Cursed came along when there was a trend of books about young adults with life-changing or life limiting illnesses. You know the type – A Fault in Our Stars, Five Feet Apart etc. It was a strange time for books because Misery seemed to sell. What I felt was very different about Cursed is that it also included some factual information.

Silverstein presents Ricky Bloom as being very angry at her diagnosis, fed up at the way her life has changed, frustrated at being different. As someone who had a chronic illness (long story but it has gone now) I felt seen. I felt like Silverstein wrote this frustration perfectly. Her tone was accurate and her ability to match medical worry with medical hope was something I haven’t seen in this genre of book before.

Cursed was a brilliant read and one I will be stocking in my school library.

Cursed by Karol Ruth Silverstien is available now.

Unfortunately I wasn’t a big fan of this book. I did like the story line itself but not really the way it played out. The characters were ok, but not ones that stood out to me.

Cursed is such a fantastic read. The writing is witty, sharp, emotional, and deeply immersive. Silverstein's heroine is wonderfully complicated. She's far from perfect, which keeps her from being a symbolic hero or martyr and makes her land on the page with the kind of complexity anyone can relate to. She makes some bad choices and some good choices, like everyone else, and she does so while dealing with a challenge most of us don't have to face.

This is a book about a teenager dealing with chronic pain. It's also a book about developing confidence, mending broken friendships, finding your tribe, and learning to speak up for what you need--even when that's really, really hard to do. It's about building tools to manage the challenges life throws at us, whether that's illness, family struggles, or just getting over our own mistakes. It's at once a very specific story and a profoundly universal one.

There's a beautiful mentorship story woven through, as well as an a-dork-able romance. I loved the relationships the heroine formed, and the brilliant wit with which the story was told. It's a book that lets us see through the eyes of someone with unique challenges while being thoroughly entertaining from start to finish. It's also filled with love. It's a powerful debut and I hope we see a lot more from Silverstein in years to come.

I REALLY loved this book! It was so refreshing to see a chronically ill MC in YA. I could have done without the romance element. It was a very realistic depiction of dealing with chronic illness as a teen.

Thank you so much to the publishers and Netgalley for giving me access to this book. Unfortunately my tastes have changed and I am no longer interested in this book but once again thank you so much for the opportunity!

I never thought I'd see myself represented in a YA book this way. I don't have juvenile arthritis like Ricky, so our experiences aren't entirely comparable, but I do have a different chronic illness that involves joint pain. I found myself recognizing so much of Ricky's life, from the making adjustments in the way she sits so that her joints will hurt less later (and sometimes forgetting and facing the consequences) to the anger and frustration towards her illness that sometimes takes over. So many little things that are such an ingrained part of my life now, but that I've never seen matched so closely in fiction. (And on the subject of representation, Ricky is Jewish as well! Her religion doesn't play a large part in the story, but I find characters who share multiple marginalized identities with me so rarely that I was very pleasantly surprised.)

Disability isn't something that's often represented in YA fiction, and chronic illness even less so. When these are represented, they're often handled poorly, falling into tired tropes or ableist clichés. It's so refreshing to read a chronically ill main character from an author who gets it.

Ricky's arthritis isn't presented as a good thing by any means. But it's also not presented as a tragedy. It's a fact of her life that she's learning how to deal with.

My actual enjoyment of this book might be closer to 4 stars (I didn't much care for the romantic subplot, and that dominated in some areas), but this book is so important and is going to stick with me for so long that I'm sure it will be a 5-star read in retrospect, so I'll just go ahead and say that now.

CW: bullying, ableism, sexual assault

his book is suited a little bit towards older children (10+) but I think that it is very important and addresses the concept of a child dealing with a chronic pain illness.

Once the book opens, the main character, Erica, seems a little too much like a younger Holden Caulfield; Skips her fancy school, is estranged from her friends, and is basically a youth in revolt.

However, it turns out the girl is dealing with debilitating early onset arthritis that makes her question her worth as a person, and kind of explains everything.

As the book goes on, her character is developed quite nicely as she discovers that she is not the only one with issues, and she can always ask for help.

It seems like a youth in revolt story but it really delves into what it means to have such an illness as a kid and how to deal with it.

4.5 stars. I have taken a very long time to sit with this book and review it and while it's been a while since I have read it, every part of the story has stuck with me. If you have a chronic illness/condition or if you know someone who suffers from that (a classmate, friends, family member, etc.) this is a MUST READ. I was originally drawn to this book because I too suffer from chronic pain. Therefore I can say first hand that the portrayal of the conditions which people with chronic conditions face is wholly accurate and extremely well done. I didn't just relate to Ricky (our main character), I felt for her also. I cannot stress enough how wonderful this book is for understanding and learning about chronic illnesses. Whether you are a teenager or an adult, this story will touch you and teach you at the same time and should be read by everyone as it's filled with insight, compassion, and love. Highly recommend!

A heartfelt book indeed. Being a normal person at one point and suddenly being diagnosed with a dying illness hits a lot of people. Just anyone really. My eyes welt up a bit at times reading this book

It's refreshing to see a young person with chronic illness in a story. Real kids with the same health woe will be glad to see themselves in a story. Ricky is believable and acts out in a way that a real kid facing these same issue might behave. Teens will relate.

This was a a book i truly enjoyed, and i learned alot about 'Roo' and became to like her alot over the pages. She was funny, smart, smart-mouthed and i loved Oliver, cute, nice, smart Oliver. I Shipped them so hard. But this was also important on so many levels, to understand illnesses we not always can see and it sometimes is very hard to ask for help.

