Diary of a Dying Girl by Mallory Smith
ISBN: 0593647475
Genres: Biography/Autobiography
Format: Chapter Book Nonfiction, Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads

“Diary of a Dying Girl” is a memoir taken from online journal entries written by Mallory Smith, following her life with cystic fibrosis. The book starts in her teens and goes through her death post-transplant as a young adult at age 25. The book is taken from her journal entries, which make it feel very personal. We get to see all of the sides of Mallory, not just her illness, including daily high school life, SATs, dating, family life, which makes the book hit that much harder when she passes. Her family write the journal entries at the very end when she takes a turn for the worst after her transplant.

There is an afterword by her boyfriend, as well as a “When I Die” entry that Mallory prepared in advance, and information about phage therapy, the experimental treatment Mallory was part of.

Recommended for YA collections where memoirs and biographies are popular.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME.