Robyn Schneider

Two teenagers with a deadly disease fall in love on the brink of a cure.

Extraordinary means

Kate

When he's sent to Latham House, a boarding school for sick teens, Lane thinks his life may as well be over. But when he meets Sadie and her friends - a group of eccentric troublemakers - he realises that maybe getting sick is just the beginning. That illness doesn't have to define you, and that falling in love is its own cure. Extraordinary Means is a darkly funny story about true friendships, ill-fated love and the rare miracle of second chances

Extraordinary Means

"There’s a difference between being dead and dying. We’re all dying. Some of us die for ninety years, and some of us die for nineteen. But each morning everyone on this planet wakes up one day closer to their death. Everyone. So living and dying are actually different words for the same thing, if you think about it."

When I acquired this book, I did not have an inkling about the story. My expectations were also kind of so-so because I remember not being too impressed by Robyn Schneider's The Beginning of Everything. I was completely caught unaware.

Lane and Sadie. Sadie and Lane. I'll let you find out for yourselves what they are like, but I can at least tell you that they were written brilliantly. They were characterized v.v. well, as well as the entire group. I cared for all the characters way too deeply!

The first thing that really made an impression on me was the boarding-school-setting (Jellicoe Road, Never Let Me Go, A Separate Peace), and although I understand that Latham was more of a medical facility than a boarding school where you have the time of your life. There is just something about boarding schools that gives me the impression of something magical. In boarding schools, it's so far away from the mundane city life, and it feels like there are more opportunities to make lasting memories. 

"I wanted Latham to stay Latham forever, for us to have a million more days of playing cards in the sunshine, and a million more nights of whispering into the phone ..."

"Latham was my Hogwarts, and protocillin was the cure for my magic. It would turn me into a Muggle again, one who had to worry about standardized testing and mean girls and tardy slips."

Another thing is the part where the friends meet and they just click. In YA novels, it's always very refreshing to read about friends who, for once, don't hate each other or betray each other. 

"It was so wonderful, the five of us sitting there, and I wanted every day to be like this. To be us, in the sunshine, in no hurry to be anywhere else."

I am all for positive friendships where they just don't hang out sometimes but actually have awesome chemistry together (Anna and the French Kiss, Saving Francesca, Harry Potter) and who actually kind of love each other. I find it great how Lane gets real friends for the first time in his life and not just a friend group to impress.

In line with that, it was also one of those stories where people get a chance to escape their real lives and find something beautiful with a bunch of misfits they meet, but in the end they have to go back to reality. It's kind of a summer-is-over feeling that I crave in books, stories, movies. Where you have a wonderful time for once, and then it never happens again, and you are left with only this bittersweet memory. When Lane joined Sadie's group of friends, I knew it was bound to be a temporary thing, and because of that knowledge, as a reader I slowly understood how fleeting and precious the moments they had were. And therefore, those moments are suddenly more special.

“Being temporary doesn't make something matter any less, because the point isn't for how long, the point is that it happened.”


Now I know that the kids at Latham were sick, and life there wasn't a picnic. These people were suffering from an incurable disease and were all dying and I know that's not exactly "beautiful" but the fact that they found each other, and stayed positive, and that they had a great time together despite their obvious illness is pretty damn inspiring if you ask me. 

The one thing I could not forget in The Beginning of Everything was the extremely witty banter among the characters, and Extraordinary Means had an abundance of that, too. Most of the time I found myself laughing out loud from their sarcastic quips and hilarious remarks and I love that in a book. This coupled with their mischievous endeavors made Latham less depressing than it actually was. It perfectly balanced out the darker aspects of the novel.

The romantic aspect of this book was very nicely done, although right from the start, right from the start I knew what I was getting into. It was doomed and I knew it. Ughhhhh I totally called it. The characters knew it, the readers knew it, and I'm pretty sure the author called it. I mean, the plot revolved around an incurable illness. There is no way around it.

Not just a novel about sickness and tragedy, but a story about hope through love and loss, about second chances and life. Amazing book!

WARNING!: May have side effects e.g. feels, uncontrollable sobbing and an extreme case of book hangover.

"There’s a difference between being dead and dying. We’re all dying. Some of us die for ninety years, and some of us die for nineteen. But each morning everyone on this planet wakes up one day closer to their death. Everyone. So living and dying are actually different words for the same thing, if you think about it."


When I acquired this book, I did not have an inkling about the story. My expectations were also kind of so-so because I remember not being too impressed by Robyn Schneider's The Beginning of Everything. I was completely caught unaware.

Lane and Sadie. Sadie and Lane. I'll let you find out for yourselves what they are like, but I can at least tell you that they were written brilliantly. They were characterized v.v. well, as well as the entire group. I cared for all the characters way too deeply!

