Review: “Before I Fall” by Lauren Oliver

For popular high school senior Samantha Kingston, February 12—”Cupid Day”—should be one big party, a day of valentines and roses and the privileges that come with being at the top of the social pyramid. And it is … until she dies in a terrible accident that night.

However, she still wakes up the next morning. In fact, Sam 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 ever imagined.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Capes

Heroes,

When I started this book, I hated the main characters of “Before I Fall.” Sam and her friends are, unquestionably, mean girls. They spread rumors, taunt others for no reason, and take advantage of anyone and everyone who gives them the opportunity. The day in question ends with them drunkenly assaulting a girl for kicks before they are involved in a drunk driving accident. They are vapid, self-obsessed, miserable human beings who can’t see beyond their tiny privileged world.

But here’s why author Lauren Oliver is so good–by the end of the book, I could see how fragile and weak each of these girls really was, I could see how their friendships enriched all of them, and I could envision the way the events of the book would reshape their lives. I liked them. And that was something I hadn’t expected.

It’s even more impressive because shades of character and circumstance are revealed through the same major events, day after day. The central conceit of the book is that, for some unknown reason, Sam is tasked with living her final day over and over, trying to find ways to change the terrible events of that evening. Sam’s choices on each day reveal the tiny ways each of our actions can change the world around us while simultaneously exploring how hard it is to really, genuinely, change a person. One of the things I like about YA is that the characters have incredible capacity for growth because they are learning all of life’s lessons for the first time. As Sam’s true personality is revealed by the steady stripping of her mean girl facade, she becomes a rich and compassionate person who is willing to sacrifice anything for the people she loves.

This book really stuck with me, and I will definitely pick up the next Lauren Oliver book that comes my way.

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