Sixteen-year-old Tessa Scott has lived with leukemia for four years and has decided to stop her medical treatments. Aware that she has only months to live, she creates a list of ten experiences she wants to complete before her death. This list includes specific goals such as losing her virginity, breaking the law, and trying drugs. As her physical strength declines, the narrative tracks her shifting focus from these rebellious acts toward her deepening relationships with her father, her younger brother, and a new romantic interest named Adam.
This story is for young adult readers who prefer realistic fiction about terminal illness and the practical realities of dying. Those who read it gain a blunt perspective on how a teenager grapples with the loss of a future and the frustration of bodily decay. They see a protagonist who is often angry or selfish rather than saintly. By the end, a reader understands the tension between a dying person's desire for independence and their inevitable reliance on family caregivers.
Inward-looking; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Empathetic Explorer. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2007
- Language
- EN
