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allthebooksaremine 's review for:
Before I Fall
by Lauren Oliver
Great read! Definitely a page turner and very well written. Themes and ideas scattered through seemed random but in the end came together perfectly! Despite the Ground Hog Day theme it was not at all repetitive--though it could have done without or with a different prologue.
My only criticisms:
The pop culture references. I didn't find most of them at all believable for these particular characters. A little bit of the author shining through, I suspect, which would have been fine if they weren't 17 year old suburbian girls from Connecticut.
A few culturally insensitive (and just plain insensitive) statements (most people may not have noticed but I'm a stickler for this). While they may have been true to character they weren't entirely necessary (It had already been made clear that Sam and her friends were Mean Girls so why offend potential readers if you don't have to?)
Other than that I really enjoyed Sam's journey and growth. I do wish it hadn't taken so long to warm up to her (a little over halfway through), but in the end she was smart, brave and, overall, decent.
3.5 stars.
My only criticisms:
The pop culture references. I didn't find most of them at all believable for these particular characters. A little bit of the author shining through, I suspect, which would have been fine if they weren't 17 year old suburbian girls from Connecticut.
A few culturally insensitive (and just plain insensitive) statements (most people may not have noticed but I'm a stickler for this). While they may have been true to character they weren't entirely necessary (It had already been made clear that Sam and her friends were Mean Girls so why offend potential readers if you don't have to?)
Other than that I really enjoyed Sam's journey and growth. I do wish it hadn't taken so long to warm up to her (a little over halfway through), but in the end she was smart, brave and, overall, decent.
3.5 stars.