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Please use this topic to discuss your overall opinion of the Febrary 2016 book of the month, Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver.

If you have not already, please add your rating on the Bookshelves page: Before I Fall.

Then hit reply in this topic to post your comments.

Would you recommend the book to others? Why or why not? What do you like most about the book? What do you like least about the book?

I have read it awhile ago and loved it. It reminds me of the movie "Sliding Doors" a bit. Samantha had to relive the last day of her life seven times (and the worst day of her life to boot), and to make amends if she wants to move on. I admit I didn't like her at first, but that changed towards the end of the story. I didn't like the ending, but it fit in a way. I certainly recommend it.

I wasn't a big fan of this book and really struggled to continue reading it in a few places. I read my fair share of young adult books so I'm used to reading from a teenage perspective, but these characters seemed more immature than I'm used to. I'm honestly not quite sure how I feel about it overall and I'm interested to see what everyone else has to say about the book. I don't think I would recommend it to anyone, though.

I'm not a huge fan of this book either. It was well written, and the characters were pretty realistic, but then again those same characters were immature and annoying. But Sam really grows on you, and as the book progressed, I honestly couldn't put it down. I think the ending is what really killed it for me. I don't require books to end in happily ever after, but I didn't find the final result to be that satisfying. It reminded me of how I felt when I finished Allegiant... like there were other methods the author could have used to accomplish the same result and leave the readers feeling more fulfilled.

It definitely was not what I expected in the least and I kind of rushed through it because I got slightly bored replaying her final day. I also was not a fan of the end, it seemed anticlimactic. But all in all it wasn't a horrible book and I actually recommended it to my mom.

Overall I would say that Before I fall by Lauren Oliver was a good book with a positive message but it did get kind of boring reading about the same day over and over again. I still have to stay that this book has stayed with me for a long time considering I read this book as soon as it came out and I can still remember the story so that has to be a good thing.
I gave the book 3 out of 4 stars

I honestly liked this book more than I thought I would. I can get how the same day on repeat could get boring, and in the beginning I could not stand Sam and her friends! I'm so glad her character actually learned and progressed throughout the story or else that might have ruined the book for me. I did find it hard to put down sometimes, I just wanted to find out what was going to happen this time around, if she's going to realize anything new, or what twists would come up.

I both loved and hated the ending. It wouldn't have made sense to end any differently. At the same time I wanted to believe it would be a happier ending, and the whole last chapter I was expecting it to go different, when I wasn't getting teary-eyed over the fact she knew that day was her day of 'lasts'.

I think I would recommend this book to others, maybe not everyone, but it had enough drama, emotion, and life lessons to be worthwhile.

I really liked this book. I read it all in one night because I had to find out what happened. I also enjoyed seeing Sam change and grow. I actually liked almost all of the characters by the end. They aren't perfect people, but no one is perfect and everyone makes mistakes, especially at a young and stressful age. I think the ending could have been better. I would recommend it to others because it makes you think about how you treat others. Even if you're already a really nice person, it's still good to think about how your actions affect other people.

I'm only on chapter 3, so I'm not reading any other posts her, but so far this book is like the movie Groundhog Day meets Mean Girls.

ALynnPowers wrote:I'm only on chapter 3, so I'm not reading any other posts her, but so far this book is like the movie Groundhog Day meets Mean Girls.

First, stay awaaaay. At least until you're done. . Also, your description actually describes the book really well.

ALynnPowers wrote:I'm only on chapter 3, so I'm not reading any other posts her, but so far this book is like the movie Groundhog Day meets Mean Girls.

That was my first impression too! I was having a hard timenot picturing the girls as the Plastics from Mean Girls. Enjoy the rest of the book!

I am about 2/3 of the way through the book and am liking it MUCH more than I thought I would. I will post my thoughts when I am finished, but the main thing I want to comment about right now is the author's writing - EXCELLENT. I have so many favorite, wise, and witty passages so far that I have to applaud the author for her writing.

The writing has made me love a book containing a few characters I just can't stand, especially Lindsay. Lindsay is so cruel and mean toward whoever she deems unworthy.com. I was so mad at Sam for willingly becoming Lindsay's friend at the pool party and going along with humiliating the host with all the tampons. Considering Lindsay taunted Sam publically about her blotchy face when they were younger, you would think Sam wouldn't go along with her.

I would recommend it to anyone that enjoys YA fiction. The writing is very good. Lindsay is infuriating to be sure! Samantha became a much better person as time went on. I would have liked a different ending personally.

I agree with the members who said some or many or all of the characters were unlikable or immature. However, that's what I like most about the book. I think the author uses the Groundhog-Day-effect to show Sam learning about other people immaturity and unlikable traits, including her own.

However, at times it felt a little repetitive and slow. I agree with those who said the ending could have been done better. I don't mind the story of the ending, but it could of at least been made a little more clear.

I read it a few years ago and it's listed as one of my favorites. I'm not sure if I still like it now because I forgot most of the story, but I remember that I really loved it and it made me read more of Lauren Oliver's books; she was actually one of my favorite authors for a while! I remember that I did recommend it to a friend and she liked it. I think what mostly made me love this book is that the plot was interesting and unique; I didn't read any similar books.