The main character, Samantha Kingston, speaks for every one of us, which I think makes her the perfect protagonist. She is perfectly flawed. After all, she is a mean girl. Snobbish, snotty, “bitchy,” selfish, arrogant. What's there to like? But as we read on and get to know her more, we realize the harsh truth; sometimes, we act like her too. We can be mean, selfish, and arrogant, sometimes even without knowing it. The best thing I got from this book though, is realizing that there is still time to change for the better, unlike Samantha, who simply ran out of it. What can we do? We can start with the simple things. Do or say something nice to someone today; a genuine compliment, a real apology, anything. We have no idea how this might change someone's way of thinking, and how these little acts of kindness can truly heal.
This is why I give this book 5 stars. The writing, pace, plot development, and character development are all perfect. But I think aside from those, the main reason why this novel is getting so much praise is because it has done something unique and special, it becomes more than just pages of writing. Before I Fall teaches us real life lessons, makes us ponder on what truly matters in life, and has the ability to possibly change something in us for the better. How could I not give it 5 stars??
I will not talk about the ending or anything specific that happens in the book, as I feel as if any information I say might spoil it, but I will say, this is one of those books I highly recommend; original, haunting, inspiring, and thought-provoking. Hopefully, you'll not only be entertained by reading it, but find it meaningful long after you finish it, because that's exactly what happened to me.