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Before I Die | 
 enlarge | Author: Jenny Downham
Publisher: Definitions
Category: Book
List Price: £6.99
Buy New: £2.39
You Save: £4.60 (66%)
New (27) Used (14) from £2.00
Rating:  56 reviews
Sales Rank: 2433
Media: Paperback
Pages: 336
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5.2 x 0.9
ISBN: 1862304874
EAN: 9781862304871
ASIN: 1862304874
Publication Date: April 10, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand new books, shop soiled, hence price - shipped the same day in most cases from the UK
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| Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...
 The best book I have read July 3, 2007
Polly Hall (London, England)
57 out of 58 found this review helpful
This is an amazing book - I laughed, cried, it made me feel as though I'd lost a best friend by the end. But it isn't depressing - in fact it's a book about death that made me feel exhilarated at the end - amazing. It reminded me in some way of THE LOVELY BONES by Alice Sebold - dealing with loss, death, love in the most incredible way. And when I remember what being a teenager was like I think the author has just put her finger on the extremes of feeling you have - let alone under such a life sentence. If there is any book you must read, this is the one! It certainly isn't just for teenagers - it's for everyone. Unforgettable.
Fantastic August 30, 2007
A. Field (Worcestershire)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
I had this book delivered to my office early yesterday morning. By 9am I had read about a quarter of it. I continued reading it in my lunch break and ignored my husband all evening and carried on reading it until I finished. It is absolutely fantastic. Incredibly readable, has a fast pace and you find yourself warming to all of the characters. It is set in the UK although I did think it had an american feel to it (not that it matters either way)This is the sort of book you want to recommend to everyone, whatever their age just so you can discuss its brilliance. Buy it.Thankyou.
Before I Cry... November 3, 2007
Luanne (UK)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
I bought this book not realising it was aimed at the teenage market, but I thought I would read it anyway. And I am so glad I did, because this is a book for everyone, regardless of age. It is the story of Tessa, 16 years old and dying of cancer. Tessa seems bolshy and defiant on the surface but, as you read on, you peel away the layers and find a mass of compicated emotions so powerful they grab you by the heart and tug very very painfully.
The writing is economical, simple to read. I read the book in two days. On the first day I felt mainly anger at Tessa's seemingly uncaring, selfish best friend ("It's always got to be about you!") and Tessa's flighty mother who is never there for her. On the second day I felt so many emotions I cannot possibly begin to write them down. The last twenty pages or so of the book were read through a veil of tears.
It is not, however, a sentimental read. Tessa is spirited and her humour shines through, but the raw emotion towards the end can make the book a difficult read, though I guarantee you will not be able to put it down. Even after you have finished, you will likely read the last few pages again.
I urge everyone to read this book. It is raw and true, terribly sad and yet life-affirming, too. A marvellous achievement. Just thinking about it makes me feel like crying.
Amazing November 8, 2007
Ms. Rebecca S. Mcghie (Scotland <3)
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
"an extraordinary book"
three words on the back cover and i was hooked.
I picked this up in London yesterday, and i had read it by the time i was home in Scotland 7 hours later.
The last 10 chapters were like an asault on my tear ducts.
Amazing.
Wow, what an amazing read October 21, 2007
SJSmith (UK)
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
Whilst it could so easily have been depressing this book managed to be uplifting. Quite easy to read, in fact I read this in one sitting. I found this beneficial as I feel if I had taken longer I may not have remember at what stage of her treatment she was at.
The main character is Tessa, the novel's narrator. She only has a few months of her life left and at 16 years old, having been sick for the last four years; Tessa wants to make the most of her remaining time. Her list contains the 10 most important things she wants to do; learn to drive, have sex, take drugs, doing something illegal and many others. Getting what she wants does not always bring about the desired consequences but along the way she discovers new things about her relationships with Zoey (the best friend), Cal (her younger brother) and her parents.
Life isn't always rosy but through Tessa we get to look at our own priorities and what's important for us as the reader. A tough book with emotions running high all the way through it. The ending isn't so much a tear-jerker as a thought provoker. It is so well-written and a delightful find.
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