Review: Before I Fall

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I'll be real honest. I bought this book because I read a tweet that was talking about how great it was. When I began to read, I wasn't so sure. The beginning felt very shallow, but over time I grew to like it (not love it, but like it).

This book, aimed at teens is the story of a girl who fell into popularity just before middle school and, while she wasn't a super-terrible person, she wasn't willing to step out of her box and be nice, or even pay attention to, people outside of her four-person popular group (except for her shallow boyfriend, who just wanted to get into her pants).

The story starts out with the main character, Sam, who dies in the first scene in a car wreck. But the weird thing is, she wakes up the next day only to find herself at the beginning of the day she relived before her death. Much like Ground Hog Day, her day keeps starting over, allowing Sam to try things a little different each time--sometimes for the better and sometimes for the best.

Will Sam ever become a better person and makes things right or will she spin out of control with the power she has at knowing she will likely just wake up again to relive the same day?

Overall, I liked the idea and think it was well-written. I just had a hard time liking some of the main characters very much, although the minor characters will pull at your heart strings as you see them suffering in the typical high school popular/unpopular scene.



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