With this stunning debut novel, New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver emerged as one of today's foremost authors of young adult fiction. Like Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why and Gayle Forman's If I Stay, Before I Fall raises thought-provoking questions about love, death, and how one person's life can affect so many others.
For popular high school senior Samantha Kingston, February 12—"Cupid Day"—should be one big party, a day of valentines and roses and the privileges that come with being at the top of the social pyramid. And it is…until she dies in a terrible accident that night.
However, she still wakes up the next morning. In fact, Sam lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she ever imagined.
Before I Fall is now a major motion picture Zoey Deutch, Halston Sage, and Kian Lawley. Named to numerous state reading lists, the novel was also recognized as a Best Book of the Year by Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, The Daily Beast, NPR, and Publishers Weekly.
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Carolyn Mackler
Before I Fall is smart, complex, and heartbreakingly beautiful. Lauren Oliver has written an extraordinary debut novel about what it means to live—and die.
Jay Asher
This story races forward, twisting in a new direction every few pages, its characters spinning my emotions from affection to frustration, anger to compassion. You’ll have no choice but to tear through this book!
ALA Booklist
Oliver, in a pitch-perfect teen voice, explores the power we have to affect the people around us in this intensely believable first novel...This is a compelling book with a powerful message and should not be missed.
Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (starred review)
Samantha’s attempts to save her life and right the wrongs she has caused are precisely what will draw readers into this complex story and keep them turning pages until Sam succeeds in living her last day the right way.
Children's Literature - Heidi Hauser Green
It is a truism that every high school has a clique of popular mean girls. Samantha Kingston is in that clique. With her fellow seniors and long-time friends Lindsay, Elody and Ally, Samantha rules the school. One day is just like the next, with Samantha doing what she wants, taking what she wants, and disregarding the people left in her wake. Then, on February 12, everything changes. Leaving a party with her friends, Samantha dies in a car crash—or does she? She awakens in her bed. But something isn't right. It's not February 13; it is the 12th again. Over and over, seven times, she relives her last day. Through the process, she comes to realize all that she has lost, all that she can gain, and what is worth saving. The plot is unusual and thought-provoking, and teenagers who are fascinated by questions of life and death will enjoy the book for that. The book's most remarkable feature, though, is Lauren Oliver's account of Samantha's growth over the course of that very strange week. In the beginning, we can't like her. She is thoroughly repugnant. We have trouble caring about her, apart from her tragic end. By the end, we are rooting, passionately, for her to live. It's rare for an author to manage such a thorough character transformation believably, but Oliver does. Librarians may wish to exercise some caution in choosing this book for younger readers, as it includes themes of alcohol use and teenage sexuality. Reviewer: Heidi Hauser Green
VOYA - Teri S. Lesesne
Samantha is dead, killed in a car accident after a Valentine's Day party. As her life ends, events from her childhood play out in front of her. She is dismayed to watch her own casual cruelty to others flash in front of her. Her life was definitely not supposed to end this way; however, the next morning Sam is back in her bed with the alarm ringing. Was the accident all a nightmare? Sam struggles to understand exactly what has happened. She has been given the chance to live that last day of her life over and over again. Gradually she comes to understand that it is the small things, the seemingly unimportant decisions she makes, that have the gravest consequences. It would be easy to label this story a young adult version of Groundhog Day. Oliver's creation of multidimensional characters, especially Samantha, and her skilled examination of how even inconsequential things affect the lives of those around Sam transform this book from predictable and perhaps even formulaic into an evocative look at life and death. Samantha's attempts to save her life and right the wrongs she has caused are precisely what will draw readers into this complex story and keep them turning pages until Sam succeeds in living her last day the right way. Reviewer: Teri S. Lesesne
School Library Journal
Gr 9 Up—In the blink of an eye, popular high school student Samantha Kingston loses her life. What should have been a fantastic day turns out to be the beginning of a horrific afterlife experience. In the wake of a fiery car crash, Sam wakes up on Friday, February 12th again, and again, and again—reliving her last day seven times. At the beginning, she is her usual obnoxious, thoughtless, and reckless self, but the teen is gradually transformed over the week. Sarah Drew narrates Lauren Oliver's powerful debut novel (HarperCollins, 2010), bringing Sam's voice to life with brilliant execution. She matches every nuance of Sam's character, easily transitioning from mean girl through stages of anger, moroseness, hopelessness, and regret, until she reaches a state of acceptance. The secondary characters are interestingly voiced. The story will instantly capture listeners, and the outstanding narration makes it potentially one of the best audiobooks of the year. A must-have for public libraries and high school collections, though schools should be aware that there are scenes with both sexual situations and teen drinking.—Jessica Miller, New Britain Public Library, New Britain, CT
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