Extraordinary Means

EXTRAORDINARY MEANS by Robyn Schneider seems at first glance to be just another THE FAULT IN OUR STARS-esque love story; it follows Lane and Sadie, two teens who are sent to Latham House because they’re suffering from a new drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis and need to be separated from the general populace. However, I am glad to say that the similarities to TFIOS end there.

At the start of the book, Sadie is not a fan of Lane because of their experience in summer camp together years before. That is soon cleared up, however, and the two begin to bond because of their shared experiences and ability to understand the way the other thinks.

The characters are the strongest part of this novel. Lane is a hard worker who has followed the rules his whole life in order to get into the college of his dreams. Sadie is much more relaxed and daring, and has been in Latham House for a longer period of time. Our two main characters are extremely sensible, as well. Their issues are realistic, and when they have a conflict, they solve it by communicating with one another. This was very refreshing, as the main characters in many other young adult novels refuse to talk with each other and work out their issues.

The boarding school feel also adds to the enjoyment of the book. It allows the protagonists to be more free, and it lets readers meet some wonderful side characters, such as Charlie, Nick and Marina. All three were funny and interesting, each with their own story and personality. My favorite scenes were when all five friends went on walks into the woods together. Their humor, references to movies and shows that are popular in their age group and use of contemporary slang made the story more relatable and enjoyable to read.

EXTRAORDINARY MEANS was a fantastic novel about friendship, sickness and what it means to be alive. It is perfect for fans of John Green’s LOOKING FOR ALASKA and THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, with a medley of elements from each book. It was a fun read with interesting and original insight on what living really is and how to find the balance between love and sickness.

Reviewed by Sean E.

Wry, bittersweet and often contemplative, Schneider's sophomore book has the heart and humor of The Beginning of Everything, if decidedly darker.

Seventeen-year-old Lane Rosen has lived every single day of his life preparing for the future—paying attention to assignments, taking AP classes—until he's diagnosed with totally-drug-resistant tuberculosis and, suddenly, senior year is happening four hundred miles away, without him. Then there is Sadie Bennett—buoyant, rebellious Sadie—who's made peace with her condition. The story takes place in a sanatorium reminiscent of Hailsham called Latham House and right there, Lane is reunited with Sadie, whom he once went to summer camp with. Extraordinary Means is a paradigm of a quiet YA, in that it effectively mixes keenness to dialogue with characterization and subtlety with emotional resonance. It is a steady read up to the last third, when the narrative takes an inevitable turn, in a flurry that doesn't feel rushed.

There's nothing we haven't already seen in this novel, but that's the beauty of it. Schneider doesn't need gimmicks to tell a gripping story. It just is. And I laud how she speaks the language of the teens she's writing for and about. There are video games and Facebook updates and Harry Potter references and Tumblr and butterbeers and a John Green novel. I mean, how often do we get a John Green shout out in a contemporary book? Schneider is an extraordinary (come on, you know that's bound to come up), unapologetic nerd and that translates very well into her work. She also nailed her acknowledgement twice now.

Of course, it would be remiss to not talk characters in my review. If Schneider's characters are a club, I'd sign up without vacillation. And maybe it's just me but I have this sneaking suspicion that the author wrote Lane for me. I connected easily with him. In high school (extending to the early half of college), I was that guy whom no one considers inviting for night outs "and I probably would have made an excuse if they had, not because I didn't want to, but because I thought I shouldn't." "I followed the rules because that was why rules existed, to be followed." Those are Lane's—and mine—word per word. Even our handwriting would look neat next to each other, I have no doubt. But hard work and handwriting aside, he's just relatable through and through. Sadie, however, while never boring, seems to flicker in places. And Nick, Marina and Charlie are as entertaining and layered, as opposed to being mere plot devices. You would want to be in their circle.

But Extraordinary Means isn't so much about being sick—for fine works are almost never about just one thing—as it is about finding your people, fitting in and living in the now—an echo of a theme the author first explored in her debut. It is a story of second chances and coming to terms with reality. And although I predicted how it'll end, it did not stop me from caring. Plus the romance is neither excessive nor hastily done, which is always a treat.

A Never Let Me Go meets Looking for Alaska, Extraordinary Means is a satisfying follow up from Robyn Schneider, with solid opening lines that is fast becoming her brand.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I finished this book in less than two days (with two kids to take care of, that's pretty darn quick). I started it late one night and pretty much had it finished the next day.

