melhara's Reviews > Diary of a Dying Girl

Diary of a Dying Girl is a young-adult adaptation of Salt in My Soul, which I haven't read so I can't comment on any differences between the two books (although the afterword for Diary of a Dying Girl is probably new, as it includes some reflection on Salt in My Soul).

This book, along with its predecessor, were published posthumously and are based on journal entries written by Mallory Smith spanning nearly a decade (from 2009 when Mallory was 16 years old, until Mallory's death in 2017 when she was only 24 years old) with the hope that her story will help others living with, or those who knows someone living with, cystic fibrosis, invisible illnesses, and/or chronic illnesses.

Mallory lived with a chronic illness for most of her life, but it never stopped her from living her life to the fullest - her goal was always to pursue happiness and focus on love because life is short. She was an avid swimmer and (aside from her frequent visits to the hospital) her early diary entries as a teenager dealt with fairly normal teenage stuff like boys, feelings of belonging, and her struggles with body image (and the constant fight between maintaining good health and a desirable body). She would detail her goals and dreams, her plan on achieving these, and her frustration when things don't go as planned. She was very intelligent and it was made evident by how introspective and reflective her diary entries were, even as a teenager.

There is a level of maturity in her writing (even when she discusses teenage-y issues like boys) that is surprising, but which is likely attributed to her constant battle with her illness and her limited time left on this earth.

As Mallory grew older, her health worsened and the diary entries from the two years leading up to her untimely death was distressing to read. The details about being on the transplant list - including the stress and uncertainty was emotional, and the added journal entries from Mallory's mom and boyfriend as Mallory was undergoing and recovering from surgery added another emotional layer to reading experience.

Finally, I want to acknowledge the beautiful afterword written by Mallory's boyfriend, Jack. It made me happy that Mallory got to experience love and had someone who loved her so dearly during the final years of her life. This afterword appears to be a new or different afterword from the original book as Jack reflects on the reception and questions that he's received from the first book.

On a general note, this book includes a lot of medical terms that I was unfamiliar with so I would have appreciated it with the book included a glossary or additional explanations about CF and the treatments that Mallory underwent (although for the most part, details of Mallory's hospital experiences were provided in great detail).

Audiobook Comments:
I listened to the audiobook at x1.4 speed. But audiobook narration was good, but I would've preferred if they had different narrators read Mallory's mom and Jack's journal entries.

*** #15 of my 2024 Book Riot Read Harder Challenge - Read a YA nonfiction book. ***