Before I Die

Title: Before I Die
Author: Jenny Downham
I.S.B.N.: 978-1-862-30487-1

I bought this book while I was doing work experience earlier this year and once I started reading it, I was so absorbed in the story that I didn’t stop reading until it was done, (okay, that’s a lie, approximately one bathroom break and whatever amount of time it takes to eat a sandwich). Then when I was back at school Monday, I loaned it out to all of my friends and in the end twelve of us had all read it and we all had the same thing to say about it, Whoa! This is no book for the light at heart. It should really come with a free packet of Kleenex or at least a warning not to read it in a public place or people will become concerned over your mental well being.

The book tells the story of Tessa a seventeen year old with terminal leukaemia. But don’t feel too sorry for the ticking time bomb inside Tessa because with the help of her best friend Zoey have compiled a list of things she wants to do before she dies. The things on the list range from saying yes to everything for a day, to having sex for the first time to trying drugs. One thing that wasn’t on her list though was falling in love.

This book is genuine and Tessa is one of the most realistic fictional characters I have ever come across. The ending is perfect if heart breaking. It’s a story that will stick with you long after you finish it.

Rating: 8/10