Before I Die.....an absolutely, utterly amazing book, anyone read it?

[katierocket]

So beautifullly written and although desperately sad, also very life affirming.

author?

Jenny Downham here

Was book of the month on Five Live (which is how I heard about it).

Just going to buy this as everything I have read about it has been positive. Didn't realise until this morning that I actually knew the author but lost touch about ten years ago. Didn't recognise her maiden name.

She was interviewed on five live yoyo, she sounded lovely and a bit stunned at all the attention the book has had.
It really an amazing book.

I have just read this, and it is fantastic but it really made me cry!

My Mum lent it to me, and this week I saw it in the Waterstones Kids section, which is a bit risky without a "health warning" on the cover.

I thought it was ok, but I think I must have missed summat about it, as I can't gush like most people do with it.

Suppose you have to be in the right mindset? I am feeling vaguely ill so more susceptible..

I read it last year and it has stayed with me

Tessa was a bit of a pita at times, but I think that made her all the more lovable.

Cried buckets of course, but it's quite life-affirming so don't let the cancer theme put you off.

Think it's aimed at the young adult market rather than children.

I couldn't be quite as wholeheartedly enthusiastic as the OP on this, but I do think the last 30 or so pages in particular are incredible, and the rest of the book is worth reading just for that, if for nothing else.

I spent most of the book wanting to slap Tessa, but actually I think that's one of the things Downham does best: she isn't asking us to pity her heroine, and she doesn't want us to spend the whole books in floods of tears for a Little-Women style saintly heroine.

I have another 'dying child' book, Sally Nicholls' Ways to Live Forever, on my TBR shelf, so it will be interesting to make a comparison.