The story is told in alternating points of view, between Lane and Sadie, two teenagers living at Latham House, a medical facility for teenagers who have been diagnosed with Total Drug Resistant Tuberculosis. Sadie has been there longer than Lane, and has a group of friends that she is close with. Sadie remembers Lane from summer camp when they were thirteen, and she isn't too happy to be seeing him again. However, as the story goes on, Lane finds his way in with Sadie and her friends, and eventually the two of them fall in love. When a cure is announced, they must wait until it is ready, so that they can be cured and return home. The teens must deal with friendship, love, loss, and what it's like to live with a disease that could get worse, and wind up being fatal, at any time.

I've never read The Fault in Our Stars (I know, I'm probably among the weirdo few that haven't...I have it on my Kindle, but just haven't gotten to it yet...one of these days!), but this book is simply wonderful.

It made me laugh. It made me cry. It made me feel so many things...it was truly an emotional roller coaster ride of a novel that will stay with me for a very long time.

“The life you plan isn’t the life that happens to you.”

Lane knows all about planning: he is the ultimate overachiever – his schedule is jam-packed with AP classes, study sessions to increase his SAT scores by just a few more points, and anything else that might boost his college résumé so he can impress the admissions board at Stanford. Meanwhile, Sadie is his polar opposite: she’s a fun, live-in-the-moment kind of girl, who spends her free time taking artistic photographs in the woods, and doesn’t quite set her sights on a future that may not even happen.

Yet as different as they are, Sadie and Lane do share something in common: a deadly and drug-resistant Tuberculosis strain, which is how they both end up at Latham House – a kind of boarding school for those so close to dying young, hoping to find a cure away from their friends and family who they wouldn’t want to infect. But instead of the dreary and morose atmosphere that might accompany a building full of the terminally ill, Sadie and her friends bring Lane into their roguish group, to wander the woods, smuggle contraband into their dorms, and find ways to undermine the constrictive rules of Latham: they choose to live, while they still can.

In Extraordinary Means, Robyn Schneider explores the idea of living life to the fullest, when we may not really have the time to lead a full-length life – the idea of getting a second chance to live life on your terms, for as long as you possibly can. This is what Lane discovers while being with Sadie, Nick, Charlie, and Marina – despite being terminally ill, they do not spend (all of) their time dwelling on what they no longer have, but instead on celebrating what they can still accomplish… even it’s as simple as stealing Internet access from the librarian!

“I realized then that I hadn’t had a life, I’d just had a life plan. […] I didn’t want to spend the next six years falling asleep at my desk with headphones on to block out the noise of everyone else having fun. I didn’t want to rush through all the moments that I wouldn’t know I wanted until they were gone.” Once he manages to slow down – and not necessarily by choice, but doctor’s orders – Lane discovers what he’s been missing: fun! He learns that breaking rules is enjoyable, having real friends to talk to and joke with feels great, and that connecting with others who share the same disease that could kill you, isn’t so bad. Turns out taking a step back from burning the stick at both ends, is even good for Lane’s overall health.

Unfortunately for Sadie, her experience isn’t quite the same. “I was living with TB, which is better than dying from it, but month after month, my X-rays and blood tests came back the same. And I didn’t know which change would be more terrifying, the death sentence I’d been dreading since sophomore year, or the ticket home to a life I’d missed far too much of to ever fully recover, and a world that would always treat me as an outsider if they knew.” While for Lane, Latham is a temporary escape, for Sadie, this is really where she feels most like herself, knowing that not only would the outside world keep her at arm’s length because of her illness, but also that she couldn’t be the confident, rule-breaker she is at Latham anywhere else.

Nonetheless, throughout the various interactions between this band of happy-go-lucky cool kids of Latham – both the mischievous and the heart breaking – Robyn Schneider highlights an important message: “Being temporary doesn’t make something matter any less, because the point isn’t for how long, the point is that it happened.”

Extraordinary Means is a beautifully told coming-of-age love story, which tugs at your heartstrings, while deepening your appreciation for those who matter right now.

http://doodlesandwords.com/2015/06/20/extraordinary-means-on-self-discovery-and-second-chances/

This is a sad book. Not because of the writing, but because of the subject matter. One kid with tuberculosis is sad enough, but you’ve got a whole facility filled when them in Extraordinary Means. This is not the type of book you’d pick up if you’re feeling down, but for those who can accept it, it offers an interesting concept for kids who just want to find themselves.

With total drug resistant TB, these kids have been quarantined from the rest of the world until a cure is discovered. Sadie chooses to live her life with a resigned reluctance and internalised anger. Lane lives with ambition and hope for the future. I’m glad these two were able to make a difference in each other’s lives, but at the end of the day, you never know how long it’s going to be.

