Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion

Tiffanny and I are reading Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver for the July Pick it For Me Challenge. We are starting on July 6th. Anyone is welcome to comment.

July 6th: Ch. 1&2
July 7th: Ch. 3&4
July 8th: Ch. 5,6,&7

I was worried that I wasn't going to be able to keep up with the reading, but so far the story has turned out to be a really quick read.

I was surprised that Sam didn't change more after she woke up and started having deja vu. She still acted like a complete jerk, and didn't really change any of the big things that she thought were wrong, like pushing the girl everyone calls pyscho, or being really rude to Kent. I'm wondering if it is really goin to take dying 6 or 7 times to realize that Kent is a nice guy and for her to stop acting like a complete jerk. I'm also wondering if we'll find out why lindsey started making fun of the girl in the first place.

I don't like how she keeps picking out all the faults in her friends, and then making excuses for their behaviors because they are her friends now. They've only been friends for about 5 years, because lindsey used to be mean and make fun of her as well. I wonder if she'll stand up to lindsey in the next few chapters, and if she'll really sleep with her boyfriend or anyone else before she dies again.....hmmm

I didn't even realize how long the chapters were, I'm sorry. If it becomes too much for each day we can always extend it. :D

I'll update soon with my thoughts on Ch. 1&2

I'm almost finished with Chapter 4, and I really think that Sam needs a reality check. She's woken up 4 times knowing that she's died the night before/that night, and she hasn't really done anything to change her behaviors. She's getting more and more angry at the wrong people i think. I'm wondering if she is going to die with Juliet, and if the flash of white light that they hit the first two times, was them hitting Juliet. I think that Sam's death is somehow tied to Juliet's death, although I'm not entirely sure how.

The scene with the hot math teacher was sort of odd too. So far this day is the most odd. Her cutting almost all her classes, flipping out on lindsey, kissing her teacher, getting high in the bathroom, I wonder the night will end. At first I thought she was going to get in a car accident, but that's not the case, because at the end of chapter three she must have died in her sleep, because she still woke up knowing she died the night before......hmmmm

I wonder how she'll die in chapter 4, and if she somehow fixes the reasoning that she keeps waking up, if she will still die at the end....

On Ch. 1&2

I completely agree with you. She mentions the awful things her friends do and doesn't try to change them. Maybe it will be better for her if she puts in an effort to change them and herself. I feel bad for Kent. He keeps trying to hard to be noticed by her and, to be honest, I found some of the things he did sweet. Whistling her favorite song from when she was 7 and so on.

The thing that really grabbed me to read the book was the Prologue. The first part of the first chapter (although it went by fast) was hard to get through. I think it was the attitude of Sam and her friends. The fact that they believed they were so much better than everyone else even though, Sam points out, they really weren't that different from everyone else.

Ch 3&4:

Wow! I can't believe how much Sam is changing (maybe not positively). I keep trying to figure out why she is dying and then re-living the day before. At first I thought she needs to change herself. But in these chapters she's done that and she still wakes up Friday morning (we don't know about Ch. 4 because she hasn't died yet). I agree that she's getting too angry. She's blaming everyone else for why she's dying or why it keeps happening to her. I think she needs to recognize that she needs to change herself. That the only way anything will be different is if she does it.

I liked that she was finally nice to Kent even though I'm not sure why she was. Maybe she's supposed to be with Kent and not Rob? I agree the situation with the hot teacher was awkward and surreal. She's acting crazy, and acting out. Maybe she figures she's going to die anyways so she might as well do whatever she wants. But I think she's approaching the problem in the wrong way.

It's hard to keep myself from reading ahead. I finished chapter 4 and I wanted to continue! But it's good to slow it down so that I can concentrate on my own thoughts about what's happening in the book.

There is some kind of tie between Lindsey, Sam, and Juliet. Maybe Sam needs to fix something between Juliet and Lindsey. Maybe she needs to befriend Juliet. It is very possible that they are supposed to die together, but why? Why are they connected? They didn't know each other before.

There are a lot of things to think about. She probably dies in her sleep again while she's at Kent's house because at the end of ch. four he tucks her in to bed (very sweet). Maybe she should try staying up all night or do you think once she falls asleep she'll still die?

Okay, I did read ahead of schedule, lol. I'll probably end up finishing the book tonight, because I have to work tomorrow, and might go to the movies with me husband. Anyways, I just finished Chapter 5, and now I think I understand a lot more about what's going on.

BTW, chapter 6 was really good at the end!! I think that Sam keeps having to relive the same day because she's supposed to save Juliet. And we find out why sam died, because she was sitting in the front seat and the way the suv tipped, the front seat passenger dies. Also, i was starting to wonder about the white light from the first two times she dies, and the white light is Juliet. They made mention about her white blond hair at the very beginning, and that's the white that sam sees right before she dies, i'm guessing.

