Image: Penguin Random House
Before I Die by Jenny Downham. 230 p. David Fickling Books/ Random House Children's Books, 2007. 9780385751551. (Own).
#tbt features Before I Die by Jenny Downham. This was Ms. Downham's debut and was published in 2007. It was a book I read with my ears while shoveling snow in a blizzard and I recall being so immersed in Tessa's story that I cleared my driveway without stopping.
Tessa is a very unlikable character at first. She has a right to be. Shes just sixteen and has been battling leukemia for four years. She has just learned that her disease is terminal, so she has made a list of things she wants to do before she dies. That list contains some very risky behaviors. She's very hard on her single-father, who just wants to spend time with her.
This one's a tear-jerker for sure. I still have vivid memories of sobbing at the end. It's definitely a story for mature teen readers who like extremely sad books.
Before I Die was first published in the UK, where it was shortlisted for several prestigious awards, including the Carnegie Medal. It made a big splash here in the US, making several "Best" lists, including the YALSA Top Ten Books for Young Adults list. It was adapted for film in 2012 that was released with the title, Now is Good.
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