The first thing that really made an impression on me was the boarding-school-setting (Jellicoe Road, Never Let Me Go, A Separate Peace), and although I understand that Latham was more of a medical facility than a boarding school where you have the time of your life. There is just something about boarding schools that gives me the impression of something magical. In boarding schools, it's so far away from the mundane city life, and it feels like there are more opportunities to make lasting memories. 


  "I wanted Latham to stay Latham forever, for us to have a million more days of playing cards in the sunshine, and a million more nights of whispering into the phone ..."



  "Latham was my Hogwarts, and protocillin was the cure for my magic. It would turn me into a Muggle again, one who had to worry about standardized testing and mean girls and tardy slips."


Another thing is the part where the friends meet and they just click. In YA novels, it's always very refreshing to read about friends who, for once, don't hate each other or betray each other. 


  "It was so wonderful, the five of us sitting there, and I wanted every day to be like this. To be us, in the sunshine, in no hurry to be anywhere else."


I am all for positive friendships where they just don't hang out sometimes but actually have awesome chemistry together (Anna and the French Kiss, Saving Francesca, Harry Potter) and who actually kind of love each other. I find it great how Lane gets real friends for the first time in his life and not just a friend group to impress.

In line with that, it was also one of those stories where people get a chance to escape their real lives and find something beautiful with a bunch of misfits they meet, but in the end they have to go back to reality. It's kind of a summer-is-over feeling that I crave in books, stories, movies. Where you have a wonderful time for once, and then it never happens again, and you are left with only this bittersweet memory. When Lane joined Sadie's group of friends, I knew it was bound to be a temporary thing, and because of that knowledge, as a reader I slowly understood how fleeting and precious the moments they had were. And therefore, those moments are suddenly more special.


  “Being temporary doesn't make something matter any less, because the point isn't for how long, the point is that it happened.”



Now I know that the kids at Latham were sick, and life there wasn't a picnic. These people were suffering from an incurable disease and were all dying and I know that's not exactly "beautiful" but the fact that they found each other, and stayed positive, and that they had a great time together despite their obvious illness is pretty damn inspiring if you ask me. 

The one thing I could not forget in The Beginning of Everything was the extremely witty banter among the characters, and Extraordinary Means had an abundance of that, too. Most of the time I found myself laughing out loud from their sarcastic quips and hilarious remarks and I love that in a book. This coupled with their mischievous endeavors made Latham less depressing than it actually was. It perfectly balanced out the darker aspects of the novel.

The romantic aspect of this book was very nicely done, although right from the start, right from the start I knew what I was getting into. It was doomed and I knew it. Ughhhhh I totally called it. The characters knew it, the readers knew it, and I'm pretty sure the author called it. I mean, the plot revolved around an incurable illness. There is no way around it.

Not just a novel about sickness and tragedy, but a story about hope through love and loss, about second chances and life. Amazing book!


  WARNING!
: May have side effects e.g. feels, uncontrollable sobbing and an extreme case of book hangover.

Nicole Dykeman

I absolutely loved this. Sat down and finished it in one sitting, I couldn't put it down. I definitely liked this one better than the Beginning of Everything. The characters were all absolutely wonderful and it made my cry. Recommended to everyone, especially those who are fans of John Green's novels.

Flavia Machado

I was expecting this end but at the same time...well I think I'm tired of all these YA books with the same end and same kind of stories. Extraordinary means was a book full of cliches and it would be better if the end was different. Not because of what happened but because it looked like a lot of books that there were published for the past few years. It was nothing new, nothing special. What a deception.

Ingrid 

I'm gonna keep this review short. I absolutely loved this book. I could not put the book down. I'm serious. I read it all in one go. I stayed up until 1:20, and it was worth it. I didn't know anything about the book when I started, but I fell in love with it. I love the way it's written and the story itself. The book brought out many emotions. So if you're considering reading this book, DO IT!

Labai patiko. Labai liūdna pabaiga buvo ir kai mirė tas buvo liūdna 

Beatričė 

Emi Gilmore 

4/5 stars 

 We were all ghosts at Latham House, because we were all haunted by lives that were no longer ours.  

It’s books like this that remind me that I suck at reviewing. So much happened, yet I have nothing to say. So I’ll give it my best shot, and hope I hit some inch of the target. 

I don’t know what possessed me to pick this up. I have around a hundred books on my shelves and on my phone that are calling my name, very loudly in fact, and up until maybe a week or so ago this wasn’t one of them. I hadn't heard that much talk about it from anywhere, and only a few of my Goodreads friends had read it. Yet, I saw it on my kindle screen and my fingers tapped it’s cover before I realized what they were doing. I read it, I enjoyed it, and I was honestly very surprised. 
	
