Before I Fall (edition 2011)

Perfect. I was not expecting this at all. Not at all. There were so many things that I thought were done so well. The progression of the story seemed perfect. The development of the characters seemed perfect. The changes in the things that happened from one day to the next weren't a simple progression. There were mistakes and there was misunderstanding and misinterpretation and forward and backward and it seemed so real. I lost any sense of expectation and was on edge about what might happen. The extent of development of each character varied. There weren't main characters and secondary characters. It was more like you got to know each individual character to a different and to a perfect degree. Everything fit together to heightened the intensity of the emotions. The emotional detail and detail in the portrayal of Sam's frame of mind all along the way and the physical descriptions were perfect. By the time I was far enough through the story I could see that nothing was black and white - none of the characters were good or bad. This was an amazing look at life in a way that life itself usually prevents. Its not that the concept of this book was new or that there was anything that was unique about the story - the plot and the theme weren't surprising - it was just, in my humble opinion, done so well. My initial expectation of predictability was shattered somewhere along the line.

I consider this a coming of age story, although thinking of that phrase in the literal sense this is a really weird twist of the definition. I told someone not too long ago that I think everyone, regardless of age, should take the time every few years to read three or four coming of age stories by good authors to remind them of the things they've forgotten or that life has beaten out of them. This was a reaffirmation of that belief. ( )

Not being a big fan of the "Delerium" series, I thought I'd see how I fared with the original Lauren Oliver hit, "Before I Fall," and I'm quite glad I did. In "Before I Fall," the main character dies. No, this isn't a spoiler, this is the beginning of the book, however, when she wakes up after her death she finds herself living the same day over again. And again. And again. Like the "Groundhog's Day" of deaths.

Thing is, she's not really been a nice girl. In fact, she's been one of the "mean girls," and maybe, just maybe, she needs to set things right before she can really be free.

The story was lovely. Really lyrical and introspective. The main character has some realizations about herself, yes, but also acknowledges the extent to which it is simply human nature to exclude, to misunderstand, to be... human. You'll be frustrated as the main character as she tries again and again to get it right, and hopefully, sigh with satisfaction when she does. ( )

It took some getting used to, but I really liked this book. It pulled me in, despite my many misgivings and despite my intense dislike of the main characters. I realized that writing about narcissistic, wealthy teenage mean girls was exactly what Lauren Oliver wanted to do. She wanted go inside the lives of the stereotypical mean girl and figure out what makes her tick. I got curious about just how she intended to redeem the nasty main characters. Are they even redeemable? I'll let you decide that your for yourself.
In many ways, it's a simple story about the impact of bullying and the devastating effect that seemingly random acts can have on people's lives. Lauren Oliver is a good writer and she tells this story well. Her finger was absolutely on the pulse of teenage life and I commend her for that. It felt very authentic to me....(and my 33 year old world view!)
I listened to the audio version which was performed with great drama and intensity. I spent a lot of time totally hating the main characters, but by the end, I was completely hooked and wanted to know how it would all end.
This would be a fantastic book to discuss with a teenage book group. ( )

Samantha Kingston has a pretty charmed life. She's got a good group of friends, a cute, sought-after boyfriend, and a bright future. She should be enjoying her senior year, and Friday, February 12 should be a normal day for her. Until she dies...and then wakes up the next morning to find out that it's Friday again. Samantha relives the same day seven times, and as she does, she realizes that even the smallest changes she makes allow her to forever alter the course of things.

Lauren Oliver's debut novel doesn't reinvent the wheel by any means--other reviews compare the story to Mean Girls meets Groundhog Day, and that's a succinct way of outlining the plot. Samantha is one of the mean girls with a conscience that she quells because it's easier to go along with her friends than to take a stand. Of course, this changes as the story progresses, and readers should enjoy seeing the changes that Samantha brings to the day she keeps reliving.

What Oliver does especially well is changing each day enough so that the reader doesn't tire of reading about the same day over and over again. As Samantha progresses through her seven days, readers get to experience the changes she makes to the surface of her life as well as the changes she makes within.

Oliver also does a beautiful job with balancing the thoughts of a seventeen-year-old girl. While Samantha worries about a classmate's safety, she also worries over losing her virginity, various crushes, skipping classes, and spending time with her family. All of this is balanced in a way that feels real, and should be something that readers of all ages can relate to.

Some readers might find the ending disappointing, while others might think it's too tidy. The story is upsetting, to be sure, no matter how the ending is interpreted, but it is one of the most promising YA books this reviewer has read in some time. ( )

I did not particularly enjoy this book as I felt it had a rough writing style that jolted readers out of their reading, and I didn't really care for the content of the book. I gave this book a 3Q for quality because of the writing style and I feel that the popularity of the book is a 2P because I can see it only appealing to a limited number of teens.

I could see this book being a cathartic way for teenagers to step outside themselves and see how their actions could affect others. It also might be helpful for someone who is being bullied or belittled to be able to see the main character come to terms with her action (or inaction against the leader of her crew) and her attempts to make things right before the end of her time.

I think the only time I might recommend this novel to a teen would be if they were wanting a book about a popular girl in high school that gets a chance to right some of the wrongs she has done, but to be honest, I found it to be a sad, depressing tale of a bunch of popular students who couldn't see that their actions might eventually be the catalyst that drives another to suicide.

However, if this book stops one teenager from bullying or making another teenager feel like a lower-class citizen, then it would be worth it to have this book read by teens.

My favorite paragraph in the book is where Sam describes the impossibility of knowing that something you are experiencing is the last time you will experience it:

"but I'm guessing it's like that for most things in life - the last kiss, the last laugh, the last cup of coffee, the last sunset, the last time you jump through a sprinkler or eat an ice-cream cone, or stick your tongue out to catch a snowflake. You just don't know." ( )