Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, 470 pages.

Samantha feels pretty lucky to be part of the popular crowd at high school. The guy who rejected her in sixth grade is now her boyfriend. Her best friends write all the unwritten rules for who and what is in and who and what is out. And while they know all (or most) of each other's secrets, they know what not to talk about. At a party hosted by Sam's best friend from kindergarten, whom she barely acknowledges now, Sam and her friends encounter Julie Sykes, who they have nicknamed "psycho." That's one of Sam's last memories, because on the ride home from the party, they see a flash of white in the headlights, then the car crashes, killing Sam. But life (and death) aren't that simple. Sam wakes up and has to relive the same day, again and again, struggling to discover what she needs to change about her life, and about its impact on others.
Within the first couple of pages, this book will grab you and not let go. Powerfully and beautifully written, this debut novel by Oliver takes a hard look at who we are and what we do for friendship. Sam and her life and death are wonderfully developed as she goes through the roller-coaster of emotions that are the stages of grief.