- Shopping Bag ( 0 items )
Want a NOOK? Explore Now
What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?
Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.
Instead, it turns out to be her last.
Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.
Lauren Oliver captivated readers with her first novel, the New York Times bestseller Before I Fall, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year. She followed that up with Delirium and Pandemonium, the first two books in her bestselling trilogy, which concludes with Requiem. Oliver is also the author of two luminous novels for middle-grade readers, The Spindlers and Liesl & Po, both of which were named Kirkus Best Books of the Year. A graduate of the University of Chicago and NYU’s MFA program, Lauren Oliver lives in Brooklyn, New York.
EmmyKAY
Posted April 15, 2010
I Also Recommend:
I easily get fustrated by books that I read because I tend to be pretty picky. I like books that really play with my emotions, ones that might make me cry and ones that I can relate to. So many silly teen novels are out of the question just because I like a more serious read. I judge books by seeing if i can put the book down easily or do I stay up to the wee hours to finish it. So I took out this book because it looked good and was surprised by how much I loved it!! I can relate to it, being a teenager girl myself, it's thrilling, left me wanting more. I could not put the book down!! That's an extremely good sign! The story gets better as the book progesses and the book really makes you think. I loved that about it. It also makes you wonder what you would do if you were in Sam's sitation. All I can say is: you really have to read this book!
108 out of 115 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I read the author's introduction for the First Look Club at Barnes & Noble where she mentioned that she intended for her audience to dislike the characters in the early chapters. She did her job well because I didn't care for Sam and her friends in the beginning. In fact there were members of the club who considered not continuing the book because of the girls' very bad behavior. But I could not put it down. Lauren Oliver did exactly what she had intended in that first chapter. She introduced us to Sam and her friends Elody, Ally and their "leader" Lindsay, senior girls at Thomas Jefferson High School. They are popular, pretty and selfish snobs who get away with anything and everything.
Sam tells her story from the moment she wakes up on Friday, February 12th. She shares all of the details of her day in school, the afternoon at Ally's house and the evening at a party. Since it's Cupid's Day, an early Valentine celebration, emotions are running high and Sam mentions a variety of interactions that occur that day. She and her friends are quite entertained when other students have hurt feelings and are more concerned with what they will be wearing to the party. Not all goes as planned and their irresponsible behavior leads to a tragedy. As Sam herself reveals in the first sentence of the prologue she is killed in that accident. And she wakes up the next morning to repeat February 12 all over again.
Sam is aware that it's the same day but it doesn't appear that anyone else is. Through her shock and confusion she muddles through the day and attempts to prevent her death. Some things can be changed but as the days go by she starts to realize that she may be focusing on the wrong things and the wrong people. Sam begins to see how her actions have affected and often hurt others. She tries to make changes throughout the day but it doesn't go as planned.
Lauren Oliver takes the reader on a journey of self-discovery and transformation. I was fascinated with her insight and attention to detail. With each chapter Sam's changes had a ripple affect on others and the results would show up all throughout the book. A mention of something that appeared insignificant would often come to have great meaning later on. I would leaf back through the pages to find out how something had happened on a previous day so I could compare. It was like solving a puzzle, searching for clues. The characters were interesting and well developed. I was curious to know more about them and what led them to this day. In the first chapter it was easy to categorize everyone as the typical cliches - popular, jock, nerd, wallflower, but the first impressions were very deceiving. As the pages went by more layers were revealed.
It's likely you will think about the way you treat people after you finish the story. What mistakes would you correct if given the chance? This is a book that I will definitely be reading again. Congratulations to Lauren Oliver for what is sure to be a very successful debut novel.
Thank you to Barnes & Noble First Look Club for a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
63 out of 71 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.First, let me say that I'm a 42-year-old woman who has just discovered how great some YA literature is now, and I loved this book.
Samantha Kingston is one of the four most popular girls in her high school. They're your typical mean girls, and I really didn't like her at first. After what is a typical day for the quartet and a party at the house of Sam's childhood best friend, the tormenting of classmate and bully target Juliet, and too much alcohol, the girls have a wreck and Sam is killed.
Oh, except that she wakes up again the next day. She finds herself in a "Groundhog Day"-type situation and relives her last day for a whole week. During that time, she tries to figure out how to save her life and do what's right as far as the other people in her life are concerned. Some of her attempts go awry, but as the week goes on, she starts to see herself in a new light and figures out what's important.
It's wonderful to watch Sam's evolution, and by the end of the book, which is terrific, I just loved her. I wish every teen and preteen girl could read this book and think about what they'd do and how they'd act if they knew this day would be their last.
36 out of 39 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 26, 2010
I saw a review for this book written by Jay Asher. And since I love Thriteen Reasons Why, I needed to read this book. I really liked this book. Sure some parts in it were kind of slow, but I couldn't put it down. I needed to know what was going to happen next. The characters in this book seemed so real. I don't ever lie when I'm writing a review, because I don't want you to buy this book and you not like it. People have different tastes in book. But I'm not a spoiler either. But I will say this, The only thing I didn't really like was the ending. It didn't end like I thought it would or how I wanted it to. And maybe that was the whole point. The ending was also a little comfusing. But I still love it. You should read it.
