I will insert here a very beautifully written extract from www.thebookbag.co.uk, which I loved to pieces and really wanted to share with you as it reflects my own outlook, but I just cannot put my words like the author of the review did: "Tessa is just 16 years old. And she has just a few
months to live. After four long years of treatment for leukaemia, she's finally
reached the end of the road. Her illness is now terminal. All the doctors can
do is maintain her as best they can and wait for the inevitable crisis. Tessa's
father, who has given up work to take care of her, is busy trying to support
Tessa's palliative care by researching diets and holistic therapies on the
internet. He won't give up hope. Tessa though, with the shocking
matter-of-factness of the young, has accepted that she is going to die soon.
What Tessa hasn't accepted though, is that she must die in any way incomplete.
So she makes a to-do list, full of everything she wants to experience before
the dying of the light. And the first thing on it is casual sex. And honestly,
that's all I'm going to tell you. Before I Die should be read, not described.
You already know what happens - Tessa dies. Tessa dies before she is old enough
even to vote. This isn't a book in which a plucky heroine is snatched from the
jaws of death at the last moment, or a book which tactfully draws the curtain
before the end of the last act. This is the story of the last months in a young
girl's too-short life and Tessa sets out her stall on the very first page. It's
a journey you need to share with her, not steal, vicariously, from any
review." You can read full review on this book here.
It was sitting on my nightstand half-read for almost 8 months. And it was my biggest mistake. If you ever decide to read this book, please read it straight away. At first, when I started reading this I really did not like it, I thought it will be another stupid teenage drama about sex, drugs, alcohol and etc. And in my opinion first part of this book was a little bit lame and cheap and I am almost sure that was the reason why after a couple of chapters I put it away for later. Second part of the book that I read only after the New Year was a completely opposite experience. I felt like writing of the book has changed. It was more mature and profound. The quotes became deeper and more challenging to understand. Somehow I felt like while I was reading it I was growing with this book as a personality. The ending of the book, as expected, was tragic and shocking. I did not cry, which was strange, but that's maybe because I already pre reconciled with inevitable while I was reading the book. Anyways, this book did not leave my mind for a couple of days, it still crosses my mind sometimes, it made me think about the true meaning of life, how important it is to live your life to the fullest and just enjoy living and celebrate every day that's is given to you, because you never now when it's your last one.
And I could not believe it, but there is a movie based on this novel! Thank you again www.thebookbag.co.uk for the information! It is called "Now is Good" and now I am so excited to see it and compare it to the book!
Favorite quotes:
“Every seven years our bodies change, every cell. Every seven years, we disappear.”
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“Cal says that humans are made from the nuclear ash of dead stars. He says that when I die, I'll return to dust, glitter,rain. If thats true, I want to be buried right here under this tree. Its roots will reach into the soft mess of my body and suck me dry. I'll be re-formed as apple blossom. I'll drift down in the spring like confetti and cling to my family's shoes. They'll carry me in their pockets to help them sleep. What dreams will they have then?”
"It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce - or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live. A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend. In her signature pitch-perfect style, Sarah Dessen explores the hearts of two lonely people learning to connect."
I liked this book. I would say that it is a light young adult read. It does not teach much just reminds how important it is to enjoy your teenage years, because otherwise you will regret it in the future. It's quite an extraordinary love story, circumstances the way characters meet, the time they act, communicate, I find the plot of this book quite unique. Reading this book was not life changing experience, but still, as I mentioned, I enjoyed reading it.
Favorite quotes:
“An ending was an ending. No matter how many pages of sentences and paragraphs of great stories led up to it, it would always have the last word.”
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“It was so risky and so scary, and yet at the same time, so beautiful. Maybe the truth was, it shouldn't be easy to be amazing. Then everything would be. It's the things you fight for and struggle with before earning that have the greatest worth.”
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“Life is full of screwups. You're supposed to fail sometimes. It's a required part of the human existence.”
I know that this was a very long post, but I still hope you enjoyed it! I really tried very hard to use appropriate words to express my honest opinion and I really hope that I succeeded. If you guys have read any of these books or decided to read them please let me know!!
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