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Before I Fall
Before I Fall
Before I Fall
Audiobook12 hours

Before I Fall

Written by Lauren Oliver

Narrated by Sarah Drew

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

Like Adam Silvera's They Both Die at the End and Colleen Hoover's It Ends with Us, Before I Fall raises thought-provoking questions about love, death, and how one person's life can affect so many others. With this stunning debut novel, New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver emerged as one of today's foremost authors of young adult fiction.

For popular high school senior Samantha Kingston, February 12—"Cupid Day"—should be one big party, a day of valentines and roses and the privileges that come with being at the top of the social pyramid. And it is…until she dies in a terrible accident that night.

However, she still wakes up the next morning. In fact, Sam lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she ever imagined.

Before I Fall is now a major motion picture Zoey Deutch, Halston Sage, and Kian Lawley. Named to numerous state reading lists, the novel was also recognized as a Best Book of the Year by Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Daily Beast, NPR, and Publishers Weekly.

Cover Art © 2016 Open Road Films. All Rights Reserved.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperCollins
Release dateMar 2, 2010
ISBN9780061938313
Before I Fall
Author

Lauren Oliver

Lauren Oliver is the cofounder of media and content development company Glasstown Entertainment, where she serves as the President of Production. She is also the New York Times bestselling author of the YA novels Replica, Vanishing Girls, Panic, and the Delirium trilogy: Delirium, Pandemonium, and Requiem, which have been translated into more than thirty languages. The film rights to both Replica and Lauren's bestselling first novel, Before I Fall, were acquired by Awesomeness Films. Before I Fall was adapted into a major motion picture starring Zoey Deutch. It debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 2017, garnering a wide release from Open Road Films that year. Oliver is a 2012 E. B. White Read-Aloud Award nominee for her middle-grade novel Liesl & Po, as well as author of the middle-grade fantasy novel The Spindlers and The Curiosity House series, co-written with H.C. Chester. She has written one novel for adults, Rooms. Oliver co-founded Glasstown Entertainment with poet and author Lexa Hillyer. Since 2010, the company has developed and sold more than fifty-five novels for adults, young adults, and middle-grade readers. Some of its recent titles include the New York Times bestseller Everless, by Sara Holland; the critically acclaimed Bonfire, authored by the actress Krysten Ritter; and The Hunger by Alma Katsu, which received multiple starred reviews and was praised by Stephen King as “disturbing, hard to put down” and “not recommended…after dark.” Oliver is a narrative consultant for Illumination Entertainment and is writing features and TV shows for a number of production companies and studios. Oliver received an academic scholarship to the University of Chicago, where she was elected Phi Beta Kappa. She received a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from New York University. www.laurenoliverbooks.com.

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Reviews for Before I Fall

Rating: 4.061769621035059 out of 5 stars
4/5

1,198 ratings272 reviews

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Before I Fall was well written, with many twists and turns, which kept my attention and interest. However, I found that I didn't relate to the characters, especially the main character. In the end, the story was wrapped up well, as I expected and predicted. Overall, great job, and I could see how it would appeal to a certain audience.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    I kept waiting for the protagonist to redeem herself or at least prove she has more personality than a wet noodle but apparently no.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    13 Reasons Why and Groundhog Day movie all rolled into one . . .

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Wow, this book was so powerful. I can't even formulate a reaction to it right now. It left me overwhelmed with emotion. I have to sleep on it and come back tomorrow. But I will say this, it was really amazing and I think everyone needs to read it. Oliver is an amazing writer!Sam Kingston is your typical teenager: she drinks, sometimes smokes, parties, love to hang out with her friends, doesn't care so much about school. And she is popular. She pushes all this to the limits until one day, she dies. But she doesn't just die once, she relives that same day seven times. And in the process she learns things about herself and the others around her that change her perspective on her life.I liked how this book did not make the teens out to be these kids who just kind of pushed the limits and then realized they needed to be good. Sam's friends are raw, the others surrounding her are the same. She learns their faults just as she learns her owns. She learns what's important.In the seven times she relives her day of death, she tries to fix things that go wrong. But each time she does, something else does not go according to her plan. In the end, she realizes that even tho all the people around her are connected, those connections are continuously changing. That just because you think you know what is going to happen and try to fix it, doesn't mean that won't affect something else in a negative way in the end.While this book is a bit sad, you really grow to love Sam as she comes to terms with her death.It actually brought me back to HS and brought up some of that teen angst that I experienced (and that was 20+ years ago!).I highly recommend this book. Oliver is an excellent writer. She doesn't make you feel like you're reading an adult writing as a teen, she actually makes you feel like you're reading from the perspective of a teen (not an easy feet).
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Okay for what it was - no great literary work that is for sure and repetitive at times. Way too many cliches. The author handled the topic well but it just felt mostly like shallow entertainment. Glad others seemed to get a lot more out of it.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    At first this book was really irritating because when we die, we don't get any second chances to make things right. We don't get another chance to figure it all out. However, the message of this story was clear and the ending was very fitting.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    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. Instaed, 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.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I am so in love with this book that I know this review is going to come out all rambly and blabby, but here goes...

