Book Review - Because You'll Never Meet Me

Because You'll Never Meet Me
Author: Leah Thomas
Standalone
Genres: Contemporary | Young Adult
Release Date: 2nd July 2015
Source: Review Copy - Bloomsbury Children's Books
Rating:

Ollie and Moritz are best friends, but they can never meet. Ollie is allergic to electricity. Contact with it causes debilitating seizures. Moritz’s weak heart is kept pumping by an electronic pacemaker. If they ever did meet, Ollie would seize. But Moritz would die without his pacemaker. Both hermits from society, the boys develop a fierce bond through letters that become a lifeline during dark times—as Ollie loses his only friend, Liz, to the normalcy of high school and Moritz deals with a bully set on destroying him.

A story of impossible friendship and hope under strange circumstances, this debut is powerful, dark and humorous in equal measure. These extraordinary voices bring readers into the hearts and minds of two special boys who, like many teens, are just waiting for their moment to shine

Everyone who knows me will know just how much I love a good, well written young adult contemporary. I'm always on the look out for the next best thing in the genre ever since getting my first taste of Sarah Dessen and John Green, and once in a while I come across a book that is so different than I expected or I'm left speechless, this everyone is how I felt after I finished Because You'll Never Meet Me. The first time I heard about this book was when I received an email from Lovereading4kids asking if I would like to review it, I skimmed over the summary and thought that I might as well because at the worst way it would just be a quick read. I was wrong, so so wrong. It was a quick read, but I was never prepared for the attachment or emotions I would feel towards the characters.

I think the first thing that gripped me about this book and sparked my interest from the start is how unlike the majority of contemporary books out there, this story is set completely from the pov of 2 young boys. We have Ollie who is 14 and allergic to electricity, causing him and his mother having to live isolated in a wooden cabin without so much as a light bulb. We have Moritz who is 16 and was not only born without eyes but relies on a pacemaker to keep him alive. Ollie lives in America and Moriz is from Germany, with some encouragement from a family friend Ollie decides to take the leap and send Moritz a letter, which in turn he reply's to and a friendship is born.

Ollie is a joker, he's lived without electricity for so long, been seen as a recluse and strange for so long that making light of his situation has just become second nature for him, of course deep down he wants to be normal like everyone else but he still remains a hopeful and positive young man through out the story. Moritz is the polar opposite in every way to Ollie, not only is he deathly serious but he gets to partake in normal activities, like going to school. Moritz has resulted to wearing goggles to hid the fact that he has no eyes, even though everyone thinks he is blind, Moritz can actually sense his soundings by clicking his tongue (a very super sensitive form of echolocation). He's constantly trying desperately to hid his deformation from the outside world after be shunned before and it's resulted in leaving him a bitter 16 year old.

This books is one that is very, very original and unique. The chapters are made up of the letters that both boys send to each other, and admittedly I thought at first it wouldn't work or it would in some way make it hard to connect to either the story or the characters, but it honestly just made me love them more. It works because you get a feel first hand from reading what they've put to paper what they are like, you get to experience their feelings on such a deep and raw level. As they can never meet or it could kill Ollie, the result to just being completely open and honest, putting their whole heart into their letters and I would be surprised if anyone could read this book and not feel for them.

I was so surprised by this book, its one of the reason I love the relationship I've built up with Lovereading4kids over the past 9 months, through them I have had books available to me that I wouldn't otherwise think about reading or get around to. The writing style or it might not be easy for everyone to get to grips with, it may start of slow or you may find that you can't connect with them as much as you thought, but if I could give you one advice it would be to stick at it. Making friends isn't easy for everyone and watching these too come to terms with a few home truths and deal with the repercussions that follow once some secrets unravel is worth it, trust me. This isn't just a debut novel about friendship and family or acceptance of oneself, its about two teenagers struggling each day to live without the things that others sometimes take for granted. Leah Thomas is without a doubt one to watch in the future.