Julie Halpern

After her father's accidental death, Alex refocuses on her family life only to learn that her friend, Becca, is dying of cancer, a situation that compels Alex to help Becca complete a bucket list.

The F- It List

Alexa M

This book was terrible. It was 10% actual "fuck it list" and 90% this chicks struggle with her guilty conscience. BLEGH

Alex and Becca have always been best friends. But when Becca does something nearly unforgivable at Alex's dad's funeral, Alex cuts ties with her and focuses on her grieving family. Time passes, and Alex finally decides to forgive Becca. Then she's hit with another shocker: Becca has cancer. It also turns out Becca has a bucket list, one she doesn't know she'll be able to finish now. That's where Alex comes in, along with a mysterious and guarded boy who just may help Alex check a few items off her own bucket list. Julie Halpern writes about illness, loss, love, and friendship with candor and compassion. Here is an unforgettable book about living fully, living authentically, and just . . . living.

Anna Russell

Pretty good, pretty basic story. But great coming from a friends point of view. Would recommend to a high schooler.

Bea R.

“We should never have any regrets, not when we’re dying and not when we’re alive.”

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The F– It List is the first of Julie Halpern’s books that I’ve read. I typically shy away from books about kids with cancer, or anyone with cancer really, because I’m an emotional reader and the topic of cancer really gets to me. But the premise for this book sounded interesting and unique and I couldn’t pass it by. After reading The Fault in Our Stars, I realized it was entirely possible to write a book about sick kids that, while heartbreaking, is still hopeful. I thought this one might be similar. It had an entirely different vibe, but I appreciated this one just as much.

The characters made this book utterly unputdownable for me. I devoured it in one sitting. Each of the primary characters – Alex, Becca, Leo and Caleb – had depth. They were relatable. I cared about each and every one of them. They complemented each other perfectly. While they each fit somewhat fit into a stereotype on the surface – damaged girl, bad boy, drama girl, homeschooled boy – they’re much more than that underneath. The pairings in the book were spot-on. Leo and Caleb were both absolutely swoon-worthy in their own way.

  
    “After my dad was killed, I pretty much gave up all belief in God. People loved to say ‘comforting’ things to me, like, ‘It’s part of God’s plan’ or ‘God only gives you what you can handle.’ Um, fuck you? And fuck God. Seriously, if the god they believed in was giving out dead dads and cancer, I wanted nothing to do with him. And yeah, of course I can handle what was doled out to me. Because I was forced to. What were my options? Not handling it? Even that would be a nice choice, and therefore, the way I handled the situation. It’s pretty damn hard to believe in God when you’ve lost so much.”
  

Alex had been through a bunch of really terrible things over the last several months. Her father was killed in an accident. Her best friend had slept with the guy she was dating. After a couple months of reflecting on everything, she’s ready to move on and make amends when she learns her best friend has cancer. While Alex might not have been the most mature character through parts of the book, I admire the maturity with which she handled the situation with Becca. They talked through things and got their friendship back on track nearly immediately. She was back to being the supportive friend Becca needed during her illness. She jumped right in with both feet to help make things easier on Becca, starting with shaving Becca’s head and helping her cross things off the bucket list she started when she was nine years old.

  
    “How about the Fuck-It list? Like, fuck it, I might die, but let me look like an idiot doing all sorts of ridiculous things?” 
  

I was glad to see Alex put aside her issues with Becca’s “betrayal” early in the book. I would have hated to see that drag on any longer than it did. Their friendship was special and I thoroughly appreciated it. It reminded me a lot (minus the cancer, thankfully) of me and my closest friends in high school. Their dialogue, whether funny, dirty or more emotional, was perfect to me. It was realistic. Sure, there was lots of profanity and talk of sex, but high school girls talk like that. Or at least my friends and I did at that age. I thought this was a much more accurate portrayal of high school girls than a lot of the slightly-prudish, innocent and virginal characters in a lot of YA books. But it’s been awhile since I’ve been in high school…

  
    “I berated myself for showing so much vulnerability during sex. It should have been no big deal. Except that it was a big deal. And sex with Leo was an even bigger deal. And the actual sex with Leo was most definitely the biggest deal of all.”
  

