When you think of time, you probably think of a clock, how it runs forever with no break. Time always moves forward, not backward. You’ll never get those seconds, minutes, or hours back; no second chances. Whether they were good or bad memories, it’s important to always live life to the fullest. You never know when your last tomorrow could be.
Before I Fall is a Young Adult Literature Novel by Lauren Oliver. This story is about a popular teenager, Samantha Kingston, who relives the same day repeatedly, not knowing it could be her last. I have read this book once and watched the movie thousands of times, and every time, I cry. It’s filled with emotions, love, friendship, and second chances. The story is so beautiful and has a lot of relatable things that another teenager could be going through.
Samantha and her friends are the popular girls at Thomas Jefferson High. While they may look perfect, no one is. She and her friends get invited to a party at an old friend’s house. While having fun, Juliet Sykes, a social outcast, the quiet girl, the “psycho,” goes to the party, shocking everyone. Samantha’s friend group starts to push her around, throw drinks at her, and humiliate her in front of everyone.
Juliet runs out of the party, and after Samantha and her friends decide to leave, they are not in the mood to party anymore. On their way home, they laugh about the encounter, but then quickly, giving no time to react, they’re struck with something and go off the road, causing an accident.
Samantha wakes up confused. Repeating the same day with little to no change ends the same. Realizing she is stuck in a time loop. She does whatever she wants, says whatever she wants, and does not care anymore. She lives the same day seven times, seven days, but they all end so differently that she learns something each time that could help escape this time loop. Ultimately, she realizes that a bit of kindness and small changes can help alter her fate or that of others.
This book can change your perspective on life and its value. Showing kindness or difference can change your life and make you feel better about yourself. This book and movie are a perfect 10/10. I would recommend both the book and movie to anyone who is going through something, needs a new perspective on life, or even something that can make you feel so many emotions.
Although both the movie and the book were amazing, the book was way better. There are scenes I wish were in the movie that would have been so much better for the audience’s understanding and emotional heartbreak.
“Maybe you can afford to wait. Maybe there’s a tomorrow for you. Maybe there’s one thousand tomorrows, or three thousand, or ten, so much time you can bathe in it, roll around it, let it slide like coins through your fingers. So much time you can waste it. But for some of us, it’s only today. And the truth is, you never really know.” – Lauren Oliver, Before I Fall.
So remember, no matter how many tomorrows you have, make every day count with the people you love, show some kindness, and make some changes. You never know what a big impact you can make on someone else’s life.
WARNING: PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS WHEN READING OR WATCHING THIS MOVIE AS THERE ARE SOME ADULT SITUATIONS
