Kaitlynn Scannell Scannell من عند Bangrasai, Jharkhand, الهند من عند Bangrasai, Jharkhand, الهند

Bold. Daring. Lisa Albert had a lot of guts to write this book for young adults, and for that I deeply admire her. Death is a hard enough subject for people to discuss, but to add in assisted suicide takes a fortitude and belief in oneself that is tough-as-nails underneath a soft, caring heart. The story is about a girl named Lily who cares for her sickly veterinarian mother who unfortunately is stricken with MS. Conventional medicine had brought her no relief, so she opts for alternatives including BVT, having bees sting her in order to control the pain brought on by MS. I personally am not fond of bees, so it took me awhile to become "desensitized" to the descriptions. But I stayed with it. I am certain there are people who will see this novel as pro-assisted suicide/pro-alternative medicine. Maybe. I saw this novel as presenting a different side to a very controversial issue. An important side that people face every day. I've never walked in these shoes, but reading MERCY LILY gave me a small glimpse into that world and made me think about my own beliefs connected with my own faith. It's a conclusion worth looking at. Lisa Albert handled these difficult circumstances with grace and dignity, whether or not the reader would agree or disagree with the choice Lily and her mother made. This YA novel should be read by high school or college ethics classes. Definitely recommend.