The Survival Kit review

Rose, a formerly bubbly, popular teen with a spot on the cheerleading squad, has fallen into a deep depression after the death of her mother a few short months ago. She dropped cheering, stopped hanging out with her friends, and refuses to listen to any sort of music, afraid she'll cry as soon as she hears any lyric at all. Her long time boyfriend, Chris is even getting frustrated with her, confused as to Rose won't even try to feel better. 

When she finds one of her mom's famous Survival Kits, made especially for her, at first Rose can't even open it. Once she does, she knows it's time to begin the healing process, using the items her mother placed in the kit. With the help of her best friend and a guy who she never noticed before, but can't seem to stop thinking about, Rose starts to open up her heart again, though the process of feeling is anything but easy. 

The first thing I noticed once I got into the book a little ways, is how real the dialogue felt. Major plus! I have so many pet peeves when it comes to unrealistic character dialogue, but Frietas hit it spot on. I felt Rose's pain and heartache and her need to do things in her own time, rather than when and how everyone else expected her to. 

Will had me swooning, I'll definitely admit that. He was that perfect quiet guy that so many girls dream about. Smart, sensitive, hardworking, always says the right thing, ya know. Well, except when he doesn't say the right thing, but I forgive him. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the story and the emotions evoked by the characters. I'm a huge Sarah Dessen fan and would definitely recommend it for readers that like her work. It's a hopeful contemporary read that will leave you itching to make your own Survival Kits. 

The Survival Kit
Donna Frietas
368 pages
Young Adult
Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
9780374399177
October 2011
Library copy