Hey, guys! A few months ago, I read the first half of Before I Fall. It was okay, but I got distracted and temporarily set it aside. A few days ago, I saw the trailer for the movie adaptation (inserted below), which prompted me to finally finish reading Before I Fall.
The Cover:
The Cover:
It shows Sam, laying on her side, most likely after just waking up on the next installment of her day. I generally don't like covers with just a girl's face; they limit creativity regarding character creation and are cliche. C- cover
Official Description:
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.
My Review:
Before I Fall is an interesting mix of the movies Groundhog Day and Mean Girls with Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. It follows the idea of Groundhog Day -- repeating the same day over until you get it perfect -- with the unlikable characters and high school drama of Mean Girls and some of the themes of Thirteen Reasons Why.
I was so excited to read this book. I love the idea of time loops! I think that they're a great chance to explore characters and, generally, fun to read about. However, I found the characters to be so unlikable that I couldn't enjoy one of the most important pieces of this book -- character development.
The entire point of this book is to be impressed by Sam's transition from a "mean girl" into a nice person who is selfless, etc. If it was executed well, I would have been all for it. However, Sam stayed a "mean girl" throughout. Even if Sam changes, she is still friends with Lindsay (a character who is so awful that she should honestly be in prison). Even in her moment of transformation into a nice person, she is selfish and inconsiderate of others. Instead of Before I Fall proving that all people are redeemable and are worthwhile, it seemed to prove the opposite.
That being said, the plot was interesting, if cliche. I found myself curious as to how it would be resolved. The storyline was obviously well-thought out. I wouldn't call it a page-turner, mostly because the nature of a time-loop story doesn't really allow the fast-paced types of stories. The story definitely had direction, though, allowing the book to move fairly fast.
Overall, I would not recommend reading Before I Fall. It was entertaining but it wasn't executed very well. Maybe with different characters, I would have liked this book. As it was, it was just okay.
Phrase:
Cupid's Day
Movie Trailer:
Other Books By Lauren Oliver:
Panic
Delirium / Pandemonium
If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!
The Cover:
It shows Sam, laying on her side, most likely after just waking up on the next installment of her day. I generally don't like covers with just a girl's face; they limit creativity regarding character creation and are cliche. C- cover
Official Description:
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.
My Review:
Before I Fall is an interesting mix of the movies Groundhog Day and Mean Girls with Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. It follows the idea of Groundhog Day -- repeating the same day over until you get it perfect -- with the unlikable characters and high school drama of Mean Girls and some of the themes of Thirteen Reasons Why.
I was so excited to read this book. I love the idea of time loops! I think that they're a great chance to explore characters and, generally, fun to read about. However, I found the characters to be so unlikable that I couldn't enjoy one of the most important pieces of this book -- character development.
The entire point of this book is to be impressed by Sam's transition from a "mean girl" into a nice person who is selfless, etc. If it was executed well, I would have been all for it. However, Sam stayed a "mean girl" throughout. Even if Sam changes, she is still friends with Lindsay (a character who is so awful that she should honestly be in prison). Even in her moment of transformation into a nice person, she is selfish and inconsiderate of others. Instead of Before I Fall proving that all people are redeemable and are worthwhile, it seemed to prove the opposite.
That being said, the plot was interesting, if cliche. I found myself curious as to how it would be resolved. The storyline was obviously well-thought out. I wouldn't call it a page-turner, mostly because the nature of a time-loop story doesn't really allow the fast-paced types of stories. The story definitely had direction, though, allowing the book to move fairly fast.
Overall, I would not recommend reading Before I Fall. It was entertaining but it wasn't executed very well. Maybe with different characters, I would have liked this book. As it was, it was just okay.
Phrase:
Cupid's Day
Movie Trailer:
Other Books By Lauren Oliver:
Panic
Delirium / Pandemonium
If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!
Happy Reading!
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