How dark are they? SO dark that a book about a kid with a potentially deadly eye cancer is the bit of light-hearted levity we all need and crave. And if what you know is how to lie on a steel table, your head screwed into place, a laser pointed at your face, that might be a good place to start. Seeing the way each person reacts differently, all trying to do their best for Ross but often not hitting the mark. I also loved the way family and friends were so believably portrayed. This author doesn’t shy away from the bad stuff, so it’s not all beer and skittles – but he delivers a terrifically bright, realistic, believable and interesting narrative of Ross’s experience. In Ross’s case he developed new friendships, adopted new hobbies and did some things he would not have even considered when he was healthy. Sure, Cancer is a shocking diagnosis but after the initial burn – other things happen. This story certainly isn’t all ‘doom and gloom’. It’s like being part of an exclusive club, with secret handshakes, there is something that is ‘understood’. There is an intangible ‘thing’ you get when talking to (or in this case reading the words of) a previous or current Cancer patient. In fact, he was diagnosed with the same Cancer as young Ross. It was only after I finished reading this story that I discovered the author experienced Cancer first-hand as a young boy. One thing that really hit home for me was how sad Ross was after his last treatment – it really is a sad moment, believe it or not.Ī particularly poignant part of this story was how one of his close friends just ‘disappeared’, purely because his friend didn’t know how to handle his condition. This isn’t only good fun, it is often contentious!! Also, some of the waiting room distractions employed, such as fish tanks, really work.

Some precise observations included the inter-patient camaraderie experienced in the radiation therapy waiting room and with the radiation therapists, even down to the fact of choosing the music to be played during treatment. But this was written in a way that really conveyed what it is like, from a very personal view of having a disease such as this and undergoing the rigours of radiation therapy. To be sure, this can be achieved by interviewing oncology patients, medical professionals and the like. The first thing I noticed was, the story is so incredibly accurate. Wink by Rob Harrell is a solid 4-star effort. He consequently needs to attend 8 weeks of radiation therapy, which is no small thing – physically and emotionally. This is a wonderful work of Young-Adult fiction about a young lad called Ross who is unlucky enough to be diagnosed with a rare form of eye Cancer.

Rob harrell author