Reviews

By the Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters

cnord's review

3.0

A four star book with a two star ending.

kofolapumpkin's review

5.0

I'm not sure what to write. I just know I can't give it less than 5 stars. This book is a real downer but reading it was also a very emotional and interesting experience. Everybody who's had to deal with bullying will be able to relate to Daelyn to some degree. I'm glad this book is fairly short because it's a very difficult read content-wise. Still, I think sometimes we have to be confronted with those kind of things. It might provide some insight to some people.

heathercottledillon's review

2.0

I really didn’t care for this book at all. Like "Thirteen Reasons Why," I felt like the narrator was whiny and overdramatic. I don’t mean to take suicide and depression lightly, but Daelyn’s voice didn’t ring true to me as someone suffering from true depression. Yes, she did have some terrible things happen to her. And I do admit that, hopefully, kids will read something like this and realize that the way they treat other people has consequences. Still, I just didn’t buy it. Daelyn’s parents obviously cared about her, but she seemed to think no one in the world would mind if she died. Perhaps she truly was clinically depressed, but if that’s the case, there should have been more indication of those kind of feelings as opposed to fixation in specific incidents. I found it difficult to like Daelyn because she seemed to think only of herself—for instance, when she finds out that another character has cancer, her first thought is that he’s lucky because he’ll die soon. Granted, the things she’s been through are responsible for some of that kind of thinking, but nevertheless it was hard for me to care about the character when I only knew her as that kind of person. And when I don’t care about the characters, I don’t care much for the book.

reader4evr's review

1.0

I can honestly say that I have never gave a book 1 star but this book was a super let down. I originally wanted to read this because I heard if you liked 13 reasons why, you would like this. I honestly almost stopped reading this book twice because I was bored and I just didn't care.

I understand bullying is very traumatizing for some people and I felt bad for Daelyn with what happened with her and how she thought killing herself was the only answer but gosh she was just so depressing. On the other hand, I really liked Santana. He had gone through some really crappy stuff in his life but man his outlook on life was so much better and I thought to myself that it is good that he came into Daelyn's life.

Would I recommend this book, I'm not sure...

I was intrigued by the website and I actually went to it but it was just a summary of the book and places that people can go to get help.

jmstarr018's review against another edition

2.0

I read this author a lot back in high school and all of her books I liked. The serious issues were interesting to me, but this book just sucked in comparison. I mean, subject was interesting, the writing was good, but the story just fell flat overall. It was more of a book meant to teach something to the reader and the character didn't really grow at all. She had a few breakthroughs, but overall, nothing.

bkil4's review

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

lilacwine17's review against another edition

4.0

Like what kind of ending was that?! Seriously! So frustrating. I want to know what happens without being left hanging. No pun intended. But did she die or did she decide to go on the date? Ugh...

readerisha_'s review

3.0

**very controversial topic: suicide & self harm

it was heartbreaking. and all I can really say is the WORLD really sucks and people sometimes can be so evil.

gatoraly's review against another edition

1.0

Honestly this book was way to depressing to give it more than one star. It was well written and I liked Santana but everything else in it was to sad. Unfortunately its all too true and that stuff does happen everyday. I really feel terrible for the girl. People are reaching out to her so I was hoping she wouldnt go through it, but at the end when it said she was headed into the light it led me to believe she did kill herself. Now I need to go read a happy book to get all that sadness out of my mind.

abaugher's review

4.0

Like a series of gut punches, this story will take your breath away. Daelyn is determined to "complete" her suicide this time. This is not the first or second time she'll try it. Only this time, she's got the assistance of a website for "completers". And nobody, not her parents or a friendly girl at school or Santana, one very interesting homeschooled guy, is going to stop her. She is going through the light, leaving all the pain behind. And there's been a LOT of it.

So, how might her goal be derailed if, say, Santana cracks her shell? If she starts to feel something again? If she cares about someone? She can't let that happen.

FYI-If a person is contemplating suicide, they might like this book. Or not. If a person is not contemplating, they might like this book. or not. It is not a "manual" even if a person already has the intention. The ideas and bits of information Daelyn gets from the website are all products of her own thought processes.

What the reader might really get is how MESSED UP bullying is, and more people need to take a stand and put an end to it. If you see someone being bullied, and you aren't afraid to speak up (or even if you are), speak up! This books says enough is enough!