Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Details
Publisher:  HarperCollins (2010)
Pages:  480
Content:  L- Moderate Swearing and Sexual Dialogue, S- 1st & 2nd base, V- Mild, Other- Lots of teenage drinking and some drug use
Recommended Age:  15+
Source:  Dorchester County Library


Front Flap Description
What if you had only 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.

My Thoughts
Overall, I liked this book, but the biggest problem I had with it is that I never really liked the main character, Samantha, all that much.  It was very difficult for me to empathize and live vicariously through a character who was so different from me.  I guess the fact that she was so self-centered and mean was part of the point of the story- it provided room for her to learn and grow throughout the book.  Still, even by the end, I couldn't relate to her very well.
   However, despite Samantha's challenging personality, the book was well-written and cleverly constructed.  The emotional phases that she went through while having to repeat her last day over and over rang true, and the decisions that she made each time made sense in the context of her personality.  The author certainly placed her in a number of unexpected situations, and while she did not make the same choices I would, it was interesting to see how her character and outlook developed and changed as the events of each day unfolded.
   While I didn't love the characters (her friends were every bit as bad, or worse than she was), there were still plenty of funny moments, and sweet moments, and thought-provoking moments. It won't make my list of favorite books, but it was put together well enough that I'm planning to try another book by Lauren Oliver- Delirium.  If it is as good as this one, it will be worth my time.

Rating
4/5