Only Ever Always

Only Ever Always by Penni Russon, 157 pages

This was a very odd book.  There are two stories, one about Claire, whose uncle, Charlie, has just been in a very bad accident.  Her family, including his pregnant wife, are waiting to hear if he will survive.  The other story is about Clara, whose brother, Andrew, is deathly ill and is likely to die without antibiotics.  Claire’s world is pretty much the world we live in, but Clara lives in a broken world, ruled by Bosses and Raiders, who own everyone and control everything.  The two girls’ worlds collide, and while both of them are aware of the other, it isn’t clear if they both are real or if one is dreaming.  It’s an interesting premise but I felt like Clara’s world needed more building.  I had a hard time following everything that was happening and never got a clear picture of her world.  Maybe that was purposeful, but I didn’t care for it.  Teens that like fantasy may like this story, but I probably won’t be recommending it.