Chasing Life - Review

Chasing Life is a show about 24-year-old April Carver, who is a smart and quick-witted aspiring journalist who is trying to make her way at a Boston newspaper. April tries to balance her career with her family – her widowed mom Sara, rebellious little sister Brenna, and her grandmother Emma. April finally lands a big interview for her paper. In order to get the interview, April donates blood (so she can talk to the interviewee) at her estranged uncle's hospital. She passes out but scores the interview, and a date with her hot co-worker Dominic. Her uncle visits her to inform her that they ran tests on her blood and she has leukemia.

Just as everything in April's life has started to come together, this news is devastating and she must find a way to deal with the news, tell her family and friends, as well as fight this cancer. In the midst of all this, April finds out that her father had an affair and has a daughter who lives in Florida.

Now I know a show about cancer should be a major bummer, but surprisingly- this one isn't. While every episode is bound to make you cry (or bawl if you're like me), you are also guaranteed a laugh, and this heart-warming feeling of encouragement. This show makes you want to fight and to appreciate every minute of your life, because it is a beautiful thing. Another thing I like about this show is the family. The Carver family is so relate-able- they are perfect. No matter what happens, they stand by each other and they fight for one another.

The main cast includes:

• Italia Ricci as April Carver
• Mary Page Keller as Sara Carver, April and Brenna's widowed mother and a therapist
• Richard Brancatisano as Dominic Russo, an arts reporter at The Boston Post and April's love interest
• Haley Ramm as Brenna Carver, April's rebellious teenage sister
• Aisha Dee as Beth Kingston, April's best friend and the first person April tells about her cancer

 Recurring cast members:

• Steven Weber as Dr. George Carver, April and Brenna's paternal uncle, who has a romantic interest in Sara
• Scott Michael Foster as Leo Hendrie, the son of a famous politician and a cancer paitient
• Rebecca Schull as Emma, Sara's mother/April and Brenna's grandmother
• Abhi Sinha as Danny Gupta, April's co-worker and friend
• Augusto Aguilera as Kieran, Brenna's boss at an art gallery/tattoo parlor/love interest
• Dylan Gelula as Ford, Brenna's rebellious friend
• Gracie Dzienny as Greer, a popular girl from Brenna's school, who is a lesbian and a love interest for Brenna
• Shi Ne Nielson as Raquel Avila, April's supervisor/rival
• Jessica Meraz as Natalie Ortiz, April and Brenna's paternal half-sister. She is younger than April, but older than Brenna.
• Todd Waring as Bruce Hendrie, Leo's father and a famous politician
• Rob Kerkovich as Graham, Dominic's roommate and Beth's boyfriend
• Merrin Dungey as Dr. Susan Hamburg, April's doctor
• Andy Mientus as Jackson, a fellow cancer patient from April and Leo's cancer support group
• Tom Irwin as Thomas Carver, April, Brenna and Natalie's father and George's brother
• Laura Harring as Olivia Ortiz, Natalie's mother and Thomas' mistress
• Vondie Curtis-Hall as Lawrence, April, Dominic, and Danny's boss at The Boston Post
• Stephen Schneider as Aaron, April, Dominic, and Danny's boss at The Boston Post, who replaced Lawrence

Overall Rating: a MUST watch

Tune in on Monday nights at 9 PM EST on ABC Family











*additional information from Wikipedia