Review: By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead

Title: By the Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead
Author: Julie Anne Peters
ISBN/Publisher: 978-14231618-9/Hyperion (part of Disney Book Group)
Age Group/Genre: Young Adult

Daelyn's in high school and she wants to die. And she's had suicidal thoughts since she was ten years old. She has always been the fat kid that was bullied by all the people around her. And to make it worse, her parents don't seem to understand. Right now, she is no longer fat (but she still feels fat) because of her last attempt at suicide. The last try left her in a neck brace and unable to talk. Oh, she also has to blend up her food so she can "eat".

This time, Daelyn wants to end her life right. She doesn't want to have another failed attempt. She happens to find a website called Through the Light. Here she picks the date that will be her last day on Earth and spends her time writing on the message boards about all the bullying she has endured.

Daelyn spends her last few weeks on Earth planning her distancing from classes and parents. But then she meets this boy that is persistent on hanging out with her. He just sits on the bench when she gets out of school. Daelyn wants to avoid Santana, but at the same time is curious about him. And boy is this wrong timing for her since her last day is almost planned out or is it good timing?

Will Daelyn follow the light???

Wow, this book was a good read. I'll admit, there were times when it was hard to read, but never the less, a good book. Daelyn is so deeply hurt and possibly damaged that I didn't know what to expect in the end for her. I wanted so bad for Santana to be the person that saves her because as much as I wanted the parents to wake up and realize their daughter is drowning, they seemed like the total clueless parental figures.

I definitely recommend this book to the mature young adults in high school and college. I would love for the high school students to read this because of the subject dealing with school bullies. These days, bullying is becoming more common because of the usage of the Internet and cell phones. Rumors and mean acts are more easily spread and this book really shows the affects that it has on the person receiving the bullying. I believe parents, teachers, and counselors should take interest in this book and discuss it with their students when they see one reading it. This book can lead to many informative discussions and can possibly help those victims of bullies and teach everyone to not tolerate bullying.

My Rating

(This book was bought from a store called FullyBooked).

***Now go and grab your fave cup of tea or because it's Deb Caletti's month, grab her fave: coffee (or whatever beverage you prefer) and HAPPY readings***