Wink: Rob Harrell

This book is based on the author, Rob Harrell’s true life experience.

Wink is about a seventh grader named Ross Maloy who was diagnosed with a rare type of eye cancer. Ross just wanted to be a normal teenager. What he didn’t want was for so many eyes to be on him when he was walking through the school hallway. Nor did he want people whispering and giggling about him during class.

Before his diagnosis, Ross had two best friends: Abby and Isaac. They used to be a threesome. Once Ross was diagnosed with cancer and he was forced to make changes in his life, Isaac did not know how to react to that. So, Isaac suddenly vanished! He stopped talking and hanging out with Ross and Abby. But Abby stayed with Ross, and they have been a twosome ever since. Abby and Ross have been friends since they were very little. Abby has been helping him with all the changes that have happened since he was diagnosed. Besides Abby, Frank, the radiation therapist, and his parents were always there to help and comfort Ross.

One of the changes Ross had to make was that he always had to wear a hat to protect his skin from the sun. His dad went to the store to buy a selection of hats for Ross to choose. Ross decided that the hat that was most suitable for him was a cowboy hat. But the worst part was that kids at school started calling him “Cancer Cowboy” and saying “Yeeha” when they pass by. Kids at school also made really mean memes about him. This made Ross feel like he stood out in ways that he never wanted to.

One of the best things that happened to Ross was when Frank introduced him to music. Ross decided that he wanted to learn how to play guitar. He enjoyed the time he spent with Frank as he learned how to play guitar. Later on, with help from Frank’s encouragement, Ross formed his own band! The band members included himself, Abby, and “the school bully” who actually turned out to be a pretty nice guy.

Despite all of this, Ross survived through so much with the help of his family and friends. Ross always had a positive attitude even when cancer made him feel sick, made him look different, and even at times when other kids were not kind to him. Of course, Ross had moments when he felt down and discouraged.

Wink put me on an emotional roller-coaster filled with sad, funny, and happy moments! Sickness doesn’t define who we are. Everybody is different in their own way.