Every Day is Like Sunday

Before I Fall

This Y.A. book is Groundhog Day with something at stake. Samantha Mackler is a popular high school student who relives the last day of her life over and over again. As the day starts, she has a troubled best friend, a plan to sleep with her boyfriend for the first time, a friend-boy who loves her, a couple of classmates who have been bullied by her group for years, and a young, hot teacher. As the do-over days pile up, Samantha sorts through every possibility, trying to make the day end differently.

 It was a fascinating concept, well-executed by the author. Reliving the same events with different outcomes gave you a full picture of Samantha’s character, and she was a normal girl. She was nice and cruel and thoughtless and caring and just trying to grow up. I love that she was never a saint - that even knowing the outcome wasn’t enough to make her stifle her impulses all the time.

The repetition was never boring. I loved trying to see which combination Samantha would try next and figuring the potential outcomes. Not fluffy reading, by any means, but really good. I highly recommend.