Review: Before I Fall

Title: Before I Fall
Author: Lauren Oliver
ISBN/Publisher: 978-0-06-172680-4/Harper Teen
Age Group/Genre: Young Adult

Samantha Kingston and her three best friends are the popular, beautiful girls on the high school campus. But high school right now for Samantha isn't all that great. She's living February 12th, Cupid Day, over and over...seven times to be exact.

Cupid Day, usually one of her favorite days. The day where everyone knows who the poplular kids are because they're the ones that are delivered so many flowers throughout the school day. But The thing is, it's not just any Cupid Day she's living over, it's the day she dies. And each day she makes changes to it...sometimes ditching school, seducing someone at the school (not her bf), or hanging out with family. She's trying to figure out if any of this will change her fate.

Oh my goodness, it is so hard for me to write a review for a book that I love so much. Before I Fall is such a powerful and emotional story.

First off, the main character and her friends come off as the biggest bitches on campus, but the way Oliver writes them still made them real. I mean there were some scenes in the book, and I swear I was back in high school. Even when they had their queen bee moments (and they had them), you want to hate them. However, they also had their funny and likable moments.

But the story is all Sam's. And even with so many twists and turns in this story, Sam is the girl that you end up loving and wanting to protect. This character made me think about life and the changes that I should make, even the small ones like saying I love you more to family. This was such a beautiful story with an ending that left me speechless (I just sat there for a little bit after finishing the book) to think about the story.

Man, this review does not do any justice for the book. Let me just add, when I was re-reading passages before typing this up, I started to re-read more than I had to. This book is a new book out this year that I will re-read over and over again. It is thought provoking and emotional with a wonderful main character...which makes it my kind of book.

I really hope you pick this one up and enjoy it as much as I did! I cannot wait to read more of Lauren Oliver's books.

A few favorite lines...

A good friend keeps your secrets for you. A best friend helps you keep your own secrets. page 107

Here's another thing to remember: hope keeps you alive. Even when you're dead, it's the only thing that keeps you alive. page 136
That's the thing about best friends. That's what they do. They keep you from spinning off the edge. page 252

So many things become beautiful when you really look. page 344

*Side thought...in this book Advanced Placement American History is called AHAP...we called it APUSH in my district (AP U.S. History)...what did you guys call it?

My Rating

(This was bought from a store called FullyBooked)

***Now go and grab your fave cup of tea (or whatever beverage you prefer) and HAPPY readings***