Book Review: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver is like a Groundhog Day for teenage girls. Mean girl Sam hangs with her popular group of friends and treats many of her peers in less than kindly ways. She sneaks out of school with her best friend to get ice cream. She flirts with one of her younger teachers. She plans to sleep with her boyfriend tonight after the big party that everyone will be going to. Only things don't turn out exactly as planned.

Sam dies. At least, she thinks she's dead. The only problem is that she keeps going back and reliving the same day over and over again. Sam gets a chance to do things differently, but what are the chances she takes and what results from these changes? Can she save herself from death?

Lauren Oliver has certainly put together a wonderful first novel. The concept, although now new, is executed in a unique, fresh way. Immediately, we relate to Sam. Although we see how shallow she is, how desperate she is to make sense of her world, we also see she does have true kindness within. Her childhood friend, Kent, certainly sees this. He has had a crush on her since she was young and continues to believe she has something of worth inside her.

Sam's transformation from mean girl to sacrificial lamb moves at a good pace, so that it's believable. She doesn't immediately choose the high road. Rather, her first thoughts are to save herself and feel sorry for herself as she relives the day.

As far as the rest of the characters, although her friends never choose a different, better path in their lives, we do see that Sam begins to appreciate different things about her friends. She sees them differently and what motivates them to be popular, mean, cruel, thoughthless, and loose with their bodies.

I think there is much to be absorbed in this novel, and it will provide high schoolers with plenty of thoughts to ponder once the pages are closed. This would be a great book to discuss in a small group.