    I love this book. I really, really, really love this book. The whole thing seems effortless. Its like the characters burst from the pages fully-formed even though I didn’t quite remember reading any character development. It all just flows together. I thought I was going to get annoyed with reading the same day over and over again and waiting and waiting for a punch line that would surely only show up in the end. It was nothing like that. Every day was important, every sentence edging us closer and closer. It’s the writing. It is so good. It is just ..... GOOD. I love Oliver’s descriptions. I love the things she thinks up to make something make sense. Feelings are described so delicately and so poignantly that I KNOW Oliver has made me understand perfectly what she means. Sometimes complex (or even simple) feelings can get a little lost in the words of a novel but not when Oliver is in control. There is something luxurious about her writing style.

    As for the plot itself: brilliant. It is like an exercise in mining the teenage heart. Every relived day takes us deeper and deeper into something of an analysis of the teenage mind – the teenager who hasn’t found herself yet, who is not self-aware and does not yet understand life. Well, she does by the end of the book. God, its so good. I’m going to go read it again right now.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Reactions:A short novel that begins like a cross between "Groundhog Day" starring Bill Murray and Andie McDowell and "Sliding Doors" with Gwyneth Paltrow. A day where bad choices have been made by Samantha and her friends which proves to be the last one passed through Sam,If this young teenager turns over the day she saw tirelessly as she passes through different phases of her life revisiting experience. Anger, fear, rebellion, the desire to have no limit, to liberate herself and show her true feelings. In short, she drop the mask. By changing the way she looks at the people around her or the way she lives some events, Sam matures.She also looked at her entourage in a new light, discovered the ricochets of our daily actions and their implications on our environment. We can not live alone and our actions have repercussions.To be honest, by opening this book, I wanted to read a short story. A quick read. I came across a novel positive, powerful and hopeful. A book that makes you want to look on the bright side of life. Too often we forget the preciousness of our lives especially when one focuses on the painful or stressful events of our daily life.We forget to look at the little things around us that gives the balm to the heart. By starting this reading, I was in a difficult week with a lot of work, deadlines to meet, stressful week and in a foul mood.This book makes me smile... What if it was my last day? Would I want to be irritated by my colleagues at the office? Would I want to bark for trivia? Would I want to waste life with insignificant details or would I want to enjoy the sunshine outside and enjoy my day? Do I prefer to remember a smile, a laugh or a bad retort?In today's society, we refuse to talk or think about death. Yet it is unavoidable. We are neither necessary nor indispensable, or even immortal... that's why we must take full advantage of our everyday life ... You never know if there will be an after.I really loved this well written moving book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I read this for a buddy read on Litsy, not sure if I would have picked it up on my own. At first I did not like it, but as the story unfolded I started to like it more and more. I think because I had low expectations for it I found the story rather unexpected. I definitely grew attached to Sam. I watched the movie after finishing the book and did not like it. Changed too much of the story.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I wasn't the biggest fan of this book. I don't know if it was the audio version and if I would have liked it more had I read it. The mean girl issue is one I don't care for and it got too repetitive for me. I know that was the whole premise behind the book but it just didn't do it for me. 2.5 ⭐️
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Sam has a great life with popular friends, Lindsey, Ally, and Elody until she starts reliving the last day of her life over and over again. She becomes her own antagonist as she struggles with herself to make the right decisions. When she finally realizes what is important in life, the story is able to come to it’s conclusion.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I don't know...I read good reviews about this book, some said it was sad, emotional, bla bla. But for me it was, grrr, O.K.I didn't like Sam one bit, even at the end, I know she did the right thing, but the way she ended her story with Kent, well that was awful, why ignore the guy for 7 years then make him hope when you know you're gonna die?Kent was the only character I really liked, Sam and her friends were mean and selfish, Juliet was weak and a quitter. I don't know how to rate this book, I wanna give it 2 stars, but the writing style definitely deserves four, so I'm gonna go with 3.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Lauren Oliver’s debut novel left me speechless. Well, I suppose I did a fair amount of babbling, but it wasn’t exactly coherent – I was in awe. I never expected that I’d be up all night because I simply could not put BEFORE I FALL down!The plot of BEFORE I FALL is not one that is new to readers, but it is classic. Samantha dies unexpectedly, but does not “pass on.” Instead she relives her last day repeatedly, until she figures out the key to escaping the limbo-like state. Oliver’s take on the premise added twists that made BEFORE I FALL truly unique. Oliver characterized her main character, Samantha, perfectly. She had so many layers and even as she did horrid, mean-girl things, she pulled me in and made me understand her. I can honestly say I identified with Samantha. She is now one of my favorite narrators!Samantha’s growth throughout the novel progressed perfectly. She does not immediately change her self-centered ways, she must make an effort to change. She must slow down and notice all the small details in her everyday life and how even her smallest actions make ripples and affect others. I am so glad that BEFORE I FALL was so lengthy, partially because I didn’t want it to end, but also because it allowed for the plot to unfold at just the right pace.There is a romantic plot line… and it was so, so good… but it was also so very painful. This aspect of the novel cemented my love for this novel. I adored the entire plot and novel, but his seemly doomed story was just so utterly romantic. I am a romance junkie and BEFORE I FALL totally fed my obsession. It made me cry, but was still satisfying. BEFORE I FALL is a must-read. And, I think, a must-buy! Oliver’s novels will all have a spot on my bookshelf… I’m already anxiously awaiting her next novel!