Six Months to Live

Dawn Rochelle #1

by Lurlene McDaniel

Cancer. Having heard those words, Dawn Rochelle is filled with fear. Will she die in six months? Will she find the motivation to try and live?

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Teen, Romance

136 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Lurlene McDaniel (born c. 1948) is an author who has written over 50 young adult books. She is well known for writing about characters struggling with chronic and terminal illnesses, such as cancer, diabetes, and organ failure.


Other places to find her are...
https://www.facebook.com/lurlenemcdan...
http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/aut...
http://www.youtube.com/user/LurleneMc

Reviews

[karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

well, she got seven months, at least.

my beloved maggie succumbed to her cancer last night. going dark for a bit to mourn the best cat i ever knew.



so, it turns out my baby has the cancer. and, like the girl in this book, she's been given six months. but what i learned from this book (no spoiler warning needed since the fact that this thing has sequels spoils it for you already), is that six months can easily turn into years if you drink enough watermelon milkshakes and have a plucky attitude.

i mean, look at her - does this look like a cat with six months to live? it does NOT.

april may be the cruelest month, but i'm not letting it take my cat.

recognize.

***********************************************

dear this article,

http://www.vulture.com/2014/06/i-was-...

yes, yes a million times yes! !

how many times did i read this book?? seven thousand is my best guess.

from it, i learned that cancer can be cured with a watermelon milkshake and a positive attitude, which i think is still medically accurate. and i also learned that i will never be one who cries at books. (nor at FIOS movies) but that i still love this kind of grief porn like crazy.

lurlene mcdaniel, you still rock my heart

[Kalah · Rating 4 out of 5]

My best friend read this when we were 12 and bought me a copy at her school library book sale. We were totally obsessed - and I can't, for the life of me, figure out why. But we would adapt it into impromptu plays on the stage of the old school I lived by, and talk about it for hours. In hindsight, it really is a wonder why I chose to love it so much, since it is not at all like anything I would enjoy reading now. Maybe it was a friendship loyalty things. Maybe I thought I should love it since Kendra loved it, because she was the big literary influence in my life (based on the [come to find out, fake] fact that she learned to read before me). In any case, books like this should have been banned, far and wide, from my bookshelf. As a chronic worry wart and unrelenting hypochondriac, this work of fiction gave me all the medical backing I needed to convince myself I had cancer whenever I had a headache that lasted more than 15 minutes or felt fatigued in the middle of the day. Turns out, those were just symptoms of an onset of my teenage years.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Six Months to Live" is about Dawn Rochelle, a normal thirteen year old girl. Her life was perfect until she was tested positive for cancer. She lost her spot on the cheering squad and missed almost all of the eighth grade year. Cancer sucks! It ruined her entire life! But maybe, just maybe, it wouldn't be so bad with Sandy around... Someone facing the exact same battle as her, someone to comfort her when she's going through all the pain. Sandy and Dawn quickly become inseparable and make eachother stronger. Will they both make it out okay? Will they both win the fight?

[Marla Raymond · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book when i was in the 3rd grade if i remember right (I Have the first published addition). I bought it and Mother Please Don't Die and Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep all at our Book Fair that year. The reason i bought the book was because when i was reading the back the word "CANCER" jumped out at me. My Grandmother (the most precious person in my life) just told me she had breast cancer. I know i was young and all but i've always been an old soul. So anyways, I bought all these books because they were about cancer, I didn't know there where diffrent kinds of cancers and tumors...I just know my grandma had both. I cried and cried when I read these books, i cried and i worried. But i guess in a way they also helped me prepair for what was to come in real life. I lost my Beloved Grandma when I was 13 years old...she fought long and she fought hard to stay with us as long as she could...she died at the young age of 57, and I was there with her until her last breath. I think that is the reason Lurlene McDaniel will always be a favorite author of mine. She helped me understand and prepair for the hardest thing any of us ever have to go through...Losing those we love the most. I'm 35 now and i read the Dawn Series over and over again even to this day...they make me sad and they make me happy because i remember reading them with my Grandma.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book half a million times when I was a kid. I have no idea why, but I was totally obsessed with Lurlene McDaniels books. Rereading as an adult though...yeah, it wasn’t good. Ten year old me says five stars, thirty three year old me says one. At least it was a quick read - one book closer to hitting my reading challenge 😂

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

My best friend was reading Lurlene McDaniel from our middle school library and loved these books. Obviously, I had to check it out upon her recommendation. I credit this book (and others by McDaniel) for giving me medical knowledge to fuel my worry and blossoming anxiety disorder as a preteen.

