Jen's Review
by Lauren Oliver
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: March 2, 2010
Having read this Before I Fall nearly two years ago, I was
curious to see what I was going to think after reading it two years later,
whether Oliver's book would evoke the same emotions it did for me in the past.
While it started out extremely rough, it smoothed out towards the end and
overall left me very satisfied with Before I
Fall. I loved the book now just as much as I loved it two years ago.
The strongest point in
Before I Fall is the character growth.
I'm sure many other readers of this book can agree with me. The characters were
my main problem for me at the same time though, too. Sam and her buddies
started out as cruel, bratty, and just overly conceited girls. The immediate
connection of these group of girls was to the movie Mean Girls. They were pretty much exactly like them. They
started rumors, were slutty, and went to parties and drank their butts off. I
disliked every one of them from the start. I must admit that I was really
worried that the characters had ruined the entire book for me. But thank
goodness, Sam really starts to grow and change as a character once she begins
to learn and relive the same day every day. She becomes insightful and sees the
real things in life that make in enjoyable and worth living for. She even begins
to understand other people who she never noticed before. It was truly
fascinating how Oliver transitioned Sam's character in every "new"
day.
The concept, of
course, was also entertaining, and also a clever way to go about telling the
story. While some areas leave the reader to their own imagination, Oliver still
tells us enough that we are not confused in any way. It's just enough that we
ponder and make conclusions for ourselves.
To conclude, Lauren
Oliver definitely has her own style in telling a unique contemporary story,
with absolutely fantastic character growth. Even though this book started out
really shaky, I eventually learned to love the main protagonist and fell in
love with the story. This thought-provoking story will leave readers pondering
for days after flipping the last page.
4 teacups for Before I Fall!
Posts
I really enjoyed this one too! It surprised me, actually, since it was so different from Oliver's previous and I really wasn't sure what direction she was taking the plot, but it all came together so well. Great review, Jen! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm not a big fan of leaving things to the imagination for the reader. I read Requiem a couple of months ago and I guess Oliver is a fan of leaving things to the imagination.
ReplyDeletegreat review, you might convince me to pick it up,
- Juhina @ Maji Bookshelf
Never read Lauren Oliver, this sounds ok. I love your blog - it's beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI read this one about a year ago and I loved it! I think it would be interesting to reread it to see if it still evokes the same emotions! Great review!
ReplyDeleteI remember really liking this one too!
ReplyDeleteMei @ Diary of a Fair Weather Diver
Omg, "Before I Fall" is one AMAZING book! I read it a few weeks ago and it just really touches the heart and makes you realize that sometimes, being so high up in the clouds makes you forget about what's still on Earth. Vtw beautiful blog ;)
ReplyDelete-RedWing @ RedWing Forever
I've just borrowed 'Delirium' from the library, so it was good to read some praise for Lauren Oliver! =)
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I'd pick this up, Jen. I think I remember what this was about and how it ends and I'm not sure I'd be happy with that. I do hear that Lauren Oliver's writing is very beautiful though, so maybe I should re-think my decision. Great review! :)
ReplyDeleteI think it's been two years since I first read this too! I haven't really thought about a re-read, but now that you bring it to mind, I think I definitely want to pick it up again later this year. I loved this book the first time around. I do agree about Sam at the start - I don't think I liked her at all to begin with - but that didn't affect my overall enjoyment. Lovely review, Jen!
ReplyDeleteP.S. Have a nice break and good luck with your exams! <3
Oh interesting, it's nice this one still holds up mostly after two years. Before I Fall is in fact the only Lauren Oliver book that I have NOT read. Kind of a mystery to me because I love her and her work and have heard great things about Before I Fall, and yet, still have not found the time to read it. One day I will have to fix this! The thing I am most curious about is this immense character growth in the MC that everyone mentions in reviews. I think that takes some serious talent as an author to have a character that you start out completing hating and then bring you around to liking them as the story progresses.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, fantastic review as always, Jen! I hear you're going on a bit of a hiatus so hope you have a nice break!
I originally avoided this book because I hated the cover but then, after all the buzz, I gave it a shot and ended up loving it. So glad it held up for you!
ReplyDeleteI've been meaning to read this book for like ever, but with all the new books coming out it just got pushed to the back of my mind. I definitely want to give this book a try because I've heard so many great things about it. I'm really excited to see my reaction to the character growth because I tend to be stubborn about if I like a character or not. Nice review Jen!
ReplyDelete