Cancer sucks … and then you die.Alaska Stone is everything I’ve ever dreamed of.For years, I’ve watched her in the halls, wanted her, but she never knew I existed.Not until she walked into my chemo session.For me, it was love at first sight.For her? It might take a little longer.But hey, it’s not like we’re on a deadline or anything.
Styx & Stones
By carmenjenner
Young love, first loves these two high schooler are forced to grow up to fast when they are fighting for their lives against cancer. They don’t let cancer win, they do their best to enjoy as more time together as they can. Like the saying it is better to love and lost than never to love at all. This story is spot on with they way they approach, life, love and living as much as they can together.
It is a Mature Young Adult novel with some hard feelings, some sexual discovery and freedom with not knowing what tomorrow holds for them. It was a sad but uplifting story, makes you appreciate the life we seem to take for granted most of the time. Life is short, find your happiness and don’t let go.
Styx & Stones by Carmen Jenner is a heart-breaking story of young love in the face of deadly illness. Categorized as young adult I felt the sex scenes may push into new adult but regardless, this book will pull at all your heartstrings. Even knowing this isn’t going to end in anything but cancer winning I felt a pull to read this.
Styx Hendricks & Alaska Stone are two unfortunate teenagers suffering through chemo and learning that life isn’t fair. But Alaska also learns more about Styx and about love as they get to know each other better. Romantic and filled with enough light-hearted moments between these two this book wasn’t all doom & gloom. It was beautiful. Well-written and honest, if you don’t get emotionally entangled a little heartbroken reading this then you may want to double check you aren’t actually a robot.
How do I stop the tears falling down my face?
Styx & Stones is a story of love, firsts and lasts that will stay with you forever!
To say that my heart broke is not enough. Like an eye opener, this book reminded me how important it is to live every day as if it’s the last.
I loved every first between them. I felt the butterflies again living their precious moments. So beautiful!
If you like a ugly cry this is a must read!
Brilliant my #1 read of 2019
Styx & Stones is an award winning literary masterpiece if I’ve ever read one. It’s extremely moving and the author has managed to create a book which covered all points of view even though this is Styx and Alaska’s story. I found myself as a parent empathising with the parents who would scour heaven and earth for any kind of treatment, surgery or magic cure available. I also understood that at what point do you stand up for yourself and say enough is enough? There are similar questions about our quality of life and do we work to live or live to work, do we keep trying anything offered at the detriment of actually living? It comes down to our choices, will we leave a lasting impression on others or will we be a fading memory?
“We thought we had forever. We were wrong. Sounds like some fucked up Romeo and Juliet shit, right? Only it wasn’t the Capulets and the Montagues trying to keep us apart. It was life. It was cancer.”
Styx is a snarky, sarcastic teenage boy. Sounds typical, right? Well, in a lot of ways, he is typical. But in one significant way, he’s not typical. Because of the rare form of cancer that is slowly killing him. He uses that sarcastic wit to keep people at a distance, to keep himself sane while he goes through chemo, while he deals with the fact that his lifespan is nowhere near what it should be. And then the girl he’s been in love with for 7 years (they go to the same school) walks into his chemo session and he sees he just might have a good reason to live up his last few…years. Months. Whatever is left for him in this lifetime.
“The girl I’ve watched from afar for seven years has cancer. The girl I’ve loved since the fifth grade just walked into my chemo session, and I feel as if my whole world just fucking imploded.”
Alaska Stone (Stones to Styx) has a brain tumor. To say she’s not dealing well is an understatement. And then she walks into her chemo session and the loner boy from her high school is there. She wants to ask him questions, commiserate with him. But that would be rude, right? To only talk to him because he has cancer. She doesn’t know he’s loved her from afar. But she soon learns that love can come at any time, and that it’s not just something earth bound, because it can, and will, follow one into the next life. How long is this life that Styx & Stones have together? No matter. They’ve got forever to love each other, whether it’s in this life or the next.
Let me tell you, you’re going to need more than a few tissues handy for this read. I won’t spoil, although you can probably freakin guess, I’ll just say it’s a tearjerker. But it’s also entertaining in a snarky, witty way that only teenagers can be, and Carmen Jenner deals with her heavy subject with a deft hand. Kudos to her for this story that’s full of heart. Just be forewarned that, like I said earlier, you’re gonna need a bunch of tissues while reading!
“We’re gonna be late,” Stones whispers. “Late for what?” She grins and presses her lips to mine. “Forever.”
ARC via Social Butterfly PR.
