Synopsis:
For popular high school senior Samantha Kingston, February 12—"Cupid Day"—should be one big party, a day of valentines and roses and the privileges that come with being at the top of the social pyramid. And it is…until she dies in a terrible accident that night.
However, she still wakes up the next morning. In fact, Sam 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 ever imagined.
Rating: 🌟
I love the movie adaptation of this book. I've seen it five times since its release in early 2017. If I had to pick one movie to rewatch for the rest of my life, it would be this one. I love this movie. I frickin' LOVE it. So naturally, I was highly anticipating reading the book, the movie's original source material. After all, the book is always better than the movie, right?
In this case, folks, no. I thought the movie did a far better job with the story than the original novel.
Unpopular opinion, right?
What I couldn't get over was how boring and meandering this novel is. Whereas the movie did a great job of streamlining the repeating events and showing how Sam's influence changes her environment, the novel just sort of wanders from event to event with little to no direction. Why is such and such scene in the novel? Just for the heck of it! Plus, I felt the repetition of February 12th lacked a sense of true repetition save for a few core events: getting the roses on Cupid Day, Sam having lunch with her gal pals, Kent's party, and Juliet's suicide. I wanted dialogue to repeat. I wanted little details to repeat. I wanted to feel Sam's terror at having the same day repeat, over and over again. But I didn't.
The characters are also super unlikeable. I absolutely adore the characters in the movie, but I couldn't give a damn about anyone in this book. I didn't care about Sam learning to be a better person. I didn't care about Lindsay facing her demons. I didn't care about Juliet being saved. The mean girls in this book aren't just mean, they're cruel. Whereas the movie toned down their antics to petty drama, Sam and the girls do some downright evil things to people in this book. As someone who was bullied in middle school, I had a really hard time sympathizing with Sam and the girls because some of their actions, in my eyes, just aren't forgivable.
Not to mention, how does Sam's change in person really make a difference in the end? Yes, she saves Juliet and does a few nice things for other people on her last day, but the cycle of bullying doesn't end with her. Lindsay, Ally, and Elody will still be vicious to people. Rob is still an asshole. Alex is still cheating on Bridget with Anna. Really, the only thing that Same did was save Juliet. But who's to say Lindsay and the girls won't bully her with an even stronger vengeance, since Juliet caused the death of their best friend? Sam's journey to being a better person comes off as superficial as her character, and her death doesn't lead to any real change.
The writing also didn't do anything for me. It wasn't bad, but I don't have anything good to say about it either.
Did I hate this book? No. I can see why someone would enjoy it. But I didn't like it, and it was such a disappointment to me that I simply can't justify a two star rating.
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