Literary Criticism
Hailey in Bookland. (2016. March 8). Zac and Mia by A.J. Betts Spoiler Free Review. retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SMtGH_jXUU&feature=emb_logo
- Nieuwenhuizer, Agnes. (20202) Reading Australia Zac and Mia by A.J. Betts. Retrieved from https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/reading-australia/zac-and-mia-by-a-j-bettsIn the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s there was a flurry of what were called ‘single issue’ or ‘problem’ novels for teenagers. The books focused on problems or issues that frequently confronted teenagers, such as bullying, anorexia, child abuse, depression, suicide, unplanned pregnancies, struggles over friendships, puberty, divorce, and more. These were indeed matters faced by young people, and the rationale was that by reading about others in similar situations, teenagers would feel less alone and might also find ways of coping.
- Bookworm_98. (2020). Zac and Mia by A. J. Betts - review. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2014/oct/18/review-zac-and-mia-a-j-bettsThere are certain places where social standings and rules don't matter. Certain places where all of that is put aside and, well, everything is different: courtrooms, book signings (!) and hospitals.
- Munro. R. (2014). Zac and Mia. Retrieved from https://www.teenreads.com/reviews/zac-and-miaUpon first glance, ZAC & MIA looks like a retelling of John Green’s THE FAULT IN OUR STARS. Both Zac and Mia are cancer patients and it is hinted from the start that they will save one another, if not from their illnesses, then from losing hope.
- Alpha Reader. (2013). Zac and Mia by A.J. Betts. Retrieved from http://alphareader.blogspot.com/2013/07/zac-and-mia-by-aj-betts.htmlThe last person Zac expects in the room next door is a girl like Mia, angry and feisty with questionable taste in music. In the real world, he wouldn’t—couldn’t—be friends with her. In hospital different rules apply, and what begins as a knock on the wall leads to a note—then a friendship neither of them sees coming.
Childhood Cancer
- Powell, Jonathan (2019). Leukemia. Retrieved from https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/cancer-leukemia.htmlWhat Is Leukemia?
Leukemia is cancer of the white blood cells. White blood cells (also called leukocytes or WBCs) fight infections and other diseases.
In leukemia, the bone marrow (spongy material inside the bones) makes many white blood cells that aren't normal. These abnormal WBCs crowd the bone marrow and get into the bloodstream. Unlike healthy white blood cells, they can't protect the body from infections.
Sometimes leukemia (loo-KEE-mee-uh) spreads from the bone marrow to other parts of the body, like the chest, brain, or liver.
Leukemia is the most common type of cancer in children. But most kids and teens treated for leukemia are cured of the disease. - https://www.leukaemia.org.au/disease-information/childhood-blood-cancer/childhood-leukaemia/Leukaemia originates in developing blood cells that have undergone a malignant change. This means they multiply in an uncontrolled way and do not mature as they should. Because they have not matured properly, these cells are unable to function properly.
Book Review
Paperback Junkez. (2015, January 18). Zac and Mia Book Review. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=16&v=vIkzHgt6628&feature=emb_logo
Overviews
- Supersummary. (n.d.) Zac and Mia Summary. Retrieved from http://www.supersummary.com/zac-and-mia/summary/Set in Perth, Australian author A.J. Betts’s young-adult coming-of-age novel, Zac and Mia (2013), follows two cancer-stricken seventeen-year-olds, Zac Meier and Mia Phillips, who share adjoining hospital rooms as they are treated for their illnesses. While Zac and Mia have nothing in common and would never get along in the outside world, over time, they find common ground, forging an unbreakable bond of friendship. Divided into three parts: “Zac,” “And,” and “Mia,” the story is told in alternating perspectives between Zac and Mia’s point of view. Thematically, the book explores friendship, family, love, hope, overcoming hardship, and coping with terminal illness. School Library Journal called Zac and Mia, “its own smart, well-crafted story about the importance of friendship and feeling understood,” while Kirkus Reviews said, “It’s the healing powers of friendship, love and family that make this funny-yet-philosophical tale of brutal teen illness stand out.” In 2017, Zac and Mia was adapted into a television series by AwesomenessTV.
Better - Kian Lawley
Paige Labray. (2018, March 18) Better Kian Lawley Lyrics. retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTaKNNlnb3c&feature=emb_logo