Mc Daniels - Too young to die

Too young to die: 

author

This book is written by Lurlene Mc Daniels. She began writing inspirational novels about teenagers which have life altering situations when her son was diagnosed with diabetes.

" I want kids to know that while people do not get to choose what life gives to them, they do get to choose how they respond."

plot

Melissa is a 16 year old girl who works very hard to get what she wants.Her grades are up after the school year has started and she gets the chance to join the BRAIN BOWL team. Brain Bowl competition is a chance for the brightest students of each high school to test their knowledge against each other in a team setting. Melissa has also a best friend named Jory, who is rich and who often stays at hers, because Jory´s parents are seldom at home.

One evening Melissa notices bruises ( Blutergüsse, blaue Flecken) on her arms and legs which she wants to hide with leg makeup. After Brain Bowl qualifying test, the girl meets Brad in the country club. He is also in the brain Bowl team. Brad likes her long black hair and she likes him as well. One of her teachers asks Melissa if someone is hurting her because of her bruises. So her mother takes her to the doctor who sends her to hospital. Her red blood count is too low. After some tests she is diagnosed with leukemia.

Melissa gets to know Ricter Davis, who has bone cancer and Rachael Dove, who suffers from leukemia, too. Melissa has to make a chemotherapy and Ric tells her that she has to be strong, because she will feel side effects ( e.g.: she will lose her hair;)

Michael, her brother, gives a kind of diary to her, but she does not know how to say, what she feels, because only 16 is too young to die. She gets out of hospital and buys a wig and some weeks later she goes back to school.

Melissa goes out with Ric for some times. Finally she breaks up with him, because he wants to sleep with her, but she does not want to.

Sometimes she meets Brad at school, but she knows that he still cannot accept her, because she is less than perfect. Once she goes to hospital and hears about Rachael`s death.

At home she gets a present from Jory - a real hair wig, like her hair was before leukemia.

Quotes: 

Melissa gets to know that she suffers from leukemia but she cannot believe it.

Melissa laughed. Dr. Rowan sounded absurd and her family around her bed with stricken expressions, reminded Melissa of a silent movie. She said: "I do not believe you. You must have made some mistake. I am 16 years old. How can I possibly have leukemia?" (p.58);

Melissa gets the real hair wig from Jory.

"Close your eyes." Melissa obeyed, more exited than curious.

Jory held a wig, a fall of hair that was rich and black and incredibly long. " It is real hair, Melissa." (p. 164)

The main characters in this book are:

Melissa Austin:  She is 16 years old, has got waist-long black hair and huge blue eyes. She wants to join the BRAIN BOWL team.

Michael: He is Melissa´s brother and he likes hot air ballooning best. He is twenty years old and goes to junior college.he has got saphire blue eyes, a square face, high angular cheekbones and dark eye-brows.

Mrs Austin: She is divorced. She is a tall slim woman with dark hair.

Jory: She is a friend of Melissa`s ( the best since the 5<sup>th</sup> form).her parents don´t care about her and so she likes to come to Melissa`s place.

Brad Kessing: He is a friend of Jory`s and Melissa met him two times. He has a powerful body.

Ricter Davis: He is also in hospital because of bone cancer. He is a tall, thin boy with brown hair and brown eyes. He was a marathoner for the university of South Florida.

Rachael: She is 4 years old, big bright blue eyes and has got a baby-sister.

Interpretation:

We think that it is very important to inform especially young people about the different types of cancer like it is done in this book. Everybody can get it from one of the other day.

And we think that the way Melissa fights is described in a very touching way.

The side effects of the chemotherapy are also described.

Personal comment:

The story of this book was very touching. We recommend it to all the others in our class, because it is easy to read and fascinating.

While we read the book we both feel involved.