Book Review... Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Before I Fall

By: Lauren Oliver

Published By:  HarperCollins

Published Date: March 2010

Pages:  Hardcover 472

Tags: Young Adult, Contemporary Fiction, Speculative

First Line:  They say that just before you die your whole life flashes before your eyes, but that's not how it happened for me.

Why the Mad Scientist read this book:   I bought Before I Fall at a great discounted price when my local Borders was going out of business.  It was a sad day but I picked up over 40 books.  Yikes!  Plus, I read and enjoyed Delirium.

Concoction of a review:

Lauren Oliver wrote this book in such away that it makes you think about your life and how you should cherish life.  You may just never know when the plague will come through and take you away.   

Samantha Kingston is an high school girl who has everything she could want, besides a parasol.  She is popular, has friends, a boyfriend whom she liked for years.  On cupid day, February 12th, everything changes for her. 

She wakes up and finds herself repeating the day.  Odd is what the Mad Scientist was thinking, intriguing even.  Sam was thinking Deja Vu.  However, throughout the book she slowly learns that the repeat of the day is not just fate playing a twisted game with her.  After some time, the purpose of it all becomes more clear to her.

In the beginning Sam Kingston was not a very likable character and the Mad Scientist did not connect with her.  This would draw many people away just for that.  Except in this case, as Sam goes through the repeat of the day we get to watch her change and grow into a person we all enjoy seeing at that beginning of our books.  Throughout these repeat days she learns how a girl was tortured by her & a friend, kisses a teacher, ditches school, spends time with a sibling, watches a friend die, dumps her boyfriend and many other things.

The story was bold, the emotion was powerful, & above all the character's development was impressive.  Oliver creates a teenager that attaches to you because you do watch her grow so wonderfully while adding in a shocking end.  More traumatic and startling then the beginning.  Emotions are piled up at the end and you cannot help but shed a tear or too into your handkerchief.  

Dislikes?  The Mad Scientist was completely caught off guard on this one.  Here is a time that I wish I would of known a bit more about the book.  I think I would of read this book at a different time that better fit my mood.  I also think that I was getting a bit tired of reading about the same day throughout the whole book.  Yes, there were changes, yes she changed, yes it was an emotional ride... Just a day or two less would of been perfect.

Overall, Before I Fall  did not have me falling in love.  

3.1 Kisses

I enjoyed the bold contemporary story of a young girl and how she grows throughout several repeats of the day she died, ending in an bought of emotion.