Before I Die (2007) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

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Summary edit see section history

Characters/People edit see section history

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• Tessa Scott: Central character of the book. Tessa has a form of leukemia and is dying. She has created a list of things she wants to do before her time comes and is working with the help of friends to check them off one by one...even if it gets her in trouble.
• Cal Scott: Tessa's younger brother. Cal looks up to his sister and worries about her health. He looks to her for guidance at times, but also withdraws from many situations.
• Mr. Scott: Tessa's father. He is a worrier who thinks Tessa is on a self-destructive path. He has turned to natural remedies when modern medicine fails to cure his beloved daughter.
• Zoey Walker: Tessa's best friend. She helps Tessa work her way through the list...
• Jake: Zoey enlists this character to help Tessa achieve one of her first goal.
• Zoey Walker: Tessa's Best friend.
• Scott Redmond: Jake's friend.
• Ms. Scott: Tessa's mother who abandoned the family. She spent several years roaming Europe--only to come rushing back when Tessa is diagnosed with cancer. She tries to support her daughter any way she can, but isn't always a model parent.
• Adam: Tessa's next door neighbor.
• Tessa's Mom: Divorced from Tessa's father and is not really in the picture all that often, except for some really good memories that Tessa has of her at the beach
• Tessa's Dad: Raising Tessa and he is her rock. He tires not to talk to much about her illness as he get too upset but at the same time it is difficult to ignore.
• Sally: Adam's mother. Struggling to recover from the death of her husband.
• Richard Green: Tessa's father
• Lauren Tessa Walker: A baby.
• Philippa: Tessa's nurse. She's married to a man named Andy and Tessa is one of her favorite patients.
• Fiona: Add a description of this character.
• Shirley
• Sian
• Beth
• James Wilson
• Dr Ryan: One of Tessa's various doctors
• Karyn
• Mikey McKenzie
• Tom Parker
• Ellie Parker
• Andy: Philippa's husband (Tessa never meets him)

Quotes edit see section history

• “Other people can't always give you what you want.”

  Tessa's Mom

Setting & Locations edit see section history

• England

First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

• Illness and Death: Describe this theme.
• Living Live to Its Fullest
• Finding Love

Errata edit see section history

This is written in England, so it is unusual for us of the American English language. Towards the end, there are parts that don't have capitalized letter or ending period but that is how it was meant to be.

Series & Lists edit see section history

List the series to which this book belongs.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Jenny Downham (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Awards edit see section history

• Guardian Award (Finalist, 2008, Longlisted)
• Lancashire Children's Book of the Year (Shortlisted Books)
• Branford Boase Award (2008)
• Booktrust Teenage Prize (2008: Longlisted Books)
• ALA Best Book for Young Adults (2008, #9)

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Add a note to help parents select a book for a child.

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Children's Books › People & Places › Social Issues › Death & Dying › Fiction
• Books › Children's Books › Literature
• Books › Teens › Social Issues

Movie Connections edit see section history

• Now Is Good (IMDb): Before I Die has been adapted into a film entitled Now Is Good by the production company Blueprint Pictures, in association with BBC Films and the UK Film Council.

More Books Like This edit see section history