Adrienne is 15 years old when she is given the most cataclysmic of diagnoses. The primary story deals with how she, her sister Andrea, and various friends deal with the catastrophic upheaval that is stage 4 cancer. Similarly intriguing, however, is the secondary storyline that chronicles how Adrienne got to be living under her sister’s care. The story also grants insight into Adrienne’s mentality and personality as she handles one of the most trying situations anyone could ever face.
Reading the author’s summary, there is no trying to obscure how tragically this book will end. And it is recommended that you have a box of tissues nearby when you get there. But it is Adrienne and Andrea’s journey moving forward to that point that is truly compelling. It is rare to get such an authentic glimpse into the lives of people as they traverse the truly impossible terrain of slowly losing such a young, strong, optimistic, and lively person. You’ll cringe, cry, have your heart broken and yes, even smile a time or two over the course of the 147 days that are chronicled in Better Off Bald. But you will also fall in love with Adrienne and forever be glad that you got a chance to get to know her though these pages.
Some that read a book like this might try to distance themselves from the characters, fictionalizing them in order to save themselves the inevitable heartache. But the author, Andrea, regularly brings you back to reality through quotes from Adrienne’s journal or an occasional picture of her. Those inclusions are perhaps the most touching part of the book and help the reader to connect with Adrienne in a more personal way.
Fans of so-called sick-lit (such as The Fault in our Stars, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Five Feet Apart, etc.) will be entranced by this true-to-life book. Andrea Wilson Wood’s memoir of her sister is complex and emotional, raw and honest. Better Off Bald tells a captivating story that will have a long lasting impact on any reader.
