If you jumped on The Fault in Our Stars bandwagon when the movie was released in 2014, you weren’t alone (the book has since been banned in California, but that’s another story). What is it about cancer-afflicted characters that attract the masses? Roughly 40% of the American population has had a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. While there are some identified predispositions to cancer, breast cancer is an excellent example; between males and females, more females tend to develop breast cancer than males. Fortunately, we can view and process data at an unprecedented rate, which means more accurate diagnoses and research collaboration.
Cancer’s ever-presence means nearly everyone knows someone living with cancer – a mother, a brother, an aunt, a grandfather – we are all connected by this cancer-bystander community. For those of us who are living with cancer, the representation can be a comfort. No one wants to feel alone. That includes those of us who have only been peripherally touched by cancer. The media focused on enlightening the authentic experience can help quell that encroaching loneliness. However, John Green’s Hazel and Augustus are not alone in their intimacy with the realities of cancer. The following fiction recs span the ages (literally), detail authentic accounts of life with cancer, and highlight medical, social, and emotional issues that may subsequently arise.
Middle Grade
The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart
Mark is a normal kid. He has a dog, a best friend, and carries a notebook around to write haikus. He even wants to climb a mountain one day! But, in one pretty important way, Mark is not a normal kid. He’s sick. He’s used to treatments and hospitals, and he knows that some people who are sick just don’t get better. So, Mark decides to run away. He takes his dog, his notebook, and his camera to accomplish his dream–conquering Mount Rainier. Mark dreams big, but this middle-grade novel places emphasis on the little moments that make life worth living.
Counting Thyme by Melanie Conklin
Families’ relocation to receive treatments is another unfortunate cancer reality. Eleven-year-old Thyme is relieved that her younger brother, Val, has been accepted into a new drug clinical trial. Yet, she’s unsure how she feels about moving to New York so Val can participate. Thyme would be leaving behind her best friend, her school, and everything she knows, yet she also knows that they have to do this to save her Val. Her feelings become even more conflicted when the treatment shows promise, and her father accepts a full-time position in the city, which means they won’t be moving back to her childhood home after all.
Thyme’s story is one many children experience when their siblings undergo treatment. She feels overlooked–as if her hopes and dreams don’t matter because her life isn’t on the line. Conklin masterfully navigates the complicated emotional journey children may experience in conjunction with a family member’s illness.
YA / Contemporary Fiction
Dig Too Deep by Amy Allgeyer (YA)
Being the daughter of a political protester isn’t always easy. So, when Liberty’s mom faces prison time for a violent protest, she has no choice but to leave Washington DC and bus out west to live with her granny in Ebbottsville, Kentucky. But Ebbottsville isn’t okay. The tap water runs orange, Tanner’s Peak was decimated to mine coal, and every resident seems to be battling some unknown illness. When Granny catches a cold (which turns out to be much worse), Liberty begins to seek answers on her own. Torn between digging deeper and standing for her beliefs, much like her imprisoned mother, and giving up her quest to keep the peace, Liberty’s search for justice leaves no stone unturned.
Bright Side by Kim Holden (New Adult)
Kate, aka Bright Side, Sedgwick is anything but typical. She’s quick-witted, passionate about music, and extremely optimistic. Optimistic about everything except love–she’s just never believed in the idea of love. So, when Kate leaves bustling San Diego for Grant, Minnesota, love blindsides her. She falls hard for Keller, and he feels the same. They both have secrets, and it’s these secrets that will make or break them. As readers follow Kate, living her life to the fullest, the sense of impending doom cannot be ignored. Keller may have met Kate too late, but that doesn’t mean he can’t help her continue to live on the bright side with him.
What’s Worth Keeping by Kaya McLaren (Contemporary Fiction)
What’s Worth Keeping is a family story at its core. Amy’s years of illness and treatment are behind her, yet the lingering effects on her family are still very much present. Her husband, Paul, reveals a 25-year-old secret that drives them apart. Amy retreats to an ancient forest in Washington State, full of childhood memoirs. Meanwhile, Paul has more off-duty time than expected after the Oklahoma City bombing and sets out to work on his fixer-upper–and maybe his marriage. Their daughter, Carly, struggles too. She discovers the cancer’s cause is genetic, and after witnessing the trauma her mother endured, Carly grapples with what her future may hold. In their time apart, this family discovers the power of hope and a family worth keeping. While this portrayal may not dive deep into the realism of going through treatments, the aftershock of it can be just as traumatizing.
Whether you’re going through treatments yourself or supporting someone you love, one of these books might be just what you – and your loved one – need. Treatment plans vary from person to person, and so do the emotions each of us feels reading these stories. As the daughter of a breast cancer survivor, I treasured the middle-grade books most because it felt like no one could possibly understand that stage in my life. So, reading these stories brings me comfort that my experience and my emotions are founded and makes my experience feel seen. Whatever you take from your cancer read, may it bring you joy in the years to come.
Want real stories from people who fight cancer? Check out these Authors & Warriors!
All of these recs, and more can be found on Bookstr’s Exploring the Depths of Literary Fiction list!
