Before I Die by Jenny Downham
Sixteen year-old Tessa is in a hurry to fulfill her "to do list." She only has a couple of months left to live and she has two choices: stay in bed and get on with dying or finish her "to do list" and get on with living. She decides to accomplish everything that is on her list no matter how absurd or impossible it may seem. Tessa gets to do all ten items on her list from having sex, doing drugs, getting her parents back together, and falling in love. She lives her life to the fullest even though she struggles with the pain of knowing that she will no longer be there to share the moments with those she loves. This is a beautifully written novel that lets you feel the emotions and pain Tessa and her family are going through. As she is describing her last thoughts and memories, your heart gets wrenched open and you feel as if you are there with her. I would recommend this novel to upper grade students and it could be used in a book talk. I would not recommend it to struggling readers since the book has terminology that some students would not be familiar with (ex. lads, draught, fag).
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