Samantha Kingston is a bitch. She and her three best friends Lindsay, Elody and Ally rule the school with their better-than-you attitudes and sky-high stilettos. Sometimes Sam feels a twinge in what passes for a conscience at the bottom of her small black heart, but she usually manages to squish it. February 12 is a Friday like any other, except on the way home from a party, Sam and her girls end up rolling their car and Sam’s life as she knows it is over. Until the next morning, when she wakes up in her bed. It’s February 12—again. At first Sam thinks maybe this is a coma dream, but soon she realizes that she’s trapped in a weird limbo—and she’s not sure what she’s supposed to do next. “Maybe when you die time folds in on you, and you bounce around inside this little bubble forever.” She feels anger (“I hate both of my parents right now…for letting the thread between us stretch so far and so thin that the moment it was severed for good they didn’t even feel it.”) then hopelessness (“I’m dead, but I can’t stop living.”) and finally resolve, as Sam realizes she can alter events, move people around, and perhaps avoid the inevitable crash that takes her life (“From now on I’m going to do things right. I’m going to be a different person, a good person. I’m going to be the kind of person who would be remembered well, not just remembered.”) But is Sam meant to save herself? Maybe the point of all this is to save someone else…
If Sarah Dessen and Jenny Downham collaborated, it might look a little like this rad reinvention of the mean-girl novel. Full confession? I dreaded reading this book. C’mon, a teen relives the last day of her life over and over? (Have I ever mentioned that Groundhog Day is one of my most hated movies of all time?) And it’s loooonnngg. Like 450+ pages long. But surprise, surprise, Lauren Oliver had me at hello with this elegantly crafted and completely mesmerizing story about a dead girl who learns what it means to live in just seven short days. Unlike Groundhog Day, each February 12 of Sam’s day is different, a whole life lived in 24 short hours as she tries to accept what she has lost and wishing she appreciated it more. The length ended up being important, as Sam goes over every detail of the careless existence she took for granted, causing YOU to consider all the little things in your life that you never think about but would miss terribly if they all went away. Like sunsets, little sisters and sappy movies, just to name a very few. Despite the length, there was a feeling of constant suspense as I wondered how on earth Oliver was going to solve Sam’s existential conundrum. I ended up loving every bit of it: the premise, the way Sam’s character realistically develops over the course of the story, the bittersweet end and yes, even the voluminous page count. This is a heart book. You will have an illogical urge to hug it when you’re done. I found myself racing through it, and sighing with great satisfaction upon finishing the last page. As you will, when this lovely and amazing tome comes to a library or bookstore near you.
I just finished this book and i loved it…. But could someone PLEASE explain the ending for me without any of the confusing stuff?!?! Or a website least? PLEASE! i really want to understand it.
This book was awesome and i thought that she died in the end
I really liked the book, but I am still VERY confused on what actually happens at the end! Does she really die? I thought if she fixed everything she would be back and get to be with Kent, but it ends! someone please help me!
I love the book!
It does get boring with the same thing happening over and over in different way though.
I love this book so much although im only hafe way through…cant believe what mr. daliton did to her! wow… i would do the same as her if i new i could just startover the next day… so cool! five star!
Ok so I truly enjoyed this book, and felt like my own life depended on the outcome of Sam’s. I really hoped that at the end of it, she would awaken to Feb. 13th, and she would ride off into the sunset with Kent, but instead Oliver gave us a realistic ending, or did she? My interpretation of the ending is that Sam possibly lived. If you reread the ending, it seems as though Sam is trapped in her past life that she has relived the last 7 days, and now has finally pushed through to the present. I had to read the ending twice to understand what happened. It reads like she is being called by her friends who are both in the woods with Sam, and calling to her as she lies on the concrete. I don’t think she died. I believe that the epilogue is describing what it is like to die and the memories that come flooding back to you. I believe that the final page before the epilogue is Sam waking up to her friends standing above her calling her back from death. Any thoughts on if I might be right?
I read the ending two or three times and still am having trouble understanding it, as it seems everyone else is too. I wish the author would have elaborated just a bit on the ending considering she put so much into the rest of the book and at the end all we get is two pages. Don’t get me wrong I really liked the book, I just think the ending needed more. Like what in the world happened to Juliet and Kent and all of Sam’s friends. I hope there is going to be a second book to continue the story. I believe after Juliet jumped Sam pushed her out of the way and then Kent grabs her and pulls her out of the way with him. So I believe everyone made it out safely.