Actual Rating: 4.5/ 5 stars

I didn’t really know what to expect when I began reading “Cursed” by Karol Ruth Silverstein. I was pleasantly surprised to say the least. I could not put it down! The story centers around Erica “ Ricky’ bloom who has just been diagnosed with a chronic illness that causes her pain daily. The book focuses on not only that aspect but also her life in general.
One of the things I really liked about this book was that it remained focused on the illness itself. So many times, in books that are about illnesses, we see them take a turn towards romance or something along those lines. Ricky has a great support system. This is truly her story. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.


* I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Middle grade reads can be so difficult to find! (this review caters to that demographic and star rating is specific to that age group). It's really hard to find appropriate, not too racy reads for this age group and this book was perfect. It offered real life lessons about a girl experiencing both common and not too common difficulties in her life. Ricky sees herself as "cursed" mostly because of her juvenile arthritis and the fact that her parents are separating. Ricky's anger and pain cloud her vision and guide her actions until she's forced to succumb to change. Sometimes it's difficult not to choose wallowing in your pain over taking that step to make it better, to accept help over living in those feelings of inadequacy at the idea of not being able to do it on your own. I could just feel how impactful having such a relatable character choose bravery and change over pain and anger will be.

I wasn't sure about this book at first because I have a chronic illness and I've been let down by books with characters with a chronic illness before, but that wasn't the case with this book thankfully. It was kind of refreshing to read a book I could relate to more so than most. The story is captivating and real and that's why I enjoyed it as much as I did. I believe all the characters played their part in the development of the story. I am so glad that I decided to request this book. I highly recommend this book especially to those with a chronic illness looking for a relatable book.

Thank you, NetGalley and Charlesbridge Publishing for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Books about chronic illness tend to focus on finding positivity. We see sick kids as eternally sunshiny, plucky, inspirations. Ricky is the exact opposite. She suffers constant pain. She's cranky, angry at the world, and desperate to be "normal". If she can't feel normal she just wants to hide from her reality. Even once she begins to accept her new normal, she stays prickly. This isn't a flaw she needs to correct but rather an inherent part of her personality. It's nice to see a protagonist who isn't everyone's best friend. Even more than that, this book has an important message about medical care. Ricky learns about her condition, reads up on potential treatments. She's an informed patient and learns to advocate for her own care. While there were some less realistic elements, the messages are strong enough to make up for flaws.

YA is not my usual kind of book but as someone with a chronic illness, I had to give it a read. I am all about having more Chronic illness/disability representation out there especially more stories that don’t revolve around that person being cured because that isn’t real life.

I actually really enjoyed this book and I thought it portrayed being a teenager with a chronic illness really well. It showed how difficult everyday things such as getting up and dressed can be as well as how hard we have to fight for accommodations and decent health care. I loved that there was more to the story though. Her illness was just part of her life and she was still a "normal teen" with an interesting plot.

I found some parts hard to read having been there myself but it was so great getting to see Ricky grow and adapt. I think this is such a great book for any young people struggling with their diagnosis. It shows that it’s okay to ask for help and that it can get better.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review

Loved it! Ricky was relatable and real. It was thoughtful without being preachy. I don't suffer from a chronic disease, but this felt like a very accurate depiction of a teenager struggling to adjust to her new normal. Gave me all the feels!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Cursed definitely got better for me as time went on. It follows the story of Ricky, short for Erica, who has a chronic illness. She's been skipping school for SIX WEEKS and finally gets caught.

We follow Rickey as she goes back to school, tries to connect with her crush, and tries to find acceptance.

The writing seemed juvenile at first - but that was just Ricky. She had a lot of growing up to do. She did it with the help of her most-hated-turned-favorite teacher.

You don't discover what illness RIckey has until about halfway through the book. I started picking up on it pretty early on. I had some knowledge of it being a nurse, but my best friend's sister also has the disease.

I loved that it was own voices. It's nice to see representation of someone with this "mystery illness". This is the first book that I've read that featured that illness.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes reading about kids with illness or loves YA contemporary.

Warning: this book does contain swearing!

⚠ Content Warnings: Bullying. Cursing (Duh.) Divorce. Illnesses, doctors and treatments.
⚠ Read if: you are a fan of Nicola Yoon or John Green.

Cursed is an amazing #OwnVoices Young Adult novel that took me by surprise. We have read so many books discussing various physical and mental illness but this is a first one that revolves around juvenile arthritis.





“The only people who think of arthritis as minor aches and pains are people who don’t have it.”


Personally, I am aware of how intense the pain is because my dad suffers from gouty arthritis. He really cannot walk because of the pain and inflammation that its hard to imagine kids going through that kind of pain especially in the worse cases.

Cursed talked about the journey of Erica aka Ricky, who was bombarded with too many changes at the same time: her parent's divorce, changing homes, changing schools, and her disease.



At first I was uncomfortable with how angry the book's mood was. Ricky was so mad with the world that her thoughts were so heavy to read. I really struggled with that, because I tend to feel so much for characters and I was contemplating to DNF this for my mental health.

But, I wanted to understand Ricky. And I wanted to root for her. I wanted to believe that somewhere along the way she will find the balance that she needs and be happier, in general.



I am so happy that I decided to push through because I am so proud of Ricky. I won't spoil too much, but it was a wonderful journey to read. I love that she had a great support system. Her family clearly loves her a lot. She made a good friend in Oliver, too. I love so many elements in this book, including the writing style and the support characters. I especially love the speech she made in class, and how the ending was made in general.

This is a great book, and I hope this will be required reading in middle school or high school students.

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I enjoyed this book, although the writing wasn't that great. It sounded more like someone was having a conversation with you (which isn't bad) but at the same time I kinda expect more from books. But I did enjoy that the story was told by a girl with chronic pain and how she dealt with it.