oh...my...what a beautiful book. an incredible coming-of-age book about a girl who realizes she got it all wrong.

it's an amazing reminder that no one is a nobody ~ and that we are all connected by strings, even if we don't see them or realize it, we are. And that if one of us in that string is hurting, it sends a ripple through them all and effects us all ~ even if we don't even know each other.

and a reminder to be careful with each day, cherish it. You never know when it could be your last. ( )

“So many things become beautiful when you really look.” ( )

There are many perks of working in a bookstore, most of which are pretty obvious. One of these perks is that I'm frequently asked to read books outside of my "box," so to speak: books from genres or subject matters that I would probably not pick up on my own. One such genre, which I enjoy immensely but don't read often, is YA (or Young Adult). The problem for me is, one of the biggest current trends in YA is fantasy (vampires, fairies, werewolves, wizards, etc). I have read some YA fantasy that I have loved (like the Harry Potter series and The Kindling of Greenfyr) and some that I read just to see what the hype was about and ended up quite disappointed (like Twilight... I only read the first, though). The books I loved as a young adult myself were more along the lines of Forever and The Outsiders; the options were certainly limited to a few well known titles. But today, there is a host of amazing YA literature out there, just waiting to be discovered!

I was lucky enough to discover one such gem in Before I Fall. It's the story of Samantha Kingston, one of the "it" girls in her Connecticut high school. Cold, mean, and completely self-absorbed, Sam and her three BFFs go through their days with little regard for anyone or anything that does not fit within their definition of cool. On February 12th, leaving a party late at night, heavy rain and drunk driving are a deadly combination for Sam, who dies in a car accident. But when she wakes up the next morning and it is again February 12th, Sam begins to reconsider life as she knows it. Throughout the course of the book, Sam wakes up on February 12th a total of seven times. By the end of the book, Sam eventually discovers how to make her last day more meaningful, and to change the course of what fate has in store.

Oliver's writing is terrific, her characters real and fully imagined. I would definitely call it a page-turner, for you will be drawn into Sam's story and want to know whether she is able to change her destiny in the end. I think this novel transcends age and will appeal to a wide audience. Despite the fact that I am not a young adult, I thoroughly enjoyed Before I Fall, and I'm really glad I read it! It's the kind of book that reminds you to savor every moment, to be a better and kinder person, and to appreciate the fact that everything you do has some consequence, no matter how small. Great read! ( )

Groundhog Day, with death. Good premise, but I found myself skimming the last third. ( )

gave a new look on bullying, in my opinion.... ( )