Before I Die by Jenny Downham.

Before I Die is a phenomenal book written by Jenny Downham which came to my attention during a book swap between my friend and I. I was sceptical at first to read this book - the girl featured in it, Tessa, is dying of cancer therefore under those circumstances it didn’t seem like a great read. However, with my friend's insistence, I took the book, and boy, am I glad I did!

Tessa is seventeen and has been suffering from cancer for several years, but she knows the end is near. She decides to make a list of things she needs to do before she dies - the first being sex. Despite being ill, her best friend Zoey still treats her like there's nothing wrong and agrees to help her with the list. She still does ordinary things with Tessa, like taking her to the local clubs, days out shopping and having sleepovers. It really hits home that someone with a terminal disease can still live even if they’re close to death.

Throughout the book, Tessa begins to do more and more things on her list. Along with her new boyfriend Adam and her family and you can really see the build up in characters as time goes on. The things on her list become more and more simple, little things you’d take for granted. It’s a real eye opener to how when you’re close to death, you tend to want the simplicity of a child’s life with harmless games and where everything will be okay. This is also shown through Zoey becoming pregnant, and as Tessa’s condition slowly deteriorates, a new life is created. It shows the vicious cycle of life in such a poetic style.

When I began reading this, I knew instantly this was going to be an amazing book. There’s something about the way it’s written I can’t even begin to explain. It’s written in a way that emphases the fact that it’s a teenage girl suffering from the illness. The description is so brutal, you really picture the tragedy and pain her and everyone around her must feel, but you can’t help but smile at the fact she still has childish innocence. The narration speaks a lot to the author, with a lot of rhetorical questions, a lot of thought behind reasoning and really makes you question your own life.

The whole book will have you gripped, and as you’re reading you don’t feel sad that Tessa’s going to die, because that’s how her thoughts come across in the book. You really get pulled into the storyline and you’ll find yourself carrying this book everywhere, the toilet, the breakfast table even the walk to the bus stop. This book is superb and I’d recommend it to anyone, it’s a classic and will impact on you forever.