Before I Go Book Reviews

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Heartbreaking and honest portrayal of a woman's emotional journey through terminal cancer. Review originally posted on Reading Books Like a Boss Before I Go is a heartbreaking and honest portrayal of a woman's emotional journey through terminal cancer and the painful thoughts of leaving her husband behind without her. I felt so much while reading this book for all the characters. Thought-provoking, introspective and heartbreaking, Before I Go was a beautiful debut. I can't wait to see what Colleen Oakley writes next. Daisy is a doer and list-maker. She thrives on control and order. Her husband, Jack, is her complete opposite in that regard. He leaves his socks beside the bed every night, spills Fruit Loops on the kitchen floor and doesn't pick them up. Messes don't really bother Jack. But Daisy and Jack complement each other. They work. Until Daisy's cancer comes back. I want fifty years, and all I get is a few extra months? It's like asking your boss for a five-thousand-dollar raise and he nods and says, "I can give you ten cents." After years of being cancer-free, twenty-seven year old Daisy receives some terrible news that her cancer is back and this time it's bad. It's all over her body and there really is nothing doctors can do to make it go away. All of the treatments offered will merely prolong her life. To cope Daisy throws herself into things that make her comfortable — things she can control. Her main focus becomes fixing up her house that she and Jack moved in knowing it was a fixer upper and making sure her husband doesn't live the rest of his life alone. I cannot die. I will not die. Then I look over at Jack in the darkness. The comforter rises and falls in time with his slow breathing. And as much as I try to keep the thought at bay, push it out of my head as I stare at my sleeping husband, like a seasoned thief, it sneaks in anyway. But what if I do? The author takes you into their daily life with Daisy's kale smoothies and Jack's Fruit Loops and kisses on the cheek. The loving happy home that we see in the beginning of the novel, slowing begins to morph and change in the smallest imperceptible increments as Daisy begins to deal with mortality and her limited time on earth. Jack's nights at the veterinary school get longer. The two of them begin to drift apart. So much through the book, I wanted to take Daisy aside and help her refocus her energy on things that would be more useful. But that's often a reflection of all of us. In life, we spend too much time worry and stressing about this and that instead of taking a step back and look at what we're neglecting. In Daisy's case it was her marriage. She was so focused on her end goal that she was blind to Jack's needs. Daisy was a hard character for me to like, but I think that was the point. Her flaws, fierce independence, and determination propelled her to do a lot of things that I wouldn't do. I have to admit that I was annoyed with her character throughout the novel. I felt like her abrasive personality was almost too much, I wanted some fragility mixed in, but that came later. She constantly pushed Jack away, as she struggled with the inevitable period that the universe was placing on her time on earth. Her unending list of todos that would never get accomplished and the future of those she would leave behind weighed on her. Having witnessed her mother's long battle with depression after her father's death, she knew firsthand the effects of having someone you loved so deeply be ripped from you. She didn't want that for Jack, so she trudged forward trying to find someone for him. Honestly, I'm torn with how I feel about this book. On one hand, I loved the progression of Daisy's character. I loved the emotions I felt in the latter half of the novel — extreme frustration, anger, sadness, happiness, relief. At times, I felt like I was having a panic attack right along with Daisy. I was so drawn into the story and her emotions. On the other hand, it took awhile for the story to gain momentum and to keep me completely engaged. But once I was hooked, I was in it all the way. 3.5 - 4 stars * I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Before I Go. I could not put this book down. Consequently, I lost a couple nights sleep. I want another Colleen Oakley book! I'm hooked!

SUPERB!!. What a great book! This is an author that I hope will write lots of books! I loved this first novel of hers! The storyline was unique, and while you wouldn't expect it to include humor, she did a great job of injecting humor & wit into this book. I thought she was spot-on with Daisy's thoughts & feelings as she faced her own mortality. I found myself being able to identify with Daisy, even though I've never had cancer or "Lots of Cancer." I did not want this book to end. I hope this author's next novel comes out SOON! I'm already looking forward to read more by her! Thank you for such a great read! I highly recommend this book!!!

Didn’t expect to love this book. Such a lovey read! Didn’t think I would really like this book. But I caught myself unable to put this down and make sure you grab a tissue towards the end. So beautiful and not the ending I was expecting but nonetheless a nice end

Before I go. Terrible book. What an awful concept that someone would waste their precious life being a selfish control freak. Not inspirational at all.

Wonderful story, well written. I read Before I Go in a single day. Even knowing it would be an tear jerker, parts of it were still hard to read. Obviously I cried at the end.

Before I Go. Clearly, this author never had breast cancer, or knew anyone with metastatic breast cancer. Perpetuating a stereotype that anyone going through it would have the time or energy to perform such a folly. Insulting and naive.

Loved it!. I couldn't put this book down. I loved it!

Before I Go. Preordered this book, was charged upon availability but it won't download. One star has nothing to do with the book, just the service.

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