Book Review-"The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen

WARNING: THERE MIGHT BE SPOILERS (I guess we'll see how much I let slip from my brain on this one). I read a book yesterday called "The Running Dream" while I was sick and laying on the couch. It's an easy read, but a REALLY good one. It's very inspiring, and very relatable if you are a runner. It's about a girl who gets in a terrible accident after running a 55-second 400-meter at a championship meet (a league record in the book) and ends up losing her right leg below the knee. The book is about her realizing to be thankful for what she hasn't lost and the friends and family, and her team, that care about her most. Another important aspect of the book is how she gets to know a girl named Rosa who has cerebral-palsy, who also one day would like to cross a finish line. Jessica (the main character) learns to see Rosa for who she is, not her condition like she had always seen Rosa before her accident. The book is called "The Running Dream" because Jessica has a running dream every night when she is dreaming about running every morning with her dog Sherlock, like she always used to before she lost part of her leg. The symbolism is that each time she has this dream, she is getting closer to having it come true. Her track team is working to raise $20,000 for a running prosthetic so she can run again. I recommend this book for anyone who wants an easy read and also if you just need/want to be inspired! The book made me tear up at the end because it made me realize that if people truly believe in something, they will stop at nothing to get it, and will never give up. Happy reading! :P