Agnes has progeria, a rare disease that causes her body to age 10 times the normal rate. She's already surpassed her life expectancy and knows things won't be going well for much longer. When a mishap at school brings an old friend, Boone, back into the lives of Agnes and her best friend, Moira, the dynamics of the trio change as romantic feelings begin to surface. Using first-person narration, the chapters alternate between the three friends, offering insight into their individual struggles. Boone's stark home life, made worse by his mother's depression, stands in contrast to Moira's loving, carefree family. Yet, Moira battles with her body image and self-acceptance, in spite of her "happy" home. Most heartfelt, though, is Agnes, who refuses to be defined by her disease. Weight-obsessed Moira and Agnes' religious stepmother come off at times as caricatures, but readers who can look past these flaws will find a story of greater depth. Even though the narrative is counting down to Agnes' last days, the ending remains climactic and affecting.

Three misfits whose friendship fell apart in the sixth grade rediscover their bond in high school. Their story unfolds in alternating first-person narration. As a toddler, Agnes was diagnosed with progeria syndrome, which causes her to age prematurely and remain physically small. Her fat best friend, Moira, endured taunts due to her size until she discovered that dressing as a goth and acting tough provided some protection from her classmates' cruelty. When Boone, with whom they used to be close, is particularly nasty to them one day, it paradoxically sets off a chain of events that lead them back to friendship. Each character is fully explored, and the confessional, introspective voices of the three white teens nicely, if at times a bit obviously, explain their motivations. Boone's struggle to make ends meet financially and his desperation to keep his mother's plunge into depression a secret after the death of his dad are keenly portrayed, and the juxtaposition of his home life against the extraordinarily caring families of Moira and Agnes is startling, even as Agnes faces a medical condition that affects every aspect of her life and Moira deals with body-image agony. A tender, often funny tale, this story's heartbreaking ending packs no less of a punch even though readers are prepared for it. (Fiction. 12-18)

Gr 8 Up-Sophomores in high school, Agnes and Moira are a study in opposites. Agnes, tiny and delicate, has a terminal disease, while Moira, her best friend, is a towering pillar of strength and intimidation. She uses her assets to protect Agnes from the wrecking balls at school, aka fellow students. The countdown is on for Agnes. She doesn't know it, but as the story unfolds over 100 days, Agnes is dying. Before the teen dies, she and Moira rekindle a friendship with a boy named Boone. Four years earlier, the three misfits meshed well together until a fateful dodgeball tragedy. Agnes broke an arm when Moira fell on her after Boone tripped her. A horrified Moira refused to speak to Boone after the incident. Now in the spring of their sophomore year, Boone, a bear of a boy, could really use a friend. Dealing with the fallout of his abusive father's death and his mother's deep depression, Boone works hard keeping his life afloat. With her trademark spunk, Agnes helps bring Boone back into the fold, and both girls fall for Boone, but he only has eyes for Moira. Teens will empathize with the bucketloads of inner turmoil writhing within the three main characters, who have more than their fair share of challenges. Agnes, Moira, and Boone are likable, and readers will ache right along with the characters as they struggle with misunderstandings and preconceived notions. While the book is nearly 400 pages, the chapters are short, switching among the voices of the three characters. VERDICT Rife with compelling contemporary issues, this novel delivers a heartfelt story to a diverse readership. Recommended for most teen collections. Mindy Hiatt, Salt Lake County Library Services