I am not sure where to begin, but to say Styx and Stones by Carmen Jenner was an emotional story is a major understatement. It was so much more than that. It was heartfelt, heartbreaking and captivating. Styx has always crushed on Alaska, even if she never knew he existed. Then she walked into his chemo session and everything changed.
Once they meet, their bond is undeniable and it is more than the illnesses they share. Styx will steal your heart with his determination and laughter. Alaska was not really sure how to take Styx, but once she let him in, there was no going back. I do not want to give too much way, as this is a story you should just dive in and read. The feels are strong with this one.
Styx & Stones by Carmen Jenner is definitely an emotional read. It will touch your heart, even while it breaks it. I devoured it. The characters and their journey will consume you. I laughed and cried and felt every word.
Read and reviewed for Sultry Sirens Book Blog.
Happy reading!
Styx & Stones is a devastatingly heartbreaking and emotionally captivating love story that will leave you a blubbering mess as you attempt to pick of the pieces of your broken soul after you have inhaled all the words. Carmen Jenner’s unique storytelling ability managed to completely obliterate every part of me and has left me crying my eyes out even hours after finishing.
Styx Hendricks and Alaska Stone instantly took ahold of my heart and pulled on all of my heartstrings. This story will leave you feeling raw and exposed from their emotional journey and you will certainly find yourself struggling to catch you breath throughout every unexpected twist and turn. You might think you know what their story is going to be about, but you have no freaking clue. You will without a doubt experience ALL THE FEELS! Not every story has a happy ending, but that’s life and I think Styx and Stones were both destined to find each other this way, even if their love could end in tragedy…
If you are searching for a story that will allow you a good cry, then this is the one for you! Carmen Jenner reveals the true side of cancer and leaves you craving every bittersweet moment throughout this epic love story!
Just so you’ll know, I’m still crying from the moment I finished reading…
Who am I kidding? I started crying the moment I finished the prologue!
“Cancer sucks.
And then you die.
At least how supposed to go.
Only sometimes, fate likes to screw with you.”
17-year-old Styx Hendricks has a rare type of cancer. He has already managed to overcome it once, but the cancer has returned and his chances of recovery are low…
Styx copes by using cynicism (which made a difficult subject, very funny!).
One day, while he was in another chemotherapy session, Styx can’t believe his eyes when a new patient enters the door…
“The girl I’ve loved since the fifth grade just walked into my chemo session, and I feel as if my whole world just fucking imploded.”
Alaska Stone (or as Styx calls her, Stones) has just been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Although they only talked for the first time during chemo, Styx had been in love with Stones for years, watching her from afar.
For her, he was always the sick and lonely boy… but now, he’s the only one who understands exactly what’s she is going through.
At first, they don’t get along because Alaska can’t understand his jokes about the disease while she’s just trying to survive… But Styx doesn’t give up until they become close, and they run away together for a once in a lifetime adventure – of dream fulfillment, self-discovery and huge love.
How will it end…? read and find that out for yourself.
“Styx Hendricks, the weirdo loner, that kid with cancer. The boy who shoved his way into my life and became such an important fixture, such a permanent part of me, that I can’t breathe without him.”
Man, this book killed me! It made me laugh, angry, blush and giggle, cry and fall in love…
Styx captivated my heart with his sensitivity and strength… Stones captivated me with her desire to live … All I wanted was to get between the pages and give them a hug!
I found myself sitting in my office, reading and crying… I think everyone here thinks I’m getting divorced from all the crying (well, at least they didn’t bother me reading…)
“Our diagnoses brought us together, but it may be the very thing that tears us apart.”
The characters are young and so, as an adult (and a party pooper ), they kind of angered me with their irresponsibility and disrespect for their parents. On the other hand, they are sick teens… So even if they stood on their heads for a whole chapter without uttering a word… it’s their fucking right to behave the way they want!!!!!!
I won’t give any spoilers, but I know this book will not suit everyone because of it’s difficult subject… But if you want to read a special and moving story about a brave friendship, true unconditional love and… lots of optimism – then this is THE book for you.
I am wrecked, I knew I was going to be but I didn’t expect it to be that much, I love love this book so much. This story has warnings so check them. I can honestly say that Carmen Jenner wrote a beautiful masterpiece. Styx and Stones story is heartbreakingly beautiful. Stones has stage 2 cancer. Styx has stage 3 cancer. Enough said but not really, their story is the one that will bring you to tears not their sickness. It is so emotional, you will laugh, smile with tears streaming down your face and keep you reading, when you are done you will close the book and stare into space lost in all the rollercoaster you just went through. Bravo Carmen, even though the subject is tough the way you handle it and wrote this story I can just stand up and applaud.
