Regine's Book: A Teen Girl's Last Words

By Regine Stokke

Regine’s blog about living with Leukemia gained a huge following, and eventually became this book. She writes openly about emotional and physical aspects of her 15-month struggle to recover, and explains how her disease impacts her life. In the course of her illness, Regine has photography exhibits, goes to concerts, enjoys her friends & family, and advocates for registering as a blood and bone marrow donor. She was a typical teenager with an amazing will to live; and the lessons she learned have relevance for all of us. She died at home on December 3, 2009 with her family and cat by her side.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lerner Publishing
• Release date: Aug 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9781936976454

Regine Stokke

Regine Stokke began to blog about her day-to-day life shortly after she was diagnosed with leukemia in 2008. Regine's stated purpose with her posts was to give people a sense of "what it's like to live with" such a serious illness, and her blog became an almost instant classic. It was first adapted into book form in 2010, and became a bestseller in Norway. Regine was also a very gifted photographer, and had her photos exhibited at both the 2009 and 2010 Nordic Light photography festivals in Kristiansund.

Reviews for Regine's Book

[kristal_armstrong · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A beautifully written depiction of a 17 year old girl's battle with cancer. Written in a blog format it is easy to follow the progression of the disease, with added comments from friends and family.

[rjlouise · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's difficult to rate a review a book that chronicles true events. This isn't a fiction or a invention, this is a deeply personal narrative of the struggle for one girl to come to terms with death while fighting, tooth and nail, for life. This is NOT something I can really review. But it is something I can recommend. This book started as a blog and was published as a book, supplemented by journal entries, letters, comments, and pictures. It did its best to portray a full picture of the author of the blog, a seventeen year old girl who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. In every line, you can see that Regine TRIED, with each last ounce of what was left of her, to push back a disease determined to kill her. And by my view, she managed it. She eventually died, but she died after having definitively lived - and after having taught others how to live. I'm truly impressed by how she shared what she felt openly and with an intimacy that felt personal and yet didn't intrude on her private life. I was surprised, and gratified, to hear the views from other friends and family, because it indicated how much she held back without betraying those parts she had chosen to keep to herself. This book was tasteful and tender. I would highly recommend reading it.A (good writing, fantastic editing and translation)

[girlsonfire · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A great realistic read alike for fans of "The Fault in Our Stars"; based off of the real life blog of a Norwegian teen fighting lukemia and trying to live every day with the full passion and intensity that our adolescence brings. Eye opening, thoughtful, and real.

[maryann12_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Regine was 17 years old when she was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of Leukemia in 2008. Throughout her struggles with chemo treatments, blood transfusions, a bone marrow transplant, debilitating pain, hair loss, numerous hospital stays and more, she managed to keep writing in her blog. Her entries carefully explained her diagnosis, treatment plans, and detailed the difficulties of living with a life threatening disease. Along with her struggles, she also wrote of her triumphs, hopes and dreams, with her entries running the range of emotions. Regine was also an artist, photographer and poetess, and interspersed these artistic offerings into her blog. “Regine’s Book” is a raw, emotional and honest memoir of a young girl who wanted to live, and what it meant to her to be denied this request. Regine was wise beyond her years, and her insightful comments like “It’s a bit of an art to teach yourself to appreciate the little things in life” and “What’s more important: how you look or who you are?” along with her wit, love of music and flair for life will draw in readers ages 14 and up.

[lizzyerwin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

While everyone is talking about that other Young Adult juggernaut about teens and cancer, Stokke’s most recent entry hasn’t received nearly as much buzz. It’s a shame, too, because the approach is a fresh one and moves the narrative away from fiction and into the words of a real life young woman dealing her leukemia and her mortality. As an adaption of Stokke’s real blog, this book is far from the sad read I had expected. Yes, there are some truly devastating moments, such as when Regina discovers that her blood count is in free fall and there are no more options to try. Yet, this book is far from a maudlin read. From her advocacy of stem cell research to her interactions with family and friends, we see all the pieces of Regina’s world and come to understand how those pieces made up her life.I will caution others, especially my fellow librarians, that this isn’t a book to just cavalierly recommend. The truth of what it is like to live with and die from cancer is brutal and honest and may be highly triggering to some. The final chapter, written by Regina’s mother, is emotionally devastating even as it affirms a life well lived in the face of a debilitating illness. Bring the tissues because you’ll need them.

[milaxox-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book gives a sobering and realistic look at what it is like to have cancer. I absolutely loved this, the photography was absolutely stunning and the story of Regine was both sad and beautiful. Overall, I think that this book is an important book for teens to read because it makes cancer more real when they see that a person just like them got the disease.

[mrsgardner-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In August 2008, when she was just 17, Regine Stokke was diagnosed with leukemia. In November, she started a blog "about what it's life to get a life-threatening disease." REGINE'S BOOK is a collection of her blog entries, reader comments, her mother's diary entries, letters, poems, photographs, and artwork. Together they provide a moving, personal portrait of this amazing young woman.My high school students will love reading this book. Regine's perspective, openness, and voice are unique and engaging. I enjoyed reading it and felt like I got to know Regine. I understood her struggles. I shared her triumphs and disappointments. I mourned her death. I will be recommending this to all of my classes this semester.

[dream24-2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received a free copy through Library Things.
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Wow. Just wow. What an emotional roller coaster.

Regine detailed every step of her journey: from diagnosis right up to the very bitter end. Regine is quite the gifted writer and amazing photographer. It's sad that her life was cut so short no thanks to terminal leukemia.

Her blog entries provided so much insight and human emotions into it. You can feel the frustrations, the highs, the lows, the hopes and wishes of a 17 year old who has only just begun to live her life when cancer dashed her hopes.

It's so heartbreaking to hear her struggles, but I admire her openness and honesty every step of the way. There's no need to sugar coat the truth, she presents it plain and simple. Regine is truly an inspirational person, who brought awareness to this disease and brought countless other people across the world together to pray for a miracle and to encourage her to fight on despite the haters and dim diagnosis. Every step of the way, she explains everything in terms that the readers would understand, while remaining positive for the most part.

Her photographs, showcasing her talent and her loved ones, interspersed throughout the book brought out so much emotions. I found that some of the photographs that she took herself were hauntingly beautiful and full of something more than meets the eye.

It was definitely a sad book to read but so worth it. There will never be another Regine, but her memory and blogs will live on forever. Definitely recommend it to friends and family.

[jrlibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I delayed reading this book because I knew it would be an emotional read and it was. Learning the details of someone's struggle with leukemia is interesting but also troubling. My students are going to love the content and the format of this book.

[lauraenos · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this blog collection of a young woman battling a fatal disease. Her personality was very inspiring. The colored photographs were intriguing and a great way for the reader to feel like they really new Regine. Overall the book translated well. Regine found beauty and hope in her situation, but was also not afraid to keep it real by including her anger and frustration. This is a great book to give to anyone who is facing tragedy.