35 out of 39 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Scott16475
Posted February 22, 2010
As a 39 year old father of four, this book doesn't really fall into my genre; however, I really enjoyed Before I Fall.
Within the first few pages, you're going to hate all of the characters, including the main character, Sam; I know I did! As the book continued, my feelings of disdain began to lessen with Sam as my disdain turned into sadness. Like so many of us when we were in high school, we put on show and pretended to be someone that we weren't; I believe this is actually what Sam is doing. I won't give too much away, but I feel the real Sam emerged at just the right moment(s).
As a reader, you'll get to know many of Sam's friends as well as a few of her 'enemies' and truth be told, I found myself getting emotionally invested in one of the supporting characters named Juliet. It took me back to my high school days when I 'played' the role of Juliet (the male version, obviously - ha). I think the large majority of readers will find a character in the book that they can relate too, and that says a lot about this new and upcoming author.
I found this book to be an easy and quick read; do yourself a favor and spend a few hours reading this book!
26 out of 29 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.theReader278
Posted June 29, 2011
I Also Recommend:
I loved reading this wonderful book! It is a story that keeps you entertained for hours.
17 out of 21 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 11, 2012
I am an avid reader. It normally takes me about three days max per book. This book? 4 weeks. Why? Because it was SO boring and quite pointless. I got fustrated abot 150pgs in and just skipped ahead. The ending was so terrible i threw it across the room and didn't pick it up for days.
Waste of time. Waste of money. Waste of paper. Waste of space. I feel bad for all the trees who died to make the paper inwhich this book was printed on. They died in vain.
11 out of 35 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I was very disappointed in this book. It was my first ebook purchase and I based it off of other reviews. I personally think it was a waste of my money, but what can I say for my first purchase. The book was slow, could not keep my attention and went off topic a lot. I would not recommend this book to anyone.
11 out of 67 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 11, 2012
All the book did was cuss. Dont buy.
9 out of 34 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Beebsie
Posted May 11, 2010
This book is amazing. It definitely gets you thinking. I'd recommend it to anyone. Sooooooo good!!
9 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I was not always a good kid....in some ways I was a lot like the main character. After reading this book I realized you never know when your last day might be and yes while you still need to experience as much as you can I also believe that you need to spend as much time with your family as possible and treat them the right way. This book was a really good wake up call for me. I recommend this book to anyone above the age of 14, who needs help finding themselves and also needs a good life lesson. This book will stick with me for a while.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 14, 2012
When i bought this book i wanted something that would make me stay up untill midnight reading.
Since im completley against books with and kind of sexual interactions anymore than kissing. I made the mistake of going through with books worse (i mean with sexual interactions, not the plot or story) and it made me very umcomfortable.
I had not wanted something with swearing, smoking or drinking in it either. The story itself was fine, but it still made me wish i hadn't bought it.
If you dont want something with that stuff in it, don't get this book. If you aren't bothered by that, then but it, because it still has a good story.
6 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Euphoria13
Posted May 25, 2010
I was very lucky to snag an ARC of this book from the first reads program from Barnes and Noble! This book was on my to read list since October. I was very surprised by this book, its really a page turner! May sound cliche' but it seriously was! I could not put it down and when i did, my mind kept going back to this good story.
Have you ever wondered what happens, at the moment you are about to die, or exactly right before the event occurs? Or what happens after? What exactly is after when you die? For everyone, i'm sure the answer is different, we all have a different perception on what happens after.
For Samantha Kingston, it is reliving the exact same day Seven times. February 12, Cupid Day- The day when every person at Samantha's High School shows or proves just where they stand in the popular rank with the number of roses they recieve. Not to mention that, that night is Samantha's "Big Night" with her boyfriend Rob. But word spreads of a party being hosted by a boy named Kent who Samantha can not tolerate what so ever. Seems like plans are shifted a bit and Samantha and her best friends are going to the party.
But Samantha does not enjoy herself. Her best friends have gone off and abandoned her and her boyfriend is too drunk to comprehend or remember his plans with Sam. Just when the party could not be less enjoyable, Juliet Sykes- the unpopular girl of the school who is tormented and bullied by Samantha's friends confronts her and her group.
A scene breaks out as Juliet tells them in their face exactly what she feels they are. After being humiliated, Samantha and her friends leave the party and head off to their homes. But Samantha never reaches her house that night. A sudden flash of white, a horrible crashing noise, a word muttered by one of the girls and everything gets out of control.
After what seems like a long time of pain, darkness and falling, Samantha hears her alarm clock and opens her eyes. What seems like a horrible dream turns out to be Samantha's last day, as she learns that the moment she wakes up, she is relieving her very last day.
I was very impresed with Lauren Oliver's writing, being that this is her debut novel, its as if she's been writing for a long time. This story shows that with even the minor of changes a person makes, it can make such a big difference to someone's life. You'll hate Samantha and her friends when you read this book but you'll love her towards the end.
