I have read some great reviews about this book. I have read several books about suicide in teens and multiple young adult books about teens who were dealing with suicide. I find it a fascinating element of human nature that someone views life as so unworthy that the best way to get out of their element is to kill themselves in a physical sense. I don’t know why I am so fond of this book idea, but if you check out the books I have read(LibraryThing) you will see about every YA suicide book worth reading. So, when I read about this book I just had to read it.
Did I like the book? Yes, I enjoyed this book because it was different from the rest. The main character is a girl named Daelyn who is attempting to finally herself successfully. She has tried in the past and has failed. She does not speak. She will not talk to anyone after her last failed attempt. She joins a website that gives her advice on how to kill herself as well as a place to speak with others. She can also find out when others were successful in suicide. This part scares me because I feel that this is real. There are probably many places on the internet that offer these services. The website makes you wait 23 days so her countdown begins. As each day goes by we learn more and more about Daelyn. This part I really liked because her life story was not drastic nor what is so far fetched. It was real. It dealt with issues that every teenager faces. It bothers me to know that someone would take those factors to use as a way to escape life. As a teacher I have seen teasing and bullying. It is a part of growing up that will never go away no matter how much we punish, teach, preach, discuss about the topic. This book really made me realize that we should do more with teaching the youth about how to love themselves for who they are, being comfortable in their own skin, and how to deal with these issues. I know this has been mentioned several times before me on different blogs, websites, and reviews, but this book is to the topic of suicide as Wintergirls was to eating disorders. That was my first thought when I finished the book.
Do I recomend? Absolutely. Check this book out. Read about Daelyn. Reflect on your life and what you can do differently with either the treatment of others or yourself. The guiding questions and resources at the end of the book are very thought provoking as well.
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