Book Review- Before I Fall

I just finished reading Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver for an Around the World Tour.

From Goodreads:

What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all—looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12th should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it’s her last. The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. In fact, she re-lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she had ever imagined.
 
When I read the summary of Before I Fall awhile back, I  knew instantly that I wanted to read it.  And once I got the book, I couldn't wait to start.  But I quickly started thinking that I made a mistake.  I didn't like Sam, the main character, AT ALL!  I thought she and her friends were self-centered, and annoying, and not at all what high school was like.  I was about to stop reading the book, which I never do, when I decided to go read other reviews online.  And I'm so glad I did!  Many of the other reviewers mentioned how the didn't care for Sam either, but continued on and loved it.  So I decided to continue reading.  And thank goodness I did!
 
Throughout the story, we see Sam do a complete one-eighty and turn from an annoying, selfish, immature teenager into a young lady who realizes that she can help change someone's life.  I loved how each day, Sam figured out how just one small action would cause a completely different reaction.  And I really liked Kent.   He seemed so sweet and so there for Sam. 
 
The ending of the story really pulls at your heartstrings.  It's sad but in a happy way, if that makes any sense.  This novel makes you realize that life is short, and your actions on yourself and others have consequences that you might never imagine.
 
I gave this book a rating of 4/5.

Before I Fall will be released on March 2, 2010.
 
This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
A to Z Challenge: O
2010 100+ Reading Challenge: 16
2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 14
2010 Debut Author Challenge: 6
ARC Reading Challenge 2010: 14

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.