Now is Good (Also published as Before I Die)

‘I love you,’ he whispers angrily into my neck. ‘It hurts more than anything ever has, but I do. So don’t you dare tell me I don’t. Don’t you ever say it again!’

“I love you. I love you. I send this message through my fingers and into his, up his arm and into his heart. Hear me. I love you. And I'm sorry to leave you.”

“I want to die in my own way. It's my illness, my death, my choice. This is what saying yes means.”

“when I was four I almost fell down the shaft of a tin mine and w

“I love you. I love you. I send this message through my fingers and into his, up his arm and into his heart. Hear me. I love you. And I'm sorry to leave you.”

“I want to die in my own way. It's my illness, my death, my choice. This is what saying yes means.”

“when I was four I almost fell down the shaft of a tin mine and when I was five the car rolled over on the motorway and when I was seven we went on holiday and the gas ring blew out in the caravan and nobody noticed

I've been dying all my life”

“It's utterly beautiful not to know my own edges.”

“She'll understand what I already know - that death surrounds us all. And it tastes like metal between your teeth.”

“I want the people I love to get up and speak about me, and even if you cry it'll be OK. I want you to say honest things.”

“There's a terrible stillness. I notice a small tear in the wallpaper above her shoulder. I notice finger marks grimed on the light switch. Somewhere down in the house, a door opens and shuts. As Zoey turns to face me, I realize that life is made up of a series of moments, each one a journey to the end.”

“Cal says that humans are made from the nuclear ash of dead stars. He says that when I die, I'll return to dust, glitter,rain. If thats true, I want to be buried right here under this tree. Its roots will reach into the soft mess of my body and suck me dry. I'll be re-formed as apple blossom. I'll drift down in the spring like confetti and cling to my family's shoes. They'll carry me in their pockets to help them sleep. What dreams will they have then?”

“All I know is that I have two choices – stay wrapped in blankets and get on with dying, or get the list back together and get on with living.”

“We said we'd be friends.'
He looks confused. 'Yeah.'
I don't want to be.'
There's space between us, and in that space there's darkness. I take another step, so close that we share a breath. The same one. In and out.
Tess,' he says. I know it's a warning, but I don't care.
What's the worst thing that can happen?'
It'll hurt,' he says.
It already hurts.'

“I wish I had a boyfriend. I wish he lived in the wardrobe on a coat hanger. Whenever I wanted, I could get him out and he'd look at me the way boys do in films, as if I'm beautiful.”

I don't want to be dead.
I haven't been loved like this way for long enough.

Tessa only has a few months left to live. She’s tired of the constant hospital visits, tests, and drugs that seem to do more harm to her body than good; she decides to make a list. The list is a list of things to do before she dies. She calls it “To Do Before I Die”. The first thing she wants is sex. So her best friend Zoey takes her out. As Tessa starts to complete new things on the list she starts to feel alive again. As Tessa makes a new relationship with h

Tessa only has a few months left to live. She’s tired of the constant hospital visits, tests, and drugs that seem to do more harm to her body than good; she decides to make a list. The list is a list of things to do before she dies. She calls it “To Do Before I Die”. The first thing she wants is sex. So her best friend Zoey takes her out. As Tessa starts to complete new things on the list she starts to feel alive again. As Tessa makes a new relationship with her neighbor she wonders what will happen when she’s gone. Before I Die is a book I will never forget. Ever. This book will always be with me. Tessa’s story was real, sad, touching, and utterly depressing. I knew what would happen, we all did, but when you read from Tessa’s POV you want her to live and survive and be with Adam.

The main female character is Tessa. Tessa is one of the most compelling teens I’ve come across in YA. It’s hard to read about someone experiencing what she is, but I somehow managed to read it all in one sitting.

The main male character is Adam. I loved Adam. He was simple and sweet. Just what Tessa needed and I feel for Adam. I remember when I finished reading this I thought to myself immediately, “What happens to Adam?” Does he find happiness, love, his dreams, where does he go now that Tessa has died? I want to know about what happens to him after his love with Tessa. I think it would be amazing. I don’t need a love story I feel like I need to know he has had closure.

The Villain- *sighs* Do you really need me to tell you when it’s obvious from the summary what she has? If you didn’t figure it out which I could understand if you didn’t if it hadn’t been for my cover I wouldn’t have realized it either. (view spoiler)[It’s cancer. (hide spoiler)]

Zoey, Tessa’s friend, had moments when their friendship felt fake and flat. I didn’t like her very much for a while, but towards the end she grew on me and I want to know about her life as (view spoiler)[teenage mom. (hide spoiler)]I loved her family. They weren’t the most functional family, but they were there for her. At least her dad and brother were.

This isn’t my best review or most thought out. I’m not really sure how to compile all the reasons I loved this book. I read it when I was in the seventh grade and it’s still fresh in my mind. It also probably doesn’t help that I’m listening to Alesana and I’m distracted, but that’s a whole other story. I loved this story. If anyone asked me what my favorite book is that opened my eyes and made me think about life and death and other things, it would be this book. I suggest a box of Kleenex when you read this because I cried rivers of tears. I will always feel connected to these characters and one day I’ll want my kids to read this book. Let’s face it I can’t do this book justice. I don’t think anyone can. You have to read it yourself to understand it.

P.S. Did you know there’s a British movie starring Dakota Fanning based on this book called Now Is Good? I didn’t know until today. I might watch it one day.

Cover Thoughts: This book has several covers. I had this one:

I feel like this one speaks to people. It’s not my favorite of the covers my favorite is this one:

But I loved my cover even if it’s not the most beautiful because it’s real and true the book. That’s what makes a good cover.