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

Daelyn Rice is broken beyond repair, and after a string of botched suicide attempts, she’s determined to get her death right. She starts visiting a website for “completers”— www.through-the-light .com.

While she’s on the site, Daelyn blogs about her life, uncovering a history of bullying that goes back to kindergarten. When she’s not on the Web, Daelyn’s at her private school, where she’s known as the freak who doesn’t talk.

Then, a boy named Santana begins to sit with her after school while she’s waiting to for her parents to pick her up. Even though she’s made it clear that she wants to be left alone, Santana won’t give up. And it’s too late for Daelyn to be letting people into her life…isn’t it?

National Book Award finalist Julie Anne Peters shines a light on how bullying can push young people to the very edge.

Suicide is one of the hardest subject to talk about for any person. I have known and spoken to people who have contemplated suicide, even I have had such thoughts. I can bet that half of us, whether we know it or not, know someone who has thought about suicide. Suicide is never the answer but that period of time where you feel like death is the only answer is something that can dig into your brain and take a hold of you. I speak from experience when I say these things, I sometimes feel like the world and those I know are better without me. It’s when I remember the fun times with friends, both in Real Life and on line that I remember something important. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel, as cliché as that sounds, I believe it is true. I read this book “By the Time You Read This I’ll Be Dead” and cried. I have had the thoughts this girl has had and felt like it was the only answer. Her silence throughout the book was sort how I am. I would rather not speak sometimes. I recommend this book to anyone who has ever had suicidal thoughts or to someone who has known someone. I have to say this: suicide is never the answer, talk to someone even if it’s just a friend. Friends I’ve found over these past months can really save your life.