The Lives We Lost

Determination leads to anything, when work and effort is put in. In Megan Crewe’s, The Lives We Lost, a 17-year-old girl named Kaelyn travels with her friends and her sister, Meredith to find someone who could replicate the antidote for the deadly virus that her dad made before he died. This book takes place in the future on a little island near the coast of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The whole world has fallen apart, where most people have died due to the Virus. Along the way to Ottawa the group faces obstacles such as their car breaking down, lack of gas and a mobster who are trying to kill them.

Through, The Lives We Lost, Megan Crewe illustrates determination through Kaelyn’s willingness to help society from the deadly virus, brings Kaelyn’s and Gav’s relationships closer, and the survivors to survive the Virus. As the first proof, Kaelyn is determined to help the society to survive and destroy the deadly virus. In the beginning of the story, Kaelyn goes through her father’s lab where she finds an antidote and a journal for the deadly virus. Sadly, on the eighteenth day of her dad experimenting the antidote, he died due to a construction failure.

At this stage, Kaelyn wants to bring justice back into the world, therefore she decides to go to Ottawa hoping that someone would be there to replicate the dose. Kaelyn asks her good friend Tessa if she wants to join the journey. Sadly, she says no and tells Kaelyn to postpone the journey to spring due to the season being winter. However, Kaelyn says, “in a couple of months, the people to make more vaccine could die….. I’m going to take it and I’m not going to be able to think about anything else until I know the vaccine’s with someone who can make more”, (Crewe 23). To paraphrase this quote, Kaelyn tells her friends that we can not wait for spring, otherwise the people who can replicate the dose would die due to the virus. Also, if she does not give it someone who can replicate it then she would have trouble concentrating on things other than the fact she could be out there trying to save peoples lives. This quote foreshadows the part where they leave to go to Ottawa. The significance of this quote is to tell readers that the weather nor the situation of the virus did not stop Kaelyn to help society overcoming the Virus.

To sum it up, Kaelyn is determined to save her world by going through the tough winter and despite knowing the other challenges up ahead. Afterwards, Kaelyn uses determination to obtain a better bond with her boyfriend Gav. At this point of the story, they have reached Toronto because there is a rumor that all the government people left Ottawa and Toronto is a better option. Later in Toronto, Gav gets sick, later the signs of the virus began to show on him, which then, Kaelyn and her other friends confirms that Gav is infected with the deadly virus. Since Gav is ill, Kaelyn donates some of her blood to Gav, to help him out, her blood has some antibodies {Blood protein that counteracts specific viruses}. To expand, Kaelyn donates some of her good blood which is not contaminated to keep Gav feeling better. This had happened to Meredith before where she was infected by the virus and luckily escaped the it because of Kaelyn’s blood and the good care of the hospital. The importance of this event is that Kaelyn is determined to keep Gav in healthy condition and bring him back to normal self. Even though Gav is diagnosed with virus, and the virus is contagious, she sticks beside him and does the best to keep him alive. This brings their relationship closer due to Kaelyn expressing her love towards Gav due to determination. In closing Kaelyn does the best she can to keep Gav in good condition despite the high chance of catching the virus and dying from it.

Finally, the last evidence, the survivors who are not been contaminated by the virus are determined to continue to say alive. This means that the survivors need to meet all their needs such as food and shelter. At the present, their society has been collapsed, where there are no more stores open and no more easy access to emergency facilities due to the riots and ruckus created by people. The survivors who would fight others to gain resources that will meets their needs. Also, they would of predators such other humans tiring to steal their possessions. Now the “humans have gotten into natural instinct mode where they would do anything to survive” (Crewe 169). The significance of this proof is that it shows determination because they would do anything to keep going on with their lives. Not to mention that they need to be careful who they are fighting with because the opponent might be suffering from the virus and it might catch onto them.

Also, to be careful in a place of where people dying of a deadly virus and it leads to chaos in the streets. Taking everything into account, the survivors are determined to stay alive and they do whatever they can to maintain it despite the chances of losing a battle or catching the virus. In conclusion determination is shown throughout Megan Crewe’s book, The Lives We Lost, by Kaelyn’s willingness to help society from the deadly virus by going on a journey to find someone who would be capable of replicating the antidote. Also, brings Kaelyn’s and Gav’s relationships closer because Kaelyn is determined to do anything to keep Gav healthy. Finally, determination is shown through the survivors who are determined to survive the from Virus by fighting others for resources. Now days people often give up and do not put in the hard work such as getting fit. The main idea of this book is to teach readers that when hard work is put in it brings a step closer to their goal. At the end of the day remember what Colin Powell said, “A dream does not become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination ad hard work”.