Before I Fall is a young adult novel written by Lauren Oliver, which is about Samantha Kingston and her three best friends, who study together in high school in the USA. They go to parties, skip classes, date the coolest guys and give the most offensive nicknames to people, because they think that they are cool and they can do absolutely everything. Then one day, on their way back to home at Cupid Day, the girls get into an accident, in which Samantha dies. The next day, she gets up as if nothing has happened and finds out the same date on the phone screen – that is the day of her death. Now Samantha is forced to live the same day. She must realize what holds her here and what should be changed.
Reading this book one comes to the understanding that life is very important, that family and friends are close to the bone, that the moments with these people are the most significant. Such an idea may be trite, but it is true. After all, at any moment we may lose this common thread, which links us to the outside world, our body, feelings and sensations. We can lose everything in a heartbeat without even noticing it. This book forces us to appreciate life.
The author surprises her audience. Lauren Oliver shows the readers those emotions and feelings that they absolutely do not expect. She shows fear, pain, horror, aggression, awareness, sadness, acceptance and an attempt to change the situation and life. The novel is not a casual nonsense, because it has well-described thoughts of the heroine Sam and her way from a girl, who is afraid to leave her image not to lose popularity, to a person, who understands how it is foolish and empty. The reader takes these sadness and pain of Samantha in. Sam knows that she is leaving her loving and beloved family and friends, she is leaving so many opportunities that she could put into effect, she is leaving mistakes, which can still be corrected. At first glance, this is an ordinary teen novel, but it turns out to be something more profound and tragic.
Before I Fall has the tragedy of ordinariness and themes, which are raised in the novel. This book does not reveal any mystery. It is about teenage life and friendship in teenage school. It is a little about love and tenderness. It is about inspiration and enthusiasm. The novel gives a desire to live and correct mistakes. The author shows how it is easy to change a person for the better.
In fact, the book makes us think about what might happen to everyone. Life is so fragile, that is why you should not waste it. The main heroine Sam will certainly make one feel like a man and accept responsibility for own acts, even if you go against all humanity. The book is truly powerful and stands out in our modern young adult literature.
