October 19

‘Before I die’ by Jenny Downham

“Life is only what you make it.”

This certainly applies to Tessa, a young 16 year old girl who is tragically diagnosed with leukemia. Tessa only wants what normal teenagers tend to wish for, and in her case, a boyfriend. This leads to her list, a list of things to do before she dies, which takes you to Zoey, Tessa’s best friend, who assists her in fulfilling her list. But in Tessa’s case, it isn’t that easy. Along Tessa’s journey, there are struggles, meltdowns, tantrums and of course, love always finds its way.  I really enjoyed this book, although I must admit it was a little slow to begin with. I enjoyed reading it because I could relate to Tessa and her reactions towards her situations as I’m also close to her age, so I can understand the way she thinks about life.  I also liked the fact that it wasn’t predictable, and it kept you on your toes the whole entire book. I would recommend ‘Before I die’ to teenage girls (13-18) because they may understand the story and relate to the characters a bit easier than say a teenage boy. Definitely brought some tears to my eyes, but would definitely be a 10 out of 10 from me. Ashley, Year 9

“Life’s too short to be anything but happy.”

In Tessa’s world this certainly applies, as she was heartbreakingly diagnosed with leukaemia when she was 12. Now that she is 16, all she wants is a boyfriend, a normal teenage desire, which brings you to her list. Tessa’s best friend Zoey helps her to carry out her wishes and aspirations. And with only a few months of life left, this takes her on a journey of lifetime memories, struggles and romance. I feel attached to this book because it’s very deep and connecting; although I have not experienced anything like Tessa has before. The descriptive words used in this book made me feel as if I was there. I would recommend this story to a more mature age group, as there are adult concepts that younger people might not understand! This book has an unexpected ending and most defiantly be prepared for a cry.  Claire, Year 9

If you were told you only had months left to live, what would you do?

The book “Before I die” by Jenny Downham is a heart warming story about a teenage girl Tessa who is diagnosed with a terminal cancer known as leukemia, and told she only has a certain amount of time left. This inspires her to create a list of the top ten things she wants to do before she dies. As time goes by and you get to know more about Tessa and her life you see she adds things to the list, things like getting married to the guy that helps her through everything.

This book is a beautiful story about love, hate, relationships, and struggles that many people can relate to. I recommend it to teenage girls (13-18) as it is a truly touching story with hidden messages and morals.           By Georgia, Year 9

I really like that the author chose to write this particular story. It’s very moving emotionally and it deals with difficult issues. It really makes me think about the truth of the story and how terminally ill girls exist all over the world and that situations like this do happen to real people! The book talks about a young girl’s struggles and difficulties along with happy times through her voice, so you also read about her thoughts and opinions on the whole thing.

This story is also about true friendship between two girls, along with true love when she meets the man of her dreams. This book is aimed at girls around the ages of 12-18 and it really works. I was engrossed in this book and couldn’t put it down. One of the reasons I think it really stands out to me is that it isn’t written too formally. The characters are my age and talk just like I do.

I would recommend this book for a great read, with a bit of an emotional twist. You may need your tissues for this one but it definitely gave me a reality check of what really happens every day all over the world.

Tayla, Year 9

The book ” Before I die” is a very unpredictable book. The lead character Tessa has only a few more months of life so she has made a list of ten things she wants to do before she dies…… number one is sex. But when she gets it she realises that it should not have been first on her list.  This list makes her feel like she can do whatever she wants when she wants to, but she doesn’t realise what’s happening to the people around her. Is she ever going to realise what her close ones are feeling? She meets a guy next door who fancies her but her best friend Zoey doesn’t like him. Is she going to be satisfied with the choices she made before she died? This book is very unpredictable and has you wondering what’s going to happen next. Zia, Year 9

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Posted October 19, 2011 by marjk in category Love stories, Realistic fiction, Student Reviews

About the Author

Teacher-librarian at Aquinas College, Southport, Gold Coast, Australia

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