Cancer Slam Gets Glowing Review in The Pink Paper Magazine

The Pink Paper
Oct/Nov 2012
Chelsea Wolf

Ansley M. Dauenhauer’s first novel, “Cancer Slam” is a must-read for anyone involved with a breast cancer diagnosis. As a teenager, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and I had no idea what that meant for me and my family. “Cancer Slam” follow the Bennett Family through the initial diagnosis and mastectomy, to the chemotherapy treatments and subsequent hair loss. Through their journey, everyone stays extremely positive and open with one another. As a kid or young adult, it can be scary to think your whole life is going to change, especially when you are not even sure why. When Liz Bennett is diagnosed with breast cancer, she explains in the perfect way exactly what is going on in her body and how the rest of the family will be affected. Dauenhauer creates characters that are not only relatable, but who you root for and sympathize with. As a kid who has a sick parent, it’s easy to feel guilty for longing for normalcy. Hannah’s range of emotion, from anger to scared to sad to an adult-like acceptance, keep the story true to life. I laughed. I cried. But most of all I stayed positive because I think that’s what the Bennett Family would have wanted. I loved this book and believe it is an important read for anyone, not just young adults,dealing with a cancer diagnosis.

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