A review by nikkihrose
The Arrival of Someday by Jen Malone

4.0

Lia (Amelia) Linehan is a badass teenager in her senior year of high school. She takes on every chance that crosses her path, and pushes her obstacles aside – figuratively and literally through her roller derby team. It's her dream to attend Amherst College and compete for a state-wide derby team so as to not be pinned against her best friend, Sibby.

But all of this comes to a halt when a dormant illness from her childhood resurfaces, causing Lia to put her dreams, her lifestyle, and even her friends in perspective.

Living a brave life often results in not feeling as though it's okay to feel vulnerable. Fear of death and the unknown cloud Lia's mind, leaving her a girl that she hardly recognizes – inside, anyway. Because she won't let anyone know what's really going on with her. Not until she reaches her breaking point.

Her parents are afraid of the what-ifs, her brother is away at school, her best friend is on a Save-Lia mission, and her brother's best friend Will is the only person who manages to distract her from her own reality. And it's a distraction she greatly needs.

Balancing her job, her art, her roller derby team, her college aspirations, and her relationships, Lia becomes overwhelmed fairly quickly. It's just a matter of whether her illness or her mindset will be the final blow to her immune system.

Jen Malone beautifully crafts a heartbreaking story about a girl who cannot get luck on her side. But sometimes the ending isn't the luck that's needed – sometimes it's the people who join you and go along for the ride that's most important.