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marie_reads16's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
mesy_mark's review against another edition
3.0
Daelyn is suicidal beyond all belief due to all the bullying she has undergone. Horrific stuff. Daelyn is at a new school after another failed attempt leaving her apparently mute and with a neck brace. She is ow sharing a bench with a boy Santana who waltzes into her life. But is he going to save her? Can there be anything that saves her from all of the terrible things that have gone through her life, a shy 15 years?
I liked it cause it delves into the mind a greatly depressed and suicidal teenager who can't see that stuff like bullying will end if she could just hold on. Bullying is a terrible thing. I underwent bullying throughout all my education. The exaggerations of this mind set is not nearly far off from someone at rock bottom. This is why I like the book.
I liked it cause it delves into the mind a greatly depressed and suicidal teenager who can't see that stuff like bullying will end if she could just hold on. Bullying is a terrible thing. I underwent bullying throughout all my education. The exaggerations of this mind set is not nearly far off from someone at rock bottom. This is why I like the book.
barbarianlibarian's review against another edition
4.0
I had a few issues with plot points but overall I liked it.
elliotalderson's review against another edition
4.0
Actual rating 4.5
Not a real ''review'' like book bloggers do, but it's something.
I'm not really sure what to say about this book. It was hard for me to read at times, but I never really wanted to put it down. Sometimes I had to, just to give myself time to clear my head.
Daelyn was a very real character, in my opinion. As was Santana. Both characters were different and had their own problems. They complimented each other well. I personally ADORED Santana and his ''relationship'' with Daelyn.
Tough subject matter, but definitely an awesome read.
Not a real ''review'' like book bloggers do, but it's something.
I'm not really sure what to say about this book. It was hard for me to read at times, but I never really wanted to put it down. Sometimes I had to, just to give myself time to clear my head.
Daelyn was a very real character, in my opinion. As was Santana. Both characters were different and had their own problems. They complimented each other well. I personally ADORED Santana and his ''relationship'' with Daelyn.
Tough subject matter, but definitely an awesome read.
akristinab's review against another edition
4.0
It's a pretty dark book to read. I think something I really love/hate about this book is that the ending it opened for interpretation.
willwork4airfare's review against another edition
1.0
By the Time You Read This, I’ll Be Dead is a book about a young teenage girl named Daelyn who wants to end her life. She’s tried a few times before and one of those attempts forced her to wear a neck brace to protect her esophagus and prevents her from speaking. The books takes place over the thirty days she counts down before she intends to commit suicide for the final time.
I don’t even feel comfortable reviewing this book because it’s really intense and personal and I’m sure a lot of people have really related to it over the years and many people feel the same way every day, but I really had a hard time finishing it.
Right away this book got really whiny really fast. At one point in her rants she complains that her parents care more about work than they do about her because they don’t have time to homeschool her. It’s possible that the author was going for the selfishness angle with suicide, so in that case, she’s got it down pretty well, but it was a real effort to read.
About halfway through I was going to just give up, but the leave the reason for the narrator’s throat injury a secret and while I was pretty sure I could guess, I really wanted to know for sure. And let me tell you, I’m really upset that I finished it because the ending is completely awful and I just wasted a few hours of my life.
I would never recommend this book to anyone. It’s morbid and whiny and relentless. The narrator never sticks up for herself and most of the main events are told through really short IM style memories. Just honestly awful.
I don’t even feel comfortable reviewing this book because it’s really intense and personal and I’m sure a lot of people have really related to it over the years and many people feel the same way every day, but I really had a hard time finishing it.
Right away this book got really whiny really fast. At one point in her rants she complains that her parents care more about work than they do about her because they don’t have time to homeschool her. It’s possible that the author was going for the selfishness angle with suicide, so in that case, she’s got it down pretty well, but it was a real effort to read.
About halfway through I was going to just give up, but the leave the reason for the narrator’s throat injury a secret and while I was pretty sure I could guess, I really wanted to know for sure. And let me tell you, I’m really upset that I finished it because the ending is completely awful and I just wasted a few hours of my life.
