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mariahistryingtoread's review against another edition
5.0
With all the commercials advertising the movie, I was reminded of my love for this book (before it was cool) and that I never wrote a review.
Before I Fall just clicked with me. I gave it five stars because I personally love it more than I can say. Objectively, I can see its faults, but this is a book that managed to transcend all of that because I loved it anyways.
Samantha 'Sam' Kingston is a mean girl who keeps reliving the day of her death. The story started off weak because while Sam was mean she was not stereotypical. This book doesn't focus on the Regina George of her little group - Lindsay. It focuses on Sam who is more equivalent to Gretchen Weiners. That line about it being better to be in the 'Plastics' hating it than completely outside of them definitely applies to Sam.
Sam, Ally, Elody, and Lindsay are good friends to each other. I don't doubt they care about each other. But, they all clearly defer to Lindsay. Sam does so in particular because she was unpopular as a child and desperately wants to never go back to that.
Knowing all of this the book started off weak because while it's a lot more interesting than the stereotypical Queen B is punished for her sins trope I was left almost hating Sam more for her behavior. We see Sam acknowledging what her group does in certain instances is wrong or questioning it, yet she does it all anyways. It annoyed me endlessly to follow such a spineless girl. I was apathetic to her impending doom.
Everything started to pick up, however, when Sam started reliving the days. That's when we truly got a look at Sam as a person rather than a one dimensional plot device. The strength here was in the development of the characters. With each day you learn more not only about Sam, but about all those around her. You get to see these different sides of people that Sam either purposely ignored or didn't see before. It's like an episode in a cartoon where we follow a secondary character and see what they do all day.
Sam is a catalyst for a lot of things. But what's really interesting to note is that she doesn't change that much. Which is the most believable part. You see her evolve in her perception of people, sure, however there is not complete turnaround for her. Oliver makes her more sympathetic, yet, manages to keep the integrity of her character. Sam learns a lot, but in the end she is still that weak-willed, judgemental girl.
I'm still not sure I like the ending. On the one hand it is literally spelled out from the beginning what will happen. On the other, once I read how it unfolded I don't think it was totally necessary for her to die. And the reason all of this was happening at all or to her specifically was never touched on. It meant we didn't get bogged down with science or magic mumbo jumbo or a search for answers just to fill more pages, but it did mean that the ending in my opinion fell kind of flat. Going along with what I think is the author's motivations, it makes sense. I just needed a bit more story to explain it.
Bottomline, Oliver was not telling a story of redemption. She was telling a story of one girl who is forced to, for once in her life, do the right thing.
Before I Fall just clicked with me. I gave it five stars because I personally love it more than I can say. Objectively, I can see its faults, but this is a book that managed to transcend all of that because I loved it anyways.
Samantha 'Sam' Kingston is a mean girl who keeps reliving the day of her death. The story started off weak because while Sam was mean she was not stereotypical. This book doesn't focus on the Regina George of her little group - Lindsay. It focuses on Sam who is more equivalent to Gretchen Weiners. That line about it being better to be in the 'Plastics' hating it than completely outside of them definitely applies to Sam.
Sam, Ally, Elody, and Lindsay are good friends to each other. I don't doubt they care about each other. But, they all clearly defer to Lindsay. Sam does so in particular because she was unpopular as a child and desperately wants to never go back to that.
Knowing all of this the book started off weak because while it's a lot more interesting than the stereotypical Queen B is punished for her sins trope I was left almost hating Sam more for her behavior. We see Sam acknowledging what her group does in certain instances is wrong or questioning it, yet she does it all anyways. It annoyed me endlessly to follow such a spineless girl. I was apathetic to her impending doom.
Everything started to pick up, however, when Sam started reliving the days. That's when we truly got a look at Sam as a person rather than a one dimensional plot device. The strength here was in the development of the characters. With each day you learn more not only about Sam, but about all those around her. You get to see these different sides of people that Sam either purposely ignored or didn't see before. It's like an episode in a cartoon where we follow a secondary character and see what they do all day.
Sam is a catalyst for a lot of things. But what's really interesting to note is that she doesn't change that much. Which is the most believable part. You see her evolve in her perception of people, sure, however there is not complete turnaround for her. Oliver makes her more sympathetic, yet, manages to keep the integrity of her character. Sam learns a lot, but in the end she is still that weak-willed, judgemental girl.
I'm still not sure I like the ending. On the one hand it is literally spelled out from the beginning what will happen. On the other, once I read how it unfolded I don't think it was totally necessary for her to die. And the reason all of this was happening at all or to her specifically was never touched on. It meant we didn't get bogged down with science or magic mumbo jumbo or a search for answers just to fill more pages, but it did mean that the ending in my opinion fell kind of flat. Going along with what I think is the author's motivations, it makes sense. I just needed a bit more story to explain it.
Bottomline, Oliver was not telling a story of redemption. She was telling a story of one girl who is forced to, for once in her life, do the right thing.
reader4evr's review against another edition
5.0
I would give it a 4.5 actually...
