Before I Die by Jenny Downham
Plot and Synopsis Tessa is diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Despite four years of chemotherapy, she has discovered that her cancer is terminal and her doctors give her a short time to live. Tessa, with the help of her best friend Zoey, comes up with a list of things she wants to do before she […]
Jenny Downham: ‘I hope readers will be less afraid of dementia after reading Unbecoming’
The latest book from the bestselling author of Before I Die is a dense web of ‘unbecomings’, a story exploring the societal, familial and self-imposed limits placed on girls and young women, and the experience of living with dementia. Here she explains why she chose the title – what it means to lose yourself, and find yourself
Interview: Jenny Downham, Author of Furious Things – FFBC Tours
After a spotlight a few days ago, I’m excited to host this Q&A with the author of Furious Thing. Jenny Downham answers a few questions in today’s post about her writing and her newly released YA Contemporary novel. This book is published by David Fickling Books and this Q&A is part of her Blog Tour hosted by FFBC Tour. […]
Furious Thing Review
Alexandra has always been told that her anger is her biggest problem when really, it might be her greatest gift. Fifteen-year-old Alexandra is furious all the time. Everyone notices when she’s mad at her mother’s fiance, John, who makes everyone in her family miserable. But most of all, she’s mad at herself and her inability […]
You don’t need imaginary worlds for Jenny Downham’s edge-of-the-seat thriller Unbecoming [Review]
Novels don’t have to be set in made-up worlds to be exciting. In Unbecoming, award-winning novelist Jenny Downham has given herself the luxury of more than 400 pages to build up this gripping tale of family discord and drama, and not once does she lose focus, let down her three central characters, or bore the reader. […]
Unbecoming by Jenny Downham review – a family mystery
Three generations of women confront difficult situations in this rich, complex and thoughtful novel In this long, thoughtful novel, Jenny Downham presents the archetypal trio of maiden, mother and crone in a very modern situation. Before the book begins, Katie, the teenage heroine, has impulsively kissed her best friend, Esme. Now she faces difficult questions […]
How Mum’s dementia changed our relationship
My mother opened her front door a crack and peered at me suspiciously. “What?” she asked. “Entertainment’s arrived,” I said, smiling. Her mistrust turned to delight. “A sing-song?” She chivvied me in. “No one told me you were coming.” She had been told. Many times. But vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease had recently robbed her of the ability to retain […]
Jenny Downham: ‘my own mother had Alzheimer’s and died while I was writing Unbecoming’
As a child what were your favourite books and which authors inspired you? What about now? As a young reader I devoured poetry, folk and fairy tales (Grimm, Andersen), and stories from the Arabian Nights and Ancient Greece. I loved Ann Holm (I Am David) and Robert C O’Brien (Z for Zachariah) – my first […]
Before I Die by Jenny Downham – Review
‘If you’re planning on reading this book, make sure you have a box of tissues with you, because, trust me, you will need them’ Before I Die is about Tessa Walker, a sixteen year old girl who’s dying from leukaemia. She’s made up a list – ten things she wants to do before she dies. […]
Divided by Date Rape – You Against Me NY Times Review
In the classic star-crossed romance, a crime forces a choice between youthful passion and family loyalty. For Romeo and Juliet, it’s the murder of Mercutio; for Tony and Maria, it’s the knife fight between Sharks and Jets. This is how tentative adolescent love turns into high drama. Parents don’t object to boyfriends or girlfriends for […]