This book review is written by one of my grade 7 students. The writer has written a clear introduction, which includes a synopsis that does not reveal the ending. He successfully focuses on various parts of the story, such as plot, suspense, characterization, and the writing style, before finally specifying the type of readers who might enjoy reading the book.
I Want to Live
Have you ever wondered how the life of a person with cancer is like? If so, the book I Want to Live, by Lurlene McDaniel, is just the match for you. I Want to Live is about a girl named Dawn Rochelle, who has cancer and is trying to make the most out of what she sadly thinks is the last year of her life. Since she has cancer, she needs checkups, and for her fourteenth birthday, her brother goes with her to her checkup. When Dawn receives the results, things start to get out of hand. I personally think that this book is extremely sad and happy at the same time. As a result, I liked this book.
My favorite parts of the book were either funny or sorrowful. For instance, the part where Dawn and Michael prank Dr. Ben got me cracking up. Another one of my favourite parts is when Dawn and Rob talk right before everything gets out of order.
Even though the book is generally good, there are some parts that I disliked. For instance, the book mentions Dawn’s best friend, Sandy, who has passed away, but it never mentions the activities Dawn and Sandy did together when Sandy was still alive. Also, I believe the book could have stated more details about the prank that was played on Dr. Ben. When I was reading the section of setting up the pranks, I had no idea what was going to come up, and when the prank got pulled, it was completely different than I expected.
The writing style and techniques that are used in the book are very professional. For one, the author uses a lot of details to set the situation for Dawn. If it weren’t for the details, I would not have known what the situation for Dawn is. Also, the characterization for Dawn is very clear. I can tell that Dawn does not want to die from the fact that she wants nothing else but to live. I can also tell that Dawn is very positive. Even though she is suffering from a disease, she takes advantage of what she has to make life extremely fun.
The genre of this book is drama. Throughout the story, the emotional changes and the suspenseful moments prove this. In the first part of the book, Dawn is happily talking to Michael in summer camp about a prank on Dr. Ben. The next moment, Dawn is at the doctor’s receiving the results of her checkup, which are not exactly acceptable, and she gets extremely worried. From the checkup results to the wedding plans, the suspense starts to build up.
As a result, I liked this book because it was both happy and sad at the same time. People will like this book interesting if they like reading books that mix opposite feelings together. However, I would recommend this book to those who would like to read an exciting plot with many adventures.