Ellie Haycock Is Totally Normal by Gretchen Schreiber
Release Date: March 5, 2024
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Pages: 304
Format Read: physical arc
Summary: The Breakfast Club meets Five Feet Apart in this big-hearted novel from debut author Gretchen Schreiber.
Ellie Haycock has always separated her life into sections: Ellie at home and Ellie at the hospital. At home, Ellie is a proud member of her high school’s speech and debate team alongside her best friend and her boyfriend. At the hospital, Ellie has a team of doctors and a mom who won’t stop posting about the details of her illness online. It’s not hard for Ellie to choose which of the two she prefers.
But this latest hospital stay is different. Ellie becomes close with a group of friends, including Ryan, a first-timer who’s still optimistic about the doctors that Ellie stopped trusting years ago. Despite their differences, she can’t seem to keep him out of her head. Ellie’s life has never been ordinary—but maybe this time it will be extraordinary.
Review
Rating: 4/5 stars
Spice: .5/5
Review: This story follows a teen girl who stays at home or goes to the hospital and is trying to find her “normal”. I really enjoyed the storyline of this book. Schreiber did a good job describing a teen girl’s story and how Ellie wants a normal, basic life but has to through so much. I’m not a huge fan of hospital-themed books but I wanted to give this story a chance and really liked the message behind the story. I was not a huge fan of the MC as I kind of found her annoying at times but I did try to understand that she was going through so much and is just angry at the world in the understandable moment. I liked the friend group in this book and how supportive they were. The romance wasn’t it for the book and I didn’t feel the chemistry between the couple. Overall this was a great book that showcases so much of a young girl’s disability and how she navigates the world.
*this arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*
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