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I've read a lot of books that I have fallen in love with on the first page. This was not one of them. Lauren Oliver recreates "high school" so well in this book that she may as well have been talking about my high school, and I may as well have been walking the halls instead of reading a book. This is not your typical young adult book, where the main character is almost perfect and the high school environment is basically ideal with only one or two typical mean girls. This book is raw and realistic, and will leave you feeling like a teenager again for hours after reading it.That being said, I continued reading the story because, obviously, if Lauren Oliver has the capability of pulling me right back to high school with just the words on her pages, she is a very talented author.The main character Sam is so unlikable, but somehow more relatable because of it. As you continue reading, you realize that along the pages, you somehow grow attached to her, and you are rooting for her to come out on top. I refuse to giveaway spoilers, so I will just tell you that this is one of those books you should just read!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Read on March 12, 2011I've read a lot of really great YA novels lately and here's another one to add to the list....Sam is a popular girl that suddenly finds herself dead. Sounds morbid, but this is a tale of redemption. After Sam dies, she discovers herself reliving her last day over and over again (yes...like Groundhog Day). She tries to make her last day end well, but she always awakes to the same Friday. As she relives the day, she starts to discover that she made many mistakes along the way and attempts to fix them.Because I'm in total readalike mode at work, as I read this I kept thinking of other great YA books like it. Definitely try Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac, Thirteen Reasons Why, and Going Bovine if you're looking for YA reads with a little more meat than Twilight. Each are exceptional stories about teens trying to get through the puzzling world of adolescence, but with darker than you would expect events and actions...if that makes any sense.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I feel like I should be upfront about something. I've never liked movies like Groundhog Day. The idea of living the same day over and over again annoys the hell out of me and usually I find myself twitching violently about half way through wanting to launch my remote at the screen in frustration. That being said, I probably am not the best judge of a book like Before I Fall but I had heard such wonderful things about it that I had to give it a shot, and I'm actually happy that I did (for the most part). My family may be surprised at this, considering that I walked around grumbling to myself and huffing for the better part of a week (it took me 5, count 'em 5, freaking days to read this beast!) but after I was finished, I felt good about having read it. So let's just dive right in to my likes and dislikes.Likes:Why don't we start off with the positives before we get into the nitty gritty. First of all I really liked Oliver's writing style, in particular the dialogue. It felt very genuine and believable. For being such a sad book, Before I Fall also had quite a bit of humor. I also really enjoyed a couple of the supporting characters, namely Kent and Juliet. Kent was very quirky and likable. He was able to be himself without totally ostracizing himself from the rest of his classmates. He was also just so sweet. In almost every scene with Kent I found myself "aww-ing". I liked Juliet for different reasons. She was so like the main character, Sam, in that she had sacrificed her reputation and her true self for her best friend, but she had so much more depth and truth to her than Sam. I really felt for Juliet and understood her even though her role in the plot wasn't really developed until about half way through the story. I also have to say that, while I didn't like Lindsey, I liked the way that Oliver wrote her. She is pretty much cold and ruthless and her true vulnerability isn't apparent until she is in the most dire of situations. I think I would have been completely disappointed if Lindsey would have turned into some hollowed out version of Regina George after her bus accident. As a villain, she is great.Dislikes:Okay, here's where it gets all negative. First of all, and most importantly, I really hated Sam. I kept thinking she would do something to make me feel for her a bit more, but I just couldn't make myself like her. She starts out as a nasty, self-centered mean girl and basically stays that way until the very last chapter of the book at least in some capacity. Sure, she changes her behavior and tries to stop being so mean and vindictive but she doesn't do it because it's the right thing to do, she does it to save herself. This is super apparent with Juliet. Never mind that she and her prosti-tot friends have been victimizing this poor girl for years, Sam is sure that she can fix everything with some flowers and a half-assed apology. And does she do this because she feels so badly about ruining poor Juliet's life? No, of course not, she does it because she thinks if she's successful in getting Juliet to forgive her, she'll improve her situation. I just wanted to shake her! In the end, I couldn't really root for her. She is weak and selfish and it doesn't really matter to me that she tries to make up for it at the 11th hour. I'm really more concerned about the apparently numerous kids that she's bullied to the point of collapse. Rant over. Next, I didn't like the fact that Oliver tried to make it seem like the four main girls' friendship and loyalty to one another somehow excused their actions. I felt like she was saying "okay, so maybe they are horrible to everyone else, but look at how much they care about each other". No, thank you. In my personal opinion this is totally unbelievable. People who are willing to do ANYTHING to get to the top do not truly care about anyone but themselves. End of story. Finally, I felt like the ending (which I won't get into of course) was lackluster. I didn't feel like anything was really sewn up properly and it left me feeling pretty empty.I realize that, for many people, this is one of their favorite books and I can certainly see its merit. I had a real moral dilemma with this one. In the end, though, the book really made me think and it stayed with me for days. I may have problems with the characters and the plot, but if a book challenges me then it is worth reading and Before I Fall certainly did that. So, yes, I would recommend this book, but I would also challenge the reader to reflect on the bigger issue at hand: how we treat one another, and the true consequences of our actions.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Obviously, I've heard a lot about this, long before I opened it. The concept sounded fascinating and I enjoyed Delirium, so I was definitely super excited to read this one. Anyway, the opening section totally caught my attention with the cleverness of the writing and the strength of the voice. Even though I could immediately tell that I would kind of hate the main character, I was hooked.

