Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Review: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Tags: YA, friendship, death, popularity, redemption, suicide

Rating: 4.5 out of 5


Summary

Samantha Kingston is the girl you love to hate: she has popular friends, a good family, looks, the hot boyfriend. Then she dies in a car crash one night—only to wake up the next morning, to redo the day of her death over and over again. Each little decision she makes ends up having a bigger effect on the day’s outcome than she could’ve imagined, however, and in the process Sam learns that it’s never too late to change…especially if it means she can save someone else’s life.

Review

It’s hard to believe that this is Lauren Oliver’s debut novel, that’s how excellent this book is. This 470-page novel is smoothly written, wonderfully developed, and never ever dull, enthralling all the way through.

From the first page, Lauren Oliver’s assured writing sucks you in and never once lets go. The transformation from writer to character is effortless: Samantha and all her friends are pitch-perfect teenagers, without any of the try-too-hard fakeness often exhibited by YA mean girls. Instead, every character has their good and bad points, and even though these girls may not necessarily be nice, we still are interested in them, and care for them, because they are just like us, or our neighbor, or our friend, or that girl in our class.

Each time Sam relives her last day, she gets to know different people differently, learns something new about herself. It says a LOT about Lauren’s writing skill that the book never gets dull. The pages fly by in smooth reading, and Sam’s development from mean girl to, well, not-so-mean girl is so subtle that you’ll find yourself falling for her and/or cheering for her even as she messes up or reveals unlikable aspects about her character.

Even if BEFORE I FALL is not action-packed, it’s full of such careful observations about teenage nature and our ability to change that it’s literary gold: you’ll treasure the first time you read through it, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll want to pick it up and read it again immediately after you finish it. It’s not often that a debut novelist instantly becomes one of my favorite authors (I usually give it two books before I call favorites), but Lauren Oliver’s incredible novel has made me a fan of hers for life. I’ll read anything she writes from now on, even if she chooses to write about zombie/werewolf mutants—because she has the power to make fiction real.

Similar Authors
Sarah Dessen
Gayle Forman (If I Stay)
Amy Huntley (The Everafter)

Writing: 5/5
Characters: 4/5
Plot: 5/5

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5


Cover discussion: 2 out of 5 - Ehhhh... I have to admit it doesn't work for me. There's something rather fake and...dead-ish about the model's pose and expression. Luckily this book doesn't need a stunning cover to make the NYTimes bestseller list, and I'd read it regardless of what cover it has!!

HarperCollins / March 2, 2010 / Hardcover / 470pp. / $17.99

ARC received at NCTE.

23 comments:

  1. Great review, I am reading this one now, so I am excited to finish it, so far your soo right on in your review her writing is amazing.

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  2. Great review! I really can't wait to get this one. Everyone that has read it and reviewed it seems to love it! Thanks for the review!

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  3. Great review! Can't wait to read this one!

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  4. Awesome review!! Definitely on my wishlist..

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  5. Amazing review! I've heard so many positive things about this book :)

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  6. I'm so glad that you loved this one. I actually would like her to write about zombies. lol

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  7. Oooh, I love this one too. And for all the same reasons. Fab review - you've made me absolutely want to read this one all over again.

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  8. I loved this book. The words and the cover and everything about it. Lauren Oliver is a wonderful writer. Such a great book.

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  9. i just bought this book! can't wait to read it :)

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  10. I'm so glad you liked the book! Zombie/werewolf mutants...hmm...you might be onto something there ;)

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  11. Great review! Lauren Oliver became an instant favorite author for me too. Her writing is incredible!

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  12. Sounds good. I'll look out for it. Great review.

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  13. I wish my damn package would get here so I could read this one already! Thanks for the review, Steph.

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  14. Every time I read a new review on this book it makes me want to run out and get this book more and more! This will definitely be the next book I buy.

    Emidy
    from Une Parole

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  15. I just literally finished this and still feel drained. I agree with everything you wrote, except I like the cover.

    I really do think Oliver gets teenagers, and agree that they never once felt fake at all.

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  16. Great review, I really loved this book, glad u enjoyed it!

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  17. Great review. This has been in my TBR Pile forever - I really should get around the reading it.

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  18. I'm still scared to read this one because I'm scared it will leave me depressed. Is this a legit concern? I mean, I totally trust you and all, but should I be scared? or am I just being overly cautious?

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  19. Beautifully written review :) I was going to buy this today, but didn't bought a different book. But I've heard many, many good things about this book. Brilliant review!! Awesome Job!!

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  20. Can't wait to get my mits on this one. Glad you liked it!

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  21. I really enjoyed this one because it was so different. Great review!

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  22. I too loved this one. Even though we know the end I kept finding myself rooting for some of the changes made each day to lead to the final ultimate change. Particularly given with Kent. I find myself still wondering what happened in the aftermath, I'd love for a short story to give us a glimpse.

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Hello! I'm so excited to read what you have to say. Due to high amounts of spam, I'm forced to disabled anonymous comments for the time being. Sorry for any inconvenience this causes, and I hope you can understand and still appreciate the content here!

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