Before I Fall discussion

Ok, so I just finished this book and I wondered something.

Do we know what the 'catch' was? Why was Sam actually reliving this day at all?
Was she dead no matter what, and just had to change? Or did she just have to help Juliet? Or become a better person?

I guess what I don't understand is, why she had to die at all. I mean, Juliet didn't have to die, and it was her actions that caused the whole thing.
Sam could have just notified the school or someone, and said that she heard Juliet say she was going to kill herself.

I get the whole becoming a better person part, but I would think that was the best way to help her, really.
I mean, yeah, it was nice of her to send the rose and all, but was the main element of the whole thing her actually pushing Juliet out of the way?

And again I'm back to why'd she have to die.
Personally, I think it should have all happened to Lindsey anyway, since it was really all her fault. And while, I appreciate the message of how the 'it wasn't my idea to do it' excuse doesn't hold water, and that you're still responsible for following along, I just feel like it wasn't right that it all fell on Sam and not Lindsey.

It would have been nice to see a changed Lindsey as a result, at the very least.

Still, I think Sam should have miraculously made it, somehow. And yeah, I think that might have been pretty unrealistic, but if you consider the fact that it's beyond unrealistic to relive the same day over, I think it would have fit nicely.
I mean, a body cast for a while and concussion or something would have been more than enough payment for her crappy behavior. Especially considering how much she changed.

I almost think it was worse of her to change so much, just to get killed.
Because she made it worse for everyone else - for Kent and her sister and her parents...


And I just have to say, My gosh are kids actually this horrible to each other?
I never went to public school, so maybe I just got lucky. I had my share of teasing and stuff, but I couldn't believe what wretched trolls they all were just for the heck of it.

Sam was supposed to die no matter what. Reliving the last day of her life was her chance to be better, to die a good person.

Ok, so how come Juliet didn't have to die too?
They both 'died' that first night.

Kristen wrote: "Ok, so how come Juliet didn't have to die too?
They both 'died' that first night."

it was Sams way of trying to get back at the world in a better way. To save juliet after all the times she hurt her or was rude to he with the girls.

I thought Juliette still died in the end?

Rachel wrote: "I thought Juliette still died in the end?"

No. Sam jumps in front of the car saving her and as Sam's dying juliet whispers, " you saved me.."

Heavyn wrote: it was Sams way of trying to get back at the world in a better way. To save juliet after all the ..."

No, I get that she had to become a better person, but I don't understand the whole point, I guess. Like was it essential that Sam die? Or could she have found a different way where no one dies?

Just didn't really make sense to me. I feel like there should have been more to the story, at least. I mean, we don't know if her pushing Juliet out of the way really did save her. Maybe a few months later she just tries to commit suicide again or something.

Kristen wrote: "Heavyn wrote: it was Sams way of trying to get back at the world in a better way. To save juliet after all the ..."

No, I get that she had to become a better person, but I don't understand the who..."

i guess there's multiple ways of looking at points of view. Maybe she could of found another was to save everyone. We don't really know. It's a book. right?

Heavyn wrote: "We don't really know."

That's exactly what bugs me. Yes, it is just a book, but I spent time reading it and getting invested in the lives of the characters. It should have been wrapped up neatly and the "catch" should have been clear. The way it was left was just unsatisfying. At least to me.

*sigh* But I'm getting the idea that this is a common thing with this author. Which is why I probably won't read any of her future books...

Kristen wrote: "Heavyn wrote: "We don't really know."

That's exactly what bugs me. Yes, it is just a book, but I spent time reading it and getting invested in the lives of the characters. It should have been wrap..."

During the beginning I was getting very aggravated with her dying, reliving, dying constantly and you're right. This was very unsatisfying.

I haven't read any of her other books. Knowing she's common with this I probably won't either..

Her other series, Delirium was really good, but she chose to leave the ending "open", and it ruined the whole thing. It wasn't a good ending at all. Left WAY too many things hanging.

I believe the reason why she live the same day many times was for her to realize things that she didn't know before: like about Lindsay and juliet being friends, about her best friend in middle school, etc. In the end she did change she wasn't like in the beginning of the book.

What's the point in her realizing those things if she just gets killed? On that last day, she didn't even say anything to Lindsay that might make her change. She only speculates that Lindsay will figure it out eventually. And given the last ten years or so, I don't see that happening.

I get the whole anti-bullying message, and it's definitely a good one, but the fact that she dies anyway, after everything she learned, makes the whole thing pretty pointless.

If there was an epilogue or something where we see some changed characters as the result of her death, it would have all been justified. But this way, nothing really changed positively for anyone else. That we know of, anyway.

