Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Published by HarperCollins on March 2, 2010
Genres: young adult contemporary
Pages: 490
Format: Hardcover
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Rating: ★★★★
I’ve only read one other Lauren Oliver book–Replica–and I had mixed feelings about it. I have mixed feelings about this one, too. But I think I like Before I Fall better.
I’ve never seen Groundhog Day, so I can’t compare it to Before I Fall. But I ended up really enjoying the effect of repeating the same day as the plot of the novel; by the end of the book, several characters had really grown on me in a way I wasn’t expecting, and, even though I’d technically only spent one day with them, I felt like I’d spent several.
This book, instead of focusing on how life is short, so carpe diem, decided to emphasize the impact one person has in the lives of everyone else in their community. At the beginning of the novel, Sam is so engrossed in her own friend group and the same comfortable dynamics of high school that she’s unaware how her actions and decisions affect other people outside of that friend group.
With each repeat of her last day, Sam grows more self-conscious, and she learns how to own her actions and look outside of herself in order to take care of the people nobody else will care about. This is a powerful enough message by itself, but I think my favorite part about it was how this message was completely subliminal until the very end. It was naturally-delivered and very heartfelt.
Somehow I didn’t know this book would end the way it did, and when I finished, my heart hurt. And I don’t necessarily feel other reviewers are saying that, but if you’re like me, and you tend to think, “But no, there’s GOTTA be a deus ex machina here!?”, I’m here to tell you not to think that. This book doesn’t have that last-minute rescue to a happy ending. It has some surprises, and it does come full circle, but the ending is very bittersweet.
I appreciated that, though. Because the ending involves sacrifice and acceptance of consequences, and Sam recognizing that, while she can’t change things, she can own her decisions, so why not make those decisions purposeful? It’s mature, it’s honest, and it’s so incredibly real. Though it’s not my absolute favorite novel, Before I Fall is a clever, introspective look at community, individual decisions, and the nuances in individual perspective that bind individuals to their community. It’s about identity, and the roles you play in the lives not just of your friends, but of acquaintances. Long story short, this book has the emotional weight and maturity of Falling into Place while developing certain themes about death, loss, and community much more skillfully, in my opinion, than If I Stay was able to.
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