Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, published by Harper Collins.
I was on vacation knowing that I would soon be bored out of my mind at the airport. I had already finished the three books I brought with me. So what's a girl to do? Head to the nearest Wal*Mart and pick up a new book! Every book was basically about vampires or witches or something supernatural, except this one. (Besides, the part about Samantha's Groundhog day scenario). Also, do you see that quote on the cover? It's from Jay Asher who wrote Thirteen Reasons Why! He loved this book, which means I absolutely had to read it.
The main character is Samantha Kingston. She has three best friends: Ally, Elody, and Lindsay. They're the popular kids in school which mainly reminded me of Mean Girls. There are certain instances where you can clearly see their brutality and bitchiness. They don't have respect for their teachers or parents, they don't really care about the law or manners, and they pretty much want to have fun at whatever cost. But Oliver didn't create one-dimensional characters (thank goodness) so as February 12th continues on I discovered what traits there were to love in Samantha and Lindsay, what made Kent so special, and what in Rob could disappoint again and again.
Plot: Samantha dies on February 12th and wakes up the next day only to discover that it's February 12th all over again. She knows what's going to happen and soon finds that she's powerless to stop her death, powerless to stop the endless cycle of the same day, and that there is another life intricately linked to her own. This plot is unique in that Samantha truly grows as an individual more in her "afterlife" than she did during her "real life." Also, the reader gets to see what small changes can affect the big picture and what mysteries have already affected the characters in ways that they didn't know. I don't want to give it away but you'll soon find out that Juliet is a much more important character than is first let on.
You may or may not know that I intend to write young adult literature. I have a book started but after reading Before I Fall I have the feeling that I have to go back and make my characters more believable. I first constructed them after characters I fell in love with when I was younger: the Sweet Valley High kids, the Babysitter's Club, you know, wholesome good kids. However, that's not really today's teenager. Oliver is more familiar with the way teens really talk and act. I'm not saying there aren't wholesome good kids out there anymore, after all, I'm still one. But I do think they talk more about sex, drugs, and drinking than I wanted to admit. I can't hide from it anymore, which means I'm going to have to rethink how much of the "teenage world" (such as underage drinking, fooling around, and texting) I want in my novel. Oliver, on the other hand, handles it with grace. Her characters are experienced, yet vulnerable, they're badass, yet layered with hurt and empathy. They're lovable and surprising, they're multi-faceted with fully thought-up histories. She reminds me of Sarah Dessen in that regard: these girls don't feel fictional or created.
This novel may not sound like it has a surprising plot but there are truly key points that will surprise you, including the ending, not to mention the suspense and mystery in not knowing how many times Samantha will relive the day, if she'll end up saving herself, whose fate is linked to hers and how she can affect that individual. Jay Asher says it best, "This story races forward, twisting in a new direction every few pages, its characters spinning my emotions from affection to frustration, anger to compassion." Very true, and worth the emotional roller coaster ride.
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