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Before I Fall
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Review
'Hugely moving and gorgeously written ... an extremely clever and well-written novel that is ultimately uplifting.' -- Heat 'A very sophisticated novel ... Oliver handles her characters with an impressive lightness of touch and writes evocatively about youth ... a clever, funny, insightful and utterly addictive novel' -- Daily Mail 'Beautifully written, compelling and poignant, a truly memorable read' ***** -- Closer 'A book to fall in love with' -- Bella 'Heartbreakingly good ... Up there with Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones, it'll make you want to hold close the ones you love and never let them go. Impossible to forget.' -- News of the World 'A thought-provoking and compelling story that is brave and insightful for a new author' -- Sun 'This book will take your breath away' -- She 'A beautifully written and outrageously weepy tale.' -- Daily Mirror 'Moving and thought-provoking' -- Woman 'Tender, funny and raw' -- Marie Claire 'A pitch-perfect Groundhog Day/Lovely Bones hybrid' -- guardian.co.uk 'Gossip Girl meets Groundhog Day' -- Grazia 'Poignant ... This tale of second chances will have you clinging on to your Kleenex' -- Now 'This is very special ... It's full of 'what ifs' and raw emotion' -- Sarah Broadhurst, The Bookseller 'Take the concept of Groundhog Day, add stunning prose and layers of emotional development, and the result is a book to fall in love with over and over again' -- Daily Record 'Beautifully written' -- Daily Record 'BEFORE I FALL is amazing, fantastic, a groundbreaking debut.' -- www.wondrousreads.com 'BEFORE I FALL is beautifully written; brave, sincere and very addictive. It captures the essence of high-school brilliantly, and will have you laughing, crying and philosophising. I wholeheartedly recommend BEFORE I FALL. The best book I've read in the last year.' -- www.novelicious.com 'A startling piece of writing that is utterly believable and beautifully told... If you only read one book this year, it should be this one.' -- www.thebookbag.co.uk
Review
'Hugely moving and gorgeously written . . . an extremely clever and well-written novel that is ultimately uplifting.' (Heat )
'A very sophisticated novel . . . Oliver handles her characters with an impressive lightness of touch and writes evocatively about youth . . . a clever, funny, insightful and utterly addictive novel' (Daily Mail )
'Beautifully written, compelling and poignant, a truly memorable read' ***** (Closer )
'A book to fall in love with' (Bella )
'Heartbreakingly good . . . Up there with Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones, it'll make you want to hold close the ones you love and never let them go. Impossible to forget.' (News of the World )
'A thought-provoking and compelling story that is brave and insightful for a new author' (Sun )
'This book will take your breath away' (She )
'A beautifully written and outrageously weepy tale.' (Daily Mirror )
'Moving and thought-provoking' (Woman )
'Tender, funny and raw' (Marie Claire )
'A pitch-perfect Groundhog Day/Lovely Bones hybrid' (guardian.co.uk )
'Gossip Girl meets Groundhog Day' (Grazia )
'Poignant . . . This tale of second chances will have you clinging on to your Kleenex' (Now )
'This is very special . . . It's full of 'what ifs' and raw emotion' (Sarah Broadhurst, The Bookseller )
'Take the concept of Groundhog Day, add stunning prose and layers of emotional development, and the result is a book to fall in love with over and over again' (Daily Record )
'Beautifully written' (Daily Record )
'BEFORE I FALL is amazing, fantastic, a groundbreaking debut.' (www.wondrousreads.com )
'BEFORE I FALL is beautifully written; brave, sincere and very addictive. It captures the essence of high-school brilliantly, and will have you laughing, crying and philosophising. I wholeheartedly recommend BEFORE I FALL. The best book I've read in the last year.'
