Krista Reviews: Because You'll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas

 In a stunning literary debut, two boys on opposite ends of the world begin an unlikely friendship that will change their lives forever.

Ollie and Moritz are best friends, but they can never meet. Ollie is allergic to electricity. Contact with it causes debilitating seizures. Moritz’s weak heart is kept pumping by an electronic pacemaker. If they ever did meet, Ollie would seize. But Moritz would die without his pacemaker. Both hermits from society, the boys develop a fierce bond through letters that become a lifeline during dark times—as Ollie loses his only friend, Liz, to the normalcy of high school and Moritz deals with a bully set on destroying him.

A story of impossible friendship and hope under strange circumstances, this debut is powerful, dark and humorous in equal measure. These extraordinary voices bring readers into the hearts and minds of two special boys who, like many teens, are just waiting for their moment to shine.

Paperback, 344 pages

Expected publication: July 2nd 2015 by Bloomsbury Children’s Books

This was one of those stories that ended up being confusing for me. Ollie and Moritz begin a pen pal friendship on a recommendation from the doctor. The doctor thinks that through their correspondence, they might open their minds to others who have debilitating medical conditions. Both Ollie and Moritz have trouble making friends, more out of their circumstances than personality issues. They both have difficult lives; Ollie is allergic to electricity and Moritz’s medical conditions are longer than a shopping list, beginning with his pacemaker, which is the reason why these two could never meet.

We get to know the two boys and their families through their letters. Ollie is going through a depression becuase his only friend stopped visiting him. Moritz gets badly bullied at school and as a result of one of the incidents is being treated differently at school by all. They find that although they do not have much in common, there is one thing that holds the secrets to how they have become what they are. Ollie is a very positive thinker, he always hopes for the best and through his encouragement Moritz begins to step out of his shell a little and make friends. Moritz tries to help Ollie find the courage to push himself to do things, but mostly shows Ollie how he doesn’t have things so bad in comparison to others.

The letters between the two are interesting and show a lot about what people think about those with a disability; how disabled people cope with the situations they are in; and the support groups that help them through. I did find the twist to the story somewhat out of place in the otherwise realistic feel of the beginning of the book. There is a hint of science fiction, and when the true concept of what ties the boys together is revealed, I was unsure if it was a smooth transition. The storyline left me questioning the whole book and how the author chose to tie everything together.

The story is definitely a memorable one. What I enjoyed the most was Ollie’s positiveness despite the great trials in his life. His situation is very difficult and his mother smothers him at times. His story was the most endearing to me, and I found him to be honest, humble, and truly inspiring in his outlook on life.

This is a book that I do recommend because I found it a worthwhile read and very unique story. Overall, I did enjoy the book although I was a bit perplexed on how it was tied together. It is a combination of realistic fiction and science fiction.