    Seriously, I spent the first half of the book wanting to do nothing so much as punch Sam and her friends in their made-up faces. Ugh. It was awful. Basically, most of this book reminded me just how much I hated high school. I'm so glad I'm through with that part of my life, and I would not go through it again, even if I could take all the knowledge I have now with me. People are so cruel and all of the emphasis put on popularity, on being this cookie cutter person who dates the right people and goes to the right parties; it's all bullshit.

    What's important to know, though, is that even during the many, many pages where I wanted to punch pretty much everyone in the face, I still really enjoyed reading Before I Fall. The writing is completely captivating. Lauren Oliver very much captures Sam's voice, and manages to let Sam's character grow at a very natural pace.

    Obviously, this plot is like Groundhog Day mashed up with Mean Girls. Much like the former film manages not to be boring, even though he's living the same day over and over again, Oliver's book never dragged. Even thought the events that transpired as Sam lived the same date over and over again remained pretty consistent, the smallest changes made huge differences or no difference at all. I really loved the emphasis placed on how much and how little can change in just a single day. Really makes a girl think about carpe-ing that diem.

    My very favorite part of the novel, other than the really awesome concept and the writing, is Kent. He is just the cutest, so nerdy and himself. Were he not so brave, he could pretend and be as popular as anyone, but instead he embraces his weirdness, and I just love that about him. I wish I'd had a guy like him in high school, but I also know that I would have been too afraid of venturing out of the mainstream that I totally wasn't in anyway to go for it. That's the message I want to leave this post with: life's too short to pass up an amazing, cute, nerdy guy...now I just have to find one (that's not fictional).

