Review: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver


Published: March 10th 2010
Publisher: Harper Collins
Page Count: Hardcover, 470
Source: Library Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fantasy, Romance
Find the Author: Website, Good Reads, Twitter, Blog
Buy This Book:  Amazon, Book Depository
Add It To Your Good Reads Shelf

What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life? Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it turns out to be her last.Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing. - Good Reads

For some reason I have this morbid thing for books where people die. Maybe it's because I love a good tearjerker or maybe it's because I have this horrible fear of what will happen after I die and reading books about it gives me some sort of hope that there will be something there for me (which doesn't make sense because they're fictional, I know). Either way, when I read the summary of Before I Fall I knew I had to read it. That teamed up with the fact that it was written by Lauren Oliver who I'm in love with after reading Delirium made it a must-read and it ended up being a must-read. 


Lauren Oliver knows how to write with such a realistic tone. And such detail is given to the surroundings and characters that you can literally just get right in there and feel it - but the detail is given subtly, not to the point where you want to yawn and skip.


I think my favourite part of this book was seeing how Sam grew throughout each of her chances. She started out as such a bitch, she was just such a frustrating character, but as she re-lived the day each time she slowly started to change and by the end you truly felt for her and her eyes started to open about how all the little things you do can affect yourself and others and sometimes the blatantly mean things that you may do. It also was a good lesson in motivation: what motivates hate or meanness and it was interesting how each of the characters tied into the story in different ways and to see their individual motivation. I also loved how sex and attraction was spun in this book. That aspect alone made it a book that I'll definitely be handing to my daughter in her teens, because I liked how it was portrayed. 


RECOMMENDED TO...
I'd recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It's got a hint of fantasy to it, but it reads like realistic contemporary fiction and there are a lot of good lessons to be found inside. If you love books that make you think, you'll love this.
Heads Up: There are sexual references and there is a smidgen of swearing. 


                          4 out of 5 Hello Kitties!