She, Myself and I

By Author / Illustrator

Emma Young

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

11+

Publisher

Little Tiger Press Group

ISBN

9781847159427

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

08-03-2018

Synopsis

Her body is intact, but her brain is dead. I have essentially the opposite problem.
Eighteen-year-old Rosa is on the verge of the greatest change of her life. Her nerve disease is slowly killing her, so when a doctor from Boston chooses her as a candidate for an experimental brain transplant, she and her family move from London in search of a miracle. Sylvia - a girl from Massachusetts - is brain dead after having fallen into a frozen lake and her parents have agreed to donate her body to give Rosa a new life. It's Rosa's only chance of life but as the operation draws near she obsesses over the idea of what it will feel like to be a real life Frankenstein.
The operation is followed by months of rehabilitation. Longing to escape the confines of the hospital, Rosa escapes to the hospital park, where she meets Joe. As they start to fall in love Rosa is haunted by the idea that he doesn't see her for who she is. When Joe offers to drive her anywhere she needs, they head towards the frozen lake. Can Rosa find closure, and figure out who she really is?
Perfect for fans of EXTRAORDINARY MEANS, FACELESS and THE ART OF BEING NORMAL.

Reviews

Rosa, an 18 year old from London, is quadriplegic. A pioneering Doctor from America offers her risky surgery (brain transplant) and Rosa, alongwith her family, move to Boston, USA, in the hope of a miracle. This is the start of an emotional journey for Rosa. She survives the surgery and falls in love with her new body which leads to her yearning to find out more about Sylvia - her 'donor'. Essentially this is a novel about identity and what is it that makes 'us', us. Is Rosa still herself in Sylvia's body? The author handles these important questions skilfully and Rosa is a flawed, believable narrator. (Sarcastic, vulnerable with a lot of guts). I would recommend this book to readers aged 14+, It deals with some serious issues which younger readers may not appreciate. 370 pages / Ages 14+ / Reviewed by Kay Hymas, school librarian.