Cellular

by Ellen Schwartz

Overview

Brendan has it all—captain of the basketball team, good friends, a beautiful girlfriend and a loving family—until he is diagnosed with leukemia. Terrified and convinced that no one understands what he is going through, Brendan faces chemotherapy alone, until he meets Lark. She is also in treatment, although her condition is much worse, and yet she remains positive and hopeful. Brendan is torn between feeling sorry for himself and the love for life that Lark brings to even the simplest thing. Through Lark, he discovers the strength to go on, to fight for survival and to love.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781554694501
Publisher:	Orca Book Publishers
Publication date:	10/01/2010
Series:	Orca Soundings Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	128
File size:	841 KB
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Ellen Schwartz is the author of over fifteen books. In addition to writing books, she has published dozens of magazine articles and adult short stories, and her stories for children have been published in children's magazines and teaching anthologies. Ellen, whose background is in education, currently works as a corporate and curriculum writer and editor, and teaches creative writing classes at Simon Fraser University and Douglas College. Ellen has two daughters and lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. For more information, visit www.ellenschwartz.net.

Read an Excerpt

"I'm afraid I have bad news, Brendan. It's leukemia."
It goes right by me. I don't even hear it. I'm so prepared to hear anything else—a virus, mono, meningitis, even avian flu—that it's only when my mom gasps that my mind backs up, rewinds the tape, and I actually hear what he just said.
Leukemia.
I'm going to die.
It can't be.
It must be someone else.
Will it hurt?
Leukemia is for pathetic-looking bald kids with big eyes. Leukemia is for wasted bodies lying in hospital beds. Not me. Is there treatment? Is there a cure?
I'm going to die.

Editorial Reviews

"A very powerful and emotional book...Schwartz does an amazing job capturing the fear and heartache Brendan, and his family, undergo as he battles cancer in hopes of survival. I highly recommend this novel as it puts everything in perspective and will make you count your blessings. Five stars."

Bookvacations.wordpress.com

"Has the ability to hook reluctant readers of both sexes as its main character struggles to accept his illness and the limitations it poses on his life, while offering hope for his survival physically and spiritually."

Resource Links

"Schwartz captures the awkwardness and pain of those dealing with such a diagnosis, especially the patient...In this emotional entry in the Orca Soundings series, Lark's sweetness and wisdom spin out on a trajectory that readers just know will not end happily for her, even though Brendan knows she has touched his life mightily."

Booklist

"An excellent hi/lo portrayal of the physical and emotional effects of leukemia. The teen characters are believable and the writing is powerful."

Tri-State YA Book Review Committee

"Genuinely moving."

CM Magazine

"This fast-moving book would be well-suited for reluctant readers at the high school level."

Library Media Connection

"Schwartz captures the awkwardness and pain of those dealing with such a diagnosis, especially the patient...In this emotional entry in the Orca Soundings series, Lark's sweetness and wisdom spin out on a trajectory that readers just know will not end happily for her, even though Brendan knows she has touched his life mightily."

Booklist

Gr 9 Up—People are diagnosed with leukemia every day, but Brendan Halleran, 17, never thought it would happen to him. At first, he felt as if he had the flu, but then things started to get worse: bruises, weight loss, etc. Now, he has to have intense chemotherapy and just feels like giving up. He meets Lark, 16, in the hospital—she's there for a "last chance" bone-marrow transplant. Lark teaches Brendan how to live in spite of his diagnosis. Schwartz packs a lot of intensity into this slim novel, touching on the reality of what having cancer is like for teens, physically and emotionally.—Sherry Rampey, Independent Youth Services Library Consultant, Gaston, SC

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