Have you ever read a book that changed your point of view on life? This summer I read a book that for the first time in awhile I could not put down. The book Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, is about a high school girl, Samantha Kingston, who is killed in a car accident and wakes up the next morning eventually reliving the day she died over and over again. She begins to search for answers and tries to prevent her death from happening but realizes it is not possible. Throughout her week of deja vu, Samantha reconnects with her family, friends, and herself. She finally accepts her death knowing that she made a positive impact on the world.

This book not only tells a fascinating story itself but connects with the world today. Before I Fall tells readers that life is short and it isn’t about how much time you have, but how you use it. No one should look at life as a long period of time that can be wasted because any day could be their last day. Also the smallest actions can make the biggest difference. Samantha learns that the hard way after her and her friends bullied Juliet Skyes for the four years of high school. This eventually led to Juliet’s suicide on the same night of Samantha’s death. However, on the last day of her repeated death, she stops Juliet from killing herself which was the “positive impact on the world” that allowed Samantha to move on. Life shouldn’t be wasted on making bad decisions because we don’t all have an excessive amount of time where we can fix our mistakes. Although the majority of people are ignorant about it, any small action can make the biggest difference in someone’s life even if it’s not yours.

<Janice Ha Valencia High School 9th Grade>