I enjoyed Lane’s point of view, it felt authentic and honest, with his reluctance to accept that he’s sick and throwing everything into his studies for college. But his fixation on the future has taken away his ability to focus on the present, which is something that Sadie pulls out of him. Sadie is like his bright light, and together they are really sweet.

Sadie was a character I had difficulty warming to. She’s dry, sarcastic and holds grudges against people who hurt her. She’s quite bitchy and cold towards Lane at first because of a misunderstanding she had in the past, but thankfully she gets better as the book goes on. I could see how she had resigned herself to her fate, was therefore rebellious and really didn’t care about consequences, even if she managed to hurt others in the process. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t realistic.

With Robyn Schneiders amazing characterisation and snarktastic writing, why only three stars? Let me explain.

So these teenagers are cooped up in a facility right, where they’re fed healthy food, are cut off from the world and are half-heartedly going to school. What do they do with themselves? Aside from hacking into the internet and the odd movie night here and there, Sadie and her friends make fun for themselves.

And this is the conflict that I can’t get my head around. These highly contagious kids, sneak out of the facility and go to town. They go to Starbucks, they hang around the park, and they visit shops and interact with people. They don’t have just any illness, they have an incurable disease. This is how the zombie apocalypse starts people, a bunch of stupid infected people sneaking out and putting the entire population at risk from a worldwide epidemic because they couldn’t pull their heads together. And of course, because they’ve snuck out once and gotten away with it, they’re going to keep and doing it again and again.

I can’t think of anything more horrifying than that.

But on the other hand, you have to feel for these kids. They feel fine, and they don’t think it’s a big deal. They just want to have a normal life, no more medical bands, no more getting treated like kid gloves, no more doctor’s appointments and check ups.

Yeah that’s why you have a facility with relative freedom to do whatever you want.

The author’s note opened my mind on the topic. It gave me a wider appreciation for the author’s background and passion in writing from the perspective of people with diseases. But we have My Sister’s Keeper, The Fault in Our Stars, just not a YA book about TB. I guess it raised awareness about this silent disease of the young.

Despite my earlier ranting, I enjoyed Extraordinary Means, I really did. Robyn Schneider has a knack for writing really real characters, whether they’re likable or not. Her humour and ease of writing is fantastic. But because of the reasons stated above, this just wasn’t the book for me.

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I really love her writing style. I read "The beginning of everything" last year and loved it. The characters a re so realtable and easy to love. I enjoy alternate timeline type novels and I believe this is the first that is related to an illness that has been mostly eradicated in developed countries.
The teens in this novel have been quarantined in Latham house. They attend school but no one really makes them do their work because they are not expected to get better. They find ways to laugh and live and love. They make mistakes and hurt one another but they find friends and sometimes more. It's not a roses and sunshine kind of book but it is beautiful all the same.
I recommend reading this author. Her writing is easy to read and lovely

I loved The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider so much I have been eagerly awaiting this book for over a month. Unfortunately, while I enjoyed the character of Sadie very much, I was ultimately disappointed by the book, especially the end. Drug-resistant diseases are definitely a coming problem, and the quarantine encampment in which the story takes place seemed very realistic.

The adult characters in the book are quite wooden, and only two have any real presence. Even they are stick figures thrown in for us to hate. I enjoyed Lane's personal journey of transformation, and Sadie's wildness, but somehow the story just fell flat on its face. I still think Schneider is a good writer and I'd order a future book of hers, but I can't honestly recommend this one.

I've seen a lot of reviews saying this book was just a play off of the fault in our stars. I completely disagree.
I've read a lot of John greens books and this one popped up on my feed as something I may also enjoy. I figured I would try it since I also enjoyed the beginning of everything.
I admit it took a few chapters to figure out what was going on and get into it. Once I did though I couldn't put this book down.
Line's story and really all of the character's stories are quite sad and depressing. However through all of that, Lane and Sadie come together.
The ending was a good ending but awful for the emotions. You want to root for a certain character even though it's inevitable what is going to happen.
I highly recommend reading this book. It is a tragic romance but I don't think it mimics the fault in our stars. I don't think anyone should be disappointed by this book.

