Justine's Thoughts: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Before I Fall
By Lauren Oliver

Source: Won from contest
Pages: 470
Rating: 5/5
Book Description (from Goodreads):

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.

A quote:

How is it possible, I think, to change so much and not be able to change anything at all?

Any thoughts:

I was blown away by Before I Fall. I never knew how much it would change the way I think. By the raving reviews in the blogosphere, I knew, however, that many people absolutely loved it. Now I’m one of them.

Lauren Oliver’s writing is stunningly poetic. The right techniques were used for the right times. There was rhythm and there was flow. There was emphasis and there were moments near the end when I would take my time to absorb it all in. The plot was handcrafted smoothly. There were details from the beginning that were brought again to the very end, creating a perfect circle. Sure, it was nice and slow at first, but I understand it was necessary to go through all the important occurrences that happened in that day. And boy, were there many things that happened. It was a Friday, after all.

In the very beginning, Sam and her friends were known as the bitches of the school, intimidating and making fun of everyone around them. They were annoying and cruel, but they were real. Each girl has their own thing, whether it’s a loveable trait or a simple fun fact. Other characters like Kent (my favourite) and Juliet and Izzy have either a big or small impact in Sam’s life. They are all important.

The change is evident in Sam as the same days pass. I loved how each day is different -- Sam’s mood, her purpose, her realizations. Slowly, she starts to progress, and though selfless at first she begins to see everything else in a new light.

There are numerous things that this book covers: bullying, popularity, family, love, friendship, death and life. It’s unbelievable how much you can learn from the passages. It’s filled with moving quotes and inspiring actions. They will stay with you for a long while. And it will turn around to ask you the questions.