I had a love/hate relationship with this book. Mixed emotions. And WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS. DON’T READ IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE BOOK!
At first, I definitely did not like Sam, much like everybody else who read it. I was thinking about not reading it after a couple hundred pages, but being the loyal reader I am, I didn’t. (Though it was very tempting…but I hate not finishing books and not knowing what happens in the end.) The second half, I started lovin it. Sam changed so much, just in seven days. Even though her friends were bitches…I really liked them in the end. Well, ok, I still kind of don’t like Lindsey…but SHE’S not the one reliving her days, so she’s not changing, I guess. My feelings didn’t change for Ally either…she was kind of just…there. Elody was one of my favorite characters, though. (Especially from the direct quote, ‘She’s the nicest one of all of us’) I was so depressed when she died (even though the next day, she’s back) And Kent was so frikin adorable. I wanted to punch Rob in the face, pushing aside the fact he’s not real. Juliet seriously annoyed me in the end–it’s like, JUST DON’T KILL YOURSELF, STUPID. And I HATED the ending. I changed it for myself, and convinced myself she’s not dead. ^__^ But I mean, seriously, she JUST got with Kent, made everything right and…she dies. Really? It was just such a waste. But then again, not everything’s fairytale happy endings. But I really loved Sam in the end and felt sympathy for her…everybody, actually. (Except Rob and that duch teacher)
If you haven’t read it, READ IT. NOW. And this comment is much longer than I intended it to be…but it’s still an amazing book. I admit, I cried in the end. It’s amazing.
I fell in love with this novel and reread it twice.
I loved this book! does anyone see any symbols in it though?
i LOVED this book but someone help me, did she really die? i hope not and is this book past in real life? anyway i hope someone can anser this questions
<3 Danae.R.
okay so i LOVED this book but im still confused on the ending… does she die?
I thought at first that this book was lengthy. But at the end, it made sense. I was reading one of the comments up here. (To be exact it was Tiffany’s) I agree, how the author is trying to deliver this message on how the littlest things can affect ppl in many diffrent ways blahblahblah but thats not why im writing this. The argument between the ending: (1)She lived, & the seven Feb 12ths were just illusions. She was probably in a coma or smthing [it would explain the whole ‘SamSamSam’ voices at the end; she was probably almost waking up from her coma, so she could hear the voices around her. (2)Sam died. I guess everyone wants her to live, because of her thing with Kent, but the whole point of the 7 days thing was to make sam figure out that she needed to save Juliet’s life. It was why she got seven do-overs. To make things right. Now, if she lives, then what was the point of the do-overs >.< I dont think i explained myself enough here, but its the best i could do. This book is amazing. IFLIPPINLOVEIT.
In the end Sam dies (just to clear things up). She got a chance to set things right & to do that she had to save Juliet from killing herself. Not a happy ending but a realistic one. The last chapter I took it as she was talking from after death ( think of the the lovely bones, if that makes sense?)
anyways
This book was just amazing:)
I thought that the book was absolutely amazing. The ending was a tad bit confusing, yes. I just hope that there will be a sequel.
I read this book in 2 days, and I was never able to put it down. (:
It took me awhile to finish this book with it being the last week of schools and having finals. but any chance i got i was glued to this book! amazing love story and breath taking story of the fight for life. crazy how everything fit together. it makes yout think twice about how you look at people knowing that everyone has thier secrets. i thank lauren oliver for writing this book because personly it makes me what to live everyday to the fullest, tell my parents i love them everyday, and take time for the little things.
I loved this book too. I wanted to answer the question “did she die” answer is yes she did. She decided that the right thing to do would be to save the girl that everyone picks on. If you go back, she references a “white light” right before the crash. That light is the girl that she ends up saving at the end.
wouldn’t juliet have been traumatized for life, knowing some girl she barely knew died to save her?
