Before I Fall, Lauren Oliver

• Reading level:       Young Adult
  
• Hardcover:            480 pages
• Publisher:              HarperTeen, April 8, 2010 (or March 2, 2010)

Bookmarks:          5

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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—looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12th should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it’s her last. The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. In fact, she re-lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she had ever imagined.

I'm going to start of this review by telling you how much I loved this book. I know, I know. At first I was all, the characters are too mean for me to get into this book, but there is a reason behind the meanness. And it all plays out in a fascinating manner.

A cross between It's A Wonderful Life and Groundhog Day, Samantha Kingston dies and she knows she has died.  But when she wakes up, it's February 12, again, and again, and again and so on.  She knows that because she has the power to change things, she can and will.  But is it what she needs to stay alive or help her friends stay alive?

With each chapter representing the day that she is repeating, Sam learns that her friends may not be the type of friends that you want around.  Or the boyfriend really isn't the one who quickens her heart.  That the girl that everyone pokes fun of, may have plans that are quite dire and needs help that no one can sense.  But after reliving the day for seven days, Sam thinks she finally has the answers to right the wrong that has happened.

Lauren Oliver creates a tightly woven story of bitchy, mean girls that you just don't like.  And honestly you don't want to like them.  But as Sam navigates her life and sees what is important, you understand that what is done and how people are aren't necessarily their true selves.  Sams friends are shallow, drunken and don't care about anyone else except themselves.  Or how many roses they get on Cupid Day.  Or how getting into a car at a certain time can mean destruction for people around them.

I really enjoyed the lesson learned and the ambiguous ending.  Which is strange because I'm not about ambiguous endings.  But it was satisfying.  I literally read through every page wondering where was this going next? because I just couldn't figure it out.  Sam grew on me and Sam herself realized that she was growing up too.  I highly recommend this book for the older teen crowd (14+).  You'll find yourself rooting for the mean girls and you realize they do have humility.