Life is funny sometimes.
And not always the ha, ha kind. Like that one time where a hot guy tried to kiss me and I fell. Down. Hard. And then found out I had cancer.
I’m trying to be strong for my friends and my mom.
And I’m trying so hard to be “just friends” with that hot guy, even though he seems to want so much more. But I won’t do that to him. He’s been through this before with his family, and I’m not going to let him watch me die.
So, I tell myself: Smile Ellie. Be funny Ellie. Don’t cry Ellie, because once I start, I might not stop.
5 stars: "A Messy, Beautiful Life appealed to every side of me: the theater geek, the romantic, the comedy lover, and the sister/best-friend who knows that family is only partly about DNA. I loved Ellie's journey...and it's not every book that can make you ugly-cry and snort-laugh within a few chapters." –Rosemary Clement-Moore, author of Texas Gothic
5 stars: "Ellie’s story flew off the page and took over my heart while tickling my funny bone and messing with my tear ducts." –Victoria Hanley, bestselling author of Seize the Story: A Handbook for Teens Who Like to Write
5 stars: "This book has the perfect mixture of lighthearted, fun moments and moments that will shatter your heart. But it's beautiful and gives you all the feels. [...] Read this book!!!" –Nicole, Buchwolke Tumblr
5 stars: "One instant I was laughing and the next I had tears in my eyes when Ellie discovers that her world seems to be falling apart." –Sascha, Sascha Darlington's Microcosm Explored
5 stars: "The cover is beautiful. The story was beautiful, even if it was sad. The friendships will make you jealous and make you want your own pack. There was even diversity and LGBT representation in here that wasn't forced. This is a good example of how YA books should be done. I highly recommend this book!" –Lacy, A Ravenclaw Library
5 stars: "I absolutely loved the story to this. It shows that bad things can happen but that there's always some ounce of good happening at that same moment." –Jackie, Dauntless Books and Penguins
5 stars: "I found this book saddening at the same time it was an empowering story as young teen Ellie shoulders her diagnosis and faces it all head on. [...] Jason was a great boyfriend to her and doesn't back away because of the cancer, but if anything, shows he's there for her even more. A beautiful duo to read about." –Eve, Being Unique Being a Reader
5 stars: "A Messy, Beautiful Life, a perfect name for a perfect book. Sara Jade Alan gives you feels you’ve never imagined while reading a book. I cried, laughed, swooned, got angry, cried some more, and was left with such heartwarming sentiment and a bit of sadness when it was over." –Wit and Wonder Books
5 stars: "Sara Jade Alan rocked this story. There were just the right amount of swooning moments to keep me turning the pages. If you love phenomenal writing, a story that will blow you mind and warm your heart, this book is for you." –Victoria Bunce, Educator
5 stars: "A Messy, Beautiful Life made me cry so many times as it made me laugh. I read it all at one go because I couldn't let go." –Sabina, I Speak Bookish
I love books that make me laugh out loud AND cry. There is a saying that about the connection between humor and pain, and that’s what this book proves: How to find humor from difficult situations.
This is an original novel with a great cast of characters. Ellie is a senior in high school who does im ...more
A Messy, Beautiful Life!!! First things first: I received this book through NetGalley.
The book comes out october 2nd!!!
Look at me, reviewing an ARC before it's getting published. I think I'm starting to get my crap together. WHOOT!!! I wanna say right at the beginning, that I highly recommend this ...more
Life is funny sometimes.
And not always the ha, ha kind. Like that one time where a hot guy tried to kiss me and I fell. Down. Hard. And then found out I had cancer.
I’m trying to be strong for my friends and my mom.
And I’m trying so hard to be “just friends” with that hot guy, even though he seems ...more
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
"Most people are so scared of the pain in their life, they do anything they can to avoid it, to not feel what is really there. Ignoring it merely causes a different kind of hurt."
Rating: 4.5 stars
I always have good luck with Entangled books. They are usually sweet and heartwarming, but often deal with much lighter topics. I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, as cancer is a pretty weighty thing and to have to read about someone so young dealing with it, can be very di ...more
You don’t expect to find yourself smiling or even laughing when reading a novel about a teen who discovers she has cancer and yet I did both as I read Sara Jade Alan’s A Messy, Beautiful Life. Perhaps the reason why the author so ably writes about the topic is because A Messy, Beautiful Life is base ...more
A special thank you goes out to Entangled Teen for allowing me to read this book early. Thank you so much! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
My emotions are such a jumbled mess right now. This is one of the reasons that stand alones bother me. It's because I want MORE of the characters! This bo ...more
3.5 “Fighting with Humor” Stars
ARC via NetGalley.
