I Bailed on the Schedule and Read the Whole Thing:

[Beguile_Thy_So…]

LOL!

I totally bailed on the schedule and read the whole thing even before we could discuss chptrs 1-2 so I was paranoid about answering discussion questions!The book just sorta drives you to wanna find out what decision she's gonna make next.

[Beguile_Thy_So…]

I completely agree! I was upset that she and Kent would never really get to get that chance at first love, especially since she was maturing so much and learning from her mistakes.

I think Kent is such a good representation of those special kids in H.S. that just are decent people and really know what's important from the time their young, u know? It would've been nice to see him and Sam learn together and have that opportunity to be each other's first love, etc. But now I wonder how Sam's death will affect him? will Kent change? Will he get bitter for a time? HE asked her what was wrong when she was leaving the party and she answered him about death, before so I just wonder...

How will Kent be changed by all of this? How will Sam's death and behavior affect him?

[pen21]

I just finished the book tonight. I have went through the posts and so much has been posted.

The first thing I felt as I finished the book was that Sam accepted the day and her fate. Sam did make positive choices that last day. Sam was happy the last day, even with all the emotions of what was going to happen to her. She touched so many in a good way.

pen21

[kpatton]

I just finished the book and was going to read through all of the posts before commenting, however so much of what you have written here says how I felt.  I liked the quote.  Sam did discover what she really loved about life as well as each of the important people in her life.  What a wonderful thing for any of us to discover.  I don't like books where it feels like the author needed to wrap up all of the loose ends.  Lauren was able to end a book with the reader being able to draw some of our own conclusions.  Great post Zeal.  And wonderful book Lauran.   Kathy

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Zeal wrote:

'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.

                                                        Alfred Lord Tennyson

This famous and quite simple quote speaks to Sam's life and experience of reliving February 12th over and over again.  In the beginning, Sam did not understand what it meant to love and be loved.  Her relationships and experiences were almost an artificial type of love.  She had distanced herself from her family and pushed away others who truly loved and cared for her...all for the sake of popularity. 

As Sam continues on her journey, she slowly realizes what it really means to love.  Her day with Izzy and her growing closeness with Kent illustrate this perfectly.  Sam's quest and ultimate sacrifice to save Juliet seals her fate, and she dies knowing the true meaning of love...even though she had to give up the most precious gift (her life).  Before she leaves this world for good, I believe Sam leaves everyone with a little bit of herself to carry with them.  From this, they will remember the Sam she was in the end instead of the selfish, uncaring Sam.

I was also glad and felt it quite a meaningful choice of Lauren's to allow Sam to die a virgin.  How sad would it have been for her to give herself away to someone like Rob...all for nothing.   

I too am usually one for a happy ending, but one in this case would have diminished Sam's journey and struggle during her all too short life.  Instead, Sam can be remembered for who she had the courage to become, and all can strive to learn from her.

This was truly a rewarding reading experience. 

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[cynthial11]

well I'm glad I wasn't the only one.. I also bailed on the schedule. This is actually my first time doing this and I didn't know that I was suppose to read go according to the schedule. As soon as I got the book I started reading it because I had already heard such good things about it and I was hooked from the very beginning. I loved it, it brought me back to my days in high school because I could relate to Sam in so many ways. I have been telling everyone about this book and recommending it to all. I cried and thought it was very painful at the end because even though it starte with her dying I had hope that maybe she wasn't really dead, that maybe she would wake up to a Saturday and live her life and be with Kent. But sadly that didn't happy and I was very sad, but also very happy with the choices she ended up making and how she changed throughout the book.

[natster58]

I agree i totally did the same thing! I cannot believe she still died though, I don't think I accepted it, I wanted her to be with Kent, Kent's amazing haha. I just felt so bad for him.

[natster58]

I actually somewhat liked Sam in the beginning, I don't know why, I guess I've just got a little bit of a bad girl inside. The one thing that I really disliked about her was Rob, Rob sounded disgusting I do not care how popular he is, he's a repulsive idiot. I really like Kent though, I just love how he genuinely cares for Sam and how he's not afraid of being different. I don't think I ever liked Sam, I guess she always appeared to be pathetic and insecure just like my impression of Bella Swan. I'm a strong supporter of strong women who can be independent but can also be vulnerable when they find a man that can protect them. Bella and Sam do not fit that description at all. Even though I didn't like her I still wish she hadn't died, miss Sykes had an attitude I didn't approve of. My favorite characters are Lindsay and Elody because Lindsay can be hard headed and sassy while Elody is sweet and vulnerable. I think they balance each other out well. Overall, the book did have a good message about how you should live life in a way that you're satisfied with because you don't know when you will die but it's not a book that I'd read over and over.

[michelleerin]

So glad for this thread. I read the whole thing in a weekend and I was having a hard time just discussing one part of the book.

I enjoyed this book a lot. But I don't know if I loved it like a lot of other people I know did. I'm having a hard time placing my finger on what it was that they loved and I didn't. However, I really did enjoy it. I thought it was a good story, well-written, and captivating.

My review of the book is here.

[michelleerin]

I never really thought she would end up  living but I can see how that would be disappointing if you had. And Kent is the character I felt for the most at the end. He barely got her.

