Because You'll Never Meet Me

This is the blurb; Ollie and Moritz are best friends, but they can never meet. Ollie is allergic to electricity. Contact with it causes debilitating seizures. Moritz's weak heart is kept pumping by an electronic pacemaker. If they ever did meet, Ollie would seize. But Moritz would die without his pacemaker. Both hermits from society, the boys develop a fierce bond through letters that become a lifeline during dark times as Ollie loses his only friend, Liz, to the normalcy of high school and Moritz deals with a bully set on destroying him. That's a fairly accurate description; a fantastic story of two boys who will never meet and can never meet. One chatty, open and upbeat, the other pessimistic and closed. The one eager to experience and embrace the everyday, the other poised to withdraw. Both are isolated but brought together through their letters. With each successive letter the dramas of each life are revealed and played out, honestly and truthfully, coming closer to a tantalising secret. A story about friendship, yes. A story about a friendship blossoming between two boys, a rare treat. We see them face their fears, encouraged and supported by the other, overcoming differences and discrimination and striving to survive in the world of 'normalcy'. There are a couple of points where a little suspension of disbelief is required; if you can embrace that then you'll enjoy the book. I can tell you no more for fear of spoiling the story but if you can believe in the X men and Marvel's heroes then you'll be fine!

Suggested Reading Age 11+