A review by andrew_russell
Before I Die by Jenny Downham
3.0
This book tells the story of Tessa Scott, a sixteen year old girl who has terminal leukemia. Initially, together with her best friend Zoey, she compiles a list of those things she wants to do and begins to work her way through it. The list includes such things as spending a day saying 'Yes' to everything everyone says, having sex, breaking the law and achieving fame.
As her illness progresses however, the list loses its significance and there is a growing appreciation for the simple and beautiful things in life such as riding on a motorbike and feeling the wind in your hair and face, crocuses at springtime and the feeling that really every individual should never be too scared to live life to the full. This is undoubtedly the main underlying point behind the text.
Is this point well made? I felt that in spite of the fact that the book will perhaps not be placed alongside some of the great literary achievements in living memory, it was highly evocative and engaging. The characters and the relationships between them and Tessa were well executed and although the language was simple, this barely if at all, detracted from the text.
Additionally, I must make the point that what is a sensitive and possibly taboo subject was handled excellently by the author. It was not overly sentimental, while at the same time managing to evoke emotions of sadness balanced by feelings that people really should not sweat the small stuff.
Overall, this was a very well written, emotionally evocative book which is worth a read if you want affirmation of why life is worth living to the full.
As her illness progresses however, the list loses its significance and there is a growing appreciation for the simple and beautiful things in life such as riding on a motorbike and feeling the wind in your hair and face, crocuses at springtime and the feeling that really every individual should never be too scared to live life to the full. This is undoubtedly the main underlying point behind the text.
Is this point well made? I felt that in spite of the fact that the book will perhaps not be placed alongside some of the great literary achievements in living memory, it was highly evocative and engaging. The characters and the relationships between them and Tessa were well executed and although the language was simple, this barely if at all, detracted from the text.
Additionally, I must make the point that what is a sensitive and possibly taboo subject was handled excellently by the author. It was not overly sentimental, while at the same time managing to evoke emotions of sadness balanced by feelings that people really should not sweat the small stuff.
Overall, this was a very well written, emotionally evocative book which is worth a read if you want affirmation of why life is worth living to the full.