"Outside a dog a book is man's best friend, inside a dog it is too dark to read!" -Groucho Marx========="The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." -Jane Austen========="I don’t believe in the kind of magic in my books. But I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book."-JK Rowling========"I spend a lot of time reading." -Bill Gates=========“Ahhh. Bed, book, kitten, sandwich. All one needed in life, really.” -Jacqueline Kelly=========

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Before I Die by Jenny Downham


I just finished a three hour crying session as I finished this book. As the title suggests it is all about living before dying. And about dying itself. Sixteen- year-old Tessa lives in England with her dad and brother as she creates a list of things that she wants to do before she dies. It is tender and sweet and angry and frustrating all at the same time, like it must feel to have a terminal diagnosis. (Here I go crying again.) I suppose the moral of the story is that, in the end, all that matters is love. Let us live our lives remembering that. I have a feeling that the essence of this book will stay with me for a long time.

It will be the rare, mature girl that I will recommend this book to. One who is tender and sensitive. One who can stand crying for hours on end, yet adores a good love story. Yes, a love story. One who can stand the thought of death because it is part of living.

YA Novel. Audio CD. 4 out of 5 stars.
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2 comments:

  1. MargaretAugust 27, 2009 at 5:42 PM

    Why only 4 stars though? It sounds wonderful, but I'm not in the mood to cry my eyes out. :)

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  2. Anne@HeadFullofBooksAugust 31, 2009 at 6:02 PM

    I guess I thought that it didn't deserve 5 stars because I can't recommend to just anyone. It is definitely not appropriate for all readers. But maybe you are right, perhaps I should up it to 4.5 stars.

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