All I have to say is …. I did not ugly cry. Yay me? Or is it my black heart again? Oh, there were tears but it was different. I laughed. I wept. I felt good and then the sads hit. Like the silent flow of tears you have when you know something may happen but you’ve come to terms with whatever it may be because you see the light in it all.
What a beautifully crafted book about a subject matter that hits close to home.
Styx and (Alaska) Stone are 2 17 year olds that run in very different crowds. Styx has held a torch for Stones (as he calls her) for years, but she has never even noticed him. So, when Stones walks in to his chemo group his world is turned upside down.
“The girl I’ve watched from afar for seven has cancer. The girl I’ve loved since the fifth grade walked into my chemo session, and I feel as if my whole world just fucking imploded.”
These two teenagers have been handed a horrible deck of cards. Styx and Stones are two teens dealing with a horrible disease and they both are dealing with it in a very different way. Styx beat cancer once, but it’s back and he believes he only has a short amount of time left. He deals with his life in humor. Dark humor and seeing the inevitable. Meanwhile, Stones has just been dealt her news so she is fighting. Or at least she thinks she is, until she meets Loner Boy (what she calls Styx). Then these two find out that they really need each other more than they ever thought.
“You don’t distract me from my cancer. If anything, you make me more aware there’s a chance I might die without ever getting to touch you the way I want.”
Carmen Jenner took a horribly ugly disease and made two young people have to deal with this ugly word. There was no filler, no extra in this book. It was a fairly quick read, but included everything. From discovering the awkwardness of first love, to finding your own self in the middle of a disease. It was full of life, family and a softness. I laughed and cried and was right there with these two kids that deserved so much more than what life handed them.
If you take a chance on this YA whatever age you may be, you will find the wonder and the sadness that this subject matter brings to all involved. These kids didn’t always make the right decisions, but they made the decisions that were right for them at the moment. Because their moments were for them only.
*Be prepared with tissues, something for your heart and perhaps a little alcohol to dampen all the emotions. Carmen fed it to us like we were starving for it. 😉
Styx and Stones the latest novel from Carmen Jenner was a devastatingly beautiful story you will not be able to put down. From the start you know that this story will make you cry but what you don’t know is that it will also make you smile, laugh out loud and even swoon. This author took us on an emotional journey with this story. Styx and Stones, two teenagers stricken with cancer, met during a round of chemo and after getting to know each other eventually formed an unbreakable bond. This story is their journey, its about their friendship and support of each other, about them falling in love all while dealing with cancer and knowing there might be an expiry date.You will love these two characters who will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading the story.
Styx and Stones was a breath-taking emotional masterpiece and I can’t stop thinking about it. Definitely worthy of a 5 star status, I loved it and would highly recommend it to all lovers of YA romances.
You can pretty much tell from the blurb for this novel that it’s going to be gut-wrenching read, what with the mention of cancer and chemo sessions, and it does put the idea of a limited amount of time out there, so it’s not exactly spoilery. However, for the sake of those who MAY be wary, feel free to skip this review if you think it’ll spoil the book for you. Here’s the thing: Styx and Alaska aren’t your typical seventeen-year-olds. Yes, there’s angst because of the cancer aspect in the story–and trust me, it isn’t tackled like it’s a non-entity, but it is handled exceptionally well by the author–but the main characters refuse to wallow for long. Here, cancer isn’t merely an idea that’s brought into the love story–it’s a fact of life, a reality that needs to be dealt with simply because that’s how life goes. The burden that’s put upon the shoulders of these main characters would have brought much older people down on their knees, but in both their moments of courage and brief glimpses of very real despair, they are awe-inspiring in their grace and acceptance. Styx & Stones is truly Carmen Jenner at her very best. Five-plus stars.
Styx and Stones will steal your heart, their story will forever haunt you.
It’s funny how sometimes people are placed in your life at the exact moment it was needed. You may have known this person forever, you may have just met. The important thing is that you recognize those moments and grab onto them. Take advantage of them because you never know what tomorrow will bring.
I knew what I was getting into at the start of this book. I knew I would fall in love. And I knew how it would end. Knowing all of these things I was still surprised at how it all came to be and fell hard and fast, even knowing I was on a time line.
Alaska and Styx rocked my world. I felt EVERYTHING these two shared. Even with the inevitable just around the corner, I soaked in all that these two must be facing everyday while just trying to live their lives. And at their age, they should be able to do just that. With all the sadness that surrounds their tale, I was still left at peace with the ending. In fact, I think the epilogue was a treat for all that we endured while reading this beautiful heart-aching story. Styx & Stones is a book that will stay with me. Forever.