[Farah]

continuing on my exploration of the middle grade/YA sick/cancer plots. lurlene might be considered the mother of the coming of age cancer girl trope, CHOP’s library still had her books in the 2010s. it skims the surface and feels a lot like voyeurism compared to something like tfios where characters have a bit more dimension. at the same time it’s such a good time capsule into the war on cancer era, the land of letter writing and telegrams. the taglines are so funny to me, read to see if dawn will live or die!!!

[Ella Waltman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this book 4th book I've finished by this author this week

[Danna Paredes · Rating 5 out of 5]

***SPOILER ALERT*** When you thought your life was ordinary,Cancer had to show up...Dawn Rochelle was a 13 year old ordinary girl.Then one day she was diagnosed with Leukemia which is cancer to the bone marrow. The genre of this book is an autobiography. Lurlene McDaniel describes what Dawn is going through when she gets diagnosed with cancer.

One day when Dawn's parents take her to the doctor because tegu thought that she has the flu instead she gets diagnosed with cancer.Dawn can't believe it. Her doctor sent her to the Children's Hospital right away. In the room that she was in she had a roommate.She was a cute blonde-haired girl. Her name was Sandy. Dawn hated the hospital she didn't wanna be there. Everyday she has to take medicine.The drugs make her loose appetite for her food it made them taste weird and funny like sweet things turned bitter.Dawn and Sandy became instant best friends they both understood each other and knew what it was like to have cancer. One day Dawn gets an infection and her blood count is very low so the doctors have to give her blood.Sandy got in remission which means she can go home.Dawn feels like she has a whole because she is so used to being around Sandy and now she misses her. The theme of this book is courage because both Dawn and Sandy have to have courage to "fight" the war against cancer.

The tittle relates a lot to the book because if you have cancer sometimes you may actually have 6 months to live. But there is most cases where you survive a whole lot more than that.The setting is important for the theme because Dawn and Sandy have to be at the hospital all the time because they have cancer. The hospital is very important because that's where Dawn mets her best friend, Sandy. If Sandy and Dawn were roommates in the hospital they wouldn't have found someone who who understands each other like they do.

I thought the end of the book was really sad.One day Dawn gets a telegram and it's from Sandy's parents.Sandy died. That was even sad for me. I couldn't imagine my best friend dying. My favorite part was when Sandy and Dawn went to Cancer camp in the summer for 2 weeks and met these cute guys. I was moved by when Sandy died and gave Dawn her things.I learned from this book that sometimes you think that your life is the worst but is not even close to being the worst.You don't know what kids with cancer have to deal with everyday.

I gave this book 5 stars because the author did an amazing job at explaining and describing what Dawn was going through with her cancer.I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to cry and likes sad stories. Would you fight cancer the way Dawn did if you had cancer? How would you feel if one day the your doctor told you that you had cancer?

[Swankivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure how I got a hold of this book except that the title seemed compelling. It turned out to be about a girl named Dawn who's diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia at age 13. This book was enjoyable for me for two reasons: One, I got to learn a ton of words I didn't know how to pronounce and associate them with medical terminology; and two, I got very attached to the protagonist as she began her fight against cancer. Now, this book was extremely depressing. No one wants to think about how terrible it must be to think you're getting weird bruises because you're a cheerleader and then find out you've got blood cancer and you have to get poisoned by chemotherapy until it dies, just hoping you survive longer than the cancer. And no one wants to think about how you get attached to your companion in cancer suffering, your roommate, and worrying about whether she'll survive too. But I loved Dawn's will and her friendship with Sandy, and even though I was horrified I appreciated that the author did not skimp on the details of how terrible cancer is. (If you don't want to read about stuff like the trauma of hair loss, the horror of growing so skinny that your own bones can bruise you, or the disgusting things chemotherapy can do to you, do not read this book.) I had absolutely no experience with cancer in my family or among my friends so this was a huge wake-up call for me, and I still think about it sometimes. Dawn's psychological fight against cancer was inspiring too. She drew pictures of her favorite teddy bear killing cancer cells and used the image to make her stronger. Watching Dawn and Sandy beat cancer, go to cancer camp with other teens who'd had similar fights, make lifelong friends, and deal with sobering truths was really sad and inspiring and overall a great slice of human experience.