[ALN]

I forgot there was a schedule and read the book in a couple of days. I couldn't put it down. I really did not want her to die, but I knew that was how the book had to end. I felt for Kent too. He was my favorite character.

[nicole21WA]

So nice to be able to discuss the whole book!!  There was just no way I could stick to the schedule with this one. 

I liked the ending.  I'm glad that it was about Sam saving Juliet rather than saving herself.  If she'd saved herself, then it would seem like she hadn't really changed.

I'm having a terrible time writing my review; I can't find the right words to express how much I loved Before I Fall.

[Vermontcozy]

Vtcozy wrote:  I keep tweaking my review so I am not tempted to give away too much,and still post a review that will give "Before I Fall" potential readers a feel that this is not a book to be mssed,and also a reason to read it..Its an ageless novel,so I will write a review that YA and all ages can feel some passion for wanting to pick it up...Good Luck,and it always comes together.Susan..Vtc...

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nicole21WA wrote:

So nice to be able to discuss the whole book!!  There was just no way I could stick to the schedule with this one. 

I liked the ending.  I'm glad that it was about Sam saving Juliet rather than saving herself.  If she'd saved herself, then it would seem like she hadn't really changed.

I'm having a terrible time writing my review; I can't find the right words to express how much I loved Before I Fall.

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[FortunaLuna]

I had a problem with this too! I was able to wait for about 20 minutes after finishing chapters one and two. But I couldn't hold out for very long. I ended up reading the whole book in about 8 hours because it was such an amazing page turner!

[vpenning]

I like having this thread for those who just had trouble with the schedule. Perhaps it might be nice to have a thread like this for the next one as well....

[JennM14]

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Erin_H wrote:
Like JennM14 I can't help but wonder what the aftermath of Sam's death would be like. Would Sam's friends blame Juliet? Would Juliet feel guilt over the fact that Sam died saving her? And would that guilt push Juliet over the edge again? And I also wonder if Sam's changed behavior on that last day would cause people to think that she committed suicide. A good point that I didn't even think about until JennM14 brought it up. Good observation Jenn.

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LOL I wish I could just sit down with the author, Lauren Oliver, and chat about this.  In her mind I think she probably knows what happened after the story ended and I'd luv to know that!  HA HA maybe she did post about it in her thread here, I'll have to go check it out.

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Erin_H wrote:

After reading this book I thought a lot about Juliet. I compared myself to her and what my high school life was like compared to hers. I'm not ashamed to admit that I was teased a lot (mostly in middle school and a little in high school) because it made me who I am today and I love who I am. I've been wondering what made me so different and why I was able to overcome the teasing. I think a big a factor of that was my family life. I wonder if Juliet's home life would have been different would her reaction to the teasing have been different as well. I really think this book would be a good one to get discussions started between teens and their parents.

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I think that is one of the things that just really affected me - thinking about that.  Realizing how often this does happen and that some don't cope with it or move past it as well as you obviously have.  (I am sorry to hear that you had to live through that, but commend you on using it to make you a better person).  I have a 10 year old daughter and I pray all the time she doesn't end up on either end of this sort of scenario.

[JennM14]

Like vtcozy and nicole21WA I am struggling with a review; not because I didn't like the book (I would highly recommend it)  but because it's a different kind of like.  It made me step out of my comfort zone and really affected me.  For a few days I couldn't keep Sam, Kent, Juliet, et al from taking over my thoughts.   AND most importantly I don't believe in doing reviews that spoil a book....that is proving to be really difficult as well.

[jb70]

I've wondered if for future first looks if it might be possible to have all the threads right from the beginning.  That way as a reader finished a section he or she could log in and record those thoughts and not have to worry about accidentally giving a spoiler.  As long as readers were aware that to open a thread they had not read the section for yet might give them a spoiler it should work and it might provoke better discussions.  I know as it gets farther from when I've read I remember less details.

[mgmama33]

l like many others just bailed on the schedule.  I read this book in two nights, which given my crazy month and lack of time, is amazing!  I just couldn't put it down.  I wanted to know how Sam was going to change and if she would be alive at the end.  I kept up hope, even as she did all the sweet things to say goodbye.  I am still pondering what I might have done in her situation.  I definitely thought she was full of herself in the beginning.  I knew girls like her many years and eons ago in high school, but I wasn't her.  If anything, I was more like the final her when she was being a better person.  

What a great book!  I just wish Sam had lived and could've gone on to be the mature person I was beginning to see her become!

[readwhatyouknow]

Yeah, there was absolutely no way I was going to be able to stick to a schedule on this book. Like just about everyone else, I was hoping that Sam would find a way to save both herself and Juliet. But, after a few days to process how I feel about the book, I am glad that Oliver allowed Sam to die -- to make the difficult choice as a writer, creating a much better story.

I am very curious to the aftermath of Sam's death. A lot of posts have wondered about Juliet and Kent and how they will adjust to Sam dying. I think the most interesting character to watch, though, would be Lindsay. How will this experience change her? Will Sam's death by the start of her butterfly wings -- her chance to change?

[agnijay]

I feel the same way. As sad as I was during the ending, I feel that if Oliver had ended the story by keeping Sam alive, I would have lost respect for her. Choosing the ending she did exemplifies her strength.