Shaykitteh's World of Books

Casey had a dream to be a marine biologist. But then her father was injured, and everything she earned at her job was needed to help pay his medical bills. With her life at a standstill, Casey didn't think things could get worse.

And then the headaches started. And the nosebleeds. At first, it was seemingly just a migraine with maybe a nosebleed because of the pressure. But then the headaches started lasting multiple days and the bleeding happened more frequently. After a round of tests and more medical bills - hers this time - Casey hears two little words that will forever change her life.

Cancer.

Inoperable.

In her quest to make her life mean something, Casey decides to do what she can to quickly earn money to pay off her medical bills and continue to help with her father's, not knowing how long she will be there to help. Reaching out to a wealthy man through a special "invitation only" site, Casey flies from California to Boston. This man is wiling to pay for something that he can only get from a living person... and there are worse ways to make money.

The Donor is a starkly realistic view of cancer and the mindset and decline of a young woman's suffering. Intertwined with Casey's story is the story of the man she flew to meet, and his reasons behind requesting Casey as a Donor. Glimpses into Jonah's life and past give us a reason to hope for the characters and to both laugh and cry - but mostly cry - at the circumstances they find themselves in.

This is not your typical "Happily Ever After" story, but the ending is probably the best that it could have. I wavered on my star rating, because while this story touches me deeply, there is something about the ending that just leaves me unsatisfied. It feels unfinished, as if the characters are just holding their breath until we come back to hear the rest of their tale. Even though I know what the ending should be - which isn't really what I want it to be - I would still want more closure for this to be a perfect story.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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