Sixteen and Dying

By Lurlene McDaniel

You don't know me, but I know about you....

  I can't make you live longer. I can't stop you  from hurting. But I can give you one wish, as  someone did for me.

It's hard for Anne Wingate  and her father to accept the doctors' diagnosis:  Anne is HIV positive. Seven years earlier, before  blood screening was required, Anne received a  transfusion to save her life, and the blood was  tainted. Now Anne must deal with the inevitable  progression of her condition. When an anonymous  benefactor promises to grant a single wish with no  strings attached, Anne decides to spend the summer on  a ranch out west and live as normally as she  possibly can. The summer seems even better than she  dreamed, especially after she meets Morgan. But  Anne hasn't confided in Morgan about her condition,  and when her health begins to deteriorate, she  suddenly leaves the ranch.

Is there time  for Anne and Morgan to meet again?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Oct 27, 2010
• ISBN: 9780307776334

Lurlene McDaniel

Everyone loves a good cry, and no one delivers heartwrenching stories better than Lurlene McDaniel. But there's more to her books than that. McDaniel has written over 40 novels about kids who face life-threatening illnesses, who sometimes do not survive. These are powerful, inspirational stories about courage, love, and strength in the face of overwhelming trauma. McDaniel’s books touch the hearts and spirits of the teenagers and adults who read them. Her following is a devoted group of appreciative fans. McDaniel says: "These are books that challenge you and make you think." Some readers—and their parents—have wondered why McDaniel chooses to write about sad situations. "I tell them that sometimes tragedy hits people—kids, too. They want answers. They want to know 'why.' By using novels, I show ordinary kids confronting and overcoming great odds." McDaniel's books are ultimately optimistic and life-affirming. McDaniel began writing about young adults when her son Sean was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at the age of 3. His illness changed the lives of everyone in her family forever. "I saw what life was like for someone who was chronically ill, and I experienced how it affected the dynamics of the family," says McDaniel. She says she found that writing about the trauma and its effects was therapeutic. To make certain that her books are medically accurate, McDaniel conducts extensive research. She interviews health care professionals and works with appropriate medical groups and hospice organizations, as well as the Tennessee Organ Donor Services. "I study medicine and traditional grief therapy techniques to give the novels a sense of serious medical reality," she says. "I also study the Bible to instill the human element—the values and ethics often overlooked by the coldness of technology." Growing up, McDaniel lived in different parts of the country because her father was in the Navy. Eventually her family settled in Florida. She attended the University of South Florida in Tampa, where she earned a B.A. in English. She now lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In addition to her popular YA novels, McDaniel has written radio and television scripts, promotional and advertising copy, and a magazine column. She is a frequent speaker at schools, writers’ conferences, and conventions. McDaniel's books have been named to several bestseller lists, including Publishers Weekly. Three of her novels were selected by children as IRA­CBC Children’s Choices: Somewhere Between Life and Death, Too Young to Die, and Goodbye Doesn’t Mean Forever. Six Months to Live has been placed in a literary time capsule at the Library of Congress, to be opened in the year 2089.

Reviews for Sixteen and Dying

[sammykin2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was so great, I loved it so much I read like five times more before I could read another book. This book means so much to me. It gave me words to continue on with my life. I recommend to anyone!