Ginny Frost
Seize the Day by Kathryn R. Biel fulfills the
prompt “Book that Has
the Same Title as a Song” for the PopSugar 2021 Reading Challenge. This is the
second in the UnBRCAble Women series. All the women in these novels are
positive for the BRCA gene for breast cancer, and their stories center on their
difficult choices and the consequences.
I love Dr. Biel’s books. All of them have song titles if you need a book
for this category for your own challenge.
I asked her what inspired this title. The song is from Newsies,
and it’s about gathering the newsboys for a strike. It’s a rallying song, and
our heroine in the novel could use some rally power.
In this story, Erin McAvoy can hear her biological
clock screaming at her. She’s
positive for the BRCA gene but would love to have a family before her
inevitable hysterectomy and full mastectomy. Now in her early thirties, she’s
realizing she may’ve run out of time. She must act soon if she wants to have a
baby—husband or not.
It’s
not an easy choice for her to make. Her mother has issues with non-traditional
families. Not to mention as a zookeeper, Erin’s not rolling in dough to pay for
fertilization options. And as a super romantic woman, having to go on alone is
rather crushing.
I loved this book so much. Not just because Erin
loves funny t-shirts, sloths, and tacos. The character was so real, and her problems
so huge. I felt for her at every step of her journey. No one wants to
disappoint Mom, but as adults, we must choose our own paths. I think that many
Gen-Xers have that issue. We aren’t
adults yet because we are still trying to please our parents.
Erin
wants it all—but not ginormous levels of all. She wants love and family, and
that shouldn’t be too much to ask. I admire how determined she was to take huge
risks to make this dream come true.
I don’t
want to spoil the book, but I need to chat about Xander, our hero. At first, we
all think there’s no way this guy can be a hero. But he is. Over and over and
over again. I loved everything about him. And man, it was tough to get to know
him at first. The novel is in first-person from Erin’s point of view. So, we
only see what she sees about Xander. But Dr. Biel did a great job of showing us
him. (Because the boy hardly talked about his feelings, his true purpose, his
past…ugh, Xander!) I’m hoping maybe someday, she might write a “reader extra”
with a few pages about his emotional journey.
I cannot recommend this book enough.
I give Seize the Day by Kathryn R. Biel Five
Sleepy, Cute Sloths.
(Find Kathryn R. Biel’s books here.)