In the midst of dealing with her dad’s death and Becca’s cancer, Alex isn’t ready to begin a relationship. She feels she should be focusing on Becca and her needs. Enter the mysterious Leo Dietz. She has been intrigued with him for quite awhile. They begin to spend time together and she really likes him, though she’s not willing to admit it to herself or to him yet. She wrestles with her feelings for Leo and the guilt of living her life as Becca is going through so much. Leo wants to move forward and she’s resistant. Even with their mutual feelings and chemistry, it causes some pretty tough times for them.

  
    “He totally wants to bone the cancer right out of you,” I told Becca.
  

I loved Becca’s attitude. I respect the hell out of someone who is faced with a battle like cancer and refuses to let it get them down or break their spirit. She was strong and tough. She made me laugh. I loved her flirtation with the homeschooled boy next door. I won’t call it innocent, because it definitely wasn’t that, but it was cute. Their communications made me smile. I hoped that she would kick cancer’s ass and be able to explore a real relationship with him.

  
    “I needed that kiss. Every part of me needed it. Not just my body, which screamed at me to touch him ever since I landed on his bed again, but my mind, my heart, my soul. I needed him to show me he forgave me wholly for leaving him, so that I could finally show Leo how much I truly felt for him.”
  

This book was about a lot more than a girl with cancer. It was about dealing with tragedy and illness. It was about true friendship and the lengths you will go to for a friend. It was about family. Love. Learning how to move on and allow yourself to live. Growing and maturing. Giving in to what you want. In the end, Becca’s “F– It List” helped Alex truly live again as much as it helped her. This book had heart and humor and I would highly recommend it to anyone would enjoys reading mature contemporary YA novels.

I received this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Jessica Nottingham

I've been hemming and hawing over what to write about The F-It List for a few days now. The truth is that I actually enjoyed this book for the most part. I loved that it wasn't overly depressing. That Alex was witty, intelligent, and yet just flawed enough to make her feel like a real person. Julie Halpern wasn't afraid to create a character who can equal parts feel guilty about her friend's illness, and still embrace the happiness that comes her way. I so appreciated that. Illness sucks, and being helpless while a friend is ill sucks even more, but Halpern shows that you're still allowed to live your life.
 
The F-It List embraces the idea of living for the moment. Becca's list isn't one of those bucket lists that is filled with things like skydiving and swimming with dolphins. Hers contains all those little things that we never do because we always think we'll have time for them later. Like sleeping on the beach. Or making a move on that hot guy you've been watching since the beginning of the year. I was enamored with the fact that her list was full of things that, although they seem insignificant at first, are absolutely part of who she wanted to be. No dream is too small.
 
What else did I love? The fact that there is so much nerdy goodness in this book. Alex is obsessed with horror movies, and all you horror buffs out there will appreciate her taste in movies. These movies played a big roll in who she was, and how she got by. There's also a huge nod in the direction of Firefly fans, which contributed to a part of this book that actually made me laugh out loud. We all want to meet our idols. Becca does just that, and then some!
 
Sadly, we've now come to the part where I have to tell you what I didn't like about this book. I'll keep it short, I promise. The main problem I had with The F-It List was the way Alex and Becca were so oversexualized. I've been a teen, I know that talking about/having sex is a part of that stage of life. In this case though, it felt like overkill. I appreciated the fact that Julie Halpern acknowledged that yes, girls can be just as crass as guys at times. However the amount of times it came up actually started to pull me out of the story.
 
I think this had the potential to be a perfect read for me. Two best friends, who are brutally honest with one another, each trying to overcome their own struggles while being strong for one another. If the story had backed off on the sex and swearing just a little bit, just enough to let the sweetness of this friendship shine through, it would have been exactly what I was looking for. As it stands, I still think this deserves a three star rating. After all, I did have more than my fair share of chuckles at Alex's expense!

The F- It List

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