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This time it wont fail. This time, with the proper planning, with the help of Through-the-Light, Daelyn will be able to successfully take her own life. Not like the other times, like when she slit her wrists or&..

Daelyn is only fifteen, yet she has contemplated suicide for several years and attempted it several times. What caused her disassociation with life? Was it the humiliation she suffered in fat camp one summer? Is it the daily torture at school because of her weight or her loner status? Is it the fact that she is mute now or that her family moves constantly so she can start over?

Whatever it is, in 23 days she will no longer be&physically&because she hasnt been emotionally for a long time. As she says, I found Through-the-Light by accident. I dont normally believe in accidents. Divine intervention, maybe. Except I dont believe in God. I want to. I just cant. Theres a higher power guiding me, for sure, because it guided me to Through-the-Light.

She is being closely monitored by her parents. Shes picked up daily after school. She sits on her bench and waits for a parent to get her. But, Santana thinks its his bench and in actuality it is. Santana is 18 and has his own life trauma to deal with. The question is: Can one person, just one person, deter Daelyn from her course?

Julie Anne Peters has written some marvelous books (my favorite is Keeping You a Secret) and By the Time You Read This, Ill be Dead is one of them. It is the powerful story of what will drive a teenager to suicide. Daelyn is an unforgettable character, one who you will love. Her parents are ignorant about her life and confused about how to deal with her. (What parent isnt clueless about their kids lives?) But love, sometimes, just isnt enough. As Daelyn purges herself over her 23 remaining days, her story comes out, heart wrenching. Santanas story, is equally heart wrenching, but Peters effectively juxtaposes Santanas unwavering desire to live with Daelyns desire to die.

What Laurie Halse Anderson did regarding eating disorders in Wintergirls, Julie Anne Peters has just done with suicide in By the Time You Read This, Ill be Dead and that is write a revealing, realistic, absorbing story that is a must read.