Before I Fall

Before I Fall is Mean Girls meets Groundhog Day, with the popular and pretty protagonist, Sam, forced to relive February 12th (her beloved “Cupid’s Day”) over and over. In the beginning, I had no love for Sam and was appalled by her and her friend’s nasty behavior, but Sam’s character growth throughout the novel is inspirational. The time-turning in the novel is handled flawlessly with repeated events never growing dull, and each new loop offering another layer to Sam’s redemption. Admittedly the book didn’t end the way I wanted (I’m a fan of fairy tale endings, even if unrealistic),… show more.

This is a creepy version of Groundhog’s Day (that old movie with Bill Murray). I love anything with a hint of ghosts or the afterlife. To me this is a story of a girl learning how not to be a bitch before she gets to go to heaven. That sounds almost humorous, but it’s not. It’s a story of friendship breakups and friendships gone wrong and the consequences of the actions you choose. Creepy atmosphere. I read this twice when it came out, and probably will give it another read at some point. They did make this into a movie!

Before I Fall is the story off a mean girl forced to examine who she is and how she walks through the world. Samantha gets to relive the last day of her life—seven times—giving her a chance to discover who she really is. I love this story because Sam is an unlikeable protagonist done right. You cringe as you first come in contact with her, but by examining this one girl, you are reminded that we all have pieces of ourselves we might not want to see under a spotlight. Reading this novel, makes me aware that we all have… show more.

Despite reading this for the first time in 2010 I can still remember how I felt upon finishing. Wowed. It’s quite a sticky story, and by sticky, I mean it sticks with you. Samantha Kingston is a popular high school senior with a seemingly perfect and shiny life. Hot boyfriend, best friends, revered by her classmates. Then she dies and is forced to relive her last day seven times, and it is in those seven experiences that she discovers who she really was…and is.