How We Roll by Natasha Friend
Genre: MG/YA Realistic Fiction
Blurb (on back of book):
Quinn is a teen who loves her family, skateboarding, basketball, and her friends, but after she's diagnosed with a condition called alopecia which causes her to lose all of her hair, her friends abandon her. Nick was once a star football player, but because of a freak accident — caused by his brother — he loses both of his legs. Quinn and Nick meet and find the confidence to believe in themselves again, and maybe even love.
MY OPINION: **
Something about this book just didn't click with me. I liked how it was written and I liked the representation of so many different things in this book but overall, I didn't enjoy it as I wanted to have.
Quinn has an autoimmune disorder that causes her to lose her hair. She wears a wig (dubbed Guinevere) to try to hide under it at her new school. She's had a bad experience at her old school with bullying and harassment and she would do anything to not relive that experience again. Instead of being herself, she endures itchiness and constant worrying and basically torture by wearing a wig.
Quinn's main problem with me was her lack of self-esteem. Personally, I think she should just own it. Sure, she's bald but if you live under a disguise, you're giving people a reason to think that you're different instead of just treating it as something normal. I think that if she had just come to school wigless and confessed everything to her friends, she would have had an easier life by far. However, I do understand her reluctance. It really saddens me to see how one bad experience can influence somebody's future life decisions and how they view themselves.
Nick Strout was yet another unique character representation. He was in a snowmobile accident and ended up losing both of his legs. He was a star quarterback before but now he has to learn how to walk and live life all over again. I could really sympathize with him because I cannot imagine the pain he must be feeling both physically and mentally after losing his legs. I admire his ultimate strength and bravery though he also struggled with self-confidence. When Quinn and Nick meet, it's a relationship in which they help each other overcome their problems.
Quinn's brother, Julian, is also a great representation of different people around the world. He's somewhere on the autism spectrum. I honestly loved him and could also sympathize with him because it was hard for him to convey what he needed to say. He's literally trapped in his own brain and the only way he can find some semblance of happiness is to live by routines (Taco Tuesday, Thermos Thursday, the Guinness Book of World Records, etc).
Needless to say, I loved the variety of character representation. I feel as if it was an accurate and realistic approach on the different personalities of all of the people that make up our world.
A huge problem that I had with this book was the fact that these characters don't act like how freshmen act. I don't know about you, but from what I know, nobody texts like how they do in this book. People don't just randomly ask other people that they barely know if they can just come over to their house or vice versa. I found it odd that Nick and Quinn constantly see each other at all times of the day despite having had no prior plans. If it was my dad, he would need to have gotten notice that a friend was coming over at least two days in advance. I was just disappointed with how the freshmen in this book were portrayed compared to real-life freshmen. Maybe it's just me but that's how I felt about certain things in this book.
Also, I never felt any relationship buildup with Quinn and Nick. One moment they don't like each other (or rather Nick doesn't like anybody) and the next, they're friends? I didn't really see anything happening there until it suddenly was just there and I was confused.
I would recommend this book to readers looking for a widely-represented read.
Main Character: Quinn
Sidekick(s): Ivy, Carmen, Nate, Tommy, etc
Villain(s): Bullies, disorders/diseases, insecurities, etc
Realistic Fiction Elements: This book was all very real to life.
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