Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

 

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: looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it turns out to be her last.

The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. Living the last day of her life seven times 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.


My Thoughts/Review:

To be honest, in the beginning of this book, Sam's character is so easily dis-likable, and so entirely mean and hateful, that it's actually really hard to believe that she becomes the sweet, kind girl in the end. Because she changes so much, just in that one day that she dies. It's amazing, it's miraculous, and I can't sing the author's praises enough for that transformation.

She was horrid, and I loved how all the little things that changed over the week impacted her so much, that she was a new person.

I thought it was pretty cool, how the author wrote in such a flowing, put-together kind of way, and she never confused me, or made me just want to throw the book down in a fit of rage, so that was great. And to me, all the moments in the story just flowed together and made it very easy to understand, with just a touch of sarcasm, and why-me kind of mentality. She was upset, she was scared, and for the first few days, she took it out on everyone else. No one got away unscathed.

Least of all her. But it had such a peaceful ending, and it made me feel really mellow, because it was sad, and melancholy, yet at the same time it was happy and joyful. People never cease to surprise me with stuff like this.

Kent was my second favorite character after Sam, and he was really awesome. He was a sweetheart, he was just an over-all nice guy. Not looking to get girls, but to just live. And he lived well. You would never believe the complete turn-around that Sam had towards him.

I wonder if you do get a greatest hits replay when you die...This book brings up several philosophical questions, and I really want to know all the answers to them. All in all, I believe that this was an emotional debut, that left me hanging on to the story until the very last page.
♠♠♠♠
Favorite Quote: And then, just at that moment, when I'm no longer sure if I'm dreaming or awake, or walking some valley in between where everything you wish for comes true, I feel the flutter of his lips on mine, but it's too late. I'm slipping, I'm gone, he's gone, and the moment curls away and back on itself like a flower folding up for the night.