Extraordinary Means is about sick children. I knew this going in, and so the first few chapters I trudged through, I found The Fault in Our Stars comparison swimming through my brain. Yet, after a few pages one thing became absolutely clear: this was not the Fault in Our Stars. In fact, it reminded me more of another John Green novel, but because of the fact that  no one  should go into a book with expectations of it being like another, I’m gonna keep the title out of it. Go figure it out yourself if you’re that damn curious. 

Yes, Extraordinary Means is suppose to be about sick children, but it morphs into a story of friendship, youth, and experiencing something new. Perhaps this book isn’t a four star book, but something made me boost up the rating. I personally did find the characters bland at time, but they were so relateable and attachable that their faults were easily overshadowed. The writing was simple, and average, but still unique. This book may or may not be a story for everyone, but I enjoyed it. And since this is my review, that is all that really matters.

This was really amazing and I really enjoyed it. The book was so sad but filled with beautiful words and I strongly recommend it.

Paula

Nadine 

What if you had a 20% chance of not getting out of school alive? A twist on the super-bug scenario in a TB sanatorium.
Some things didn't ring true - like the ease with which they could leave the grounds / go to the town, otherwise an interesting premise.

Ella Zegarra

Tenía ganas de leer algo que conmoviera incluso a alguien sin corazón como yo. Según muchas reseñas, Extraordinary Means sería el libro indicado, creo que no he leído alguna reseña negativa en ninguno de los dos libros publicados por Robyn Schneider. ¿Por qué no logré que Extraordinary Means me encantara?

Para mí fue al empezar, los primeros capítulos no me generaron ningún tipo de conexión con los narradores o incluso algún interés en lo que les fuera a pasar. No sé si fue una cosa de la escritora, el que los personajes luego tuvieran un desarrollo y madurez al final, el problema fue que me se me hicieron muy antipáticos, los dos. ¿Quizá fue porqué no era el momento indicado para leerlo? Quizá, por eso lo dejé unos cuantos días y leí otra cosa.

El libro es sobre una enfermedad: La tuberculosis. Mi problema, para creerme completamente el libro fue que conozco a una persona con tuberculosis y por momentos sentía que los problemas del libro era el típico estadounidense dónde se ahogan en un vaso con agua, haciendo drama por todo. Al terminar de leerlo tuve un poco más de idea sobre la enfermedad y mis pensamientos iniciales no cambiaron totalmente pero me educó un poco. Aún así sigo teniendo la sensación de exageración. Soy latina, vengo de una cultura dónde se sale a trabajar incluso si tienes el brazo roto.



ok, quizá no así... Pero se entiende. 

Luego del tiempo que dejé en pausa el libro y lo retomé, me fue más fácil continuar la historia. Lamentablemente no lo disfruté al nivel que quería, no logré encariñarme con los personajes tampoco, pero la narración se vuelve sencilla de seguir, no me aburrí como al inicio dónde me salté varios párrafos.

En conclusión: se me hizo interesante la historia por momentos, no logré emocionarme al nivel que esperaba, o sea al nivel tan alto como quién lo ha leído me decía. Reseña que leo, reseña que dice lloro su vida al terminarlo.

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John Green's The Fault in Our Stars meets Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor & Park in this darkly funny novel from the critically acclaimed author of The Beginning of Everything. Up until his diagnosis, Lane lived a fairly predictable life. But when he finds himself at a tuberculosis sanatorium called Latham House, he discovers an insular world with paradoxical rules, med sensors, and an eccentric yet utterly compelling confidante named Sadie—and life as Lane knows it will never be the same. Robyn Schneider's Extraordinary Means is a heart-wrenching yet ultimately hopeful story about the miracles of first love and second chances.

María José López

Rashi T

This book was extremely delightful, but also very sad. The relationship between Sadie and Lane is intriguing because of their personalities. Sadie is a very adventurous person and is mostly an extrovert. She is described as someone who takes leaps of faith and a lot of risks, you can tell because she was ready to give the MDR TB medications a shot, even though she knew there was a very high possibility of her dying. While Lane on the other hand is a calm and studious kid who has had one goal and one goal only. Getting into the ivy league university, Yale. Until Latham happened, and he met an ally from camp. my favorite character in this book is probably Charlie because even though he is the sickest person out of all of them, he still manages to live the rest of his life up to the fullest, and he does so throughout the whole book, even as he falls to the floor. I loved this book, definitely worth my time. Hope you like it as much as I do!

shalee olsen

Becca Futrell

**3.5 this is depressing and i’m miserable

Nadia Leontescu

I would give this book literally 100 stars, but I can't. I absolutely adored this book, I ranted about it to my friend after reading it. I got so attached to the characters-probably too attached-and that ending really got to me :( 

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
Oh my word, when Charlie died I was already torn up, but then SADIE ahhhhh I can't with this book it messed me up, I was so attached and so hopeful. I still really liked it, but hated that end at the same time. I was really rooting for Lane and Sadie, but ya know I had to be crushed like that.

