Synopsis:
What if you only had 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.
(Taken from www.laurenoliverbooks.com.)
Review:
I’ve been agonizing over this review because I’m still not sure what I think about Before I Fall. I’ve watched it creep up the best sellers list and I’ve read rave reviews about what a life-changing book it is, but I’m hesitant to go that far. And yet …
This is one of those books that will mean something different to everyone who reads it because we all come from different backgrounds, regions and social status. We all have or had our “place” in high school: popular girl, geek, goth, stoner, etc., and depending on where you are (or were) you will have a different reaction to the story and narrator, Samantha Kingston.
Personally, I found her to be a horrible, horrible brat, as well as her friends, and most readers won’t feel bad at all when she dies (the first time). Her world is so far from my high school experience (small Midwestern town) that I could hardly relate. Every page I found myself wondering, Do schools like this really exist? Is this what high school is like now? For me, it made the book very unrealistic, though I imagine readers from more affluent areas may disagree.
Before I Fall is undoubtedly “edgy” YA – it deals with almost every edgy topic you can conceive of: drug use, alcoholism and underage drinking, promiscuous sex, rape, abuse, divorce, abandonment, stealing, eating disorders, depression and suicide. (Did I forget anything?!)
By the end, I could see that Sam had grown, but I’m still not sure why. We never understand why Sam has all these chances or how she figures out what she’s “supposed” to do. We watch her flounder around for a few go-arounds, and it’s in these flubs that the book is most interesting. One day in particular, Sam throws caution to the wind and does all the bad-girl things she’s always wanted to try. She experiments with the “butterfly effect” in which minor changes cause large changes in outcome.
A number of these changes surround a character named Kent, who is the real star — and real loser– of the book. I won’t spoil it, but this guy really gets shafted and I hope somewhere in Fictionland, he gets his due.
Finally, I know the cliché goes that the opposite of love is not hate, but indifference, and that’s the saving grace of Before I Fall. Lauren Oliver managed to make me hate Sam and her circle, so clearly her writing is powerful enough to evoke strong emotions. I also loved Kent. Unfortunately, I was pretty indifferent about the rest of the large (and somewhat redundant) cast of characters. And I still don’t think I can decide how I fell about the book overall.
Have you read Before I Fall? We’d love to know what you thought about the edginess factor and your reaction to the characters. Is it an accurate depiction of your high school? Tell us in the comments.
Novel Novice 