Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver, is an attention-grabbing book that keeps you wondering what is going to happen next. The main character, Samantha Kingston, is a senior in high school and she has the perfect life. She is popular, has the best friends, and has a super hot boyfriend who everyone wants. However, she was not always the popular girl who everyone aspired to be like. Before high school, she was a socially awkward girl who didn’t have many friends, and certainly not a boyfriend. The story begins on Cupid Day, which is a day where everyone gets to show off how many friends they have based on the amount of roses they get. This is Samantha’s favorite day. She goes through the day like normal, talking with friends, kissing her boyfriend, skipping class, when she makes a plan that will change her life. She plans to go to a party that night. She goes to the party and drinks and has fun with her friends and her boyfriend. Her friend Lindsay drives them all home. On their way home, they get in a crash and Samantha is killed. However, she wakes up the next day and it is Cupid Day all over again. This day keeps on repeating itself and Samantha doesn’t know how to break the cycle. She finally realizes that in order to save herself, she needs to save others.

This book really demonstrates the yardsticks. There is perfect clarity in every aspect of this book. It is easy to follow the story and you really get to know the characters on a personal level. It makes you feel like you are friends with them! There is great reflection of real life. This is a story of a teenage girl, just like any one of us, who goes through something very traumatic and real that none of us seem to think will ever happen to us. It really opens my eyes to the idea that we never really know when our last day will be, and that we want to make a good impression on everyone we meet. There is great artistry in detail in this book. The imagery makes me feel like I am actually there with Samantha the whole time! It makes me very empathetic to the characters. It paints a great picture in my mind of what is going on throughout the entire story.

This book is hard to put down! It is full of suspense and plot twists and I never see what is coming next! This story teaches a great life lesson to kids our age. It teaches us that we need to stop being so caught up in our own self-image and take the time to look around at others and help those in need. People can be cruel and all it takes is for someone to give them a friendly smile and it could change their day, or even their life.