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Before I Die
Before I Die is a young adult novel written by Jenny Downham in 2007, first published by David Fickling Books in 2007. The novel follows the shortly ending life of Tessa, from her perspective.

Plot Summary
Tessa was diagnosed with leukemia. Despite her four year devotion to chemotherapy she has discovered that her cancer is terminal and her doctors don't give her very long to live. Tessa with the help of her best friend Zoey comes up with a list of things she wants to do before she dies, including some risky behaviors that she deems necessary to have "lived". Tessa's dad is resistant to Tessa's behavior from the start but realizes he has little influence and can only enjoy the time they have left. Best friend Zoey is excited and supportive of the outrageous bucket list until an unplanned pregnancy test comes up positive. Tessa's parents are divorced and have very different views on her desire to experience the dangerous side of life before she passes. Her mother is loving and joking about the situation and seems supportive whereas her father is timid and just wants to spend time with his daughter. Her father's main mechanism for coping is denial. She mentions that he spends hours on the computer looking up possible treatments for her even after the doctors have told her that the cancer has consumed her body.Tessa's brother Cal is a brutally honest individual that has mixed feelings throughout the novel ranging from lack of care to jealousy to sadness. In the beginning of the novel Cal says to his sister "I'm gonna miss you' during a joking situation. One of Tessa's last wishes is to find love. Of which she thinks she has with her neighbor Adam. Adam is shy and his main priority is taking care of his sickly mother after their father passed away. The book, written in first person from Tessa's point of view, follows her last few months of life, explores her relationships with her loved ones, and her personal feelings about being trapped in a failing body. In the end of the novel Tessa does pass away.

Characters
Tessa Scott: 16 year old battling leukemia.

Cal Scott: Tessa's 11 year old younger brother who is stuck in the position of jealousy of her sisters attention and his sadness of her unavoidable death. Even in her last moments Cal makes jokes such as "Bye, Tess. Haunt me if you like. I don't mind."

Zoey: Tessa's best friend who in the beginning of the novel is her biggest advocate for living on the wild side, until she becomes pregnant. Tessa says to Zoey on occasion "Are you telling me to?", Zoey's answer is always "yes".

Adam: Tessa's boyfriend and neighbor who spends most of his time attending to his mother after the death of his father. Adam is there when Tessa takes her last breath.

Jake: The boy that Tessa met in the club and lost her virginity to.

Tessa's Father who is desperate to keep his daughter alive and has come to realize that he does not have a say in her actions and can only hope that she will come to her senses.

Tessa's Mother who divorced from Tessa's father before Tessa was diagnosed. She has not been present in her treatments and is loving but not involved in her life at a deep level.

Controversy
In her last months alive Tessa participates in illegal activities and activities that are discouraged for young adults. The novel alternates in painting these activities in a positive and negative light. Also during these questionable situations Downham goes into great detail of everything that is occurring specifically the sex scenes. The main controversy surrounding the novel is the age at which it is targeted and the appropriateness of the material for that age group.

Awards/Nominations
Before I Die was listed for the 2007 Guardian Awards and the 2008 Lancashire Children's Book of the Year. It was nominated for the 2008 Carnegie Medal in Literature and the 2008 Booktrust Teenage Prize. Before I Die won the 2008 Branford Boase Award.

Film adaptation
The novel 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. The film stars Dakota Fanning as Tessa. Filming began on location in London and Brighton in July 2011.