There are many perks of working in a bookstore, most of which are pretty obvious. One of these perks is that I'm frequently asked to read books outside of my "box," so to speak: books from genres or subject matters that I would probably not pick up on my own. One such genre, which I enjoy immensely but don't read often, is YA (or Young Adult). The problem for me is, one of the biggest current trends in YA is fantasy (vampires, fairies, werewolves, wizards, etc). I have read some YA fantasy that I have loved (like the Harry Potter series and The Kindling of Greenfyr) and some that I read just to see what the hype was about and ended up quite disappointed (like Twilight... I only read the first, though). The books I loved as a young adult myself were more along the lines of Forever and The Outsiders; the options were certainly limited to a few well known titles. But today, there is a host of amazing YA literature out there, just waiting to be discovered!

I was lucky enough to discover one such gem in Before I Fall. It's the story of Samantha Kingston, one of the "it" girls in her Connecticut high school. Cold, mean, and completely self-absorbed, Sam and her three BFFs go through their days with little regard for anyone or anything that does not fit within their definition of cool. On February 12th, leaving a party late at night, heavy rain and drunk driving are a deadly combination for Sam, who dies in a car accident. But when she wakes up the next morning and it is again February 12th, Sam begins to reconsider life as she knows it. Throughout the course of the book, Sam wakes up on February 12th a total of seven times. By the end of the book, Sam eventually discovers how to make her last day more meaningful, and to change the course of what fate has in store.

Oliver's writing is terrific, her characters real and fully imagined. I would definitely call it a page-turner, for you will be drawn into Sam's story and want to know whether she is able to change her destiny in the end. I think this novel transcends age and will appeal to a wide audience. Despite the fact that I am not a young adult, I thoroughly enjoyed Before I Fall, and I'm really glad I read it! It's the kind of book that reminds you to savor every moment, to be a better and kinder person, and to appreciate the fact that everything you do has some consequence, no matter how small. Great read! ( )

Groundhog Day, with death. Good premise, but I found myself skimming the last third. ( )

gave a new look on bullying, in my opinion.... ( )

made me cry so. much. ( )

On "Cupid Day", Sam Kingston's day is pretty typical. She hangs out with her popular clique of friends, skips class to get frozen yogurt, and goes to a party.... but then she dies in a horrific accident and suddenly nothing about this day is normal anymore.

Now Sam is forced to live "Cupid Day" over and over again until she figures out... well there has to be a reason this is happening, right???

My Thoughts:
Lauren Oliver = new favorite author!! I can't believe I waited so long to read such a "ME" book. What was I thinking?? As soon as I read the first page I was hooked. It's everything I love in YA. The high school social dynamics, the finding out who you are stuff, the beginning of it all. It was like a high school version of Bill Murray's "Groundhog Day" (Fun Fact: I live really close to Punxsutawney, PA), and I loved it.

This is one of those books that I couldn't stop thinking about... and still kinda can't. I kept wondering how Sam was going to get herself out of this "loop" that she was in and I was worried about her. I know she doesn't exist IRL, but she felt insanely real to me! Okay, and I was also mildly concerned about whether or not she was going to realize Kent's awesomeness.

What I loved: I LOVED that Lauren Oliver created a realistic world where people's behaviors have consequences, but they aren't over-exaggerated consequences. I don't know how to explain it, but basically lessons are learned without it being overly and annoyingly lesson-y. If that makes sense. I liked how Sam realized that being a "mean girl" wasn't something to be proud of, but at the same time, she still loved her friends. She didn't turn away from their flaws (okay, well there was that ONE day), she wanted to understand why they were the way they were, and she still wanted it to be okay for her to love them. And she did love them even though they weren't going through the same realizations as she was. I also have to say KENT!! I really really loved Kent. This whole book could have been about him and I would've been happy.

What I didn't love: There are 7 days of Sam trying to figure stuff out. I would be lying if I didn't say that there was a point where it was dragging a bit (I mean it is 490 pages!!!). Especially because one day was epic-ly perfect and I wanted it to just end right there. But once I pushed through that part, I got right back on track. The other thing I didn't love was: The Ending. Why Lauren Oliver, why? I cried because I was sad and also because I SO wanted everything to turn out differently.

OVERALL: Read this book!!! It's the perfect YA book. Perfect! It has mean girls, and popularity, the cute geeky crush-worthy guy, family, and just LIFE. I can't recommend this enough.

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