'A startling piece of writing that is utterly believable and beautifully told... If you only read one book this year, it should be this one.' (www.thebookbag.co.uk )
'A very sophisticated novel . . . Oliver handles her characters with an impressive lightness of touch and writes evocatively about youth . . . a clever, funny, insightful and utterly addictive novel' (Daily Mail )
'Beautifully written, compelling and poignant, a truly memorable read' ***** (Closer )
'A book to fall in love with' (Bella )
'Heartbreakingly good . . . Up there with Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones, it'll make you want to hold close the ones you love and never let them go. Impossible to forget.' (News of the World )
'A thought-provoking and compelling story that is brave and insightful for a new author' (Sun )
'This book will take your breath away' (She )
'A beautifully written and outrageously weepy tale.' (Daily Mirror )
'Moving and thought-provoking' (Woman )
'Tender, funny and raw' (Marie Claire )
'A pitch-perfect Groundhog Day/Lovely Bones hybrid' (guardian.co.uk )
'Gossip Girl meets Groundhog Day' (Grazia )
'Poignant . . . This tale of second chances will have you clinging on to your Kleenex' (Now )
'This is very special . . . It's full of 'what ifs' and raw emotion' (Sarah Broadhurst, The Bookseller )
'Take the concept of Groundhog Day, add stunning prose and layers of emotional development, and the result is a book to fall in love with over and over again' (Daily Record )
'Beautifully written' (Daily Record )
'BEFORE I FALL is amazing, fantastic, a groundbreaking debut.' (www.wondrousreads.com )
'BEFORE I FALL is beautifully written; brave, sincere and very addictive. It captures the essence of high-school brilliantly, and will have you laughing, crying and philosophising. I wholeheartedly recommend BEFORE I FALL. The best book I've read in the last year.'
(www.novelicious.com )
'A startling piece of writing that is utterly believable and beautifully told... If you only read one book this year, it should be this one.' (www.thebookbag.co.uk )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
52 of 56 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Like most teenagers, Sam Kingston believes she's going to live forever. However on a rainy February Friday night, driving home from a party, Sam and her friends Elody, Lindsay and Ally end up in a car crash. A car crash that kills Sam. Trouble is, she wakes up the next day and it's that same Friday. As Sam keeps repeating that fateful Friday, she begins to realise that although she may not be able to save herself, she may well be able to save someone. The question is, will she be able to untangle all of the mysteries surrounding her death before her week is up?
I have to say though that at first I didn't know what to make of the book. For a while it seemed as though I wasn't going to like it and, even worse, I wasn't going to like Sam. The Prologue is fantastic and the build up to the crash was suspenseful but I just couldn't warm to Sam right away. The thing is I think that we're supposed to not really like Sam at the beginning. She's popular, has a fantastic boyfriend and her life couldn't be more perfect but because she was popular she wasn't exactly very nice. Not at first, anyway. I was very quickly sucked in though and as I got to know Sam more, I began to like her more.
The plot is immensely complex yet so simplistic at the same time: Sam dies but, it seems, she hasn't really died and has the chance to re-live her last day seven times. The book is broken up into sections for each of the replayed days and although repeating the same day seven times may seem repetitive and dull, it's not. As Sam re-lives that day again and again more things come to light about what happens the night of the crash and Sam seems to realise just what is important in life. It's ironic really that the only time Sam took stock of what a cow she was, was when she was dying/dead but I suppose that doesn't really matter as Sam did finally realise just how mean she could be. The changes as each day progresses and the realisations that come to Sam all happen subtly and slowly and everything that happens that day is unravelled until eventually Sam has the chance to somehow salvage something from such a horrible situation.
I really recommend you pick up Before I Fall. I truly believe that every teenager should be given this to read as it would really speak to them about a lot of things. The book may not feel heavy or depressing but it does tackle some difficult issues. I actually believe everyone should read this book because it truly is that fantastic. It's totally worth persevering with as once it gets going, it really gets going and I struggled to put it down. This is definitely a book I'll be reading again.
I have to say though that at first I didn't know what to make of the book. For a while it seemed as though I wasn't going to like it and, even worse, I wasn't going to like Sam. The Prologue is fantastic and the build up to the crash was suspenseful but I just couldn't warm to Sam right away. The thing is I think that we're supposed to not really like Sam at the beginning. She's popular, has a fantastic boyfriend and her life couldn't be more perfect but because she was popular she wasn't exactly very nice. Not at first, anyway. I was very quickly sucked in though and as I got to know Sam more, I began to like her more.
The plot is immensely complex yet so simplistic at the same time: Sam dies but, it seems, she hasn't really died and has the chance to re-live her last day seven times. The book is broken up into sections for each of the replayed days and although repeating the same day seven times may seem repetitive and dull, it's not. As Sam re-lives that day again and again more things come to light about what happens the night of the crash and Sam seems to realise just what is important in life. It's ironic really that the only time Sam took stock of what a cow she was, was when she was dying/dead but I suppose that doesn't really matter as Sam did finally realise just how mean she could be. The changes as each day progresses and the realisations that come to Sam all happen subtly and slowly and everything that happens that day is unravelled until eventually Sam has the chance to somehow salvage something from such a horrible situation.
