This was a book that I read for fun last week and thought I would share some thoughts on. I read a lot of books during the month, and I think it would be fun to review some of them. It won't be Book Club format exactly, but I encourage any and all of you to comment. I'd love to know if you have read the book, if you liked it and if you haven't read it, if you think it is one you will read.
"Before I Fall" was a good look into high school life. It is about Sam, a Senior, and one of the very most popular girls at school. She seems to have it all, the cute boyfriend, three best friends and the respect -- or at least fear -- of the whole school, teachers included. This is Sam's favorite day of the year "Cupid Day" February 12, the Friday before Valentine's Day, when you get roses at school from friends and admirers. There is also a big party that night and she is supposed to spend the night, sex anticipated, with her boyfriend, Rob, for the first time.
The day starts off as planned, but by the end of the night, everything is going wrong. Rob is completely drunk, one of the most rejected girls at school shows up at the part and confronts these four girls and then when Sam is headed home with her friends, not Rob, they get in a car accident. And... she wakes up the next morning, February 12 "Cupid Day." So, I just pretty much summarized the first chapter, and I don't want to ruin the whole book for you. But she has to relive this day until she gets it right.
Much of the book is about high school hierarchy and how some people are high school royalty where others are verbally tortured regularly. My favorite theme in the book stems from this, that small decisions can lead to big, unintended consequences and usually by the time you see the result, it is very hard to change.
It is not a happy book, there is a lot of heartache as you go along, but there is a fantastic little romance in there. There is mild language and no graphic sex. Plenty of teen angst and suspense. I liked it, but I think I would warn anyone who reads it that it is pretty dark and sad and the end is kind of enigmatic. There is some debate about whether she dies at the end or not. I am so far out voted, but I want to believe she lives. So please, discuss.
I would give this book 4.5 stars out of 5. Mostly because of the mystery ending. I like things sewn up.
Also by Lauren Oliver is "Delirium" which I read a few months ago. It is the first in a series, the second comes out in the spring. It is a great dystopian story (my favorite) and it gets 5 stars in my book. But I will warn you, it ends on a cliff-hanger.
Happy reading. If you have book suggestions I would love to hear them. I am always looking for something new to read.
