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I highly enjoyed the book. Most of the characters were infuriating and reading about the same day back to back could become dull, but I felt after finishing the work that was the point. We all fall into a pattern and connect with people in one way or another, we all know or have been Samantha or Juliet or someone else in the story. I think Lauren Oliver forces you to consider that with this book. I didn't mind the overall ending, but I think it could have been written a little longer and used clearer language. I felt I understood it, but wondered if I was wrong in my understanding. It felt slightly, for lack of better phrasing, ambiguous.

I felt this novel had a clichéd ending, which was disappointing as the storyline felt as if it were building up to something, yet it collapsed. I would have liked to see a future for the protagonist.

I loved this book, and would recommend people read it, but I got tired of reading the story over and over again. The author has wonderful writing style which helped me get through it and actually made me want to finish.

That's the only Book of the month that I've actually read before joining this community, so obviously it's the only one I can give my fair and honest opinion on. I remember really enjoying this book, it had everything I'd expect from a book of that genre - some romance, some drama, some conflicts that are known to most teenagers. I didn't expect some of the things that happened in the story to happen, and that's certainly a good thing! I can't say that it's a literature masterpiece and that people in a hundred years will reread it fanatically, but it was worth my time and I would recommend it to those who are looking for something new, exciting and interesting in the field of young adult novels.

4 out of 4 for sure. I loved the plot. it was both interesting and hauntingly beautiful. I didn't really believe that Sam would give up her life at the end to save Juliet, but I did read this months ago, so maybe after I reread it I will grasp her decision better.

I just joined the community today, and this is the only novel that I have had read that was classified as a "Book of the Month." Personally, I enjoyed Before I Fall more than Oliver's other works because I found it more grounded in reality than the dystopian future of her Delirium series or the over-the-top antics of Panic. Sam is extremely easy to relate to as a character, and her overall arc throughout the novel is exceptionally done. This is a story of a teenage girl who has forgotten how to empathize with those who are different from her. Because she is reliving the same day over and over, Sam is forced to face ugly truths and discover new things about her family, her friends, and the community around her. The book does a great job showing how we connect as human beings, and how we have to work to be better people.

One of my favourite reads. Its truly a good ya book and the character of Samantha was very well developed. The redemption arc didn't feel forced at all, and the plot itself was somewhat unique.

So I didn’t love this book but I’m definitely glad I read it. I appreciate how the plot portrays all of the stages of grief and makes them quite relatable. The ending was a little hard to swallow but it was inevitable and predictable. I still enjoyed the book but it won’t be one that I re-read again.

I read this book a long long long time ago. I remember that I liked it, and that I liked the character growth. The whole book was also sad to me though, especially when you go towards the end and realized that Sam was a grey area character.

I adored this book, honestly. All the characters felt so realistic, they all had such raw and real emotions attached to them, and I am not ashamed to admit that I cried at the end of it. The best part was the time travelling part, because I am quite fond of that genre, particularly when it's done right(By god was it done right here). I don't think I hated any part, honestly. I would recommend it to everyone, it was great.

Thimble wrote: ↑02 Feb 2016, 00:40

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.

"Means Girls" is on point. (I only heard about Groundhog Day.)

Honestly, I find the book overrated. I don't relate to the characters and the setting. It's one of the books I don't want to recommend to anyone, especially if someone doesn't like repetitive stories. The characters are the cliché blonde queen bees you see in movies about high school cheerleaders.
The only good thing I like is the grammar. Overall, not the kind of book I'd enjoy reading.

I read it two months ago, and it still has an impression on me. The author portrayed the growth of the main character, Sam, I actually felt like I was growing with her. Now I see the concept of change a bit differently. And yeah sometimes all we have is a day.

I had to check my old bookshelf as to where I put the book. I rated it below 3 on Goodreads.
It's just not for me albeit I'm sure many readers will like it. I picked it as part of my NPR's Top 100 YA books.
I watched interesting repetitive stories before, but this one didn't hit right through me. Maybe it's just that many characters are flawed, and the author wanted it that way. It's been almost 3 years since I read it, and I can say it didn't age well to me.

I read the book quite a while ago and don't remember all of the details. But I remember being appalled by the behaviour of the MC and her group of friends. I'm not even sure if I'm remembering this right, but the MC usually went along with whatever her group of friends were doing. She wasn't conscious about her behaviour or how it affected other people.

This book was an uncomfortable, insightful read. I did find the book to bit tedious with all the repetition but I'm glad the MC realised her mistakes and tried to make amends. I'm even more glad I read it.

The MC didn't see herself as a bad person. I don't see myself as a bad person. This made me question myself, how would I have behaved in her situation? Would I have gone along with it?

And so for this reason, I would recommend this book to many people. You might not like the characters or the even the story as a whole, but the book gives you a lot to think about.

I remember reading this book and the impact it had on me. At that point, I was reading more fantasy/adventure type books rather than Young Adult, and it was one of the few books without any fantastical elements (other than the time loop) that I had read at the time. It forced me to reassess my view of books describing day-to-day life, with the ending sort of crushing me. I felt like, no matter how immature and mean they were, I could relate to most of the characters.

All things considered, I would rate this book a three out of four. It showed people making mistakes, trying to escape from them, and people facing them, though the ending really took me by surprise. The premise was, in my opinion, well-executed.