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.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Why only 4 stars though? It sounds wonderful, but I'm not in the mood to cry my eyes out. :)
ReplyDeleteI 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.
ReplyDelete