Zac & Mia by A.J. Betts

After slogging through the Goldfinch, I needed something easier to read, though not necessarily lighter.  This young adult novel was exactly the right remedy.

Zac and Mia are both 17 year old cancer patients, stuck for treatment on a an adult ward in Perth, Australia.  Outside the hospital they are total opposites - Zac is from a farm, happy in the outdoors and playing football.  Mia is a sociable, popular girl with cool friends and a boyfriend.  But in the hospital they come to depend on each other.

And once they get out they discover they need each other even more as they no longer feel normal or as if they belong.  They take turns pulling each other out of despair and we are left with a feeling of hope for their futures, even though, as Zac constantly points out, the odds are against them

I recommend this for a serious but easy read.