Anna Jones is an intelligent and spirited girl of 15, whose everyday experiences of growing up are overshadowed by a rare condition called Goldenhar syndrome. While Anna approaches her life with humour and determination, she is haunted by the inescapable fact that she looks a little different from other girls. Despite the support of her friends and family, she remains convinced she will never be loved – especially not by the gorgeous and intelligent Michael. Anna’s life is regularly interrupted by a variety of hospital visits, each one of which seems designed to make her feel even more different from the other girls. As she counts down the days until the major surgery that will change the course of her life forever, Anna becomes increasingly doubtful as to whether she will ever be truly normal.
World Enough and Time was one of those quick books that I was expecting would just fill in space between longer books, but rather than this being a 'filler' book, this short book is so emotionally charged and meaningful that it stands out more than the longer and darker reads do.
I learned so much from this book, I'd never heard of Goldenhar syndrome and now I feel more educated, but this book helps to show what's going on in the mind of anybody with a physical disability and I loved watching Anna grow as person as she began to realise that her disability didn't determine who she was inside, and I liked to watch her reach out and make new friends and find new relationships. In my opinion, the voice of Anna was so authentic and believable for somebody in her position and I think this book sends out a believable and meaningful message whilst being an entertaining read.
It took me less than two hours to read this book and I was gripped all the way through, whilst it isn't an exciting book, the charm is more in the way the words are written and the reality of the situations rather than the craziness. there are some funny points in the book, but I really enjoyed it for the meaning and whilst I can't say I absolutely loved it, this book ended leaving me with a smile on my face, and a book dealing with serious physical disabilities that can be that uplifting deserves to be credited for that.
Overall, this book dealt realistically with an illness that is not widely known and educates whilst entertaining. It isn't exciting, but it's meaningful and uplifting and is definitely worth checking out if you're after a short book with meaning and charm.
Overall Rating: B
Book published July 1st 2012 by Troubadour Publishing
Book received from the author in exchange for an honest review
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