I liked this book a lot, not a 5 but it was good! It totally reminded me of the movie Groundhog Day but for teens. I really liked Sam, a really good main character however I did not like her and her friends so much in the beginning. They were really mean to others but together, they cracked me up! Sam grew on me but her other friends were just so-so. There were parts were I was laughing out loud! The book was really clever and interesting.
I think people that liked Thirteen Reasons Why would like this book.
I liked this book a lot, not a 5 but it was good! It totally reminded me of the movie Groundhog Day but for teens. I really liked Sam, a really good main character however I did not like her and her friends so much in the beginning. They were really mean to others but together, they cracked me up! Sam grew on me but her other friends were just so-so. There were parts were I was laughing out loud! The book was really clever and interesting.
I think people that liked Thirteen Reasons Why would like this book.
redvelvetpenguins's review against another edition
4.0
it had parts that lagged otherwise a great read. the end was so unexpected I literally gasped and cried. I would've liked to know what happen to the other characters after the end. but I guess that's the point
bewitchedandbewildered's review against another edition
5.0
AMAZING!!! The whole message of this book left me awestruck and in tears by the end. One of the best books I've ever read and if you haven't your really missing out. I love love love this book!!!
lynds_13's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Death, Suicide, and Bullying
kat7890erina's review against another edition
3.0
I couldn't help comparing this to Life After Life, which I really loved. This was still heartbreaking and lovely, but I wasn't as absorbed as I have been for some of Oliver's other works.
sandiet's review against another edition
4.0
Most of the time I never know what inspires me to read any one particular book. Sometimes I like the cover; you know that saying “a picture is worth a thousand words,” sometimes it’s the synopsis on the back….although I have read many a book that hasn’t lived up to the description and of course sometimes I just have to read a book for book club.
Before I Fall actually fell into two of these categories; the cover was intriguing and the plot was interesting.
How would you live your life if you knew you only had one day to live? That’s the premise of the book Before I Fall. In fact, Samantha Kingston gets 7 days to live her last day, 7 chances to make things right, 7 chances to change her ways.
Samantha and her 3 best friends Lindsay, Elody and Ally are part of the “in” crowd at Thomas Jefferson High. They are not kind to anyone they come into contact with and they really aren’t even kind to each other. Sam, Elody and Ally blindly follow Lindsay even though I believe deep down they know she is not the friend or the role model they should aspire to be. In the 7 days she gets to relive her last day, Sam tries to find her true self and the meaning of her life.
The book is geared toward the young adult reader and I had some trouble getting into it, but once I persevered I began to understand where the author was taking the reader. I found it difficult to comprehend why these teens were so mean and flippant to each other. It troubled me to the point that I felt compelled to ask my daughter if this type of behaviour was the norm and I was saddened to learn that yes in fact it is. You might think reading the same plot over and over would make it a tad tedious and boring but it wasn’t at all because you never knew what aspect of Sam’s “last day” was going to change.
When I finished reading Before I Fall my first thought was “strange story but good,” but when weeks later I was still thinking about it I realized the plot really had deep spiritual meaning. I found myself wondering what would I do if I knew it was my last day? Who would I make amends to? Did I treat people well? Did I live my life the best way I could have? Who would miss me? When a book can get you to ask questions of yourself I think it has served a great purpose.
One line from the book that stuck with me is; “so many things become beautiful when you really look.” Isn’t that what life should be like? Shouldn’t we take time to enjoy the people and things around us before it’s too late?
Why not live each day as if it was your last and see the beauty in everything, today and always.
Before I Fall actually fell into two of these categories; the cover was intriguing and the plot was interesting.
How would you live your life if you knew you only had one day to live? That’s the premise of the book Before I Fall. In fact, Samantha Kingston gets 7 days to live her last day, 7 chances to make things right, 7 chances to change her ways.
Samantha and her 3 best friends Lindsay, Elody and Ally are part of the “in” crowd at Thomas Jefferson High. They are not kind to anyone they come into contact with and they really aren’t even kind to each other. Sam, Elody and Ally blindly follow Lindsay even though I believe deep down they know she is not the friend or the role model they should aspire to be. In the 7 days she gets to relive her last day, Sam tries to find her true self and the meaning of her life.
The book is geared toward the young adult reader and I had some trouble getting into it, but once I persevered I began to understand where the author was taking the reader. I found it difficult to comprehend why these teens were so mean and flippant to each other. It troubled me to the point that I felt compelled to ask my daughter if this type of behaviour was the norm and I was saddened to learn that yes in fact it is. You might think reading the same plot over and over would make it a tad tedious and boring but it wasn’t at all because you never knew what aspect of Sam’s “last day” was going to change.
When I finished reading Before I Fall my first thought was “strange story but good,” but when weeks later I was still thinking about it I realized the plot really had deep spiritual meaning. I found myself wondering what would I do if I knew it was my last day? Who would I make amends to? Did I treat people well? Did I live my life the best way I could have? Who would miss me? When a book can get you to ask questions of yourself I think it has served a great purpose.
One line from the book that stuck with me is; “so many things become beautiful when you really look.” Isn’t that what life should be like? Shouldn’t we take time to enjoy the people and things around us before it’s too late?
Why not live each day as if it was your last and see the beauty in everything, today and always.