Thank you, Entangled Teen!
Even though I should've expected it, this book still took me by surprise by its funny approach on such a serious topic--and I say surprise and funny in a good way.
Comedy was the theme for A Messy, Beautiful Life. From the mai ...more
Ellie is a member of an improv theater group and, when she meets Jason, a member of a rival improv group, they form an immediate connection. With some new friends and a huge comedy competition coming up, things are looking good, but a freak accident brings Ellie crashing down - quite literally. What ...more
This book gave me all the feels. I couldn't put it down, it was beautifully written. I read it in 2 days and I adored everything about it! Recommended!!! ...more
"His words filled my bones. He was my lucky star in this maelstrom of misfortune. I wondered how it was possible that my life was at its very best and its very worst simultaneously. Messy and beautiful. Heartbreaking and inspiring."
~A Messy Beautiful Life, Sara Jade Alan
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RATING: 5 ⭐️
GENRE: Young A ...more
***ARC received in exchange for an honest review***
A Messy, Beautiful Life, a perfect name for a perfect book. Sara Jade Alan gives you feels you’ve never imagined while reading a book. I cried, laughed, swooned, got angry, cried some more, and was left with such heartwarming sentiment and a bit of ...more
I wondered how it was possible that my life was at its very best
and its very worst simultaneously. Messy and beautiful.
This book was surprisingly funny. I know it's a book where the main character has cancer, but it wasn't the whole focus of the book which I loved.
Early on, cancer isn't mentioned. The first part of the book allows the readers to really get to know the amazing people in this book. Ellie is hilarious ...more
Please note: I received a copy of A MESSY, BEAUTIFUL LIFE from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher and author.
Five stars and here’s why:
Is it possible to cry and laugh so many times with one book? Because I read it all at once and ended up doing both. I couldn’t pu ...more
A Messy Beautiful Life is one of those reads that has you excited for bedtime, just so you can tuck back into the next chapter. Kind, sharp and quirkily-funny Ellie is the kind of heroine I love—with a gang of friends whose whipsmart back-and-forth and clear affection for one another makes you remem ...more
I finished this e-arc that Netgalley and Entangled Teen a few days ago but I've fallen ill and with that comes writer's block. I apologize in advance for anything in this review that may not make complete sense.
First off, I absolutely loved the story to this. It shows that bad things can happen but ...more
In a YA novel about high school, one expects to read about the everyday struggles of teens - the teasing, the insecurity, the isolation. We also expect a happy ending in which the one awkward kid finds a way to survive and thrive. But what happens when those struggles are a matter of life and death? ...more
“A Messy, Beautiful Life” tossed my emotions around like a clothes dryer, wrung them, flipped them upside down, and tossed them out. It’s a book about cancer, but not at all like any of the other books you probably had pop into your mind. Everything about it feels so real. I felt their joy and their ...more
Ellie, Quinn and Hana are best friends who form an improve group, at a comedy club where at one of their events they meet Jason who Ellie in particular notices only what should be a great night at a party soon after they meet becomes a nightmare when she collapses in agony as her leg gives way.
Howev ...more
5 A MESSY, BEAUTIFUL LIFE STARS!! This book was fantastic it had all the feels from laughing out loud to crying. The story is so beautifully written, Sara Jade Alan did a fabulous job. I loved Ellie, she was the perfect character. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book. ...more
THIS BOOK IS SO INCREDIBLE! I immediately fell in love with its quick-witted dialogue, hilarity, and emotional moments. This book about love, life, and everything in between made me laugh out loud and then cry just as loudly.
Ellie’s story is heartbreaking and yet all at once courageously funny. The ...more
Ellie is a seventeen-year-old whose only care in life is doing an improv/comedy show just announced that could win her and her improv group a spot on Comedy Hub’s website and $500 to split between them. What she doesn’t expect is that a fall at a party will lead to finding out she may have cancer an ...more
'A Messy, Beautiful Life' made me cry so many times as it made me laugh. I read it all at one go because I couldn't let go. It's a book mostly about first love and cancer, but you will find also a lot about relations among people and about a loss of your beloved one. Ellie is the main character here ...more
Received in exchange for a honest review.
this book is absolutely wonderful. You have such a sad topic but the humour has you laughing so hard your side hurts and you cry.
This is the story of the journey of Ellie. How she deals with a time in her life where she is challenged. Challenged by something ...more