Somebody up there hates you

“Somebody Up There Hates You” by Hollis Seamon

Presentation By Caitlin O’Dwyer

SUMMARY

“Somebody Up There Hates You” is a novel about Richard; a 17 year old boy with cancer who has been sent to live out the rest of his life in a hospice. The only other teen there is a 15 year old girl named Sylvie with the same fate as Richard. Both refuse to let their parents and doctors plan out their short lives for them and get in all sorts of trouble in the process. Sylvie doesn’t want to die a virgin, and neither does Richard, so they hatch a plan to spend a night together. But with the arrival of his Uncle Phil and the unexpected friendship of the nurses and other patients, and most importantly a Halloween breakout, things turn crazy in the hospice. Richard learns to grow up and make the most of his life while he still has it.

THEME & DEVELOPMENT

The theme of this book is that there is always hidden light in dark times. During the development of the plot, Richard goes from a stubborn teenager to a hopeful adult, that tries to understand those around him and appreciates the little things.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

Richard’s interactions with the other characters are short, with the exception of his Uncle Phil who actually tries to connect with him. Most of his other conversations with other characters are for his own gain, like putting his nurse in an awkward position to let him go out for the night and not telling his doctors about his vison and then complaining about it all the time.

Throughout the book, Richard Casey had little change, other than to stop taking his family for granted and understanding Sylvie’s dad. Because of the little personal development of the character, the reader has a difficult time connecting with him and makes the story less valuable.

Richard’s Uncle Phil often affectionately refers to his nephew as King Richard.

The main hall harpist gives Richard a box of Good & Plenty for Halloween and Uncle Phil jokes that they’re poison.

Richard receives a pain patch every few days instead of an IV because they are uncomfortable.

Richard is given a bag of Skittles from a child during his Halloween escape.

EVALUATION & RECCOMENDATION

Overall, I thought this book was OK. Some parts were funny and cute, but mostly I thought Richard was gross. Throughout the book, he claims to love Sylvie, but when he sneaks out with his uncle on Halloween, he hooks up with another girl. In my opinion, there was too much sex and lust and not enough love. His interactions with the nurses and staff were too short and I wished he had spent more time with the other patients. I also wished the author had included more about his father or made a twist where the dad visited him at some point. The only part of the book I actually enjoyed was Richard’s Uncle Phil, who reminds me of my own uncle and whom I found largely amusing. In my opinion, “Somebody Up There Hates You” missed the mark and I would not recommend it to a friend.