Title: Before I Die Author: Jenny Downham
ISBN: 978-0-385-75155-1
Recommended Grade Level of Reader: 9th to 12th
Publisher: David Fickling Books
Media Type: Book
Copyright: 2007
Genre: Fiction
Reader's Annotation: Tessa has many things left to accomplish and she won't let anyone or anything get in her way.
Plot Summary: Tessa, the female protagonist in Before I Die, is dying of cancer. She has been battling the disease since the age of thirteen. Now, as a young adult, she is determined to experience the various items on her to-do list before she succumbs to the terminal illness. While some of the items on her list, like saying yes to everything for one full day, are relatively lighthearted, others are consequential. Tessa's list includes having sex, breaking the law, and trying drugs, among other items.
Evaluation: (A+) This is a very emotional account of a young woman's struggle with cancer, her relationships with others, and her desire to be a normal teenager. So emotional, I have to admit, that I was bawling my eyes out by the last page. Emotional responses such as this were the result of the author's development of such a believable, likeable character. While Tessa was determined to complete the items on her list, there were times when she wanted to give up and times when it seemed like she did give up. This helped to give the reader a sense of realism since one could see that the disease did, in fact, have an effect on the character's thoughts, emotions, and physical limitations. Tessa wasn't gung-ho all of the time which is what one might expect from someone battling a terminal illness. Additionally, the stream-of-conscious style of writing towards the end of the novel was more than effective at portraying the character's situation and state of mind.
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