BEFORE I DIE (JENNY DOWNHAM)

Sixteen-year-old Tessa has been diagnosed with cancer and it's terminal - she IS going to die. Tessa decides to make a list of all the things that she wants to experience and do before her final day comes and first on her list is...sex!

As the story proceeds, Tessa continues to work off her list one by one interspersed with visits to doctor's offices, hospital stays for transfusions and other medical procedures. Keeping true to her list is her main priority.

Her younger brother Cal can be a pain in the rear end, but deep down he loves his sister, and Zoey, Tessa's zany friend is a weird one for sure. Unfortunately, her parents are divorced but Tessa lives with her Dad who attends all her appointments with her and holds her hand during yet another lumbar puncture, a very painful procedure. Her mother is somewhat distant and Tessa doesn't ever remember her mother telling her that she loves her.

In the mix she finds a love truer than she ever thought possible but at the same times realizes that it's not always easy getting what you want and that what you want isn't always what you need.

By the end of the book I was literally bawling my eyes out. Her death was written beautifully but I was so emotionally involved in the story that I felt I was standing by the side of all the family members as she took her last breath.

The book was uplifting and not written at all in a sad, cold, detached way that many novels about death are written, but it was rather life-affirming and happy if that's possible to believe. As with any death, it is painful, but that of a child or a teenager is even more so.

Great read!!

February 4, 2011

THE SPARE ROOM (HELEN GARNER)

"The Spare Room" is a short novel at only 195 pages about a woman named Helen whose old friend Nicola, is dying from cancer and comes to stay with her for 3 weeks so she can attend an alternative therapy clinic. Helen is excited about her friend coming to stay and does what she can to make sure she feels welcome by readying her spare room for her with a lovely rug, curtains, nice bedding and a few other touches.

Helen decides she is going to be supportive, encouraging and nurturing during Nicola's time with her but soon finds these feelings difficult to express when conflict appears in their opinions regarding this alternative therapy. Helen feels the people at the clinic are a bunch of quacks that are taking advantage of Nicola and sucking every last dime out of her in hefty payments for these treatments. Helen becomes more and more uncomfortable with the treatments that Nicloa is getting because they make her terribly, terribly ill to the point the woman can't even stand up and shakes so violently you'd think there was an earthquake occuring! Nicola, on the other hand, is hanging onto hope and desperately trying to avoid self-pitying herself and disregards Helen's caretaking.

You'll feel both sympathy yet understanding on Helen and Nicola's parts and although this book is fiction, it does read like real life and not a word is wasted here. It makes you stop to think about alternative therapy as being a choice in fighting cancer, but at the same time, reminds you to be "careful" and research any treatment options you do choose, well.

Excellent novel that is quick but sad, in a good way!

January 19, 2011