Personally, I think she should have at least left letters. To her friends, maybe to Kent, her sister and parents.

I think the whole reason Sam kept reliving the same day over and over.... Was because she was meant to save Juliet from dying. (and enjoy the little things in life) Because there in the last chapter when Sam tells Juliet it's never too late, and when she pushes Juliet out of the way and gets hit by the car herself..... She's proving a point to Juliet in a way. And after someone dying to save Juliet's life, it's rather obvious that Juliet now has to cherish that she herself is still alive because someone else sacrificed their life for hers.
As for Lindsey, well, Sam's death will probably make her change too. I was though, I admit, totally pissed when I finished reading "before i fall" because Sam died! Sam was kind of a total bitch for most of the book lol but in those last three chapters she really tries... you know? Like, to be a better person. And in the last chapter she actually becomes one completely. I kinda wish the book had ended a little happier. Like with everybody still alive and all? lol

Yeah, I think it should have ended where Sam wakes up from a coma maybe a couple weeks or months later. So she can actually live as a better person. Maybe become a real influence against bullying or something.

I didn't get the whole reason of why Sam had to finally get it right before she died.

Even if her truly last day is the day that everyone else will remember, her actions that day didn't make her a better person all of a sudden, everything leading up to that day still happened in real time. Looking back her friends and family are sure to have noticed a chance in her and more than likely think 'she must have known she was going to die'

I too think that it would have been a more gratifying end for the readers if she had been in a coma and woke up and found out that things had started to change for everyone on that fateful day.

I think it was necessary for Sam to die. After all of the work she did to become a better person it may seem pointless but I think it really makes a point. No matter what you do to try and fix it, you can't change what you've done in the past. I'm not saying she deserved to die, and I would have liked to see her live too, but I think it just goes to show how far she went in her journey to become a better person. Someone had to die that night to break the cycle and I guess Sam knew that it should be her because what had Juliet really done? I don't think Sam deserved to die, and I'm not glad that she did, but I think it really helps send a message.

Yeah, I get the aspect where making amends doesn't necessarily erase consequences, and I agree that it's an important message, but really, shouldn't it have been Lindsay's burden?
At the very least, we should have seen her afterward, knowing she was to blame for the whole thing.

Also, if someone had to die, why not both her and Juliet? Since two died on the original night. If it wasn't necessary - because no matter what you do, you can't change the outcome - why then, did Sam have to die?

Going off the idea of still having consequences no matter what you might do to fix things or what excuses you might have for doing them, Juliet still set the whole thing in motion. I'm of the opinion that suicide is one of the most selfish things you can ever do. Don't get me wrong, I have alot of sympathy for people who feel that badly, but it's also extremely self-pitying and self-centered. In the case of Juliet, think about how it impacted her family. Her parents already had alot of crap to deal with, and it left her sister in an extremely horrible place at an extremely impressionable age.
And then, the method of suicide she chose, killed someone else.
Honestly, I think Juliet 'deserved' to die more than Sam. I mean, yeah, she had a pretty awful deal with everything, but that doesn't excuse her decision to throw herself in front of a couple of cars. She could have killed a whole lot of people that night. Even if she didn't, and she was the only one to be hurt or killed, think about the impact on the person who hit her. Even if there's no possible way it was their fault, that's an enormous burden to have to live with for the rest of your life. Before we knew everything, I actually thought she purposely picked Lindsay's car as a way of revenge and to 'get the last laugh'.

Also, while Sam's actions before the whole thing certainly aren't excusable, she didn't deserve to die for them.
And like I said, the whole thing should have been on Lindsay anyway.

I guess my real problem is that there wasn't much closure...

I didn't understand why Sam had to die. I mean after she helped Juliet and stood up for herself to Rob, I don't understand. I wasn't sad at the end, I was confused and a little upset at the writer.

I agree with Heavyn and Karah.
Sam's death will likely be what others needed to start a change in themselves (Juliet and Lindsey being the firsts in line).

Of all the things that happened within this beautiful book, all i want to feel right now is grief for Kent due to the fact that the person he love died right in front of him and they never really got the chance to be together though they had but it was only for a day.!

Yes Matthanielle! That is exactly what I thought!

I wasn't overly bothered with her dying, but I felt really bad for Kent. It almost would have been better had she not been involved with him at all, rather than leave him like that. It was pretty selfish of her actually.

I think that it was to make everyone else happy before she died. Yes, I do believe she changes through the book. A lot of people would have been more devastated the other times she or others died. This way, a lot of people had something good to remember her by. And it will also affect others who need to change