Anna writes using peeling an onion as a metaphor for the aftermath of her accident beautifully illuminates her state of mind as she comes to terms with her new life.

Moving. ( )

Anna Duncan, zeventien, ligt behoorlijk in de prak na een auto-ongeluk. Ze leeft van de ene pijnstiller naar de andere toe. Ze struikelt, valt flauw. Ze kan zich niet concentreren op haar studies. De sportieve, atletische Anna zal nooit meer kunnen paardrijden, skiën of karate beoefenen. Ze moet de oude lagen van zich afschudden, als rokken van een ui. Gelukkig wordt ze omringd door mensen die haar steunen. Ondanks alle pijn is dit een vrolijk boek. ( )