Inver Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 (edited) Novel for young teenagers. Tess is 16 and has leukemia and is going to die. The outcome of this book in inevitable, but it is the journey Tess takes you on that keeps you reading until the bitter end. She makes a list of 10 things she wants to do before it happens. It is not the usual things you would think would be on this list, eg. taking drugs, driving a car, breaking the law. She wants to experience things she may well not achieve until she is older, but time is running out. The characters were very down to earth and real. Her friend Zoey helps her along the way, but could lead her astray. Her dad, younger brother Cal and Adam (her new boyfriend) all become important characters. I so wanted to cuddle Cal and tell him everything would be alright. You really did feel for what Tess was/had to go through and how it was affecting those nearsest and dearest. I thought from Chapter 37 onwards she really had to come to terms with her condition and knew she couldn't get better. She writes each of them instructions, which are lovely written. This is a well written honest account of what could happen to a young person when faced with a huge real life situation. Highly recommended but tissues required. A book you definitely need tissues for. Very descriptive towards the end, but spot on (speaking from experience of losing a loved one). Heart wrenching ending and have tissues at the ready. I cried as the ending was so well written and appreciated how those that surrounded Tess at the end felt (been there with my mum). Edited June 13, 2008 by Inver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inver Posted June 13, 2008 Author Share Posted June 13, 2008 Not sure the spoiler was necessary as the clue is in the title... This is definitely the book that made me cry the most. In fact there have probably only been about five books in my entire reading life that have made me cry. I was in floods at this. I could see it coming, I knew it, but...damn. prospero's got a heart after all. I am so glad I bought this book when it first came out, before all the hype started. I was able to read it without any prejudice and boy, was it worth it. I wish I'd written it. Have taken the spoiler thingy off..suppose I don't need it but was fun working out how to use if...lol. Love the avatar by the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louiseog Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 Not sure the spoiler was necessary as the clue is in the title... This is definitely the book that made me cry the most. In fact there have probably only been about five books in my entire reading life that have made me cry. I was in floods at this. I could see it coming, I knew it, but...damn. prospero's got a heart after all. I am so glad I bought this book when it first came out, before all the hype started. I was able to read it without any prejudice and boy, was it worth it. I wish I'd written it. I loved it too, and really made me cry as well, proper sobbing but in a strange way it was uplifting, never made me feel depressed just very sad. I had sore eyes the next day and I have a lump in my throat now When her little brother gave her permission to go I was inconsolable! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laramie Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Added to TBR...sounds great or should that be Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Heartbreaking but uplifting, in a way. Very difficult to pull off. In fact I might add this to my 'favourite books' list. Not many make it onto that, you know - maybe one a year. Two would be miraculous. 'Tis exclusive, that list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiger Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 I must keep an eye out for this one- it sounds really good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x-ZOMGSBBZ-x Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 (edited) I just finished reading this book. I loved it, even though I didn't really like the main character. I find it hard to put myself in situations like that, so I found her quite selfish. but I did enjoy it and gave it to my mum to read as well. Edited January 7, 2009 by Kell Took out capitalisation on every word. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookBee8 Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 I thought about buying this but changed my mind at the last minute. I can't remember why. Would you say its definitely worth buying? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inver Posted January 7, 2009 Author Share Posted January 7, 2009 It was worth reading, but see if you can maybe get it in a 3 for 2 offer somewhere if you are keen, or maybe a charity shop if you don't want to pay full price for it..or amazon or play.com and save on postage etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookBee8 Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 It was worth reading, but see if you can maybe get it in a 3 for 2 offer somewhere if you are keen, or maybe a charity shop if you don't want to pay full price for it..or amazon or play.com and save on postage etc Thanks. I'll check it out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loopyloo100 Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 I've just finished reading this one. I'd say it's worth reading - a sad tale, but well told; I wouldn't say I loved it, but it was a good read. I found it in the charity shop for a pound and it was a lovely hardback copy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bee. Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 I was recommended this book months ago when buying Eclipse in waterstones. i mentioned how the Twilight books were the first to ever make me cry and she must have thought i liked crying or something:lol:i still havent bought it though, im put off by reading anything sad. would it really be worth a read? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 I read this recently and enjoyed it, whilst it is sad, it's not the primary aspect of the book, I thought it was only overly sad at the end, hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 I read this at last, over the last two days. I'm not sure what I make of it really - it's very well written in parts - the structuring, some of the phrases and particularly the way in which the ending is done are all superb, and hint at definate talent on the author's part. There's one major flaw though - I didn't give a damn about any of the characters. Not a single one. That's a pretty major flaw in a book about a dying girl. Glad I read it, probably wouldn't read it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polly Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 I didn't cry at this book though I've never experienced anything similar to this so it may be why I didn't feel a connection with it. I didn't like it :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 I really don't think that's why you didn't feel a connection - the author could have written us a character we could relate to in every normal way, but she didn't. She just didn't give us anything to make a connection with, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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