Lauren Oliver is an amazingly talented writer with a true gift for storytelling. I found this out after reading her newest book, Delirium. So I decided to give her debut novel, Before I Fall, a try. 
 First, let me just put this out there: Oliver's writing is gorgeous. Every sentence she writes is captivating, and she knows how to wrench your heart just enough to make you cry. 
 Before I Fall is a book that really makes you think about things: how you treat others, what's more important in life, and also just about life and death in general. 
 The true beauty of this book though is the character development. In the beginning, Samantha Kingston is a bitch and she and her three best friends, Lindsey, Ally, and Elody, rule the school. I hated Samantha in the beginning, but in each new chapter, more is revealed about Sam and her friends as she is forced to repeat February 12th over and over again. But slowly, over time, Sam changes and before I knew it, I was rooting for Sam, hoping that she would find her way out of the endless loop she was stuck in. 
 I also loved the ending. I feel like I would give too much away if I tried to go in depth so all I will say is this: It was the most perfect ending for this stunning book. 
 I'm so glad that I decided to read it and recommend it to anyone who has either already been through, about to start, or is currently in high school.