Before I Fall

By Lauren Oliver

"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: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.
Instead, it turns out to be her last.
Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing."

I saw another review that said this book was basically "Groundhog Day" meets "Mean Girls". Nailed it. That's about it, review done.

Okay, I guess I could go into this a little bit more deeply.  It bothers me that Sam completely changed and did a 180 in less than a week. That she fell in love with someone she hadn't spoken to in seven years, in less than a week. The reason behind her death and ultimately the sacrifice of her life, was beautiful and tragic and worthwhile. Sam's friendships, however vapid seeming, were actually extremely precious and substantial. I did like the premise and the book, overall, was not a waste of time.

Touched

By Cyn Balog

"Nick Cross always listens to the voice in his head. Because if he doesn't? Things can go really, really wrong. Like the day he decided to go off script and saved a girl from being run over . . . and let another one drown. Trying to change the future doesn't work. But this summer at the Jersey Shore, something's about to happen that Nick never could have predicted. He meets a girl named Taryn and finds out about the Book of Touch. Now the path that he thought he was on begins to shift . . . and there's no way to stop things from happening. Or is there? In a life where there are no surprises, nothing has prepared Nick for what he's about to discover--or the choice he will be forced to make. . . ."

I really enjoyed this book. I think that the premise was extremely unique. Nick's constant inner monologue could have gotten confusing, but Balog managed to keep the story controlled. I like the characters of Nick and Taryn, although their romance seemed a little rushed and out of nowhere, which is admittedly the case in most YA romance novels, especially in the supernatural genre. Nick, specifically was a very likable character. I was definitely rooting for him throughout the book.

The resolution of the book was beautiful. The sacrifice that Nick's grandmother made for her family was touching and a very fitting ending. It bothered me a little bit that Nick was the only one that remembered everything, which wasn't really explained. I liked this book so much, that I can overlook that detail.