You will not get bored reading this! Even if Samantha's day is repeated seven times, it is never exactly the same. Many small changes occur and the results are BIG. The detials, dialogue, and emotions expressed in this book are believable and create a connection to the reader.
6 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.asamum
Posted May 19, 2010
At the beginning of this book I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. Written in 1st person narrative, Sam starts of as unlikeable; popular by association basing her actions and preferences on being accepted by the 'in' crowd. Peer pressure is an incredibly powerful thing and shown in all its *glory* in this story, the I felt as if Sam had no personality of her own, for all intents and purposes she was a sheep. And then she died.
Initially, I thought it was like an emotional Groundhog day (which is even mentioned within the narrative). However, as I relived each last day with Sam I really felt for her. Sam's fear of dying was palpable within the narrative. Very, very powerful writing. I felt as if I was there with her every step of the way. Imagine reliving the day you die over and over again, knowing that it is inevitable; that here is nothing you can do to stop it from happening. Knowing the exact time, place and circumstance of your own death. How frightened would you be as the minutes ticked away.
As Sam relives the same day over and over, we are exposed to the 5 stages of grief, (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and finally Acceptance). Sam is grieving for herself not only for the life that she has yet to live but for the mistakes she has made so far.
Getting the opportunity to repeat the same day gives Sam a chance to rectify some of the mistakes she has made. The opportunity to see people in a different light, to say the things she always wanted to say but never felt it was the right time and to be the person she really wanted to be rather than conforming. Sam gains a whole new perspective and discovers true love in the process.
All the characters were well developed and almost 3 dimensional, there personalities and interactions were so real to me I felt I was there right along with Sam. I could relate to all of them in one way or another. The narrative incorporates a lot of sensitive issues such as substance abuse, sex and eating disorders; issues although not dealt with in depth reflect the inner turmoil people suffer while projecting a very different outward image. The saying 'never judge a book by it's cover' strongly applies to the characters within this book.
I finished reading this book very late in the night; I went to sleep thinking about it and woke up the next morning still thinking about it. Is is one of those haunting stories that stays with you. For me it was an emotional roller-coaster. I felt as if I had been swallowed whole, chewed up into one big gloppy mess and then spat back out. I have to admit to absolutely sobbing my heart out while reading this one (not the usual silent tears but the gasping, sniffing type of sobbing). It really is an amazing book, you will need a lot of tissues.
6 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged."Before I Fall" is a book appropriate for teens and adults. It's an enjoyable read and does something few books can these days...it makes one think. Even after the book was finished, I continued to think about the characters and I also thought about what I would do if I were in the same situation as the main character. This is a great story with characters you can love and hate for all the right reasons. It's a good thing to be entertained and learn something about yourself at the same time. I'd definitely recommend this book.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 22, 2012
I loved Delerium, it was such a good book, so i decided to try this book. I did not really like this book at all. There were a few good moments but in order to get to them you have to wade through a ton of slutty content. I expected a little of obj content but this was way overboard for my tastes and not enjoyable to read - dissapointing.
5 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Before I Fall is one of those books that long after you finish reading it, it'll still be stuck in your mind. It's one of those books that will you cry and laugh and more importantly, think about the choices that you've made in your life so far.
Samantha Kingston is one of the most popular girls in her school, she's got her friends, a great boyfriend, and at first what seems to be a perfect care-free life. That is, until after a crazy night, she wakes to repeat the same day - February 12th. Turns out, that's the day she dies. Now Sam has a chance - well, seven chances - to relive that day, and make difference decisions. But is it too late to change the outcome?
Very rarely, I read books that literally affect me, and Before I Fall is one of those books. It's hard to describe how while I was reading about what Sam was going through, how it seems she was going through the five stages of dying, I was thinking of the decisions I've made in my life so far and were I to die right now, would I regret not telling someone I love them? Would I think that I could have made better decisions? This story is a roller-coaster of emotions and I felt pleasantly exhausted when I finished the book. Before I Fall is an incredible story about loss and love and living with the choices you've made. It's not a book just for young adults, it's for moms and college student and fathers and every single person who at one point has felt their mortality ticking by and has wondered: What happens next?
4 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 30, 2012
At first i was a bit nervous to read the book because it sort of appeared to be about a snotty girl who deserved to die. I had nothing to fear. As the story progressed i fell in love with the plot. Don't worry i won't spoil it but it was an amazing and wonderful book!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 29, 2012
Great premise, but holy cow, this book went on forever...It should have been 150 pages shorter than it is. It starts off well, but dies with the main character. I forced myself to keep reading, hoping it would pick up speed and gusto again, but it never did...possibly due to the fact that every other paragraph contains an unnecessary analogy of some kind.
I found the main characters to be flat and uninteresting. Minor characters (and there were WAY too many) were mentioned by name when they were introduced and then mentioned again 80 pages later. You need to keep a cheat-sheet handy if you choose to read this book.
I do NOT recommend.
3 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 2, 2012
So good! Keeps you on the edge of your seat. Also has a good lesson and story line. Love!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Overview
What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?
Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life....