Before I Go/Colleen Oakley/312 pages

At twenty-seven, Daisy Richmond is a breast cancer survivor. She has undergone a lumpectomy, radiation and chemotherapy and came through with flying colors. But the day before her four-year "cancerversary", she receives devastating news: her cancer is back and it's spread to several other places, including her brain. With surgery to remove the tumor in her brain and the possibility of a clinical trial, she may have a little more than six months to live. Without those things, maybe four. Her most urgent concern is not of her own health or mortality, but that of her husband's future without her. First and foremost, he must graduate on time with his DVM and PhD. Second, her wonderfully intelligent but decidedly impractical husband will need a new wife to take care of him. So instead of concentrating on her own health and spending what time she has left with loved ones, Daisy goes on a hunt for Jack's new mate.


Written in a much lighter tone that the subject matter would suggest, this novel tends to skip over the physical aspects of cancer and spends much of the time in Daisy's head. Not overly sentimental, it's a decent first novel.

The Fault in Our Stars / John Green / 318 p.

I can certainly see why this book is such a hit with teens. John Green captures the teen voice very well and that makes this a better than average YA novel. When you add in the pathos of cancer, you have a very engaging novel. Hazel and Gus live constantly with the sword of death hanging over them and Hazel has had no expectation of romance before dying.  But Augustus Waters changes all of that.

The Fault In Our Stars/John Green/318 pgs.

This book has been given so much hype, that I was expecting to be disappointed--that didn't happen. The story revolves around Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters, both teenagers, and both living with cancer. In Hazel's case, the cancer is terminal, and the drugs and oxygen are buying her time. In Augustus's case, the cancer is, and has been, in remission about 14 months. They meet at a cancer support group, and the story takes off from there. The story is told in Hazel's voice, and is told in a very down to earth manner. The dialogue and emotions ring very true in the novel, and gives the reader a very realistic view of cancer patients. Highly recommended, and the movie is coming out this June.