tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3956347903662622130.post4495484252626112455..comments2019-09-12T03:56:50.988+01:00Comments on Before I Die - the outstanding debut novel by Jenny Downham: Your FeedbackAvailable from April 2008http://www.blogger.com/profile/17479299515126827146noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3956347903662622130.post-84488199199628463562009-07-12T01:26:19.630+01:002009-07-12T01:26:19.630+01:00I just finished this book, and I cannot stop mysel...I just finished this book, and I cannot stop myself crying. I was so hesitant to continue reading the book when I got about half way through it - I didn't want her to die. It is the most emotional, moving, amazing book I have read in my life. It is realistic, and there is/has been/will be someone with a story like Tessa's someday. It's a beautiful story. The style of writing is amazing and so unusual. It is the writing of thoughts and how we actually look at the world. It helps us learn about ourselves in a way and we can appear to others etc. It makes you think about the meaning of everything, and what/if it is worth it. It makes you think what we can do with ourselves. It makes you think about death, and it will either make you fear it or not. It's so strange...<br /><br />I could write a whole book on how I feel about this story. But I will stop. I've never recommended a book so highly... it is beautiful.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14481213007516122210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3956347903662622130.post-27638765605023318702009-07-09T07:54:12.101+01:002009-07-09T07:54:12.101+01:00I have never loved a book more in my entire life. ...I have never loved a book more in my entire life. It brught tears to my eyes numerous times and also made me laugh. I love Jenny's choices of wording. When she says "The universe might be random, but i can make something different happen." This was my favorite part. It just seems to show how confident some people can be with themselves and how they can believe nothing will go wrong. How motivated an individual can become to change the world. This was not merely a novel to me. It inspired me to be better than who i am. Because even some who dont have the choice to truly live their lives can still be braver than us who do.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3956347903662622130.post-76553659319023732812009-04-13T17:14:00.000+01:002009-04-13T17:14:00.000+01:00I cried and cried and cried when i finished this b...I cried and cried and cried when i finished this book, which really does show the power of words! I was hooked to this book as soon as i read the first page! Tessa should be a person you look up too and easily feel for, I really do hope that -somehow- we could see the 'behind the scenes', the epilogue of this book. I recommend it to EVERYONE and make sure they listen to the words, this is not just a fictional story book, it is in some ways non-fictional and has a lot of meaning. I hope you all enjoy reading this books as much as i did, and don't forget to have some tissues handy, even for those who don't generally read books...you will need them!! :)Claire, 13noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3956347903662622130.post-90988950197510940612009-01-03T18:57:00.000+00:002009-01-03T18:57:00.000+00:00I just finished reading Before I Die about 6 mins....I just finished reading Before I Die about 6 mins. ago, and...I am speachless! I LOVE this book. It really made me open up my eyes and realize that life is WAY TO SHORT! After reading this book the saying "Live like it was your last day", just means a whole lot more to me. I really realize the meaning to "Live Like You Were Dying". I love this book and I reccommend it to everyone! I was crying so hard while reading those last 6 chapters!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3956347903662622130.post-71995361314571943642008-10-16T20:23:00.000+01:002008-10-16T20:23:00.000+01:00I must say that I bought this book because of the ...I must say that I bought this book because of the front cover, which I think is beautiful. I usually read cheesy Vampire novels but just had to have BEFORE I DIE. I read it in a day! From the moment I picked it up I could NOT put it down and I am glad I read it. I cried my little heart out like a baby but I enjoyed every single page!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3956347903662622130.post-85662444331044257502008-10-14T18:05:00.000+01:002008-10-14T18:05:00.000+01:00I think i must have read the book three times now,...I think i must have read the book three times now, and everytime it makes me cry. Tessa is such a wonderful character and you really believe she is real.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3956347903662622130.post-24345357367304761972008-10-07T16:38:00.000+01:002008-10-07T16:38:00.000+01:00Absolutly outstanding,thankyou for writing this pe...Absolutly outstanding,<BR/><BR/>thankyou for writing this perfect novel. It really makes you reflect on the meaning of life and Tessa's terrifying situation. I could not hold back the tears whilst reading this book neither could my friend and also her mum. <BR/><BR/>i wish Jenny Downham all the luck with future novels and it would take a lot to beat this fantastic beautifully writtin novel.