(58)A Million Reasons Why by Jessica Strawser

 

One year for Christmas, Caroline buys her family one of those DNA test kits. Unbeknownst to her that the simple gesture was going to turn her perfectly normal life upside down. It was months later when she discovers she has a half-sister, Sela. And just like that, Caroline's perfectly normal life is turned into chaos. Her parents want nothing to do with Sela, but as an only child, the thought of having a half-sister intrigued Caroline. But then she discovers that a half-sister is not the only secret her mother has been keeping. What her mother did changed the course of Caroline's life. Will she ever be able to look past the secrets of her parents?

Sela didn't want to take the DNA test. Her friends coaxed her into doing it, hoping it would save her life. Sela has been battling chronic kidney disease and her situation is getting dire. Sela has had a lot of heartbreak in her life, but meeting her half-sister was one of the most positive things that have happened in a long time. But she doesn't want to burden anybody with her disease, let alone her new half-sister. Will she be able to find a donor before it is too late?

I will be honest, I was expecting A Million Reasons Why to be a psychological thriller. Instead, it was a heartbreaking work of fiction that covers several hard-hitting topics. I liked both Sela and Caroline. They both had taken different paths in life but were just your average human seeking love and happiness. I can understand Sela wanting to keep her illness from her new sister, but it was literally a matter of life and death. Caroline, I didn't like how she went chasing down her ex-boyfriend. And I certainly didn't like the way her parents handled things, not in the past and not in the present. In the end, things worked out well, but not in the way I expected. CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS

Bottom Line - A Million Reasons Why is one of those books that will tug on your heartstrings, so keep the tissues handy.

Details:

• A Million Reasons Why by Jessica Strawser
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• Pages: 368
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Publication Date: 3.23.2021
• Buy it Here! 
• Thank you to NetGalley for the book in exchange for a review.