Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Before I Fall follows the life of a senior girl in high school, Samantha Kingston. She and her three friends are some of the most popular girls in school. Samantha has it all, perfect boyfriend, three supporting best friends, everything any teenage girl could hope for. Everything was perfect until February 12th. Samantha and her three friends attend a party and make a drunken mistake, resulting in Samantha’s death. However, instead of going to heaven or hell or whatever, Samantha relives February 12th seven times. Through these seven repeats she uncovers secrets about her death She uncovers secrets about everything and everyone close to her. How much will she risk to save her own life?

The book started off rather slow and a little too cliche for my tastes. Oliver portrayed high school in a very stereotypical way and Samantha as a character was very unlikeable to start off. Her and her friends were catty and rude and I was sick and tired of hearing the character complain about trivial things such as spilt coffee. However, I am no quitter as a reader and so I pulled through. And boy, am I glad I did. The story started picking up, hitting its climax in the most amazing way. Samantha changed as a character and the reader could see clear as day the character development. She changed from a snotty teenage brat to a sophisticated human being who slowly uncovered the secret to life. The secret to really living life and not just gliding by it. Samantha began treating people differently and making new risks that popular Samantha Kingston would’ve never made in the first chapter.
The last two or so chapters kept me totally captivated, I was unable to set the book down. Flipping page after page new secrets were uncovered and Samantha turned into someone that the reader should aspire to be. Samantha was on a mission, a mission to not only save others but to also save herself. The ending to the story left me with a full feeling. I did feel like crying, if not more than just a tear or two.
Samantha Kingston was a one layered character that, personally, I did not connect to at all. She was unlikeable, and for good reason. However, Oliver used her writing skills to change the reader’s mind, and instead we fell in love with Samantha Kingston and her selflessness and her constant need to save herself. Because, in the end, Samantha really did save herself.
This was the first book I have ever read by Lauren Oliver and I think it was a good introduction into her writing. She uses a lot of metaphors and similes, which when you first start reading feels a little weird and out of place. However, adjusting yourself to her writing really helps you connect with Oliver’s characters and in turn makes you feel many new emotions. Personally, I really enjoyed her writing and I felt myself attracted to the way she described things in new ways, even trivial things.

Overall, as a fellow reader, I would say pull through. Pull through the first two or three chapters because it gets better. It gets much much better and if you start the book and don’t finish you will surely regret it. I promise.
If you enjoyed the following books I think you will enjoy Before I Fall:
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

This entry was posted in Buzz, Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Retelling, Reviews, Sci-Fi, TBC Favorites, What We're Reading by Indigo Ramey-Wright. Bookmark the permalink.

About Indigo Ramey-Wright

Hi, my name is Indigo. I am an avid reader and live two blocks off the beach in Santa Cruz. I attend an academically accelerated high school, college prep, and I only have a few close friends. I spend my free time watching television, reading, playing with my dog (a 12 year old Jack Russel Terrier named Winks), and hanging out with my friends and family. I enjoy many types of genres for movies and books, ranging from romantic comedies to dystopian societies. I started reading when I was very young and since then it’s been my drug. I can never get enough of it. Once I start a new book I rarely put it down, even if the weird reading position I took up starts giving me a neck ache. On top of my strong love for reading, I also enjoy writing. I have started many novels, from when I was even a small child, however many of them I did not finish. I grew out of them as I aged and my maturity grew. Recently, I have started my most prominent novel, one that I hope will transcend previous ones. I hope that it will be 'The One', if that makes any sense. During senior year I will be doing a Capstone Project, a creation of my choice. I have chosen to write and publish a novel. Hopefully the novel I am working on right now will be the novel that I will publish and allow other people to read, people I don't even know, hopefully. When it comes to books my opinion is insignificant compared to others, but I hope that maybe someone will choose to read a book because of one of my blog posts about it or maybe they will agree with me and spark up a conversation and we will become friends. I am creating this blog to put myself out there and maybe make a small imprint on the writing world. Sincerely, Indigo

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