Angels in Pink: Kathleen's Story

By Lurlene McDaniel

It’s the summer after sophomore year and Raina has convinced her best friends since the sixth grade, Kathleen and Holly, to spend their summer as “pink angels” in Parker-Sloan General Hospital’s summer volunteer program. Kathleen is reluctant to do it—she has enough responsibility at home caring for her sick mother. But when she meets Carson, a cute and flirty fellow volunteer, she is happy that she joined the program. Or, at least, she thinks she is. Carson’s “old friend” Stephanie keeps showing up at all the wrong times. And Kathleen’s mother keeps complaining that she needs Kathleen at home. But with friends Raina and Holly by her side and her Pink Angel t-shirt on her back, Kathleen is able to realize that helping others also allows you to help yourself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Dec 18, 2007
• ISBN: 9780307433138

Lurlene McDaniel

Everyone loves a good cry, and no one delivers heartwrenching stories better than Lurlene McDaniel. But there's more to her books than that. McDaniel has written over 40 novels about kids who face life-threatening illnesses, who sometimes do not survive. These are powerful, inspirational stories about courage, love, and strength in the face of overwhelming trauma. McDaniel’s books touch the hearts and spirits of the teenagers and adults who read them. Her following is a devoted group of appreciative fans. McDaniel says: "These are books that challenge you and make you think." Some readers—and their parents—have wondered why McDaniel chooses to write about sad situations. "I tell them that sometimes tragedy hits people—kids, too. They want answers. They want to know 'why.' By using novels, I show ordinary kids confronting and overcoming great odds." McDaniel's books are ultimately optimistic and life-affirming. McDaniel began writing about young adults when her son Sean was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at the age of 3. His illness changed the lives of everyone in her family forever. "I saw what life was like for someone who was chronically ill, and I experienced how it affected the dynamics of the family," says McDaniel. She says she found that writing about the trauma and its effects was therapeutic. To make certain that her books are medically accurate, McDaniel conducts extensive research. She interviews health care professionals and works with appropriate medical groups and hospice organizations, as well as the Tennessee Organ Donor Services. "I study medicine and traditional grief therapy techniques to give the novels a sense of serious medical reality," she says. "I also study the Bible to instill the human element—the values and ethics often overlooked by the coldness of technology." Growing up, McDaniel lived in different parts of the country because her father was in the Navy. Eventually her family settled in Florida. She attended the University of South Florida in Tampa, where she earned a B.A. in English. She now lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In addition to her popular YA novels, McDaniel has written radio and television scripts, promotional and advertising copy, and a magazine column. She is a frequent speaker at schools, writers’ conferences, and conventions. McDaniel's books have been named to several bestseller lists, including Publishers Weekly. Three of her novels were selected by children as IRA­CBC Children’s Choices: Somewhere Between Life and Death, Too Young to Die, and Goodbye Doesn’t Mean Forever. Six Months to Live has been placed in a literary time capsule at the Library of Congress, to be opened in the year 2089.

Reviews for Angels in Pink

[jacobsbeloved · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Even though this book is supposed to revolve around one of three best friends, Kathleen, I found that it was divided pretty evenly between the three girls. Kathleen's mother is afflicted with multiple sclerosis, which adds a human interest element to the plot that makes the reader sympathetic to Kathleen's struggles. This is also makes it quite understandable as to why Kathleen would be attracted to bad-boy Carson -- she lives such a controlled life that she needs some rebellion and unpredictability to make life more interesting.
The three girls volunteer for a program at the local hospital, called the Pink Angels. This makes for great background material as there is plenty of fodder for creating obstacles and conflicts. It was also somewhat familiar to me, thanks to what I've gone through with my youngest daughter's two hospital stays. My heart especially melted at one of the girl's interactions with a boy sick with cancer.
The characters were not overly unique and some were more likable than others. What really bothered me the most was how the book ended -- it just sort of cuts off. I understand that this book is part of a trilogy, but as it attempts to focus on one particular character, Kathleen, the plot lines pertaining to her should be resolved.