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3956347903662622130.post-18027926961959719872008-09-05T12:39:00.000+01:002008-09-05T12:39:00.000+01:00Everything I want to say about BEFORE I DIE has be...Everything I want to say about BEFORE I DIE has been said previously. <BR/>When I finished it I felt like my own best friend had died and I was grief stricken. Amazing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3956347903662622130.post-54798576749131328192008-08-29T21:35:00.000+01:002008-08-29T21:35:00.000+01:00Im 15 years old and i loved this book. I needed to...Im 15 years old and i loved this book. I needed to find an interesting book for my week long holiday to Tenerife and this was perfect. This brillaint book wasn't complicated at all and made me reluctant to put it down. Anyone and everyone would enjoy this book, its very down to earth and expresses the teenager thoughts that we all think. At the end of the book i was in tears and was finding it difficult to read as my vision turned all blurry because of the tears! I am looking forward to Jenny's next book as she is an amazing author and deserves wonderfull credit for this amazing book.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3956347903662622130.post-3060920480180303402008-08-07T13:54:00.000+01:002008-08-07T13:54:00.000+01:00I don't cry often at books but this one had me sob...I don't cry often at books but this one had me sobbing my heart out shamelessly. It was so sad and beautiful and has become my favourite book of all time- sometimes, random parts come back to me for no real reason. My friends haven't read the book so they can't understand why i think it's so good. It's really made me think about life. Simply amazing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3956347903662622130.post-4203518038294778702008-07-22T23:07:00.000+01:002008-07-22T23:07:00.000+01:00I took this book out of library, started reading i...I took this book out of library, started reading it at tea time and didn't stop until i finished.<BR/><BR/>Yes, it made me cry but it also made me want to go and look and the whole world like a gift.<BR/><BR/>I loved Tessa and Cal and Adam.<BR/><BR/>I loved how at the beginning Tessa says she will miss windows and swans and geese, because once you start thinking about all the simple wonders in the world it is impossible to stop.<BR/><BR/>This book was amazing. I will be recommending it on my blog, if I ever stop crying.Mrs Keyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08413230907280080629noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3956347903662622130.post-64591172200900559202008-07-08T10:50:00.000+01:002008-07-08T10:50:00.000+01:00I am 16, like Tessa, and like her I have had dark ...I am 16, like Tessa, and like her I have had dark thoughts and wanted to die. This book highlights EXACTLY why life is worth living and helped to pull me out of a very dark place. <BR/><BR/>ThankyouAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3956347903662622130.post-15847263846175855712008-06-29T21:32:00.000+01:002008-06-29T21:32:00.000+01:00I absolutly loved this book, it is the best book i...I absolutly loved this book, it is the best book i have ever read! Tessa was very realistic and loved the first person narrative.I just wish she would write another book and make it just as good! i am 14 years old and would recomend it for teenage readersAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3956347903662622130.post-50985101849610733642008-06-20T01:00:00.000+01:002008-06-20T01:00:00.000+01:00I'll eat something unpleasant if this isn't an ins...I'll eat something unpleasant if this isn't an instant classic. I'm 16 years old, have just finished my GCSEs and was feeling a bit... lost. This book blew me out of the water and made me laugh, cry and vow to live the life I'm so amazingly lucky to have to the full.<BR/>It's testament to how much I loved this book that I persevered enough to find this site! It was no mean feat...Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08305904059778306851noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3956347903662622130.post-45466246543184194012008-05-28T11:42:00.000+01:002008-05-28T11:42:00.000+01:00What an amazingly well written novel. Words could ...What an amazingly well written novel. Words could not do it or Jenny Downham justice. I'm an 18 year old girl, and I first picked it up because the front cover drew me in, I then read the blurb and started to read the first chapter in Borders. <BR/>As soon as I got home I started to read and didn't stop, impossible to put down! I've never been so moved by a book in all my life, it has truely inspired me to make the most out of every day and every person within your life because you never know how quickly it can be taken away.<BR/>I'd recommend this book to all ages, because I believe it has something to teach us all.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3956347903662622130.post-57257821307919127452008-05-21T13:43:00.000+01:002008-05-21T13:43:00.000+01:00I was somewhat nervous about reading this book as ...I was somewhat nervous about reading this book as it touches an area very close to our own circumstances, but I need not have worried as it is so well written and so true in a lot of respects, that you just cannot help reading more and more to see if the circumstances and thoughts of Tessa are just the same as your own feelings. I cried, I laughed, I cried again and I am no longer afraid of asking the question.