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Before I Fall

Lauren Oliver

Start date: March 1, 2017

Finish date: March 31, 2017

Discussion: Book of the Month 2018

Discussion leader: Sylvia

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What Members Thought

Dec 14, 2010 Marla rated it it was ok

Shelves: romance, chick-lit, challenged, with-reservations, young-adult, paranormal, book-discussion, time-travel, award-winner, made-me-cry

2 stars for unlikable characters, but 4 stars for making them real enough to despise or evoke sympathy. Samantha Kingston and her popular girlfriends, Lindsay, Elody and Ally, are not run-of-the-mill mean girls, they are exceptionally cruel and delinquent girls: drinking, smoking, bullying, cutting school, and sleeping around.

1st day: If this book was more of the same, I wouldn't have bothered, but then it wouldn't have won any awards, so I am sticking with it (but I always finish books I start 2 stars for unlikable characters, but 4 stars for making them real enough to despise or evoke sympathy. Samantha Kingston and her popular girlfriends, Lindsay, Elody and Ally, are not run-of-the-mill mean girls, they are exceptionally cruel and delinquent girls: drinking, smoking, bullying, cutting school, and sleeping around.

1st day: If this book was more of the same, I wouldn't have bothered, but then it wouldn't have won any awards, so I am sticking with it (but I always finish books I start, so I really have no choice). It's like Mean Girls but meaner with a deja vu spin.

Finished: I don't really understand all the accolades and rave reviews for this book. Anyone who has been the subject of bullying will despise these 4 girls and wish them ill. Sam and her friends are horrible and sadly believable. Story was well written and was realistic, but I just couldn't tolerate the unchecked cruelty. By the end of the story, I didn't despise Sam, but I still wasn't fond of her. Probably the reason this book won awards was because of the depth of the characters, the emotional impact and the discussions that this story generates.

Sam doesn't seem to really reform, but maybe she has changed as much as she is capable. She's still flawed but trying. In my experience, short of movie starlets and royalty, no one gets the adulation and preferred treatment that these girls seem to inspire. Though I wondered if people looking admiringly at her and basking in her attention were figments of Sam's self-centered imagination.

(view spoiler)[
Sam obsessing over sleeping with her handsome, popular, jerky jock boyfriend is annoying, but why should she punish him for her superficial desire to date him? Rob was one of the few poorly defined characters in the story. Sam sort of sees Lindsay for who she really is on the third day, but it was hate her or love her and Sam chooses to be Lindsay's friend rather than be an outsider. The interactions with the teacher were creepy. There were no consequences and barely any remorse for cheating and ruining the other girl's academic reputation. Even the parking space encounter ended up being partially the other girl's own fault that she was running late. So the victims weren't necessarily innocent which I think is a disturbed message to send. Sam's friends, especially Lindsay, didn't ever consider anyone else's feelings or the psychological torture they were inflicting.

I liked her childhood friend, Kent. Kent's character was loyal and very authentic. Kent still liked Sam in spite of her faults. I wish we could've seen a book with a romance between Sam and Kent that wasn't destined for failure.

Poor Kent, his crush finally notices him and then she dies. He is going to be messed up, I think I would've liked her better if she considered his feelings and didn't make out with him on the last day, though at least she didn't seduce him. I'm glad that Sam let Kent rescue her.

I liked the lesson of the consequences of drinking and driving and also "harmless" bullying, but it was not enough to redeem this book for me. I also like the premise of reliving the same day, ala Groundhog Day. I liked the Last Day and all the lasts. Sam's right that most people would like a chance to live their last day with purpose and appreciation. I'm glad she didn't "just be done with it" with Rob. And at least Sam realizes that she is a bitch and I'm glad that she was sweet to her sister, Izzy. Sam also comes to understand that she can only change her own actions. I thought the ending was well done. But the story was a case of too little, too late and just not worth it for me.
(hide spoiler)]

I subscribe to the theory if you do nothing while your friends are cruel to people, then you are also to blame. My very wise mother said: You don't have to be friends with everyone, in fact, you don't even have to be nice to everyone, but you cannot be mean.

I wasn't a mean girl or a bully, maybe if I identified more with one side or the other I would've rated this book more highly.

With-reservations:
bullying, assault, suicide, sexual discussions, alcohol, drugs, cutting school, language

Super Spoilers - Synopsis
(view spoiler)[
1st Day: Cupid Day, mean rose to Juliet Sykes, couple breaks up after Lindsay interferes, Rob throws up, torment Juliet Sykes and accident

2nd Day: late so no parking space, Rob doesn't understand anything and doesn't come back after 5 minutes, Kent does care

3rd Day: sick so goes to school late, catch teacher's tryst, other girl caught cheating, don't go to party, sleepover at Ally's house, Juliet shoots herself

4th Day: tells Lindsay off and becomes social outcast, encounter with Mr. Daimler - Calculus teacher, tosses all her roses, smokes weed with Anna Cartullo in bathroom, trades hooker shoes for steel-toed boots, shopping spree with PUGS, remembers Lindsay's NYC trip and bathroom incident, finds a room with Rob, Kent finds her crying

