“‘Beep, beep,’ Lindsay calls out.”

From Lauren Oliver’s Before I Fall.

Samantha Kingston has it all; her family is well-off, she and her three friends (Lindsay, Elody, and Ally) are some of the most popular girls in school, and she is dating one of the hottest guys at school.  Her life is picture perfect except for one thing: she keeps reliving the same day she dies in a car accident, waking up back in her bed at the start of the same day.  Sam is stuck reliving every moment over again, trying to change her day to save herself (from dying and this terrible loop), but nothing works.  Every day starts with Sam waking up late, rushing to school for the same pop quiz, ignoring the unpopular in her life, being invited to a party by her childhood friend (Kent), and watching the school outcast, Juliet, make a scene at the party.  Even when she can manipulate the day to get everything she wants, Sam can’t do anything to free herself from the cycle; it always comes back to the party… and Juliet.  Over the course of seven repeat days, Sam begins to develop an idea that could save Juliet and maybe even Samantha.

Oliver’s story is surprisingly complex for one that takes places during one day that is repeated multiple times.  The main character is relatable, even if just in her reaction to her nightmarish situation and not her life choices in general; the dialog is quick and witty, allowing the reader to easily follow the thoughts and actions taking place on the page.  More in-depth than the movie adaptation, the book really excels in that it dives deep into the character of Samantha while not letting the day become overly repetitive.  For an overall enjoyable book, the ending of the Before I Fall will be frustrating for many readers, because while certain elements make sense, mainly the ending seems to have been chosen for the gut-punch impact.