Book Review: Zac and Mia by A.J. Betts

Book Review:  Zac and Mia by A.J. Betts

Summary from Goodreads:

"When I was little I believed in Jesus and Santa, spontaneous combustion, and the Loch Ness monster. Now I believe in science, statistics, and antibiotics."

So says seventeen-year-old Zac Meier during a long, grueling leukemia treatment in Perth, Australia. A loud blast of Lady Gaga alerts him to the presence of Mia, the angry, not-at-all-stoic cancer patient in the room next door. Once released, the two near-strangers can’t forget each other, even as they desperately try to resume normal lives. The story of their mysterious connection drives this unflinchingly tough, tender novel told in two voices.

Winner of the 2012 Australian Text Prize. 

My Thoughts: 

I think I was one of the few who liked Zac & Mia better than The Fault in our Stars.  A.J. Betts writes in a way that makes the characters very realistic.  Mia is selfish and refuses to let those closest to her know that she has cancer.  She is angry and doesn't handle her cancer well - the loss of hair and her loss of part of her leg.  She complains and pushes everyone away, including Zac. This doesn't make her likable, but it does make her real.  

Zac, on the other hand, is sweet and caring and has his heart in the right place.  He deals with his cancer in an almost light-hearted way.  He made this book special and why I kept reading. 

 Zac & Mia takes a thought-provoking look at friendship and overcoming the odds of this deadly disease.  Well worth it!