Take 2 on Lurlene McDaniel

Oh Lurlene McDaniel... so many memories, so many tears. If I remember correctly I began reading her books in the 4th or 5th grade.The first book I ever read by Lurlene McDaniel was Six Months to Live, about a 13 year old girl with Leukemia. I am not sure what it is about her formula that sucks in the adolescent girl reader, but I read and re-read a good chunk of her books. I would equate her to the adolescent version of Nicholas Sparks... you know when you crack open the book that tears will eventually come only McDaniel usually does it in under 200 pages. It is like a weird balm for the reader’s soul. You feel drained and refreshed at the end.

So this time around I re-read several of her books: Six Months to Live, Somewhere Between Life and Death, Time to Let Go, and The Legacy: Making Wishes Come True. They all follow a rather similar formula (I apologize if I mistakenly spoil the plots for anyone.) The protagonist (most often female) of the novel is either diagnosed with a terminal illness or loses someone close to her. She will meet several people; either at cancer camp, in the hospital, by chance etc. She will either fall in “love” with one of these people or a long time childhood friend. One or more of these people introduced to her through the terminal illness experience will die. If the protagonist does not have a terminal illness but rather lost someone close they will be reminded of the deceased through interactions with this person.

The plots of these novels do not go very far nor would I expect it to in under 200 pages. However, I still feel drawn to the characters 20 years later as I did when I was 9 years old. It is like visiting with old friends without the awkwardness and growing apart. These characters were around when I was an awkward, lonely adolescent. And they haven’t changed now that I am still awkward, a little less lonely, and somewhere on the verge of grown up. I still cry each time, even though I can pick right away who is going to die this time. It is like sappy brain candy but it is interesting because there often is not a happy ending. People die, love fades, friendships fizzle out... maybe young girls like the books because they (while dramatic) have a taste of realness. Yes, someone might fall in love. But that love is not perfect, never ending, or deep. People argue and cancer kills people. Miracles don’t happen in these books. Sometimes medicine works, sometime it doesn’t.

I am generally not considered a sappy person. My friends might consider me blunt and to the point. I have a not so secret soft side though that Lurlene McDaniel still can fill. I think her stories reach out to me in they are sad and sappy but realistic. I can see the stories happening with some semblance of realism. I expected to read these and find a distaste for them now that I have gone to college, learned some things, and declared myself a feminist. However, I was surprised to find that while girls fell in love with boys, these romances did not solve their problems nor did boys swoop in and save the girl from herself. The girls did a lot of soul searching and experienced a lot. Sometimes a boy was involved, sometimes not but I actually was pleased to find that the books did not suddenly aggravate my feminist tendencies. The girls in the books were actually quite strong role models... that it is okay to have emotions and be tough.

So, all in all, I would visit this author again. At least the books of hers I read in the past. It looks like McDaniel has moved into some more mystery type novels. I find beloved books of the past a lot easier to read fondly than a new book from an old author. The new just never seems to be the same. But for those of you who read the sappy novels in your youth, I would recommend giving them a second go around on a day you need a good cry. Make sure you have the tissues handy!