I was left stunned after reading this book. Chills down my spine. Fast-beating heart. Shaking.

Before I Fall leaps far beyond the typical teenage drama. At first I found Sam's voice to be irritating and self-obsessed, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue reading the story. After finishing "Day One," I realized with surprise that Sam was purposely written that way. Lauren Oliver boldly looks through the eyes of a high school girl, through the eyes of a high school mean girl, no less. I saw my younger self in Sam, in ways I wasn't thrilled to admit. I also saw my younger self in Juliet Sykes.

Characterization in this novel is outstanding. Each character leaps off the page and feels vivid, real, as if I could drive to whatever town in which they live and shake Kent's hand or give Juliet a big embrace (or maybe punch Rob).

The story is in first person present tense, which makes certain scenes feel long and even overly-described by Sam, but there is more depth in this novel than I've seen in a while. Pieces snap together from the first chapter to the last.

I love Lauren Oliver's writing. She is a stunning wordsmith and is able to capture the YA heart in ways many authors cannot.

The ending, though...

Spoiler

currently brokenhearted