Review: Now is Good

          

Title: Now Is Good (Before I Die)
Author: Jenny Downham

Series: None
Pages: 326

Publisher: David Fickling
Release Date: Released
Source: For Review
Rating: 4 stars
100 Book challenge: #73

Tessa has just months to live. Fighting back against hospital visits, endless tests, drugs with excruciating side-effects, Tessa compiles a list. It’s her To Do Before I Die list. And number one is Sex. Released from the constraints of ‘normal’ life, Tessa tastes new experiences to make her feel alive while her failing body struggles to keep up. Tessa’s feelings, her relationships with her father and brother, her estranged mother, her best friend, and her new boyfriend, all are painfully crystallised in the precious weeks before Tessa’s time finally runs out.

I read the formerly titled 'Before I Die' when it first came out in about 2007. I loved it then and I loved it now after rereading it. It is a hard read at times due to the subject matter but the writing flows so beautifully, pulling you in.

A lot of people say they cannot connect to Tessa nor understand some of her wishes that she wants to do before she dies. Whilst a lot of these wishes I personally wouldn't desire to complete, I fully understand the want to live before you die. It came across to me that Tessa wanted to live her life as fully as possible before leaving the world. No one wants to die not having left their mark. Some things she did were stupid and reckless and at times she could some across as angry, bitter and mean but it make me feel for her even more because someone who has had such a struggle with life must be so angry at the world.

I think it was Tessa's father that touched me so deeply. His unconditional love for his daughter and his pain not only watching her die but her trying complete the crazy things on her list. The hopelessness was agonizing and I just wanted to give him a hug.

There were a lot of aspects in the novel but the essence what about being thankful for the time we do have and enjoying it to the fullest. It was really touching and made me glad to be alive. Jenny Downham is a beautiful writer and has a way with words and I highly recommend this to fans of contemporary fiction.