Before I Fall
In thisGroundhog DaymeetsMean Girlsteen hybrid, Sam Kingston is pretty, popular, and has a seemingly perfect boyfriend. But after a late-night party everything goes terribly wrong, and the life that she lived is gone forever. Or is it?At the start ofBefore I Fall, Sam is self-consumed and oblivious about the impact of her actions on others. But as she repeatedly experiences slightly altered versions of the hours leading up to her death&mdash;and her relationships with friends, family, and formerly overlooked classmates bloom, end, or shift&mdash;it&rsquo;s impossible not to feel for the girl whose life ends too soon. Oliver&rsquo;s adept teen dialogue and lively prose make for a fast, page-turning story in which the reader is every bit as emotionally invested as Sam. --Jessica Schein