A review by bluejayreads
Avi Cantor Has Six Months To Live by Sacha Lamb

emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 I think I've found a new favorite author. I'm not even into contemporary stories that much but everything Sacha Lamb writes is just so good! 

This is a novella, so it's pretty short, but it still manages to draw a wonderful set of dynamic and real characters. Avi is a closeted Jewish trans guy relentlessly bullied at school, depressed, and very much alone. It doesn't even bother him that he supposedly has only six months to live because he's not sure how much he wants to keep living anyway. Ian is also a trans guy, but personality-wise the exact opposite of Avi - he's happy, optimistic, and pulls Avi into his orbit of light and joy and his happy and accepting and magical family. It's a story about Avi's relationship with Ian and its ups and downs and it's affects on his life, and you know, if it takes literal magic to give Avi a happy ending then I'll accept it. 

Despite there being literal magic in this book, it definitely had a more contemporary feel. This is first and foremost a story about Avi healing, and secondly a story about a very sweet relationship. The magic is just icing on the cake. It's not a story about a relationship fixing someone, but it's about how much having a support system and people who love and care about and accept you can help. 

This is just such a sweet story. Avi is deep in depression but Ian is just so full of hope that it rubs off everywhere. And did I mention the happy ending? It gets dark at times but I love this story so much. 
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