BEFORE I DIE - Jenny Downham
David Fickling Books NZ$30

Tessa, the protagonist of Jenny Downham’s first novel is a right little bitch really but then she has grounds for being so. She is just sixteen years of age and is about to die from leukemia, something she has been battling for four years but now the end is near.
In addition to that burden she is also going through ghastly teenage hormonal times and so her parents appear to be ogres who misunderstand her, she’s moody and uncooperative and awful to everyone much of the time. And of course while Tessa seems tough she is in fact totally frangible. It is a vulnerable and contradictory time for anyone going through this stage of life but when you have only months to live then further layers of difficulty are added.

However don’t let any of this put you off this novel, aimed I guess at young adults, because it is truly quite an astonishing piece of writing which leaves one weeping on more than one occasion.
On the wall beside her bed Tessa makes her “scrawls of desire”. She has a list of ten
ever-changing things she wants to do before she dies and right at the top of the list is sex.

This is an unforgettable story peopled by wonderfully portrayed characters; I especially liked Tessa’s decent, heart-broken, in-denial Dad, and her younger brother Cal who makes no allowances in his relationship with his sister for her illness. But somewhat hopeless Mum, best friend Zoey, and motor bike riding neighbour and boy friend Adam are also well drawn, believable characters.
It will be a long time before I forget this honest, sad but ultimately hopeful story.
If the author can produce more stories of this quality she will become a leading children’s writer.
UK Publisher David Fickling seems to have a special knack for finding new writing talent.