Before I Die
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| Author | Jenny Downham |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Young Adult Novel |
| Publisher | David Fickling Books |
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Publication date
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2007 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 336 |
| ISBN | |
Before I Die is a young adult novel written by Jenny Downham, first published by David Fickling Books in 2007. The novel follows the shortly ending life of Tessa, from her perspective.
Tessa is diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Despite her four-year devotion to chemotherapy, she has discovered that her cancer is terminal and her doctors give her a short time to live. Tessa, with the help of her best friend Zoey, comes up with a list of things she wants to do before she dies, including some risky behaviors that she deems necessary to have "lived". Zoey is excited and supportive of the outrageous bucket list until an unplanned pregnancy test comes up positive.
Tessa's parents are divorced and have very different views on her desire to experience the dangerous side of life before she passes. Her mother is loving and joking about the situation and seems supportive whereas her father is timid and just wants to spend time with his daughter. Tessa's dad is resistant to Tessa's behavior from the start, but realizes he has little influence and can only enjoy the time they have left. Her father's main mechanism for coping is denial. She mentions that he spends hours on the computer looking up possible treatments for her even after the doctors have told her that the cancer has consumed her body.
Tessa's brother, Cal, is a brutally honest individual who has mixed feelings throughout the novel ranging from lack of care to jealousy to sadness. In the beginning of the novel, Cal says to his sister "I'm gonna miss you" during a joking situation.
One of Tessa's last wishes is to find love, of which she thinks she has with her neighbour Adam. Adam is shy, and his main priority is taking care of his sickly mother after his father died.
The book, written in first person from Tessa's point of view, follows her last few months of life, explores her relationships with her loved ones, and her personal feelings about being trapped in a failing body. At the end of the novel, Tessa passes away.
In her last months alive, Tessa participates in illegal activities and activities that are discouraged for young adults. The novel alternates in painting these activities in a positive and negative light. Also during these questionable situations, Downham goes into great detail of everything that is occurring, specifically the sex scenes. The main controversy surrounding the novel is the age at which it is targeted and the appropriateness of the material for that age group.
Before I Die was listed for the 2007 Guardian Awards and the 2008 Lancashire Children's Book of the Year. It was nominated for the 2008 Carnegie Medal and the 2008 Booktrust Teenage Prize. Before I Die won the 2008 Branford Boase Award.
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