"Before I Fall"

by Lauren Oliver

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. I watched the film of this book in mid 2017 and enjoyed it but I loved reading the book even more. What a fantastic read with a mix of Mean Girls and Groundhog Day and a hope for redemption, I couldn't put it down.   Samantha dies in an accident one night, but for seven days, she wakes up on the morning of the day she died and gets to relive the day.  She has the opportunity to perhaps make tiny changes, to look for clues about why she died and hope to make the right change that will give her a different outcome, other than death. Reliving the same day forces her to examine herself, acknowledging ugly truths about herself and her friends and face what drives them to these obnoxious behaviors.  This self examination helps her become aware of all of the good in her life.  Aware of all of the things she has taken for granted and what she will lose if she cannot figure out the mystery and truly does die. I highly recommend this to my Young Adult readers and as a trip back to High School for older readers.

Heidi Y.