9 Things to Love About All These
Lives
"Sixteen-year-old Dani is convinced she has nine lives. As a child she twice walked away from situations where she should have died. But Dani’s twin, Jena, isn’t so lucky. She has cancer and might not even be able to keep her one life. Dani’s father is in denial. Her mother is trying to hold it together and prove everything’s normal. And Jena is wasting away. To cope, Dani sets out to rid herself of all her extra lives. Maybe they’ll be released into the universe and someone who wants to live more than she does will get one. Someone like Jena. But just when Dani finds herself at the breaking point, she’s faced with a startling realization. Maybe she doesn’t have nine lives after all. Maybe she really only ever had one."
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After all that you have been through, what have you learned
about yourself?
1) That it turns
out having nine lives is not as common as I initially thought. One would think
there’d be some “Oldest Person with Nine Lives” titleholder in the Guinness
Book of Records (and I don’t mean, like, Madonna or something), but…no.
2) Peanut butter
M&Ms aren’t even nearly tolerable.
Hmm, I guess 1
& 2 were more what I’ve learned about life than myself.
3) That what I’m
most afraid of is being without the people I love.
4) That I’d trade
everything for a little bit of hope.
What is the best memory you have of your sister?
I don’t know if
this is a case of early-onset memory loss or what, but my best memories with
Jena kind of run together. They’re a string of moments that blur together like
a poorly edited, sappy montage. Most of them are when we’re younger – playing
“I spy” in the car on never-ending family road trips or playing in the park
after school. Sticking out our tongues in the middle of a rainstorm – we’re
only catching raindrops, but in my mind, we are telling lightning and thunder
that we’re not afraid of them.
Dani, you are a very good actor. With all that has happen to
your sister, do you feel as though you are acting in your real life?
Thanks for the
compliment! I really hope my mom didn’t pay you to say that.
As for your
question: yes, and no. I mean, as Harry-with-an I (my psychologist…bless her
heart) would say, everybody has their “Public Face” and their “Private Face.”
My Public Face can come off as a little harsh, a little abrupt. And I wear it
because it’s easier that way – it keeps people from getting too close and most
of the time, it is how I honestly feel. Sometimes I wish (and I know other
people wish) that my Public Face was different, softer. But between you and me,
I’m a tad young for drastic cosmetic procedures.
What is one attribute that sets you and Jena apart?
Well, there’s a lot
of surface-level stuff: I’m taller; Jena’s athletic, I’m not; some (Dad) would
say I’m more dramatic. If you look closely, though, we’re more alike than we
seem. I guess the biggest difference is that Jena has always been stronger,
braver.
If you can change one thing in your life, what would that be?
I would make Jena
well. Or I’d find us that moment before everything changed, and I’d freeze it
and trap us where nothing would ever hurt us.
Alternatively, I’d
just like to live in a world without peanut butter M&Ms. I’m sorry to be so
repetitive, but it would be a waste of my five minutes of fame if I did not
take a stand.
Thanks so much for being here today Dani.
Visit the author Sarah Wylie's blog in order to enter to win a great ATL Prize Pack which includes:
- 1 SIGNED copy of ALL THESE LIVES;
- 3 ALL THESE LIVES bookmarks; and
- Your choice of ANY 3 Apocalypsies books!
Go to her POST HERE
Happy Reading!
Haha! I like peanut butter M&Ms. I don't have a problem with them. Although given the choice, I'd take the classic or peanut M&Ms. I love Dark chocolate M&Ms. Although the best are the Cadbury mini eggs.
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