by: John Gunther

Review done by

Grade 6

Van Antwerp Middle School

Niskayuna, NY

I read an extraodinary book called, Death be Not Proud. It is a true story about a father telling about the last few months of his sixteen year old sonís heroic fight for life.

Death be Not Proud is about a sixteen year old boy named Johnny. It is a very powerful book about the good and bad feelings of death and life. Johnnyís father, John Gunther so it is very sad and on a very personal level.

Johnny is diagnosed with a brain tumor similar to malignant in some ways and different in other ways. The reason this is even more thrilling than any other book about a boy dying is because the type of brain tumor that Johnny has is very rare and almost totally uncurable, but except for a few episodes, Johnny was acting almost as any other regular sixteen year old boy. Thatís the surprising part, and thatís what I mean. Itís different from any other story about death. You see in the book the father tells it like heís the author. I canít give away the ending, but you have to read it to fully understand what I am talking about.

My favorite part in the book is the ending (which I canít tell you) but it is also the beginning. The reason I like the beginning is because it is about any normal boy. Although Johnny may have been brighter than most his age he liked the same typical things of any sixteen year old boy. I donít think the book would be half as good as it was if not for the beginning. The beginning gave you a grasp so that it made the book even more touching and close to your heart because it made you realize that he was just any normal boy and that what happened to him could happen to anybody!

The major characters are my favorite because theyíre the best described characters. Like Frances, the mother, John Gunther, the father, but basically Johnny, he (from what I can grasp was a intelligent and loving boy and it hurts when you read the horrible things he has to endure) loved life and he made everyone who knew him love it too.

This book mainly held my interest by two things, the threat that what Johnny had could happen to anyone, and also when you did put the book down you almost felt that you would be betraying Johnny and leaving him all alone. Thatís how powerful it was! Iím letting you know about this book because it is one of my personal favorites. It is an interesting book that made you love a character so much like I had known him my whole life!

I would recommend this book to any one with a heart, because it makes you use it. This book is informative and a true story that anybody would love!