I really recommend you pick up Before I Fall. I truly believe that every teenager should be given this to read as it would really speak to them about a lot of things. The book may not feel heavy or depressing but it does tackle some difficult issues. I actually believe everyone should read this book because it truly is that fantastic. It's totally worth persevering with as once it gets going, it really gets going and I struggled to put it down. This is definitely a book I'll be reading again.
36 of 39 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I've been trying to write this review for weeks, but have had a hard time putting my thoughts into words. I could just say that Before I Fall is amazing, fantastic, a groundbreaking debut. It's all of these things, yet so much more. You know when you read a book, and you're left speechless at the end, like you're in sensory overload? That was what happened to me when I read Before I Fall. I was a complete mess, left reeling like Sam's end had been my end, like her thoughts and feelings had been my own. It's a powerful feeling, though completely unprecedented.
Before I Fall made me wish I was a writer. It made me wish I could arrange sentences that would mean something to people, and maybe even change how they live their life. Not many books do that for me, but when they do, they cast their spell on me and stay in my head forever. Sam's story did more than that -- it made me realise that life is precious, and that every single choice we make has an effect. We might not see it, but it's there. Our decisions have the ability to alter someone's path, or someone's self perception. We have to think about what we do, how we treat others and what one wrong turn can lead to.
Sam's whole journey is filled with regrets and what ifs. Her story is tragic, yes, but it's also redeeming. How many of us wish we could relive a day, maybe do something differently, or take something back? It's a dream we'll never experience, but for Sam it's her reality, even her nightmare. She has a second chance, and she has to use it to fix the trouble she caused, and the people she hurt along the way. I didn't like Sam at first; I thought she was horrible, stuck-up, and not someone I'd ever want to know. Lauren Oliver warned me of this before I started the book, so I was prepared to hate her. What I wasn't prepared for was how much she'd change, and how much she'd speak to me and my way of life.
I'm a naturally shy, quiet person: I don't take risks, I don't try many new things, and I worry about situations I have no control over. Lauren has shown me that life's too short to worry about what might happen in the future, and that once it's gone, it's gone. I've made a conscious effort to live a little, and not focus on the negatives of everything. For that I owe her a huge thanks, because it's something I've struggled with for a long time. On a personal level, this book is everything I've needed, and I hope sharing my thoughts can make someone like me open their eyes to new experiences.
To put it simply, just buy this book. Meet Sam, cry with Sam, and live with Sam. Then go out and do something new. Even if you only say hi to someone outside your circle, or drive a different way to work, it's a step in the right direction.
Before I Fall made me wish I was a writer. It made me wish I could arrange sentences that would mean something to people, and maybe even change how they live their life. Not many books do that for me, but when they do, they cast their spell on me and stay in my head forever. Sam's story did more than that -- it made me realise that life is precious, and that every single choice we make has an effect. We might not see it, but it's there. Our decisions have the ability to alter someone's path, or someone's self perception. We have to think about what we do, how we treat others and what one wrong turn can lead to.
Sam's whole journey is filled with regrets and what ifs. Her story is tragic, yes, but it's also redeeming. How many of us wish we could relive a day, maybe do something differently, or take something back? It's a dream we'll never experience, but for Sam it's her reality, even her nightmare. She has a second chance, and she has to use it to fix the trouble she caused, and the people she hurt along the way. I didn't like Sam at first; I thought she was horrible, stuck-up, and not someone I'd ever want to know. Lauren Oliver warned me of this before I started the book, so I was prepared to hate her. What I wasn't prepared for was how much she'd change, and how much she'd speak to me and my way of life.
I'm a naturally shy, quiet person: I don't take risks, I don't try many new things, and I worry about situations I have no control over. Lauren has shown me that life's too short to worry about what might happen in the future, and that once it's gone, it's gone. I've made a conscious effort to live a little, and not focus on the negatives of everything. For that I owe her a huge thanks, because it's something I've struggled with for a long time. On a personal level, this book is everything I've needed, and I hope sharing my thoughts can make someone like me open their eyes to new experiences.
