Book Review- The Probability of Miracles

I just finished reading The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

Dry, sarcastic, sixteen-year-old Cam Cooper has spent the last seven years in and out hospitals. The last thing she wants to do in the short life she has left is move 1,500 miles away to Promise, Maine - a place known for the miraculous events that occur there. But it's undeniable that strange things happen in Promise: everlasting sunsets; purple dandelions; flamingoes in the frigid Atlantic; an elusive boy named Asher; and finally, a mysterious envelope containing a list of things for Cam to do before she dies. As Cam checks each item off the list, she finally learns to believe - in love, in herself, and even in miracles.


A debut novel from an immensely talented new writer, The Probability of Miracles crackles with wit, romance and humor and will leave readers laughing and crying with each turn of the page.

So this review will probably make people roll their eyes or disagree but it's my opinion of the book so whatever.

Right off the bat, the book mentions that the main character works at Disney World.  I got soooooooooo excited!  I have work at Disney World for 12 years, live right behind the Magic Kingdom, and even got married at Disney World this past June. Calling me a Disney-holic is not even close! So yeah, I just knew this book would be right up my alley.  But then...then.  The parts of the book started coming in...wrong!  The facts about Disney were wrong!  Yes, I know its a fiction book.  But if you're going to write about such a famous place, you have to get the details right!  (The cast memeber who is Tigger would not be able to ride the monorail in character after he got off of work, Cinderella doesn't walk around in the World Showcase in Epcot, there are no dance clubs at Downtown Disney and even when Pleasure Island was open several YEARS ago there was no under-18 club, and a 25 minute wait time for Small World is NOT normal!!), and they're not going to let teenagers stay in the suite in the castle without chaperones!  So these bad facts turned me off on the book.  Yes, its a small thing, but to me it was just bad.  Research your facts!  Gah!

Anyways, I never really liked Cam.  I get that she's had a hard life and that her being sick for most of it probably turned her the way she was.  But maybe not, since I liked Lily and Lily had also been sick most of her life.  Cam just seemed so negative and dark.  I wanted her to be a sympathetic character.  I did really like Asher, however.  He seemed like such a sweet guy.  Definitely a small town heartthrob.

The ending did get me however.  I actually liked Cam right at the very end.  And it even made me a little teary-eyed. So yeah, the books rating went up for me a little, just for the ending. 

I gave this book a rating of 3.5/5.

The Probability of Miracles will be released on December 8, 2011.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2011 100+ Reading Challenge: 102
2011 ARC Reading Challenge: 82
2011 Debut Author Challenge: 27
2011 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 82
2011 YA Contemporary Challenge: 18

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.