<BR/>Well done, to all who helped this book reach out to all those other readers who are to afraid to ask the question about what to do when someone is dying.lupiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12668367251534258494noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3956347903662622130.post-65285545441929674152008-04-30T11:14:00.000+01:002008-04-30T11:14:00.000+01:00I'm not sure that middle-aged men were the target ...I'm not sure that middle-aged men were the target demographic for this novel but that doesn't matter it is an incredible book - this really is top of my list of all time greats.<BR/><BR/>A novel that has death, sex and drugs in its first few pages isn't normally one that I'd want my daughters to read but everyone should read this.<BR/><BR/>I can't thank Jenny Downham enough for writing this fantastic work.Adrian Bleesehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16529533046394806841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3956347903662622130.post-56761510850946215842008-04-19T18:40:00.000+01:002008-04-19T18:40:00.000+01:00this book certainly makes me feel happy to be aliv...this book certainly makes me feel happy to be alive !i could feel myself welling up inside when tessa told her father about what her future should be like.<BR/>This is a non-stop read .Icouldnt put hte book down .Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3956347903662622130.post-15682115562716607302008-04-19T14:13:00.000+01:002008-04-19T14:13:00.000+01:00I have just finished 'Before I Die' in a day. I pi...I have just finished 'Before I Die' in a day. I picked it up and didn't put it down until I'd finished. 'Before I Die' is the most fantastically moving book I have ever read. It is written with such empathy and insight and my congratulations go to Jenny Downham for writting such a beautiful book. I have read many books that have caused me to shed a tear but none have made me sob like this did. <BR/><BR/>A brilliant brilliant novel.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3956347903662622130.post-14918489138415568202008-04-17T17:08:00.000+01:002008-04-17T17:08:00.000+01:00i loved this book it was truly moving and i didnt ...i loved this book it was truly moving and i didnt stop crying all the way through the last 6 chapters. I couldnt didnt put it down! it deffinatly mademe think.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3956347903662622130.post-21931556616806855952008-04-01T16:52:00.000+01:002008-04-01T16:52:00.000+01:00This was one of the best books i've ever read. My ...This was one of the best books i've ever read. My mate and I read it at the same time and it was all we could talk about the day after we finished it. It was the sort of book you couldn't put down, I read it in a day. It was so sad that i cried. Please can you do a book called after i die about the family and Adam's life after Tessa dies.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3956347903662622130.post-1024952892667332722007-11-27T12:06:00.000+00:002007-11-27T12:06:00.000+00:00It moved me more than I can say. I want to echo He...It moved me more than I can say. I want to echo Henrietta's sentiments. I have read it over and over. <BR/><BR/>I almost feel scared to praise it as my hackneyed phrases aren't up to the task and I don't want my words to put anyone off. <BR/><BR/>Give a copy to every one you care about!<BR/>A truly, wonderful book.Jackiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07710835551403109937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3956347903662622130.post-50103926874518634482007-09-18T15:05:00.000+01:002007-09-18T15:05:00.000+01:00I feel I need to write about this book – it is jus...I feel I need to write about this book – it is just so heartbreakingly good. <BR/>I wish I'd been able to read this book earlier on in life. Of course it's about love and life and therefore about how we cope with death – and that is just it – I feel more able to cope with those things now that I've read it. Like I understand something better now. Maybe there are other books that would do the same but Before I Die has done it for me in its tender, urgent lust for life, in this extraordinary girl Tessa. It is a life-shaping book and Jenny Downham should be tremendously proud of her creation.<BR/>I am very grateful for having been given the chance to be able to read this book.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3956347903662622130.post-22306391347353847032007-07-05T14:14:00.000+01:002007-07-05T14:14:00.000+01:00Yes, it is a very good book. The subject is intere...Yes, it is a very good book. The subject is interesting, and the way it is handled gets better through the book. However, a couple of largish details that felt inaccurate took away some of my enjoyment, if that's the word for something that makes you cry.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3956347903662622130.post-46240626153514651602007-05-24T10:15:00.000+01:002007-05-24T10:15:00.000+01:00Touching and inspiring, this is beautifully writt...Touching and inspiring, this is beautifully written and captivating. I could not put it down and although i knew she would die I still wanted to read more and find out how she went on living. I was not moved to tears but had many a lump in my throat. I can't wait for Jenny Downhams next novel, she is ever so gifted.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com