Now is Good (Before I die), Jenny Downham (teenage novel)
This book is the story of a 16 year old girl, Tessa, who is dying – but it’s really about her living her life to its end.
My 19 year old daughter saw this and said nearly all her friends had read it, it was one of the “must read” books. As an oldun of 64, I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. It is funny and moving and interesting and unusual and I learned a lot about young people’s lives and leukemia and dealing with its treatment.
But I also learned about courage and how different people might deal with such a heartrending situation in different ways – parents, siblings, friends, lovers. Some of the things Tessa wanted to do before she died and the way she behaved might be shocking to some adults, especially parents, and it made me think about how I might respond as a parent in similar circumstances. You need tissues to hand whilst reading it.
A good book and I’d strongly recommend it – but not in the same league as John Green’s ‘The Fault in Our Stars’.
ISBN-10: 0385751834
ISBN-13: 978-0385751834
