The F- It List
By Mary Cosola,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Girl takes on friend's bucket list; best for older teens.
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What's the Story?
As THE F- IT LIST opens, Alex, a wisecracking, horror movie-loving teen girl, is grappling with the aftermath of her father's sudden death in a car accident -- and with her discovery that her best friend, Becca, slept with her boyfriend the night of the funeral. Alex debates whether she can ever forgive her lifelong friend for such a transgression. When she learns Becca has cancer, all past sins are forgiven. Not knowing when or whether she'll ever be well enough to tackle the bucket list she's been working on since she was 9 years old, Becca asks Alex to do many of the items on the list for her and report back in detail. Alex reluctantly takes on the list, and many of the tasks push her outside her comfort zone. Alex deals with the loss and trauma in her life by becoming tougher and more cynical but eventually learns that letting down her emotional barriers and sharing her feelings with others will help her cope and heal.
Is It Any Good?
Halpern sets up the reader to expect a fun romp, but in reality it's a tale of teens dealing with death, serious illness, and infidelity while trying to find a way to be happy in spite of it all. The pace of the storytelling is good, the teen characters are witty, and their interactions feel authentic. They learn what true strength is in the face of trauma. It's compelling to watch protagonist Alex struggle with her desire to honor her friend's bucket-list wishes versus her desire not to step outside her comfort zone. Her character can be aggravating at times, especially when she's cynical and cruel.
The number of graphic sex scenes is off-putting, in that a good percentage of the book deals with characters having sex, talking about sex, or thinking about sex. Some of the sex scenes do serve to show how the characters deal with their grief, but the author could have accomplished this in a less gratuitous way. The concept of the bucket list stalls out a bit in the middle of the book, which is a shame because it's a good premise that deserves to be explored more.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about coping with traumatic events. How do you think you'd react if your best friend were diagnosed with cancer or if someone close to you died suddenly?
There seems to be a trend in young adult novels featuring teens who have cancer. Have you read any? How does this one compare?
Two of the characters in The F- It List love horror movies. Alex watches them to avoid thinking about the real trauma in her life. What are some ways you let off steam or forget about your troubles?
Book Details
- Author: Julie Halpern
- Genre: Coming of Age
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters, Friendship, High School
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
- Publication date: November 12, 2013
- Number of pages: 256
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: June 23, 2015
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