review: before i fall by lauren oliver

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After another typical Cupid Day (February 12) at school, Sam and her friends attend a party at the home of someone Sam used to be friends with—she dropped him when the popular group accepted her. Sam’s life from this point forward will be anything but typical; she’s killed in a car crash as the girls leave the party. But then Sam wakes up in the morning to discover it’s still Cupid Day. She makes some changes, but the end result is the same. The cycle repeats again in the morning. Is Sam doomed to continually relive the day she dies or will she finally figure out what changes she must make in order to finally rest in peace?

Although Sam begins as one of the so-called high school mean girls, I loved her straightaway; I knew she was different. Her friend Lindsay is another story; that girl is downright mean. Even so, Lindsay has some redemptive qualities (though they are very few). Her family history also lends some sympathy to the character. The other two friends aren’t as well-developed, but they also aren’t as important to the story which focuses on Sam, how she became friends with Lindsay’s group, and the consequences of their antics. Even when I hated the girls, I loved every second of the book. Lauren Oliver’s debut is incredible.
5/5
ARC Review
Review copy provided as part of the Barnes and Noble First Look program.