E.O.

EXTRAORDINARILY ORDINARY

A Book Review on Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider

This is the second book I’ve read this month and the first among the novels of Robyn. Robyn is a writer, actress and online personality and the author of another bestseller, The Beginning of Everything.

This is the story of teens namely Lane, Sadie, Nick , Marina and Charlie who were diagnosed with TDR-TB or Total Drug Resistant Tuberculosis. They were brought to Latham House, a TB sanatorium together with more than a hundred teens, without gadgets, away from the real word, held by medical sensors and tests and the constant inquiry of  “What is the rate of your pain from 1-10?”

Latham House is a school where the student/patients are educated, rehabilitated and cured. It is pretty cool since the teachers don’t give assignments because these might stress the students and worsen their condition. It is surrounded by lush trees and forests and students live in cottages, however given the present condition of the students, you better not dream to live here.

So the novel started with Lane, a goal-driven A+ student who was being driven by his parents to Latham because of the said disease. It is incurable and requires close medical assistance. He met Sadie whom he remembers as the girl who was always isolated in summer camps when they were young. Sadie also remembers him and hates him so much because she thought that Lane was that jerk who stood him up in a date during the camp but it turned out that the girls just pranked her. Eventually, they reconciled when Lane saved Sadie and her friends when they were stealing net from the library. Lane and Sadie became a couple, as well. Charlie , their composer friend died when the four celebrated a Toga Party in the woods. That event had incited depression especially with Sadie and also, like many love stories, the couple broke up. Here are some of the couple’s memorable lines:

Memorable lines

“I was just thinking how having an ex-girlfriend is one of those things that aren’t true until someone says it. Like we all had TB before we were diagnosed. We just didn’t know we did. But breaking up isn’t like that. Being single is something you’re aware of the moment it happens to you.”

“Being single is a chronic condition since birth.”

“I hated that I was in love and grieving, because I didn’t know how to be both. It was just too much. Too much potential pain for us to keep going.”

I understand Sadie so much. It’s impossible to be happy with your life knowing that somebody’s life has been taken away and knowing that it might be your turn soon. Struck with guilt and fear, her actions of locking herself is but normal.

“Being someone’s ex isn’t an existing condition you find out about later, it’s something you know about the moment it happens to you.”

I stood up and walked back inside from the one boy who made me feel like I wasn’t alone, because he was the one person I couldn’t stand to lose, or disappoint or watch fall out of love with me.

Cowardice, through and through.

Which do you choose? To walk away or watch him walk away? In the case of Sadie, the former. Sadie knew that they won’t have a happy ending. It’s so amazing that we can predict how our life would end. So did the story end that way? No for Marina gave Sadie a flash drive that contains Charlie’s farewell song and somehow, it eased their burden because Charlie was trying to say goodbye to them. After that, Sadie rushed to Lane’s room and apologized for saying what she did not mean.

After a few days, Sadie went to the woods unaccompanied to meet Michael, a worker in Starbucks but this guy punched her in her ribs because he said she was the reason for him to acquire TB. Sadie’s head was also cut and so, her medical censor alarmed the nurses and she was brought to the ICU of Latham House. Sadie then learned of her unfortunate fate when the doctor said that she has only less than three weeks to live.

She chose to undergo the EXTRAORDINARY MEANS. This was the medication that is available in France but has a 25% chance of survival. She was given the treatment, her parents came, Lane, Marina and Nick entertained her until one day, she had her last breath.

Here are some of her last lines:

Pain has to leave on its own. And I was not sure mine was the type of pain that wanted to go away.

If living and dying were really the same thing, then I’d been dying for seventeen years and I didn’t much have longer to go now. I accepted it a long time ago. My miracle wasn’t a cure. It was a second chance. But second chances are forever. And even miracles have an expiration date.

“Life is gathering the raw materials and when we die, we get to make patterns out of our lives and relive them in whatever order we want. That way I can spend forever repeating the days when  I was really happy and never have to experience any of the sad days. So that’s how you live a really great life. You make sure you have enough good days that you want to go back to.”

Reread the first line. There are all types of pain but which of these would stay and which would go away? Is physical pain more painful than emotional pain or the other way around?

Our lives are precious because these are bestowed by God. We should take care of it but why do some die before birth? Why do people die at an early age? Is this a result of their actions or is this God's will? If I eat healthy foods and sleep early, will I die later? Those who die of accidents and murder, is this part of the plan? Why does one live shorter than the rest when he deserves to live longer?

And what comes after death? 

In the end, all the students confined in Latham House were released because there was protocillin, a new drug that cures TDR-TB. Lane got his old life back but still remembers his one great love, Sadie. The story ended with Lane driving. I guess this is another ending that starts with the beginning. It manifests how Lane has outgrown his predictable life and now is ready to travel a new winding road.

I bought this book because based on the synopsis, I thought I would read something different. I was disappointed because the plot is typical , turn of events is slow and there was no element of surprise. Or maybe , I just expected too much.

You can predict everything since the POV is omniscient. Characters are kinda flat,I mean there were changes that happened but these were so minimal and abrupt. Dialogues are reflective but not that extraordinary. If you are reading inspirational and self-help books a lot, you would agree with me. I thought that it’s dystopian but it turned out to be very realistic that it became mundane. If I’m going to rate this, it would be 6 out of 10. Nevertheless, there are lessons that cannot be forgotten like teh value of life and friendship and how everything can crumble in one click, so I advice you my readers to go ahead and read this one. I'm excited to read the Beginning of Everything, tho!