Extraordinary Means is a very interesting story. No one really thinks of tuberculosis as being a disease that could come back. I don’t really understand why, especially after seeing all the other disease that has made reappearance over the years. Ebola, measles, why not TB? Anyone that does anything medically related has to have TB tests to see if they are a carrier or have been exposed somehow, which means someone thinks it is possible for TB to become an issue. I am glad that Robin took this story on and wrote it in such a way that shows a TB outbreak is possible but doesn’t have to be scary.

I am not normally a fan of duel POV in books but it works really well in this book. It is very easy to keep up with who is talking and the story moves at the right speed that the duel POVs is the best way to tell this story. Lane and Sadie are both diagnosed with TB and are sent to Latham House to be “cured”. Latham House is a boarding school for kids with TB where they get around the clock care, school, plenty of rest, but are not shunned like they would be in the outside world for being sick.

Sadie and group of friends are the “popular” kids at Latham. They break the rules, live life to the fullest they possibly can, and pretty much ignore all. Lane starts at Latham with the idea that he isn’t really sick, that he can still do everything in his plan to be a Stanford student next year. Then he meets Sadie. Once they overcome their history, Lane joins the “popular” kids and realizes what his life has been missing.

Latham House is full of growth, knowledge, and possible futures for all who attend. Some just don’t know it yet.

4/5

Teenage love stories that simultaneously confront the frailty of life--you've probably read a few of those lately. In a story that is like a fanfic mash-up of The Fault in Our Stars and Looking for Alaska, Robyn Schneider's Extraordinary Means offers a contemporary, pop culture reference filled, easily accessible story of battling disease and living life to the fullest despite the circumstances.

Seventeen year old Lane is an overachiever completely focused on excelling in school so he can get into Stanford, but his life's plans are derailed when he contracts tuberculosis and his parents send him to Latham. Seventeen year old Sadie has spent the last two years of her life at Latham, sequestered away from the general populace with other teens who suffer from a new drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis, but she hasn't let her seclusion and stagnant prognosis keep her from living as normal a life as possible. When Lane arrives at Latham and comes across Sadie, they are both thrown back four years to their time at summer camp together at the awkward age of thirteen, when admitting you have a crush is tantamount to torture. With medical sensor bracelets tracking their every move and heartbeat, Lane, Sadie, and their friends try to bring a sense of normalcy into their otherwise terminal, dreary lives through typical teenage rebellion against the rules, even if it could kill them.

Through writing that is realistic and honest, with an alternating point of view narration, Schneider provides a holistic view of the tragic situation at hand. The prose is a combination of cheeky wit and introspection, without an abundance of teen angst. The subject matter is a bit heavy, yet the humor of the protagonists offers some levity to temper the circular nature of life and death. The characters of Lane, Sadie, Nick, Marina, and Charlie are incredibly detailed and realistic, which helps readers more easily identify with them and sympathize with their struggles. The abundance of contemporary references practically makes the book read like someone's Tumblr page, which makes the narrative more relatable and offers a framework from which to build.

I grabbed this book because of the cover at first and then I read the synopsis and was like why not? Am I ever so glad that I bought this book! It was so good and if you want a book that gives you the feels well this is the book! If you like Fault In Our Stars then you will love this book! I loved all the characters, the humor, and just everything about this book!

This is almost a futuristic contemporary. EXTRAORDINARY MEANS is what would happen if NEVER LET ME GO met THE FAULT IN OUR STARS. Two teens dealing with illness fall in love but man is it sooo much more than that. It is funny and real and it made me cry. There are funny references to Harry Potter, and Tumblr and Secret Starbucks menus, but also deep meaningful conversations. Pretty much Schneider can do no wrong. Between EXTRAORDINARY MEANS & THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING, she's done well. Cannot wait for her next book!!!!!!! Perfect perfect perfect

Honestly one of my favorite books so far, such an easy read I was reading through a hard semester and thought I wasn't gonna be able to finish it in a month but it took me less than that even though I was extremely busy. I just needed to make a specific time to read it because it was so good. I loved the characters and the way it is written. I also enjoyed the authors part at the end that explains what inspired him to write the book.

It pulls at the heart strings but it actually didn't make me too upset, it was no ugly crying like Fault in our stars. I'm glad the author explains why she wrote it at the end. The characters are charming and I love a good coming to age story as well as stories that take place at boarding school types. I don't think you will regret reading it but it wasn't as world changing read for me like Barnes and Noble acted like.

