Before+I+Fall

Discussion page for //Before I Fall// by Lauren Oliver

This was on TTT for 2011 so I would prefer another title. Kelly B. Keene High School, 2/9/12

I think this is a great book for Flume. While the idea isn't that original (it's pretty much "Groundhog Day" and that's mentioned in the book), I like that the narrator isn't perfect - she's a Mean Girl but has a history of being a loser and clings to her popularity by being mean. It has circ'd very well at my library. - Katie Spofford, Wadleigh Memorial Library, Milford, NH

I agree that this would be a great Flume book and a top choice for the list. It is like "Groundhog Day", in that the narrator lives the same day (the day of her death) over and over. As the days pass, she changes from a mean-spirited popular girl to a truly kind person. It's not a quick and easy change, though, and she's constantly making mistakes and hurting people--it's believable. I think lots of high school students, especially girls, will identify with her and her friends and the book has been popular here too. It's a good read, really well-written and absorbing. - Joan, Derry Public Library

Very interesting take on the mean girl issue and how a young woman learns from her mistakes. Her character is hard to like at the outset but develops into someone you can at least feel for as she struggles with choices. -Amy I. (Barrington)

I think this should be on the list. Our students like it; it has a good issue, and the plot is a familiar one, but it's dealt with well. Kelly Budd Keene High School

I think this should be on the list. It talks about bullying a lot but not in a preachy way that some books end up being. The length might intimidate some readers, but it reads really fast once you get into it. I think again this book will mostly appeal to girls. Brittany Moore Hall Memorial Library

The topic is good, but I ended up having mixed emotions with how Sam ended up dealing with the terrible behaviors perpetrated by her and her friends. It was both infuriating and telling at how much she was trying to be popular without even enjoying parts of it (eg. her boyfriend). I'm hoping her personal growth would inspire others to rethink how they act towards others and bully each other. Sophie Smith Nashua Public Library.

I agree with Sophie - the topic is good but I also wondered about how Sam dealt with the behaviors of her and her friends. Also, there seems to be some total lack of common sense - as one reader wrote - you would think that she would put on sensible clothes before she went to the party so that running through a snow storm would have been easier. I found the story really slow at times and just wanted to get through some parts. Over all it is a good concept with some flaws. Sharon Flesher-Duffy, Nashua South

This is a good choice for this list. My only thing to add to the rest of this is DO NOT LISTEN TO THE AUDIO VERSION. It is a truly unbearable performance. - Liz, Merrimack Public

I found this book to be powerful, but altogether depressing. Sam relives the day of her death for a week. At the start, the way she rationalizes her mean girl behavior is sickening, and then she learns and grows, and by the time she's made her peace with her death and the way she's lived her last day, it doesn't matter, as we already know that she's dead, no matter what, anyways! I was proud of her for admitting to herself what she wanted and needed, despite the influence of her friends. Admitting to herself that she really did like Kent, and did not like Rob at all, was a huge step from the beginning when she was trying to convince herself that since she'd had a crush on Rob for years, she really must love him. I was also happy that the whole not dying a virgin thing, though mentioned, was never a goal for any of her groundhog days. I liked that she could test out the fling with her lecherous teacher without the actual consequences of doing it, since she'd be able to redo it the next day, or really be dead. And I loved what she said to him on her last day, about how he must be alone, or he wouldn't be hitting on high school girls. I hope that girls reading this actually get that. I loved that she was such a loyal friend, even knowing her friends as well as she did, and that she could dig for the truth, find it, and still love them for who they were, even if she couldn't understand why they did what they did. I also liked that all of her do-over days weren't all about her. She really tried to make the day the best day for everyone, though she had some missteps. Kirsten Rundquist Corbett, Lane Memorial Library, Hampton