Teen Angst 101

I'm back from Italy and man it rocked. Of course some moments were better than others. Who knew Italy was so friggin hot in the summer? Holy oppressive heat Batman! Or that 5 minute walks are really 20 minutes long? Still the scenery was amazing and the artwork breathtaking.

For my first post back I decided to review By the time you read this I'll be dead.

Daelyn Rice's life sucks. She's tried suicide a few times, and has failed. One was so extreme I was like what...seriously? Who tries that? Things aren't going well for her so one day when she logs onto her computer she finds a website that is dedicated to people who want to kill themselves. They talk about their crappy lives, and how they want to end it. There is also a how to guide on how to conduct suicide, which is the least painful method and which one is the most accurate.

One day while in the park Daelyn meets Santana, a young man with his own demons. She wants nothing to do with the annoying teen, but as time goes by she realizes he's not as bad as she first thought.

I liked this book a lot more than 13 Reasons Why. The main character in this book seemed a lot more real and a lot more desperate. Unlike the main character in 13 Reasons Daelyn has legitimate reasons to off herself. She wasn't put on a hot butt list. She had to deal with bullying and molestation.

The book doesn't hold any punches. Its a frank and sometimes scary view of those who think about suicide. And while I loved the book I do take issue with Daelyn and Santana's relationship. I didn't buy the author's message(but I won't give it away). The ending may have some students annoyed. I know I was a bit put off by it.

Still, I think this is a great novel. I highly recommend it. And for students looking for another teen suicide book then they should give this one a go.