To put it simply, just buy this book. Meet Sam, cry with Sam, and live with Sam. Then go out and do something new. Even if you only say hi to someone outside your circle, or drive a different way to work, it's a step in the right direction.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
The basic storyline of Before I Fall is of Sam living and then re-living her last day for a further six days. On every day of re-living she knows each time what is going to happen at the end of the day and makes small changes, maybe only in what or in the way she says something, with the occasional huge change to a part of the day. To start with, maybe just the first two or three days, Sam is an arrogant, loud, clichéd teenager with attitude and has equally arrogant and shallow friends. But as she comes to live the day again and again, knowing what is to come and what actions cause what effects, she has the time and sense to realise how neglectful of her loving family she is, how dismissive she is of the boy whose friendship she enjoyed from her early childhood and how in the pockets she is of her girlfriends. Her friends sometimes don't `get it' when she does something out of character, to the point that she even falls out with her best friend over something which would never normally have occurred.
When I got to day three (and took a look at the back cover of the book) I realised that the whole book was based on seven versions of the one day and I thought it's bound to become boring - I couldn't have been more wrong. Each day becomes more exciting for the reader to find out which bits change, what happens at the party and if the same accident is going to happen on the way home afterwards when Sam knows exactly what's coming and has made changes.
By the last couple of days the reader has more empathy with Sam - she's not the same uncaring teenager she was six or seven days earlier. She's kinder to her family, especially her little sister who thinks the world of Sam, and has a different attitude with girls in school who she would normally mock. It's amazing to think of how just giving a bit of thought into your actions or tone of a comment can make such a big difference to other peoples lives.
This book (and it's not only for teenagers) has been well planned and well written in a beautifully flowing way. For a debut novel I think it's fantastic - surely only better to come from Lauren Oliver.
When I got to day three (and took a look at the back cover of the book) I realised that the whole book was based on seven versions of the one day and I thought it's bound to become boring - I couldn't have been more wrong. Each day becomes more exciting for the reader to find out which bits change, what happens at the party and if the same accident is going to happen on the way home afterwards when Sam knows exactly what's coming and has made changes.
By the last couple of days the reader has more empathy with Sam - she's not the same uncaring teenager she was six or seven days earlier. She's kinder to her family, especially her little sister who thinks the world of Sam, and has a different attitude with girls in school who she would normally mock. It's amazing to think of how just giving a bit of thought into your actions or tone of a comment can make such a big difference to other peoples lives.
This book (and it's not only for teenagers) has been well planned and well written in a beautifully flowing way. For a debut novel I think it's fantastic - surely only better to come from Lauren Oliver.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
REVIEW: "Before I Fall", by Lauren Oliver
I think anyone who has ever watched Groundhog Day has considered the things they may do if they had the chance to live a day over and over until they made it perfect. Read more
Published 4 days ago by L. Williams
Not for us oldies
Before I go on with this review I must point out that my rating and comments are purely based on the fact that I am a 40 year old woman reading this book so this is my perspective... Read more
Published 13 days ago by Boof
A fantastic read!
Before I fall is a beautiful book about friendships, growing up, and most importantly second chances. Read more
Published 27 days ago by David Price
Before I fall
In the real world there aren't any repeats, so whatever you're doing today, make sure you put your heart and soul into it. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Jack Ruby
Great premise, difficult to enjoy
I really loved the idea of this book, and the plot is well structured. Reading it I do feel that the author has created a colourful and believable world for the reader to follow. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Dinah93
One of the BEST books i have EVER read xx
This book is truly mind blowing, it takes you on an amazing journey and makes you laugh, cry and fall in love with all the characters (except rob). Read more
Published 1 month ago by Sarah
Not Olivers Best
I downloaded this book after reading delirium and was rather disappointed. I loved delirium, but felt 'Before I fall' lacked many of the qualities that made it a great book. Read more
Published 1 month ago by EiryFairy
Very thoughtprovoking
I bought this novel because of the beautiful reviews, and I wasn't disappionted! It was absolutely breathtaking!
I read it in three days, I think. Read more
I read it in three days, I think. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Merle
Beautiful and inspiring
Before I Fall is Lauren Oliver's debut novel. Having read both Delirium and Pandemonium before this, I had high hopes. I wasn't disappointed and I loved it. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Debbie @ Forever Reading
An interesting premise
The idea of being able to repeat a day of your life over and over is one that is both a scary and somewhat attractive prospect, so I was intrigued to see how this novel would... Read more
Published 2 months ago by J.E.T
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