�Before I Die� is Jenny Downham�s first published novel. She worked as an actress before becoming a writer, and there�s a sense she brings acting skills to the task of bringing her central character to life. It�s the voice, first person present tense, that grabs your attention. Tessa is far from perfect: she can be rude to those around her and rejects attempts to get close to her. She can be angry and stubborn and but also loyal (to best friend Zoe especially) and heartbreakingly vulnerable. Just like a real teenager, in fact � and one with a distinct time limit. Downham�s writing is not as plain as it first appears � look closer, and you�ll tap a strong vein of symbolism referring to death, birth and the cycles of life. But importantly we�re with Tessa to the very end � and Downham takes us up to the final moment.

This is a young-adult novel, but one clearly intended by its publishers to cross over to the growing adult market for the best teenage fiction. Due to some of its content, especially relating to sex and drug-taking, it�s not recommended for readers under the ages of twelve or thirteen. Yet parents should not worry. The first item on Tessa�s list, sex, is taken care with by a trip to a nightclub where she and Zoe pick up two boys. Tessa�s first time is distinctly underwhelming � and Zoe becomes pregnant as a result of her encounter � but Tessa later finds that sex in a loving relationship is far more satisfying. It�s just a tragedy that the time she has been given is so short.

While this is going on, Tessa�s father tries everything to save his daughter, and Tessa helps to engineer the reunion of her estranged parents. You wonder for how long they will stay together, a question that is somewhat glossed over: this is the only part of the novel where Downham borders on sentimentality. For the most part, she ably avoids the usual pitfalls: the terminal diagnosis and everyone�s reactions to it are over and done with before the novel starts and the characters are already dealing with it, at least on the surface. However, �Before I Die� is still a deeply moving novel. Be prepared to be in a fragile emotional state for days after reading it.