So for our first entry, right before the end of 2010 (at least for us - maybe on your side of the planet the brand new year has already arrived), we present you Before I fall, by the wonderful Lauren Oliver.
This review will be made by Karla, so it may be over gushy at times, though it will also, hopefully, make sense. This, as we'll repeat further down the post, will contain spoilers. Beware. ^__~
Without further ado:
* Karla's thoughts & opinions on the book*
BEFORE I FALL, by Lauren Oliver
Isn't the cover just gorgeous? Nowadays, in books, often the outside is prettier than the inside. In this case, it's not. I absolutely adored this book.
The premise is simple: Girl dies and keeps reviving her last day over and over again. It is true that this plot has already been done time and time again, but Lauren Oliver manages to keep it fresh and interesting.
*SPOILERS*
THE PROTAGONIST :
Contrary to other readers, while I never thought Samantha was a lovable and sweet young girl, the first chapters and her personality didn't pull me off. Mostly because she doesn't come out as a monstrous creature - the first time we see her she's nothing but a spoilt brat (who believes she knows suffering because as a young kid her peers used to make fun of her capacity to easily blush) with friends she loves dearly.
(I particularly liked the friendship scenes in the first day - they were cute and made Sam a little more likeable. Sure some of their conversations were the epitome of vain and childish, but being a teenager myself I can say that my conversations at times are just as ridiculous as theirs. )
Also, how horrible can a girl worried about how many roses she is going to receive for Valentine's day and the fact she will probably lose her virginity (to a boy she may not love ) that night, be?
Of course that through out that first day we start to realise that she indeed does horrible things. Sometimes she doesn't notice/think about the consequences: like her copying a pop-quiz. Let's face it, we've all thought about doing that before - even if some of us never attempted it. Or keeping a secret affair (that everyone knows about) a secret.
Other times she purposely makes others feel bad: like laughing at a girl just because Lindsay the ring-leader hates her, while knowing that she is wrong (as we see at the party).
I also don't consider her stupid for dating Rob, I don't think she ever considered him for the 'long-run'. . .
Anyway, what I mean with this (long) ramble is that I never consider Sam a bad person. Just a spoilt girl who never stopped to think how lucky she was. Many of us don't.
Overall I felt the protagonist was real. It was easy to be in her head and to empathise (at least to a point) with her problems. She wasn't horrible and she wasn't perfect.
THE STORY:
Moving on. So, she dies and then the story actually begins.
Like almost every other person in the world, Sam doesn't want to be dead. For that reason as the day's (February 12th's) pass we see her going through the various stages of grief. I thought this take was very interesting and kept the events interesting.
Denial: At first she doesn't want to believe she's dead and makes herself believe that all she's in is a massive case of Dejá Vú, until she dies. Again.
Anger: She then (after admitting that, yes, she is dead and apparently can't move on from February 12th) blames her being dead on everyone else. If her best friend wasn't such a bitch (something she never called her out for) she wouldn't be dead. She lashes at everyone and does things she never dared doing.
Bargaining: She tries to set it right. Everything. She believes that maybe she'll be able to "live again" if she fixes everything. Or, at least, move on.
Depression: She gives up. She stops caring and spends the day with her sister and tells her parents (who she often ignores, believing they'd always be there) she loves them.
Acceptance: She accepts that she can't really do much. She died. She tried to make the most of her last day, making the "best" memories people could have of her.
We also get to see how small details/actions can make a huge different for her and the people around her. We get to see, and experience (through Sam) how the Butterfly Effect can really work.
THE FRIENDS:
I very much liked Sam's group of friends. Yes, they were horrible to others, but I liked they're relation in the group. They weren't always fair to one another, they didn't know everything and they did fight, but in the end they cared about each other. I wish Sam and Lindsay could have had a better last conversation, but I understand the author didn't want to repeat some scenes.
THE LOVE INTERESTS:
Rob is a jerk. We know this from the start, even Sam knows it. Yet he isn't the devil's spawn either. He's just an hormonal teenager who doesn't know better. I'm sure that if he'd known it was Sam's last day he'd grab some courage and say something actually nice, or maybe even throw in the L word (not for the best of reasons, but still).
I'm sure he misses Sam a lot. Even if he didn't love her I'm certain he cared for her.
The teacher was fun. I like how he changes as Sam's perception of him changes through out the story. He starts as a charming young teacher who thinks he's witty to a delusional man who preys at his students. *Urgh*
Kent is the perfect guy, really. Even Sam sees that. Well, maybe he isn't perfect. But he's portrayed as the good person. (We all know somebody like that. The person who does the right things, and who sometimes we do hate, because how can somebody be that good.) Here, I loved him from the start. Couldn't help it really. I would've liked the relationship between both of them to be developed better, but I do understand why it wasn't. I also would've liked him to have a better reason to care for Sam. Sure his story is really sweet (and I adored that sneak-peek into young Sam's mind) but it would've been nice for him to have other reasons. . . In my opinion, at least.
THE ENDING:
It made sense. For me, at least. I am a little sad with it, because as the story evolves we grow to love a lot of the characters and know that most of them will be a little lost (and perhaps, heartbroken) without Sam.
But, how else could it end?
FAULTS:
I can't really point my finger at much in this book. I loved it so much I can't see sensibly and mention things I disliked. I must warn the reader, though, that is is a little longer than most YA books (going over 400 pages) and that some parts could have been omitted/trimmed a bit. Especially descriptions. I found myself skimming over some paragraphs that added nothing to the story.
The premise is simple: Girl dies and keeps reviving her last day over and over again. It is true that this plot has already been done time and time again, but Lauren Oliver manages to keep it fresh and interesting.
