Book Review #3: 'Before I die' by Jenny Downham

Not Just a Cancer Book.

I mentioned this book before when I was reviewing The Fault in our Stars. This is because both of these books has a common theme. Cancer.

'Before I die' is based on the life of 16-year-old Tessa Scott, who is dying of cancer. But Tessa decided that before she dies, she wants to do things that will make her life worth living. With the help of her best friend Zoe and hot neighbour Adam, Tessa makes a list of things that she will do before she takes her final breath.

As the title of this post states, this is not your average cancer book. Not only is it about Tessa and her unfortunate condition, but it has the makings of a classic coming-of-age novel, showing Tessa and Zoe for what they truly are, teenagers. Tessa's condition has made her grow up long before she should have, and her bucket list is a way for her to claw back some of the teenage rebellion that every teenager should experience. As well as this, the novel also tackles the problems that teenagers have while not growing up in a nuclear family. Tessa's parents are divorced, and although she loves her parents as much as any teenager, she has to deal with being the product of, in her eyes, a broken home. What I loved most about this book was the back stories of the other characters. The book not only allows the reader to identify with Tessa and her condition, but it allows us to explore the idea of what the people close to Tessa will do if she is no longer here.

What was good:

The book explored many different themes. We get to see the normal things that teenagers aspire to do, but we see it through the eyes of a girl who doesn't have long left to complete her teenage life. Tessa is a character who is very likeable. She's not intimidating and, although not all of us are going through what she is, we are still able to relate to at least one part of her life.

What was bad:

As mentioned before, Tessa is a very likeable character. By comparison, this makes the rest of the characters in the book slightly less likeable. It seems as if Zoe is the only character not willing to tiptoe around Tessa about her condition, however, her bluntness has a tendency to come across as harsh, which makes her seem rude and unsympathetic towards her best friend.

Overall:

I read this book when I was about 12 and it completely changed the way that I view the world and the people around me. It taught me not to judge people because everyone as a different story to tell and a different life to live. I recommend that everyone read this book! (Although, maybe not at the age of 12)

The Film

There is also a film version of the book, as seen above, starring Dakota Fanning and Jeremy Irvine. I have seen the film, and while it has some of the key themes of the book, it is not a very accurate representation and I would completely recommend that if you want to see the film, read the book first so that everything is completely clear.

Thanks for reading. Comment below for more things that you'd like me to review.