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A Dying Teenager Wants To Go For The Gusto

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By AMY SMITH LINTON

Published: December 30, 2007

"Before I Die," by Jenny Downham (David Fickling Books, $16)
Tessa is a normal, rebellious 17-year-old living with her father and younger brother - except that she has six months or less before the cancer she has been fighting finally kills her.

There is a whole list of shocking things she wants to do before then, and not one of them would meet with a parent's approval: She wants to try drugs, have sex, do something criminal, drive a car.

"I want to live before I die. It's the only thing that makes sense."

Can she finish her list before the cancer finishes her off?

Maybe, with some help from a bad-influence best friend, Zoey, and an ugly new neighbor who has secrets of his own.

The topic of dying young is a perennial favorite with teen and tween readers (witness the success of "Brian's Song" and anything by Lurlene McDaniel), perhaps because it offers a way for young people to try out their emotional reactions to tragedy.

And while many novels explore the issue, few have done so with such honesty, brutal clarity and lack of sentiment as "Before I Die."

It's a three-hanky story, but one that's told in such tough, unapologetic first-person terms as to raise it above the genre.

Sure to spark controversy and conversation, this English import from first-time author Jenny Downham will appeal to readers beyond its recommended age group of 14 and older.

Amy Smith Linton is a freelance writer who lives in Tampa.

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