Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

So the first time I ever used my school library, I read this book, Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. I’d consider my first trip to the library a success…

            Samantha Kingston is on top of the world; she’s one of the most popular girls in school, she has the hottest boyfriend in the world, and she has three of the best friends anyone could ask for. Until she dies on February 12th. Just when she thinks her life is over, she wakes up in her bed and finds out that it is the exact same day: February 12^th. Day after day, this day repeats, each time her morals crumbling a little more and her life becoming even more of a mess. On her final day, she swears to do everything right so that she can finally move on, wake up on February 13^th, and live out the rest of her life happily. But will the events of that day allow her to move on to February 13^th or will they end her days forever?

            The main character, Sam, was slightly infuriating. She drank and had no worries and she was a total sheep, at first. I did not like her character at all at the beginning of the story, but I think that was the whole point. Each day she relived, I liked her even less; watching the days go on was like watching someone’s slow descent into madness. She went crazy a little bit more everyday until she vowed to change herself. There was a definite change in Sam when one compares her original self with the person she is at the end. Let’s just say I like her a whole lot more at the end.

            I also want to mention Kent, because he was so awesome and cool and he was my favorite character by far. And Sam’s friends, no matter how messed up they were (each had their own serious problem) and no matter how much I disagreed with their decisions, they were still really good friends to her and I appreciated them that way, but like I said before, they had problems. Big ones.

            There was a lot of drinking and drugs in this book, almost to the point of un-believability, but then I realized that I just don’t live in that world. There are probably people at my school that do the same thing as the people in this book do, so I think if I was a part of that group (thank God I’m not) then I would understand it a lot more. But in the end, I did believe it and the whole thing seemed so real. Lauren Oliver is a GENIUS when it comes to her writing. This story was beautifully told and I loved every second of it. Even when nothing was happening at all, I still loved it. She has a way about her writing that is beautiful and I love every single book I read by her.

            I would call Before I Fall a tragedy and at the end, I felt like my heart was ripped out of my chest, beaten with a club, and thrown in a blender. I was so devastated that I couldn’t even cry- I just sat there in a shocked silence for a few minutes. I’m pretty sure the thoughts were knocked straight out of my head for the remainder of the day.

            Before I Fall was hauntingly beautiful and lovely in every way. It was a story of love, sacrifice, and second chances. It had a huge impact on me and I say to READ IT READ IT READ IT!!!

I urge you all to read this book! 5 Smileys!