A disappointing read, managing to be both cliched and slightly preachy. The characters and dialogue never rang true for me, nor did their struggles with the central character's illness. At times it seemed like the worst type of 'issues' book aimed at teenagers, covering early death, suicidal thoughts, homosexuality and the breakdown of friendships. What made me particularly uncomfortable however, was the portrayal of a gay romance wherein physical violence is an accepted part of love and not abuse. Although there were some nice bits of writing, the overall tone and characterisation just didn't work for me, and I don't think it's acceptable to have a group of teenagers think that beating up your boyfriend is okay. ( )

Reading the summary you know that this book is going to have a sad ending. I'm not giving anything, away we just know how it's going to end. For a long time I tried to stay away from these kinds of books, but recently I found myself connecting with them. Life can be sad, but that doesn't mean it can't be beautiful at the same time. Personally my grandmother passed away form cancer and she was nothing like Mia. I always wonder why she didn't have a fear of dying, it wasn't her personality. As much as I hate to say this, it was refreshing to see the other side of facing death in someone that wasn't just going to accept it.

This book had all of my emotions in a tumbler and every now and then one would get thrown out and that's what I would feel. I absolutely loved the characters. They were written beautifully and they felt very real to me. This was the first time I really rooted for a couple to get together. And a little part of me wished that I had her friends in high school. Not that my friends weren't awesome, but these characters would have made high school so much better.

This book captured my heart and I'm still not sure it's completely let it go. If you're looking fora heart-wrenching book and need a good excuse to cry, this is your book.

While I enjoyed Always and Forever, it didn't always hit the right notes. The pacing felt off; Mia finds out about her cancer three pages into the book, before the reader cares about the character. There's also very little internal dialogue within the first few chapters, which makes it hard to get to know Mia at first. The book comes into it own and tells a beautiful and important story, but I had to knock it down a couple of stars due to the off-putting start. If I hadn't had to finish the book for Early Reviewers, I probably wouldn't have. ( )

{ I received an ebook for free through Early Reviewers on LibraryThing. Review originally posted on my blog, PidginPea's Book Nook. }

Always and Forever is so heartbreakingly beautiful. It took me a little while to write this review because I just couldn't find the words after I first read it, and I'm still having trouble now. It leaves you with a numbness; closing the book only emphasizes the sense of loss. It takes quite a bit for a book to make me cry, but I had tears streaming down my face at the end of this one.

I can't imagine being in Mia's place. She survived cancer once, and now she is told she has cancer again. And this time she won't survive. Mia reacts to her situation differently as she moves through the stages of grief; she is furious, she is devastated, she takes everything out on her friends and family. At times I wanted to grab her and shake her and make her realize how much precious time she was wasting with her loved ones. But would I act any differently if I was in her place? How do you respond to something like that? How do you go on with your life when you know each second is bringing you closer to the end of it?

When I first read the synopsis, I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about Mia trying to end her life on her own terms. But Nellenbach handles it wonderfully; she explains Mia's thoughts and actions in a way that puts you right there in Mia's mindset. Even if you don't agree with it, you understand why she's considering it.

The relationship between Mia and Kal is very sweet. He is there for her through good and bad. When she rebels against it all and wastes time with her loved ones, the lost time with Kal is exceptionally hard. Or it was for me, anyway; I really liked them as a couple, and I felt bad for Kal not being able to help and for Mia missing out on some much-needed comfort.

I don't want to say too much about the end of the book, but I'll say it was beautiful. The tone, the feel, the words...it all came together in one beautiful, bittersweet scene. I would snatch up another book by Nellenbach in a second. ( )

I knew from the synopsis of the book that it was going to make me cry. I became really attached to the main character, so I cried a lot when reading this book. The main character lived her life to the fullest, despite her grim prognosis. The author fully developed Mia's character. Despite having cancer, Mia was a typical high school girl. I felt that Kal was a bit cliche. I have a hard time imagining any teenage boy being that sappy. However, his gestures and feelings were sweet and brought comfort to Mia. The author was able to draw me into the book from the beginning. It was well written and the author understands teenage girls. Mia was an amazing and strong lead character. I highly recommend this book.