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Monday, January 30, 2012

Review: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (Audiobook)


Publication Date: 10-25-2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: N/A
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library
Challenge: None

Goodreads Summary:
What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?
Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.
Instead, it turns out to be her last.
Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.


Lauren Oliver made me fall in love with audiobooks all over again.  If my drive to work included roads in which I had to drive next to anyone, they would have been looking at me like I was crazy.  This book made me laugh out loud, it made me cry, and it made me yell in my car at the circumstances.  It was amazing. Plain and simple.

Samantha Kingston is a teenage girl who is living the dream.  She has three best friends and is basically top of the food chain in school.  Then, she heads out to a party of Friday, February 12th and isn’t thinking.  She doesn’t think about the fact that her friends are all drunk.  She doesn’t think about the possibility of dying because who does?  What teenager ever thinks something bad will happen to them?  Of course, Sam is unlikely that night.  She dies in a car accident with her three best friends. 

Miraculously, Sam wakes up the next morning.  She is given a second chance at life and a chance to make it right again.  But how can she change it to make it better? Well, the changes Sam makes end up not being enough.  She has to live this same day over and over and over again.  Seven times.  Could you imagine having to live the same day seven times? The day you die?  Sam discovers a lot about herself and those around her including Kent, Lindsey and Juliet.  She finds out more about them than she probably cares to know, but it is all necessary.  Sam discovers the importance of life and love.  Sam finally comes to realize that it isn’t all about her and her friends, but it’s about those around her.  It’s about living every day like it’s your last.  It’s about doing what you can for other people because you never know when life is going to come to an end.

If you haven’t read this book yet, I really recommend the audiobook.  The narrator, Sarah Drew from Grey’s Anatomy is perfect.  She had the perfect voice to portray Samantha.  As I said, I cried, laughed, and yelled in my car while listening, but it was all worth it to get to the amazing ending.  A perfect look into a last day full of regrets which could be anyone’s last day. 

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