Before I Fall
Author: Lauren Oliver
Publication: HarperCollins; 1 edition (March 2, 2010)
Description: What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?
Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.
Instead, it turns out to be her last.
Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.
My Thoughts: This is the first book in a long time that I just could not finish. I decided that it is not a book for me. The review at Booklist says, "Oliver, in a pitch-perfect teen voice, explores the power we have to affect the people around us in this intensely believable first novel."
I think it is the pitch-perfect teen voice that is stopping me. Sam is one of the mean girls. She is disparaging of everyone around her. In the first 46 pages she smokes, drinks, cheats in class, treats others rudely, plans to sleep with a boyfriend that she neither likes nor respects just because she doesn't want to be the last virgin in her group, and skips class. I just couldn't read any more. I didn't like being in Sam's head.
Normally, I would put the book back on my TBR shelf and give it a try another day. But, since I intended to donate it to my HS Media Center when I finished it anyway, I decided to donate it today. Maybe some of my teenage readers can get through the part I can't to get to the good stuff mentioned in the blurb. I will be checking with readers after they check it out to see if it works better with my teen readers.