If sam does save Juliet, I wonder if she will still die. If she does I will feel so bad for Kent becuase this time at least sam seems to be getting cozier with Kent, and you find out that he's had a thing for her since second grade. If they get close for that one night and then she still dies poor kent is going to be devastated! In chapter 5 too Rob was only mentioned in that he texted her, she didn't even see him this time at the party.

If I'm on chapter six, I wonder if she's going to die two more times, and if so how she's going to change this time. I was happy to see that in chapter 5 she finally stopped acting like a jerk, she didn't even drink in this chapter, and she wasn't mean to anybody, lol. I hope she starts to figure out how to fix things soon.

I'm still on chapter 6, I got side tracked last night and wasn't able to read =) I'll work on it tonight though =)

I just finished it. Wow, so much changed! I can't believe that she finally had the guts to dump Rob (who was a jerk anyways) and tell Kent that she liked him. I feel so bad for Kent though. He probably is devastated. All of her friends would be too and her family. But she finally figured out why she kept reliving the same day over and over again. It's ironic that her and Kent kept talking about being heroes and then she saves Juliet's life. I didn't think she would die at the end I thought maybe she would be able to push herself and Juliet off the road.

I think you're right that the last thing she keeps seeing is Juliet, because of her white blonde hair. It was so odd to be that those two were so connected. I still don't really see why they are connected except for the first time Sam dies, her and Juliet die together.

I was wondering if anyone else died with Sam (in the car). It was good that the accident was explained because I wouldn't have guessed that Sam would be the only one to die.

I really like the way the Lauren Oliver writes and I have Delirium by her so I think I'm going to be picking that up next.

I finished Delirium last week and I really really liked it too!! =)

I'm going to try to get to it this month, but there are so many other challenge books and library books I have to read first. :)

I really liked Before I Fall! I loved seeing the progressionof Sam growing up and maturing, even if it's only because she died. I'm so sad that she does die at the end and that poor Kent is going to be devestated. I loved how Lauren Oliver answered all the questions I had throughout the book, for instance in each chapter she gave more information about sam and rob's relationship, about kent, about lindsey and the girls, and even the events that led upto Juliet wanting to kill herself. It really sucks that Sam does die in the end =(

Thank you for choosing this for a buddy read!

I agree, everything did get answered and there were no loose ends. I do feel bad for Kent and just for Kent I wish the story had ended differently. But if dying was the only way for Sam to progress then that was why she kept reliving that day over and over again.

Thank you for picking it! :D

BTW Congrats on the win of Ripple!! :D That's awesome!

message 1: by Daffodil (last edited Aug 08, 2011 04:03pm) Aug 08, 2011 04:02pm
Tugce Nida and I will be doing a buddy read of Lauren Oliver's Before I Fall, starting today.

message 2: by Daffodil Aug 08, 2011 04:06pm
Started this morning and read a little on my lunch hour. I'm up in the air at this point. I'm not sure whether I really like the main character. Of course, that's probably one of the points of the book. That over the seven days she learns what really matters.

message 3: by Tugce Nida Aug 08, 2011 11:59pm
I read a little last nite, I thought Samanta is a bit shallow and not thinking anything else than being popular and doesn't care about much for anythingelse. But then you are right, I suppose she will get better in those 7 days and we will be witnessing that.
I liked the way it is written though.

message 4: by Daffodil Aug 14, 2011 08:10pm
Been really busy with work and putting in extra hours, so I've been out of contact. I haven't been doing as much reading as I usually do, but what I've read I've liked. More than I thought I would.

message 5: by Tugce Nida Aug 15, 2011 12:23am
I was quite busy myself with family gatherings during the weekend and work is just hectic these days so no problem at all. I have read about 40% of the book and I still am not fond of Samantha and her group of friends. But I started to believe they are no good for her and she can do better without them and I hope she is going to find that out before her days are out. :) I am liking the plot and the way story is told.

message 6: by Daffodil Aug 17, 2011 12:07pm
Finished this last night. Ended up really loving the book. The ending surprised me and definitely drew an emotional response from me.

message 7: by Tugce Nida Aug 19, 2011 12:35am
I am halfway through it and I must admit, I am struggling through it. I still don't like Sam much although I like the plot so I am trying to finish it to see what happens. I hopefully will finish it tonight or tomorrow the latest and will post my thoughts. By the way you can go for it and wrote your comments about it.

Ok Daffodil, I am sorry for very late response, but the first half of the book just kept going on and on and on for me I totally didn't like the first one third of the book not that I didn't like the story or the idea but I didn't like the characters but after Sam's character developed and she finally said what she had to say to Lindsay and the others I started to care for her as well. I loved the plot and story line from the start, the idea behind the story is brilliant and every character seemed quite realistic which was good. The dying part was sad all together...

Oliver had a terrific writing style and she managed to get me invested in the story despite my dislike of the characters. Even more telling, she managed to make me view Samantha's earlier behavior in a kinder light. I still didn't approve, but I could get past it and manage to care about her present situation.