What makes a life worth living for? A life, that isn’t just about you, but is in part, about others, about making their lives more worthwhile. It’s the precious moments in it. The subtle things. The moments that if you’re living too fast, or believing yourself to be the most important one in your life, you will fly right by, and miss them. You will miss the beauty, the joy, the opportunities to lift someone, to want to see light in someone’s eyes, instead of thinking about yourself and not caring about other people’s feelings. What if you had a chance to live one day in your life again? Several times? What would you do different? Would your thoughts change? Would you look at an occurrence in that day more closely, because you’ve seen it several times before, and you’ve become accustomed to it, and begin to see things that you didn’t before?

This book is more than just about second chances. It’s about being given a new look on life, of the world. It’s about seeing people for who they really are, seeing things that are not on the surface. About gaining an understanding of people, why they act the way they do, and how the simplest of acts can change an entire outcome.

This book is incredible. It has such powerful messages in it, messages that really make you think. Think about what something you say can affect someone’s entire life, how one occurrence could ruin your life, or by doing something, ruin someone else’s. It makes you look at things more closely. At your life, at other people’s lives, and that words and actions (good and bad) have more impact than we realize, but that we can change that! We can change how we live, we can make someone’s day, and feel the better for it. We don’t have to demean someone to fit in, or to feel worthwhile. We have more control over our lives than perhaps we realize. The problem is we don’t look deep enough, or closely, or slowly. We live our lives fast, not worrying about consequences. If we would just slow down, and love people for who they are, look beneath the surface, and accept people despite their faults, we would be happier, and have more meaning in our lives.

You’re probably wondering why I gave this book a four instead of a five. While I believe it is worthy of being a five, I can’t give it. There was too much sexual content and swearing for me to be comfortable with. But I can understand it. It made Sam’s transformation more meaningful, and I know that that is life. Teenagers (people) swear, speak vulgar, participate in parties and sex left and right. I just don’t like reading about sex and seeing so many swear words in novels, but this is just me. Asides from that, this story is amazing. Lauren Oliver really knows how to tug at reader’s heartstrings, how to flesh out her characters with such life that they seem so real. Before I Fall is so well crafted and executed. Each new day that Sam lives brings new light to her and the reader. We’re given more knowledge about something that was just a brief moment in the previous day. We see more of the picture, we find out more about the people around Sam. And we understand Sam. Her feelings, and how she changes.

Lauren Oliver created an incredible story. It’s one that will stay with you, one that will make you cry, and make you think. I really did love it, and am glad I read it. I highly recommend it.