Things I'd Rather Do Than Die

Things I’d rather do than die teaches us about prejudice and how it can lead to big misconceptions about someone..

I really enjoyed watching Jade and Ethan grow up and coming to terms with their own problems.
This book might be one of my favourite feel-goods of this year!

I really liked this book despite it's mixed reviews here on GR. I do not think this was a "Christian" or religious book. One of the main characters, Ethan, has a very strong faith and believes in God which I thought was really wonderful because a) I hardly ever see a teen male portrayed that way in the many books I've read and b) he is a TEEN male with a strong faith...refreshing and different, and c) he does begin to question his faith after talking to Jade and reflecting on his life. Ethan and Jade know each other but not that well when together they encounter a dramatic traumatic situation. They bond over during the time period they are locked together but neither of them will admit it for most of the book. There is a lot going on in both of their lives and they try to deal with it as well as they can. Jade is a strong person who knows what she wants but is willing to make sacrifices for her family. I was tearing up at the end reading about Jade's father--an amazingly strong wonderful person who obviously loves his family so much, and raised very strong, compassionate children as well. It is a quick read as I read it in a couple of hours but I recommend it because it is different than your average YA romance novel. It really makes the reader think about faith and God and why bad things happen. Thanks so much for ARC NetGalley and Flux.

I'll be honest, at a couple chapters in I wasn't too sure I was going to be able to get into this book. It didn't grab me from the start. However once I got about 5 chapters in or so it picked up for me. At that point I couldn't stop reading -- I just had to know what was going to happen. It was funny at times, sweet at others, and heartbreaking throughout. Jade was going through an awful lot and I really felt for her. This was Christian fiction but it wasn't so in your face that the religious stuff was all that it was about. There was so much more to it than that. I don't think you have to necessarily be a CF fan to enjoy this book.

So I was a little unsure of this book after getting about 5% into it and realising that Christianity is mentioned quite a lot, only to then look at a few reviews and see other people had the same realisation as me. I also saw a lot of the reviewers DNF this book, which of course made me even more determined to finish it. Overall, I'm glad I did.

I found it quite hard to get into this book, but after a few chapters I managed to push aside my lack of faith and concentrate on the actual story. I like that Ethan never tried to push his faith on to anyone, and that he even had some doubts himself. He respected that Jade didn't completely share his faith and he never spoke badly of Gia who is very much an atheist.

I like how Jade and Ethan connect, but what I love is that it's not an instant teenage romance. They get to know each other and have an actual conversation, even though it was involuntary and I love that the contrast in their faith doesn't affect the friendship they build.

A poignant coming-of-age story, this novel addresses themes of race identity, social classes, faith, terminal illness, and family. I found this to be a truly heart-warming story with likeable MCs and a sweet yet wistful ending.

I received a free ARC via NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

Things I'd Rather Do Than Die
by Christine Hurley Deriso

Pub Date: 18 Sep 2018

Read courtesy of www.Netgalley.com

I recently reviewed Christine Hurley Deriso's All the Wrong Chords, which I loved. I really wanted to like Things I'd Rather Do Than Die as much, but alas, I give it 4 instead of 5 ⭐. I also read Deriso's Acknowledgment section of this novel, and I'm glad she took the advice of her editor; having the main characters tell their tale in alternating scenarios made this story more thoughtful than if it had been a one-sided story. Stereotypes of jocks, brains, Jesus freaks, popularity, race and ethnicity, financial status, family structures, and illnesses became something about which I wanted to contemplate rather than be swayed. I can picture my teen readers discussing this story.

However, it was those amount of topics Deriso tried to squeeze into this one novel that caused my rating to lose a potential star. Maybe teens with slightly shorter attention spans won't mind the topic hopping, but I found it a bit distracting. I think it will affect my ability to discuss and recommend the book to my students. Other than being able to remember the basic plot, it's the nuances that might be lost to what I usually try to relate with enthusiasm.

On the other hand, Deriso handled all of the sensitive topics well. She allowed the characters to present their different points-of-view just like 'real' teens would. Kudos to that!!

This novel has a heartbreaking plot. This being said, it is hard to get into and once you are in, the protagonist is hard to like. Which is a shame for such a moving book.