So you’re sick, let’s send you away so we don’t have to deal with you. That is how I felt about the characters in this book. Ok, I know that’s a little cold but it’s not the 1700’s and when they placed the characters in a sanatorium because they have tuberculosis, it just sounds a bit harsh to me. Latham House, a house for patients who perhaps might spend the rest of their lives within its walls just waiting for a cure. Sadie has been a residence for a while before Lane arrives but they have known each other long before they were patients at the Latham House. Sadie is holding a grudge against Lane from an incident when they thirteen-years old. It isn’t long though before the two of them are friends again and the past is behind them. Lane’s has always had a structured world, working hard and achieving goals, but Sadie is trying to convince Lane that he is missing out on life and that he could still achieve his goals just get them differently, enjoying the journey, having fun in the process. They are to follow a routine at Latham House but for a group of teens being stuck behind these walls gets to be too much and they have to break a few rules just to have a bit of fun.

It wasn’t a complex story; I felt no deep connection to any of the characters as they filled out the storyline. The emotions were there but my heart wasn’t in it. It just wasn’t the story for me.

From the author of The Beginning of Everything, Extraordinary Means is a story about two teenagers living with an incurable disease. While I liked the story and the characters, I saw the ending coming and it felt a little trite. However, the concept of drug resistant diseases is super scary and the author made it seem like a very real possibility.

Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider: 7/10



Did I Like It: Oh. This book. It hits you right feels. Not even kidding. But what was the question? If I liked it, oh yeah. Yeah, I liked it. BUT MY FEELS ARE NOT HAPPY WITH ME.

 It was a bit slow in the beginning, but picked up tremendously. The characters were funny and interesting and it was...it was good, guys. The end...oh, it was heartbreaking. And terrible. And awful. I'm tearing up just thinking about it. Robyn Schneider really knows how to punch you in the feels, lets just say that.

For Fans Of: Fault in Our Stars-ish novels that require a box of extra-large tissues.


Age Level: Young Adult



Page Count: 336 Pages

Not too mushy or emotional, thank goodness. A good story that keeps you interested to the end. Be sure to read the afterword: it is really good. I learned some new facts and history in a very entertaining way.

I had a feeling that this book was going to cause me immense emotions, but I still went ahead and read it. That was my mistake.

Throughout this book, there was dread hanging over my head. When the setting's a place for kids with terminal illness, one kind of has to assume that someone's going to die. But it didn't go at all how I expected.

I held out through the end of this book and closed it without shedding a single tear, but then I broke down completely and got really angry at the world. Schneider's writing was beautiful and made me contemplate life in such a gorgeous way.

The premise was at points a little contrived, but this was forgivable. I enjoyed how Lane treated the situation and what this eventually led to, and I enjoyed how it initially felt so close to the books about students at boarding school that I used to read when I was young.

The group of characters Lane eventually fell into was fun and believable. They all felt like real people, and their dynamic was playful and carefree, a complete contrast to the atmosphere that the setting provided.

Schneider knows how to capture the vitality of life and this was an example of gorgeous writing. Anyone who likes John Green will like this one, and Schneider is an author to look out for.

When I first saw this book I was expecting a book dealing with existentialism, confronting death, at least SOME focus on tuburculosis. I can't believe this book was written by an adult, as a teenager I find this cliche and downright predictable. It was a basic manic pixie dream girl story with the most pretentious characters ever, I'm done with all these wallaflower wannabes "omg I'm so special cause I listen to the Smiths and read Vonnegut". This had so much potential to be a book dealing with deep topics but it just ended up being a dumbed down version of the fault in our stars.

Loved the book! Unhappy about somethings though, haha. think Sadie and Lane's relationship developed a bit too quickly. The ending was very dissatisfying, but Michael getting TB was an interesting twist. I also wish there was more background on the not-so-major characters. Despite that, I would still recommend to someone.

A well-written story for older teens and adults. I loved how the characters were so dynamic and believable. The situation, students being in a sanitarium/ boarding school while treatment is sought, was quite different and interesting. I would read more by this author.

I just finished Extraordinary Means and I'm feeling so much right now. (I may or may not have shed a few tears recently.) This book was simply beautiful in all ways. The writing was phenomenal and had me hooked from the first page. Robyn Schneider somehow managed to show the reader the severity of Lane and Sadie's illness and situation, while giving it a touch of humor. She was also able to take a really crappy situation for Lane, Sadie and their friends and make it fun...until it wasn't. But even then, it was brilliantly beautiful.

Extraordinary Means was inspirational, heartbreaking and joyous all wrapped up in one incredible package. I would recommend it to YA readers who enjoy novels such as The Fault in Our Stars by John Green or If I Stay by Gayle Forman. I loved it so much I didn't want it to end.