Common Sense Media Review
Touching but not maudlin story about a dying child.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 11+?
Any Positive Content?
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Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 1 parent review
Based on 11 kid reviews
Kids say this book offers a poignant and emotional experience, blending humor with profound themes of life and mortality, despite some potentially sensitive content involving smoking. Many readers find it incredibly impactful, often praising its ability to evoke strong emotional reactions, making it a favorite among young readers.
- emotional journey
- impactful storytelling
- suitable for kids
- thought-provoking themes
- addresses mortality
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Here are some ways to live forever, according to Sam, an 11-year-old boy with leukemia: Make a Philosopher's stone. Become a vampire. He shares these and other ideas in his journal, dotted with scrapbook pictures and random lists (such as true facts about coffins). When Sam lists all the things he wants to do, he and his best friend, Felix, set out to accomplish them. That means riding in a blimp -- and kissing a girl.
Is It Any Good?
Nicholls finds true emotion in Sam's relationships with his family and friends, including his heartbreakingly real interaction with his father, who pretends Sam's illness doesn't exist. As much as readers will want to fight it, the novel stays true to Sam to the end.
While some well-known books (A Bridge to Terabithia being the most obvious) touch on childhood loss, most follow the perspective of those left behind. WAYS TO LIVE FOREVER offers a fictional 11-year-old's first-person take on dying. Sam is a sweet, believable boy who is never saintly -- "I want to do my things!" he insists, tired of visitors and being "nice to aunts and uncles all day." Despite the sad premise of terminal illness, Sam finds plenty of joy in life, whether goofing off with his friend or trying to call up Marie Antoinette's ghost on a Ouija board (and who should show up but MARIAN TWANET).
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about any of Sam's tough questions: Why does God make kids get ill? Where do you go after you die? Family members can discuss what things they would like to do during their life and make a list.
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Family Life
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Arthur A. Levine
- Publication date : September 1, 2008
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 9 - 12
- Number of pages : 212
- Award : ALA Best and Notable Books
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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