    As for the ending, I'm not entirely sure what to make of it just now. Honestly, I'm not sure what happened entirely, but I definitely want to bawl my eyes out (figuratively, because literally would be really gross).
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The best book I have read in forever! Real review coming soon.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Samantha Kingston has died. She knows it. What she doesn't know is why she seems to be reliving the day of her death over and over again. Sam begins to realize though that there may be a purpose to this, and that any small thing she does can change things entirely. Sam learns that there are some things bigger than her, and while she cannot save herself she may be able to help others before she goes.The beginning of this book was a trial for me to get through. Samantha and her friends are just awful people. They're bullies that pick on the easiest targets. Luckily Sam starts to show some growth before I totally gave up on this book, but man did she drag it out. She became a much more likable person as she stopped trying to label herself and be someone she thought everyone else wanted her to be. As she became her own person, she was much easier to deal with. This also allowed her to learn some things about why she was going through this strange event to begin with.I appreciate that Sam saw the good in her friends more and more as she went while still recognizing what they did wrong. Ultimately Sam had a lot of good in her, and this was uncovered bit by bit as the story progressed. The ending was satisfying even if you kind of know where it is going. I like that she learned that some things are bigger than her. This was a very interesting book, and it made me think about how I influence people in my life. I don't know if I would say I enjoyed it, but it was a book worth reading.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Incredible book I was hooked from the beginning and didn’t want it to end
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Samantha dies in a car crash after partying with her friends. But the next morning she wakes up only to relive the day... over and over again. It is only after the seventeenth day that she understands how to get it “right”. Oliver’s initial realistic portrayal of a rich, party girl develops into a reflective story of understanding the impact of every choice we make every moment of the day. Even though hilarious and horrific events are repeated again, and again, and again- each time Oliver provides a little more detail or makes connections to previous scenarios allowing the reader to see different perspectives from other characters as well as Samantha herself. Though the reader might not be happy about the ending, it is understood that Samantha finally has lived her best day.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I love this book ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Ending gets me all the time
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book was amazing. From the beginning, we know that Sam has died in a car crash, but she has to re-live the day of her death seven times as she tries to make everything right before leaving purgatory. Sam and her friends are the most popular seniors, and they have teased other classmates, but Sam is trying to set things straight. Initially, it's easy to dislike Sam and her friends because they are shallow and mean to others. As Sam re-lives her day, the reader learns more and more about Sam friends and why they're not stereotypical. While Sam is learning that the "weirdos" at school are actual people, the reader is finding out that the popular kids are people, too. It's well-written and very powerful.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    It was a great story . I did enjoy it more of a 3.5 than a 3. I definitely felt like the main character was more of a protagonist than i like and did overall learn anything . She kinda remained selfish. But it was interesting and kept me wanting to know the end .
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Really liked the reading, how she was changing voice for different character and the voice itself.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I LOVED Before I Fall. Seriously, I was kicking myself for putting off reading this wonderful book for so long. I should have picked it up immediately after the hype hit, since the hype was well-deserved. I found Before I Fall to be an intricate novel about a girl who comes of age after (and before) she dies (and dies and dies again). There were so many layers to this book, that I found it impossible NOT to fall in love with it. First things first, I HATED the main character, Sam Kingston, when I started Before I Fall. Seriously, there was no twinge from me when she died the first time. She was a total bitch and she was right in that while reading a part of me thought she deserved to die for being the horrible person she was. However, while I kept reading, I found myself liking her while she tries hard to redeem herself and change the way she was initially. I ended up liking Sam so much that I wanted her to get out of that terrible loop hole she was in. Before I Fall was also impossible to put down. I was addicted to the domino effect that Sam's actions (or inactions) seemed to have. Every time she repeated the day she died, something she did had a ripple effect on all of the other people in her life. Trying to figure out who was going to be affected in what way was something that really had me turning the pages (or rather clicking) at a ferocious speed. So, I loved Before I Fall. I found it to be a wonderful tale of redemption that was superbly (and I do mean SUPERBLY) written, especially when you realize that it was the author's debut novel. Just pick up this novel. This review will never express how much I loved and enjoyed reading this book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Blown away.

    I thought I knew where this was going. Ahh, a girl dies and has seven chances to relive her life. (That's not a spoiler; it's on the jacket.) So surely, she'll do better each time, learn some lessons, not take her life for granted. Can't wait.

    And it followed that path, but with so much more detail, insight, creativity that I'd expected. She still makes mistakes, still misjudges people, still needs to grow up a little bit before she can move on with her life (or her death). We are lucky to get to watch this unfold, and to take little pieces of it away with us when we're through.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    it was a really well written book that made you care deeply for each character you met, even the ones you didn’t like. the end was unsatisfying to me and took off a star because it was abrupt and unexplained. however, i still enjoyed the read
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    im speechless