Wink is one of this season's ORCA books, and a really good read! Harrell tells the story of himself, or a fictionalized version of himself, as a younger boy when he was diagnosed with cancer...in his eye. The author writes a story that is funny and real at the same time, something not easy to do with such a serious subject. One of the beautiful things about books is that they can act as windows, allowing you, as a reader, to experience things that you might not have to experience in real life. In this case, cancer. Books also act as mirrors, so that if you read a story that describes something you know or or living through, it connects you to others and let's you know it's okay, and that there are other people trying to manage the things in life that you may also be trying to manage.
All that is to say Harrell does a nice job with a very serious subject. His humor reminds me of Gordon Korman, who is a master at laugh-out-loud funny stories. But Harrell is also able to convey how serious real life can be - he creates a really good balance between the seriousness of life and the humor as well. It's nice to be able to laugh at ourselves at times, and of course, we sometimes cry, too.
The usual parts of a 7th grader's life are written into this story, such as crushes, bullies, and family challenges. It just so happens that main character Ross also has a rare cancer, too. I really enjoyed this story, laughed out loud in several places, and missed Ross and his friends as soon as I completed the last page. 5 paws!
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