[Books Kids Like · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dawn Rochelle and her parents think she has a persistent case of the flu. They are shocked when the doctor diagnoses acute lymphocytic leukemia. Admitted to the hospital, Dawn begins the chemotherapy regime and meets Sandy Chandler who also has lymphocytic leukemia. Sandy helps Dawn cope with the pills, the IVs, the ever present nausea, and the malaise. She soon becomes Dawn’s truest friend. Both girls lose their hair and share happy times in the hospital activity room. Then, Dawn is stricken with a serious viral infection and spends time in intensive care. When Dawn recovers, Sandy gives her a picture of Dawn’s bear, Mr. Ruggers, and his brigade of cancer-fighting bears vanquishing the cancer cells. By summer, both girls are in remission. They spend two wonderful weeks at cancer camp meeting boys, playing practical jokes on the camp leader, and acting like normal teenage girls. Little do the girls know that this will be their last time together.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I would have enjoyed this series more had I read it when I was younger. The main character is thirteen and the author writes her as a thirteen-year-old. I could have related to Dawn Rochelle so much more if I had read this ten years ago. Dawn collects teddy bears, makes macaroni artwork and has everyday little crushes. I found that it read a little too prematurely for me. Younger girls, by all means, pick this up as a stepping stone for when you read The Fault in Our Stars! Seventh Grade Girls Especially!!!

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simply written, inspirational story about thirteen-year-old, Dawn Rochelle, who is battling with leukemia. This book will particularly appeal to pre-teen girls who enjoy books that tear at the heart-strings.

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when I was in middle school; it’s one of those books I found myself reading twice.❤️

[Patricia Stephens · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the book six months to live Danielle Rochelle shows Bravery. Danielle Has cancer she is slowly dying and she shows bravery and strengths when she is about to die she fights to come back even after she flat lined. She wasn’t going to die yet. Daniele Rochelle also shows signs of persistence. She will always stay strong even when she is sick or has to get up to early for chemo she still is happy and goes every time always staying positive.

[Isabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS THAT!??!! OH MY GoSH! This book, i am not going to lie, almost made me cry. I just absolutely LOVED this. When I first started reading, i didn't think I was going to enjoy it. It overall was a great book and I definitely enjoyed it, like a lot.

**SPOILER**

I thought the part when Dawn's mom had the hair salon woman come in and give the girls wigs was really cute. But I ABSOLUTELY LOVED SUMMER CAMP! I kind of died inside when they met Greg and MIke. I loved how they were all instantly besties. ANd the part when Sandy was like, 'you aren't going swimming?' And Mike was like 'no' and then you find out about the type of cancer he had and I thought that that was really cute that even though everything with his cancer he still went swimming because Sandy wanted him to. I also loved their prank! I definitely think that Dr. Ben will remember that. And I couldn't stop laughing when Sandy said that she wanted to get back at her brother so she sewed flowers on his underwear! I couldn't help it, who does that? I don't know but it is hysterical and now I have a good idea how to get back at my siblings when I get mad at them. I did love this book, unlike I was expecting to. It was a quick easy read- OH AND ONE MORE THING! I died reading this book because after Sandy dies and Dawn receives the box from her, The sparkling pink popcorn necklace was in there and I died. That was such a cute addition as well as when Sandy drew Dawn her 'Imaging' picture. I also just loved how she corresponded her teddy bear collection into the Imaging and I have to say that this book was really great. Ok, Now i am finished, I have to go lay in my bed and try and comprehend everything in this- oh wait! I lied, I'm not finished yet. I don't really know if in the end Dawn ended up with Jake but SHE SHOULD NOT HAVE! I mean, the entire book you and Sandy were talking about how nobody understands and THAT INCLUDES JAKEZ BUT YOU KNOW WHO DOES UNDERSTAND?!?!?!??! GREG BECAUSE HE HAD CANCER AND NOT JUST ANY TYPE! HE HAD LEUKEMIA! THE SAME TYPE AS DAWN! Well, I know that dawn has ALL and Greg's might have been a different type of leukemia but he still understands what Dawn went through. HE IS THE BETTER CHOICE!!!!!!!! OKAY! I AM DONE. FOR REAL THIS TIME. PEACE!


