Before I Fall (470 Pages)

Ok, you folks better sit down, because this is going to be my very rare negative review. Lauren Oliver has written several YA books, but this one was just plain weird! First of all, I think the message for YA readers is all wrong. The main character, Samantha, dies in a car accident. Then she dies again and again and again. Each death varies a little, but she wakes up in her bed, in her home, at her school. Her relationship with her friends will probably read as very familiar to today's students, those relationships being positive and some may think as negative. Her relationship with her family will ring likewise. Yes, she does some really good things. Yes, she shows love and caring to her little sister. Yes, she finally comes to her senses about her boyfriend. But I felt that in spite of these things, Sam sort of glorifies death. We have too many kids today who need to know that with suicide people don't mourn forever. They get on with living. Every time a young person dies, as sad as it is, life goes on. Others may read this book differently, and I would love to hear their comments.