ARC Review: Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider

Title: Extraordinary Means

Author: Robyn Schneider
Genre: Contempoary, Romance
Source: Edelweiss
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication Date: May 26th 2015
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Summary: 

At seventeen, overachieving Lane finds himself at Latham House, a sanatorium for teens suffering from an incurable strain of tuberculosis. Part hospital and part boarding school, Latham is a place of endless rules and confusing rituals, where it's easier to fail breakfast than it is to flunk French. There, Lane encounters a girl he knew years ago. Instead of the shy loner he remembers, Sadie has transformed. At Latham, she is sarcastic, fearless, and utterly compelling. Her friends, a group of eccentric troublemakers, fascinate Lane, who has never stepped out of bounds his whole life. And as he gradually becomes one of them, Sadie shows him their secrets: how to steal internet, how to sneak into town, and how to disable the med sensors they must wear at all times. But there are consequences to having secrets, particularly at Latham House. And as Lane and Sadie begin to fall in love and their group begins to fall sicker, their insular world threatens to come crashing down. Told in alternating points of view, Extraordinary Means is a darkly funny story about doomed friendships, first love, and the rare miracle of second chances.

Review:

 I read two books about teenagers who were deathly ill back to back and that was the wost thing I could probably have done. My poor heart. Extraordinary Means was beautifully written as well as beautifully heart breaking. 

When Lane is diagnosed with tuberculosis and sent to Latham house he thinks it is the end of the world, until he is reunited with a girl he knew many years earlier at summer camp. When Lane gives up trying with his school work and steps out of his bounds he never expected anything that he was going to get into. Disabling their med sensors to sneak out of the hospital grounds, smuggling goods in, and falling in love when there is a possibility either of them could die at any moment. 

Extraordinary Means is told in duo point of views, which is probably my favorite ways to read a story with romance in it. The character growth and development from the start to the end of the book was incredible! All of the characters were so real. At the beginning of the book I wasn't sure I was going to like Lane. I found him up tight and too afraid to step out of his safe zone, but that changes when he meets Sadie. After that I really loved Lane. Sadie I loved from to get go. She has been at Latham house for nearly three years and she has neither improved or worsened, but she is stable and until she is healthy she can not leave. She is reckless and sarcastic and I love that most in a character. 

The romance was adorable. It didn't come in too fast but I didn't take forever, it was just the right timing. Lane was just genuinely sweet. They both held a trait the grounded the other and I found that perfect. There might of been implied sex, I am really not quite sure. But it isn't that important. But, I really enjoyed the romance in this book. It mended nice and gave Lane and Sadie something happy in such a horrible time in their lives. 

The freaking ending of the book destroyed me. I won't tell you what. It may be happy or sad. (It could have destroyed me in a good way.) I probably cried for at least and hour afterwards, reading the same part over and over. (Again: Happy or sad tears) It was bittersweet though, heartbreaking but bittersweet. I really enjoyed Extraordinary Means I hope to read more by Robyn soon. 

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