5th Day: stays home sick, spends her day with Izzy, goes to dinner with family, sneaks out to go to Juliet's house, Juliet jumps in front of Lindsay's car and Kent helps Lindsay get through it

6th Day: doesn't give Rob a rose and gives Juliet a bouquet of roses, scubs off AC=WC, designated driver, humiliates Rob, learns what happened between Lindsay and Juliet, Juliet jumps in front of a random van, Kent takes her home, first kiss

7th Day: gives Izzy Grandmother's necklace, only keep Kent's rose, gives rest to Marian Sykes, gives Kent a rose, gives Juliet a rose, breaks up with Rob, gives Anna an Escher book, gets rescued by Kent, kisses Kent, saves Juliet

Should've used 5 stages and just had 5 "groundhog" days: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. (7 stages of Grief: Shock & Denial; Pain & Guilt; Anger & Bargaining; Depression & Loneliness; Upward Turn (adjusting); Reconstruction & Working Through; and Acceptance.)

And a quote for fun...p. 62
He's not very good with bras. He's not that good with breasts in general, actually. I mean, it's not like I really know what it's supposed to feel like, but every time he touches my boobs he kind of just massages them hard in a circle. My gyno does the same thing when I go in for an exam, so one of them has to be doing it wrong. And to be honest, I don't think it's my gyno.
(hide spoiler)] ...more

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Jan 08, 2011 Mark rated it really liked it

"My point is: maybe you can afford to wait. Maybe for you there's a tomorrow. Maybe for you there's one thousand tomorrows, or three thousand, or ten, so much time you can bathe in it, roll around in it, let it slide through your fingers. so much time you can waste it.

But for some of us there's only today. And the truth is, you never really know."

Sam Kingston is an immensely popular senior at her high school, with a close circle of friends, a boyfriend all the underclassmen girls want, and a se "My point is: maybe you can afford to wait. Maybe for you there's a tomorrow. Maybe for you there's one thousand tomorrows, or three thousand, or ten, so much time you can bathe in it, roll around in it, let it slide through your fingers. so much time you can waste it.

But for some of us there's only today. And the truth is, you never really know."

Sam Kingston is an immensely popular senior at her high school, with a close circle of friends, a boyfriend all the underclassmen girls want, and a seemingly charmed existence. Until one night after a party, she's killed in a car accident. After the accident, Sam wakes up in her own bed, back the beginning of the day of her death. As she relives that one day over and over, she gradually comes to realize the consequences of her actions, and that she has the power to change things. The scenes between Sam and her younger sister were among my favorites, as Sam works hard to hang onto the moments, and at the same time set Izzy (her sister) on the right path toward her future.

I found myself liking this book, but not loving it. I kept going back to a line I had read in a review after the book's release, labeling it as "Groundhog Day meets Mean Girls," and I never really got away from that. I do think it's a lot more, but there wasn't much in here that I didn't expect. I appreciated the twist that Oliver inserted about 2/3 of the way through the novel (the Juliet-Lindsay dynamic), although from that point on, it was easy to see where the book was heading. Oliver works to make Sam more than a superficial mean girl, and she succeeds to a degree, but not completely. Sam works hard, in her repeated stabs at February 12th, to atone for her past actions and words, but it never really seems to be enough. And I kept wondering what would happen after the novel's final scenes; would Juliet really change her mind? Still, Oliver is an incredibly talented writer, and in her hands, the same day repeated 6-7 times seems fresh in description and tone. ...more

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Apr 03, 2011 Melissa-The Book Addict rated it it was amazing

This book blew me away! Lauren Oliver did a great job writing Sam. In the beginning I really couldn't stand her. But the amazing thing is at the end after everything I really did like her. Watching her struggle day after day trying to fix things or change them. Realizing a little at a time how her actions effect people in ways she never thought about. I sat her reading in total anticipation of how this book would end, because I had a few different ideas in my head. I the end I was happy with the ...more

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Mar 12, 2011 SeaBae rated it it was amazing

Wow. Just...wow. I'm one big sobbing mess, but I absolutely loved this book. Beautifully written, stunningly honest in its emotion, not afraid to show off its characters' warts as well as their deepest hopes and fears - it's a lovely, heartbreaking book. I could see the book unfolding before me - I'm sure this has already been optioned for a film because it would take very little adaption (and what great roles for several actresses). I can't recommend this book highly enough, and I will be sure ...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Dina rated it really liked it

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Dec 14, 2010 Kim rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: chs-library

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Nov 24, 2010 Molli Moran rated it it was amazing

I wanted to re-read this book to give myself a chance to review it on my blog, and unlike some, BEFORE I FALL stands up to a re-read. It's one that I think I could read any number of times and the characters would still be just as lifelike, the growth as profound, the meaning as evident and relevant.

Full review coming March 15th at Once Upon a Prologue. ...more

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