SuitabookBefore I Die
Jenny Downham
- Reading
- Consider checking in as you read, especially around illness, treatment and death. You could agree to pause or discuss a difficult passage, while letting the reader decide how much they want to say.
- Themes
- Facing death and illness: Tessa is terminally ill, undergoes hospital visits and treatment, and makes a list of things to do before she dies. The premise foregrounds the challenge of living with a failing body and limited time, but does not establish a broader message about illness or death.
- Relationships and intimacy: The book addresses relationships and intimacy; the detail of how it is developed remains unclear. These relationships and questions of intimacy are part of Tessa’s story; whether they are presented approvingly, critically or otherwise is unclear.
- Worth knowing
- The premise includes impending death, illness, hospital visits and treatment with excruciating side-effects. Sex is explicitly named as the first item on Tessa’s list; the detail of how it is handled is unclear.