Geneviève Rouleau

With the COVID-19 pandemic, I felt like reading something post apocalyptic or something like that 🙈 Morbid, I know. 

So this isn't actually a post apocalyptic type story, but I really enjoyed it! It's about a bunch of teens infected with a mutated virus strain, that is now resistant to antibiotics. It's SUCH a realistic situation, which made this whole story so much more believable. 

This story is super fast paced and interesting, but I did get a little bored at one point (with everything happening right now, my mind needs to be extra stimulated or else I just... go back to googling COVID-19 info, since we are completely kept in the dark, even as health care professionals🙈). BUUUUT then the action picked back up again, and didn't stop until the end. It was a very fun, light-hearted book, but prettyyy heartbreaking too. 3.5⭐ 

NOTE : It was kind of cool the author included little sentences in French, but I wish a fellow Frenchie had edited them because... while some sentences were a bit off, they could still make sense. But this one... 🤣 I just have no explanation for it : "Mademoiselle, quelque chose du sucre?" euhm, what? This sentence means absolutely nothing 😂 I would know, my first language is French 🤣🤣 (for your personal info, if you're interested.. writing something like "Mademoiselle, quelque chose avec du sucre?" OR "Mademoiselle, quelque chose de sucré?" would've been more adequate).

Lisa ✩ @lifeinlit

4.5 stars!

“I’ll meet you there. I’ll wait for you there. And I hope I’m waiting a very long time.”

Robyn Schneider’s novel, The Beginning of Everything, won me over when I read it two years ago. It was one of those stories that really packed a punch and had me thinking long and hard after finishing the book. It was a realistic story that wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, and because of that I really related to the story and found myself completely invested. I’m happy to say that Extraordinary Means had me feeling the exact same way.

Since I’m one of those readers that goes into stories blind without reading the synopsis, I had no idea what this story was about. Immediately we’re thrown into this kind of bordering school where Lane is living. At first I had no idea what he was at this school. Was he a juvenile delinquent who had been in trouble with the law? Did his parents decide for another reason that he had to be living at a different location, far away from them? Then I find out that this is a special school for kids that have a rare and very contagious disease, TDR-TB. With no cure and a small chance of a remission, most of these kids found themselves staying at this school longer than they had hoped. Some were lucky enough to go into remission and be sent home, others sadly didn’t make it and passed away while at the school, and the rest stayed there hoping for the best. Sad, right? Yeah, this story definitely had the tears bordering on my eyelids quite a bit.

That morning, standing at the window of my dorm room as I buttoned up my shirt, I felt like an entirely different person. It was as though someone had taken an eraser to my life and, instead of getting rid of the mess, had rubbed away all the parts that I’d wanted to keep.

This story is told through the points of view of both Lane and Sadie. Lane is brand new at Latham House and completely lost. He’s immediately shocked at all of the rules and the way they live here. Yes, it’s a school… but there isn’t any homework, the students are all required to have “rest periods” every day, and they are extremely strict on eating and nutrition. Lane finds himself staring at a group of kids that he would just love to become friends with. They’re the kids that seem to be enjoying life, even at Latham House. Then he realizes that one of the girls, Sadie, looks very familiar to him. It turns out Sadie and Lane had gone to a summer cap together. Though they weren’t friends at this camp and never even spoke to each other, they had both remembered the other instantly. Their friendship starts off a bit rocky at first, and Lane has no idea why.

“Here’s a secret,” I said. “There’s a difference between being dead and dying. We’re all dying. Some of us die for ninety years, and some of us die for nineteen. But each morning everyone one this planet wakes up one day closer to their death. Everyone. So living and dying are actually different words for the same thing, if you think about it.”

I loved both Sadie and Lane. And this is one of those stories that isn’t just about the MCs with secondary characters to fill in the gaps. This story was about the ENTIRE case of characters. They were all such a huge and important part of this story. The friendships and the romances in this story were the best part for me. I have already recommended this story to others, and I will continue to do so. This is one of those stories that readers of Rainbow Rowell and John Green will respect and enjoy. It’s a sweet story with a strong message. You will probably shed a tear or two, as I did, but it’s all for a good reason. It will leave you feeling content and happy that you read this story when you’re finished with it.

(Thanks to Katherine Tegen Books for the review copy!)

Find this review and others like it at Lost in Literature!

Extraordinary means

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