04/30/21

I love how my reviews are constant none sense because Kaley always yelled at me to do it. It was still a good book, I just think that it was a little young at this point, it is very easy to fly through and it would be a good “going to bed” story for a younger kid. I know it’s about cancer but there’s a lot more here too, it’s slightly annoying how it’s all about boys. But it’s set in Ohio, not Cincinnati but you know... close enough.

[Soraia Esteves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Six months to live, written by Lurlene McDaniel was the book I chose to read. This book was about a young girl names Dawn who got Cancer and this story told the audience about her life before, during and after her cancer. It goes over Dawns life changes with her friends, family, and her own personal mindset. Reading this book, there was a constant connection. As the reader this book left me feeling that everything was connected in some way meaning that everything happens for a reason. As Lurlene McDaniel said, "from every ending, comes a new beginning."
As Dawn learns she has cancer she goes through a phase of denial. The phase is short but it truly gets to her mind. When she gets to the hospital to begin her treatment she gets a roommate by the name of Sandy. They become the best of friends and Sandy eventually goes into remission followed by Dawn who goes into remission shortly after. They then meet up for a summer camp which they have a really great time at. They meet new friends and share new experiences. After camp Dawn learns that Sandy relapsed and passed away.
When Dawn meets Sandy she is at first a little shy but they quickly become friends. As Dawn becomes close with Sandy she becomes distant with her school friends. She feels that they don't understand what she's going through and that is something that her and Sandy spend some time talking about. I truly enjoyed this book. As the reader, there was constantly a feeling as if I was there with Dawn living with her during this time.

[Julie Decker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dawn thought her bruises were from cheerleading practice, but after she also started feeling tired all the time, she went to the doctor and was diagnosed with leukemia. She has to drop her entire life to be admitted to the hospital, and begins the fight of her life. Chemotherapy replaces cheerleading, and she begins an existence full of blood cell counts, hair loss, and horrible weakness. But her roommate Sandy, who's dealing with the same things, helps keep Dawn going, and they become partners in battle against their diseases. As they work toward remission and beyond, their friendship grows, and they get to experience a camp for other cancer survivors and having their first experiences with romance. It's an inspiring but realistic account of this horrible disease that keeps the story's heart close to its characters.

People who do not want to read about the gritty details of cancer treatment should not read this book. It frightened me as a child, but I cared enough about Dawn that I wanted to know what would happen to her.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a thirteen year old girl who has cancer. When she is in the hospital, she meets a new friend. They did everthing together but one day Dawns friend Sandy was well enough to go home. They wrote each other everyday. They finally saw each other again at cancer camp. Cancer camp is a camp where kids with cancer go for two weeks and play games, swim, go on nature walks, and meet new friends. While Dawn and Sandy were at camp they became more than friends with two boys. When camp was over, Dawn received a letter from Sandy. The letter was about bad news. After that, the bad news kept coming. If you want to know what the letter said and about all of the ups and downs of Dawns life, you can read "Six Months to Live" by Lurlene McDaniel. This book is a series and the next book is called "I Want to Live". Lurlene McDaniel writes many inpirational novels for teens and I have read three of them and I plan on reading many more.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I read back when I was in junior high. My best friend Ericka suggested it b/c I was annoying her. I didn't read books till this one I Loved it, sad book about a girl who grts cancer at a young age. Full of life, meets her best friend in the hospital on the oncology floor, where they become the best frends, ho to cancer camp together. There is alittle romance in the book. Awesome writer and story. The stoty is somewhat sad but good, it's about life, love, happiness, sickness, getting better, dying, hope, faith. If you loved this book you will like the other ones in the series. six months to live, I want to live, So much to live for, No time to cry, To live again. all awesome!

[Brenna Mathews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Its the type of book that you can never put down because its so intense and you want to know what is going to happen next. This book is based on a girl who was diagnosed with cancer, as he begins treatment and chemotherapy she becomes nauseous and ill. With some help from her new roommate Sandy who also has cancer, she begins to fight and battle her disease. Without notice both Dawn and Sandy go into remission and return home hopping to still be best friends, and battle to become cancer free. I thought this book was great, and had lots of meaning. It has a great plot and exposition, and you really get hooked one the book. I suggest this book to anyone who likes to read sad or intense books.