I would never recommend this book to anyone. It’s morbid and whiny and relentless. The narrator never sticks up for herself and most of the main events are told through really short IM style memories. Just honestly awful.
sausome's review against another edition
3.0
I knew this book would be heavy -- what can I say, I like psychologically screwed up characters -- and it was. Totally. Heavy. I mean, the title gives you an idea, but reading it was another thing altogether. It addresses bullying and what it can do to a kid (i.e. make them want to kill themselves). For Daelyn, the bullying was about her weight, but she cites other kids bullied for their sexual orientation, skinny-ness, dorky-ness, etc. Bottom line, kids are mean. MEAN. I think the point about bullying is that every person is different and reacts differently to different situations. One person being bullied about being fat might suffer in school, but get over it later on, etc., while another person might be unable to tolerate it, to the point of finding death a comfort (as in this book). The adults try to act like it's no big deal -- "don't let it get to you", "let it roll off", "sticks and stones", "just words" -- but they clearly don't get it.
I found the bits about the pro-suicide website pretty disturbing, as I'm sure was the point. The "how-to" bits in particular ... However, this book isn't going to present new ideas to anyone who has thought about suicide. You can easily look up ways to die on the internet, the rub comes with the "what if you don't succeed" bits, which are totally psychologist methods, I can tell you. They subtly scare you away and leave you searching for some magically pain-free, 100% guaranteed death. I think the author highlights this point by having Daelyn in this neck brace, sucking down meals through a straw (after they've been blended to a nasty pulp), unable to speak, due to a failed suicide attempt with toxic corrosive chemicals. Can you imagine?!
The end is open -- does she go through with it or not?
All in all, I liked the book -- not the best thing ever, but good enough. Also, Julie Anne Peters is pretty amazing.
I found the bits about the pro-suicide website pretty disturbing, as I'm sure was the point. The "how-to" bits in particular ... However, this book isn't going to present new ideas to anyone who has thought about suicide. You can easily look up ways to die on the internet, the rub comes with the "what if you don't succeed" bits, which are totally psychologist methods, I can tell you. They subtly scare you away and leave you searching for some magically pain-free, 100% guaranteed death. I think the author highlights this point by having Daelyn in this neck brace, sucking down meals through a straw (after they've been blended to a nasty pulp), unable to speak, due to a failed suicide attempt with toxic corrosive chemicals.
The end is open -- does she go through with it or not?
All in all, I liked the book -- not the best thing ever, but good enough. Also, Julie Anne Peters is pretty amazing.
kaitrosereads's review against another edition
3.0
I knew going into this that it was going to be a sad book but I had no clue it would be so depressing. I just can't get past how saw the book was and how honest it was. I think that's the real hard part.
Daelyn Rice feels that she has no reason to live. She has no friends, no confidence, nothing left to live for. When she finds throughthelight.com it just helps solidify her plan. All the people on the site are like her and she can finally tell someone about everything that has happened to her. She knows that once she gets everything out she will finally be ready to end her life. Then Santana comes along and changes everything.
I liked Santana way more than Daelyn. He so clearly loved life and had no problems with the fact that Daelyn wasn't a normal girl. He accepted her the way she was. Daelyn, on the other hand, didn't care about living. I hate to say it but she was kind of pitiful. She gave up. She even admits that she never bothered trying to defend herself. I know that she was bullied by everyone but she could have changed that if she tried.
By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead is depressing in it's honesty. Everything mentioned in those pages happens regularly. Bullying does lead to kids taking their own lives and sometimes all it takes is one person to stop them, one friend.
Overall, By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead was a good book but I can't get past Daelyn's weakness and the end of the book. Now don't think that because I say that I give away the ending because you will really never guess how it ends until you read it. I guess it just shocked me so much and I can't get past it. So yes if this looks like something you might like, give it a shot!
Daelyn Rice feels that she has no reason to live. She has no friends, no confidence, nothing left to live for. When she finds throughthelight.com it just helps solidify her plan. All the people on the site are like her and she can finally tell someone about everything that has happened to her. She knows that once she gets everything out she will finally be ready to end her life. Then Santana comes along and changes everything.
I liked Santana way more than Daelyn. He so clearly loved life and had no problems with the fact that Daelyn wasn't a normal girl. He accepted her the way she was. Daelyn, on the other hand, didn't care about living. I hate to say it but she was kind of pitiful. She gave up. She even admits that she never bothered trying to defend herself. I know that she was bullied by everyone but she could have changed that if she tried.
By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead is depressing in it's honesty. Everything mentioned in those pages happens regularly. Bullying does lead to kids taking their own lives and sometimes all it takes is one person to stop them, one friend.
Overall, By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead was a good book but I can't get past Daelyn's weakness and the end of the book. Now don't think that because I say that I give away the ending because you will really never guess how it ends until you read it. I guess it just shocked me so much and I can't get past it. So yes if this looks like something you might like, give it a shot!