So i loved the book but I am a little bit confused about the ending. I mean its not so much a did she die or not with me, i just wish that there was a little bit more of an explanation of what exactly happened. anyway loooooovvveed the book and cant wait to read delierium
i loved the book and she did die in the end and she was reliving the day to save Juliet’s life because in the beginning when she died it was juliet that caused them to crash so instead of having the innocent girl die because they made her life horrible she wanted to save Juliets life
At least I’m not alone on the whole ending being VERY confusing I red the ending atleast 5 times and still don’t get itt… :/ I shure as he’ll didn’t want her to die, but I’m pretty shure she did :/ but oh well in my mind she was in a coma and the voices at the end were her friends calling her to wake up… She is still bff’s with Lindsay, ally, and elbony (dont think I spelt her name right:$ awks) then she hooked up with Kent and everything wasss fine expect the fact that she had been in a coma for a week…
i am almost completely positive she dies in the end. i felt sort of stupid not understanding the ending – i thought it was just me being an airhead, but it’s good to know i’m not the only one who’s debating about this. me and my sister (who is 4 years older than me) both read this book in a total of 2 days each. we both loved it and are both doing our summer reading reports on it. (she’s going into senior year, me 8th grade). i think she dies because although her love with Kent sadly (and abruptly) ends, i feel that the whole reason she goes into this “limbo” state for the seven days is to teach her a lesson, and to make her realize that it was their fault (her, lindsay, elody, and ally) that juliet died in the beginning, because she was going to kill herself anyways, but going to that party really finished off the deal – being pushed around and called names and soaked with alcohol from people pouring drinks on her. so, to get her out of that limbo state she had to save juliet’s life in order to save herself (in a way) from the bad things she’d done to juliet. i just don’t understand why this book (and the events that happened in it) aren’t based around Lindsay. she was best friends with juliet until that incident on that girl scout trip in 5th grade (i think?). it was probably because sam happened to be in the front seat of the car, resulting in her being killed as well as obviously, juliet. that’s also why on one of the days elody died instead, because since sam didn’t go to the party at kent’s. these are just my thoughts, i hope they shed a bit of light on this situation for you! thanks! ~Lilli
I finished this book a few days ago and I have to agree with everyone, it’s trully a great book, absorving and with really solid caracthers. The story is awsome and I couldn’t stop reading it. I really loved it. Actually, I’am already thinking about rereading it.
(SPOILERS)
Anyway, after reading all the comments I started thinking I haven’t understood the end correctly ’cause I always though she died in the end. So I read it again and I notice something: right before the epilogue, when Sam says she sees Juliet’s face above her, she also says that she feels a hand in her face which is cool and dry. Ok, I easily accept that it could be cool, but dry? If it’s raining and Juliet is drenched how the hell is her hand dry? It made me think that somehow it could be happening latter than the moment when Sam saved her, maybe in the hospital.
I still think she ended up dying (specially because of the epilogue) once that this really causes impact and makes you thing about life, your actions and if you waste your time and everything Sam talks about, but I can’t avoid thinking, maybe there some hope?
this book stunk. i had no idea what happened. 1 star for trying.
SPOILERS
I am pretty sure Sam dies at the end. The last paragraph that starts with “The moment of death…” and describes the warmth and light and moving forward, feeling like the embodiement of singing;I think she is basically telling the reader what it felt like when she died.
The voices calling her were Kent and her friends trying to get her to come back, but unfortunately, Sam knew what she had to do and couldn’t be stopped. They continued calling her after the accident, but that was them screaming when they saw what happened to her.
I am glad she was able to express her love for her parents, Izzy, and Kent and save Juliet before she did, though. Bittersweet ending.
This was for sure on of my fav books i have ever read!:) It really was good! It is a book I can relate to. There is girls in my class that thinks there the hot “shit” and do whatever the heck they want not caring what people think. I like this book because it show how a bitch can actually be a good person. I loved the relationship with her and Kent! It was secretive and it was pretty funny when Rob was rejected. I felt bad for Kent because he really liked her, and when he saw her die. I wonder what he would do after that. Go talk to her grave everyday? They need to make this a movie because it seriously was the best book I have ever read, and it really made feel mixed emotions! I NEVER cry when I read books, and this one made me cry finding out she died in the end…:( I wish she lived so she could do what is right ,and be happy with Kent…. If they made this a movie, I would not only buy it, but have all of my friends watch it too.. My friend wants the book now because I told her it was good!!
@Rachel well the ending isn’t bad or so nice though, it clearly states that she saves juliet from suiciding and lauren oliver leaves it unclear whether she died or not. what the author tries to says to the readers is it’s our choice if we want samantha died or survived in the end. if you think of it, if you were samantha what would you do in your last day? samantha chooses to right her wrongdoings on her last days, and she didn’t wait the accident to happen again in the end cause whatever happens, saving the girl you’ve done bad things is worth than her own death.