[Katharine]

In sixth-grade my best friend and I were obsessed with Lurlene McDaniel. Combined we probably checked out everyone of her books in the school library during our sixth grade year. We would go straight to the M section of the library each time we visited and discuss which titles we had read and which we liked best. I remember loving them because, I think, it made me feel grown up to be reading something that had such sad and serious themes. (you know, instead of yet another horse book) Also, it was probably the first time in my life that a peer recommended a book/author to me and I was able to share the joy of chatting about books with a like-minded/similarly obsessed individual. For that reason alone, thank you Lurlene McDaniel.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was the summer of 1988 when I was 14 and attain the original published 1985 paperback with a girl holding a teddy bear sitting on a hospital bed as the cover. I was hooked on this book of the bravery and inspiration of the main character Dawn. It depicts humanity of a young girl at 13 who desires a normal life but learn of her fate with cancer. She meets another cancer patient, Sandy whom together they become best friends. It was through "Six Months To Live" that compelled me at first to learn about cancer, what chemotherapy is, what remission is, etc. All in all, it is a heartbreaking, inspirational and very moving book.

[Celeste Trevino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Six months to live the teenager named dawn finding out she was going to die soon at a young age. She was feeling really sad about it and got emotional as the days passed by. She didn't know how to tell other people about it.

She was dying because she had cancer (leukemia) and she's scared. Dawn meets a friend who also has cancer. They both battle the disease together and become best friends.Dawn and Sandy become even more closer when both of their hair falls out after the treatment. Dawn had just joined the cheerleading team and. She's afraid she will die and won't get a chance to hang out with her friends and tell the guy she likes how much she loves him.

[Ansha D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being 13 is all about sleepovers, cheer, friends, etc. For Dawn Rochelle, life is very tensed when she finds out she has leukemia, a type of cancer. Dawn has many supporters throughout her disease but she still feels very lonely. She is trying everything she can do to try enjoy her childhood but still cannot. I liked this book a lot. It gives the reader a perspective of hard life becomes when you have cancer. Lurlene McDaniel delivers this story as if she were Dawn keeping a diary while going through this tragedy and coping with cancer. This is a must read for soft people and adventurous people who like to try new things!!

[Tana Bruggeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever read a book that just makes you want to cry at the end and want to read more. This book "Six Months to Live" By Lurlene McDaniel is that type of book. This book is very suspenceful with 114 pages in it.
The setting is more at a summer camp. Two girls, Dawn and Sandy, have leukemia and meet in their hospital room. After a while they get out of the hospital and both meet back at a summer camp for people with all types of canser. They have fun their and meet some new friends. They go home and...
I would really sugest this book, more to girl teens, but if you like suspence read this. You willnever get bored. I give this book a 4 out of 5 because it stares of borning.

[Kaylee Hamm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was about a teen named Dawn that was diagnosed with cancer. At first she was in denial and shock but as the book went along she learned to accept her cancer and face it. She meets a friend named Sandy while she's in the hospital and they both go into remission. They both go to a cancer camp over summer and shortly afterwards, sandy relapses and passes away.
I really enjoyed this book! It had me constantly engaged and I am excited to read the next book of the series. I would most definitely recommend this book to anyone!

[Mariah]

"I'm just a kid","right".
In my opinion this a really good book is really good and it shows you that to never give up even when you feel like giving up.The reason i say this is because for all the people out there fighting cancer or loosing you loved one because of cancer don give up fight back think of it as being a hero and saving yours or cancer fighters names
The book Six months to live is realistic fiction Its about a girl named Dawn and she has Leukemia.


Dawn has to earthier fight her cancer or has six months to live.
the setting of the book

[Sydney Blain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Six Months to live was a inspiring story.I really enjoyed it because the author focused a lot on the detail but Dawn and her friend.This is a book i could really picture.This is about a girl named Dawn who discovers that she has cancer and she goes to a cancer camp that changes her life.But when she has to go home she does not know how other people will treat her.But she suffer to tragedy her life gets turned upside down.Dawn is the main character then there is other characters like Sandy,Greg,Mike and jake.I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a truly inspiring story.

[Stacy Simpson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this when I was around 11 years old....Liked it then...Found it at a garage sale awhile ago finished it last night and still liked it!

The only thing I hated was the ending I would have loved to see her return to camp and give the ashes of Sandy to the fire renewal ceremony....Or at least more define the romance between one of the two guys...Otherwise a very good book to help children understand the emotions and kinda the background of leukemia.