David Hart can't feel hot or cold. He wouldn't know if his leg was broken or even if he had a concussion. His doctors are surprised he has lived as long as he has, because David's medical condition, congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA), prevents him from feeling pain, even pain from potentially fatal injuries. But David isn't immune to emotional wounds, and by 17, he has known abandonment, embarrassment, and fear. "The world's a scary place for me, but I want a life even if it is short," he thinks. And so he creates a bucket list he hopes will help propel him to experience what he is only now beginning to dream of: get a driver's license; meet a girl; see something spectacular. Though it's occasionally clunky, this story cleverly portrays one extraordinary teen's authentic d yes, painful ruggle for love, redemption, and independence. In addition to being a writer, Harazin is a registered nurse, and her medical expertise adds a note of straightforward honesty as she describes David's struggle with a rare, but real, disease.

Gr 8 Up-Despite a condition called "CIPA" that leaves him unable to feel pain or regulate his body temperature, David Hart is no stranger to trauma. At 17already 14 years longer than he was ever expected to livehe's lost his parents, his grandmother is failing fast, and he's on the cusp of losing his freedom. While his guardian tries to convince him that he'd be safest in an assisted-living home, David, along with his new friend and assistant, decides that it's time to create a bucket list and start living his life. The protagonist is well developed with authentic adolescent emotions regarding the difficult hand he's been dealt. Luna, his assistant, is less fleshed-out: readers learn more about her history in the last chapter of the book than in the previous 200 pages. The remaining characters are even sketchier, seemingly having little purpose besides rescuing David or throwing obstacles in his path. Most of the problems that arise are solved with convenient outside intervention. Despite these flaws, however, this novel is a quick and engaging read. Teens will keep turning pages to learn if David completes his bucket list, ends up in a home, or gets the girl. They ultimately will learn, along with David, that a life without pain also means a life without pleasure and that some experiences are worth the risks. VERDICT Recommended for most fiction collections. Karen E. Brooks-Reese, Summit Pierce County Library, Tacoma, WA

Seventeen-year-old David Hart suffers from CIPA, a rare disorder that does not allow him to feel pain. Most children born with this condition do not make it through childhood, but with supportive grandparents, David has beaten the odds. His parents could not handle his health needs and abandoned him when he was very young. His life has been marked by isolation and careful health rituals that ensure he does not inadvertently walk around with a serious injury. As his grandmother sinks into dementia, David's life begins to change. He creates a bucket list and begins to develop feelings for Luna, who has been hired to look out for him. He wants to confront his parents for abandoning him. He chafes against the regimentation of his life and longs to have normal teenage experiences, but humans feel pain for a reason, and David comes to recognize this at a visceral level as the story progresses.David's character is, by nature, oblivious to his impact on those around him, and as a result, he is very self-absorbed. The first-person narrative communicates this, but the development of the other characters does suffer as a result. Luna's primary characteristics appear to be that she is female and nearbyit is unclear what other aspects of her personality are compelling to David and what she might find attractive in him. This appears to be a consequence of the chosen narrative structure, since facts about Luna that more fully develop her character are added late in the story. This will appeal to teens who are fans of the current wave of The Fault in Our Stars (Dutton, 2012/VOYA) read-alikes.Kristin Anderson.