Synopsis: - Andrew Brawley was supposed to die that night. His parents did, and so did his sister, but he survived. Now he lives in the hospital. He serves food in the cafeteria, he hangs out with the nurses, and he sleeps in a forgotten supply closet. Drew blends in to near invisibility, hiding from his past, his guilt, and those who are trying to find him. Then one night Rusty is wheeled into the ER, burned on half his body by hateful classmates. His agony calls out to Drew like a beacon, pulling them both together through all their pain and grief. In Rusty, Drew sees hope, happiness, and a future for both of them. A future outside the hospital, and away from their pasts. But Drew knows that life is never that simple. Death roams the hospital, searching for Drew, and now Rusty. Drew lost his family, but he refuses to lose Rusty, too, so he’s determined to make things right. He’s determined to bargain, and to settle his debts once and for all. But Death is not easily placated, and Drew’s life will have to get worse before there is any chance for things to get better.
The five stages are a reference to the five stages of grief, which were introduced by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. They're: Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. The book highlights the exploration of each stage of grief from the perspective of Alexander, the protagonist.
The book isn’t a romance story, unlike what many think it would be, but it’s a story of family. Shaun David Hutchinson has outdone himself by weaving the perfect story of love, acceptance and family by creating relationships and dynamics filled with so much affection and caring, whilst highlighting the loneliness of all individuals through their grief, grief through which they all have to swim alone.
It was by far an excellent read, and the whilst it wasn’t nearly as amazing as his succeeding work ‘We Are the Ants’ this book too, is heart-wrenching and tear inducing. It is a truly amazing piece of fiction and no author other than Hutchinson, can write a book of such depth with such simplicity, sarcasm and humour. The poignance of his books are unrivalled amongst all Young Adult fiction authors.
The true brilliance of Hutchinson lies in his ability to weave dark and hopeless stories, and then slowly yet subtly somehow manage to turn those stories of utter desolation to these beautiful books full of hope and life. There are many, many sad moments throughout the sad book, some of them which hit like a punch to the stomach, but there are smatterings of so many happy moments, so many kind moments and moments of love, that one can’t help fighting their absolute desire to want to live.
His books always start with a yearning to die, and the always end with the desire to live.
I have said this for Hutchinson once, and I will repeat it. He is an author of true magnificence for there are few people in this world who can weave so much optimistic beauty out of so much loss, melancholy and pain. His books aren’t one of sadness or grief, they are those of sadness and humanity.
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