*SPOILERS*
THE PROTAGONIST :
Contrary to other readers, while I never thought Samantha was a lovable and sweet young girl, the first chapters and her personality didn't pull me off. Mostly because she doesn't come out as a monstrous creature - the first time we see her she's nothing but a spoilt brat (who believes she knows suffering because as a young kid her peers used to make fun of her capacity to easily blush) with friends she loves dearly.
(I particularly liked the friendship scenes in the first day - they were cute and made Sam a little more likeable. Sure some of their conversations were the epitome of vain and childish, but being a teenager myself I can say that my conversations at times are just as ridiculous as theirs. )
Also, how horrible can a girl worried about how many roses she is going to receive for Valentine's day and the fact she will probably lose her virginity (to a boy she may not love ) that night, be?
Of course that through out that first day we start to realise that she indeed does horrible things. Sometimes she doesn't notice/think about the consequences: like her copying a pop-quiz. Let's face it, we've all thought about doing that before - even if some of us never attempted it. Or keeping a secret affair (that everyone knows about) a secret.
Other times she purposely makes others feel bad: like laughing at a girl just because Lindsay the ring-leader hates her, while knowing that she is wrong (as we see at the party).
I also don't consider her stupid for dating Rob, I don't think she ever considered him for the 'long-run'. . .
Anyway, what I mean with this (long) ramble is that I never consider Sam a bad person. Just a spoilt girl who never stopped to think how lucky she was. Many of us don't.
Overall I felt the protagonist was real. It was easy to be in her head and to empathise (at least to a point) with her problems. She wasn't horrible and she wasn't perfect.
THE STORY:
Moving on. So, she dies and then the story actually begins.
Like almost every other person in the world, Sam doesn't want to be dead. For that reason as the day's (February 12th's) pass we see her going through the various stages of grief. I thought this take was very interesting and kept the events interesting.
Denial: At first she doesn't want to believe she's dead and makes herself believe that all she's in is a massive case of Dejá Vú, until she dies. Again.
Anger: She then (after admitting that, yes, she is dead and apparently can't move on from February 12th) blames her being dead on everyone else. If her best friend wasn't such a bitch (something she never called her out for) she wouldn't be dead. She lashes at everyone and does things she never dared doing.
Bargaining: She tries to set it right. Everything. She believes that maybe she'll be able to "live again" if she fixes everything. Or, at least, move on.
Depression: She gives up. She stops caring and spends the day with her sister and tells her parents (who she often ignores, believing they'd always be there) she loves them.
Acceptance: She accepts that she can't really do much. She died. She tried to make the most of her last day, making the "best" memories people could have of her.
We also get to see how small details/actions can make a huge different for her and the people around her. We get to see, and experience (through Sam) how the Butterfly Effect can really work.
THE FRIENDS:
I very much liked Sam's group of friends. Yes, they were horrible to others, but I liked they're relation in the group. They weren't always fair to one another, they didn't know everything and they did fight, but in the end they cared about each other. I wish Sam and Lindsay could have had a better last conversation, but I understand the author didn't want to repeat some scenes.
THE LOVE INTERESTS:
Rob is a jerk. We know this from the start, even Sam knows it. Yet he isn't the devil's spawn either. He's just an hormonal teenager who doesn't know better. I'm sure that if he'd known it was Sam's last day he'd grab some courage and say something actually nice, or maybe even throw in the L word (not for the best of reasons, but still).
I'm sure he misses Sam a lot. Even if he didn't love her I'm certain he cared for her.
The teacher was fun. I like how he changes as Sam's perception of him changes through out the story. He starts as a charming young teacher who thinks he's witty to a delusional man who preys at his students. *Urgh*
Kent is the perfect guy, really. Even Sam sees that. Well, maybe he isn't perfect. But he's portrayed as the good person. (We all know somebody like that. The person who does the right things, and who sometimes we do hate, because how can somebody be that good.) Here, I loved him from the start. Couldn't help it really. I would've liked the relationship between both of them to be developed better, but I do understand why it wasn't. I also would've liked him to have a better reason to care for Sam. Sure his story is really sweet (and I adored that sneak-peek into young Sam's mind) but it would've been nice for him to have other reasons. . . In my opinion, at least.
THE ENDING:
It made sense. For me, at least. I am a little sad with it, because as the story evolves we grow to love a lot of the characters and know that most of them will be a little lost (and perhaps, heartbroken) without Sam.
But, how else could it end?
FAULTS:
I can't really point my finger at much in this book. I loved it so much I can't see sensibly and mention things I disliked. I must warn the reader, though, that is is a little longer than most YA books (going over 400 pages) and that some parts could have been omitted/trimmed a bit. Especially descriptions. I found myself skimming over some paragraphs that added nothing to the story.
However, these 'unnecessary (in my opinion) descriptions' didn't stop me from enjoying (and loving) the book.
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To conclude this long (and probably helpless) review: I really enjoyed the book. I'd like to explain my reasons to love it in a better more coherent way, but, I can honestly say that I recommend it. It's a fun, fresh read with great character development. If you have the chance, do read it, because it's worth it.
:]
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When (and if) Rute and Daniela read the book, they will edit this post with their thoughts.
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Also, Lauren Oliver will be releasing Delirium (on the left), her second novel, on Februrary the 1st, 2011. As soon as we read it a review for it will be up here too. We hope it's close to being as a good (according to Karla) as her début novel.
Much later,
Golder Flamingos
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P.S. Don't forget to tell us about what you thought on the comments bellow. We'd love to know your opinions and if you disagree with Karla, or not. Review suggestions and book recommendations are welcome.
