The Way We Fall (Fallen World - Trilogy, #1)

by Megan Crewe

Sixteen-year-old old Kaelyn challenges her fears, finds a second chance at love, and fights to keep her family and friends safe as a deadly new virus devastates her island community.

• ISBN10: 1423146166
• ISBN13: 9781423146162
• Publish Date: 24 January 2012 (first published 1 January 2012)
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Disney-Hyperion
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 309
• Language: English

Reviews

[inlibrisveritas]

I received this book from ARCycling in exchange for an honest review. I received no compensation.

The Way We Fall centers around Kaelyn, a 16 year old who recently moved back to ‘the island’ she grew up on. She has to worry about re-integrating into school and life, and she becomes someone who seeks the edges. The last thing anyone expected was for a virus to break out, changing not just Kaelyn’s way of living but her entire home.

The book is written in letter/diary form and split into three sections which signify each major change in the book. The format of the novel isn’t all that different form first person except for a few moments where she breaks from the general narrative of events and gives her thoughts, but it does lend more to what she’s thinking or her state of mind. It also brought on a more emotional response from me that a straight forward detailed story would have probably missed. You can feel the desperation because of Kaelyn, and there were times when I had to stop for a while just so I could feel a bit better. The first third of the book is a slow build where Crewe pulls together the world and works to give Kaelyn and her family some depth. I wasn’t fond of Kaelyn at first but she makes a promise to become a more social person and be someone who steps up, and I thought that as the book progressed she really succeeded in that goal. She becomes strong because she recognizes the needs of others over her own, even in the toughest of times.

I really loved the detail put into ‘the island’ and its people, despite the lack of a name. The plot is slow moving because the virus is slow moving, it takes time for it set in and really start affecting the island. So we get to see different levels of desperation, and all of it is realistic which to me was the scariest part. Anytime a book introduces a horrific player like a virus and then manages to make normal humans into just as much of a threat it really makes me appreciate it more, because that hits a level of realism that some things tend to over look.

I really enjoyed this one and despite not liking to read about viruses like this I do plan on reading the second one. These books seem to be worth the paranoia.

[Kelly]

http://divainpyjamas.blogspot.com.au

I was hesitant to start The Way We Fall, only because it seemed to be for a much younger audience, but it was fantastic. Although slow to start, it gives us a glimpse of Kaelyn's life before the virus, her relationships and shows us her metamorphose throughout the book. Once the first case of the virus is mentioned, the storyline action begins and you wont be able to put it down.

[Angie]

The Way We Fall is definitely a unique addition to the YA dystopian genre. Not because the story is particularly unique or outstanding, but because of the writing style. This is told in the form of letters, which I know isn't popular among writers or readers, but I tend to really like it. In this case, I thought it was a perfect fit for the content of the story. Kaelyn is writing to an old friend while stuck in the midst of a local crisis. A virus is slowly spreading its way around, causing those infected to cough, sneeze, scratch relentlessly, cozy up to everyone around them, and finally succumbing to hallucinations. It was a very good choice to have Kae documenting what's happening around her; it made it feel like a real situation.

The writing is what mainly kept me reading. In the typical first person narrative, it's almost guaranteed that the main character is going to survive, or how else are they narrating? With the letter format, she could stop writing at any time, and someone else could pick up where she left off, or maybe she'd start getting letters in return. It essentially added a bit of suspense for me, an ingredient I thought was lacking in the story itself.

This is not an action filled book, so if that's what you're looking for, The Way We Fall is not it! The story moves at a relatively slow pace, which felt natural given the nature of the situation. The virus slowly appeared, spread slowly, advanced relatively slowly, so a speedy narrative wouldn't work. Despite being slow though, I flew through this book. It was a very easy read, and although there was nothing particularly exciting happening, it was certainly a page turner. I just wish there had been some larger conflict building to make the story more alive.

Overall, this was a pleasant read. I loved the writing and the premise, but it was too slow and flat to really wow me. I did enjoy it enough to want to read the next book though.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[clementine]

This book just seemed like wasted potential to me. The premise is awesome: a virus that ravages an isolated island community. There's so much room for dark, twisted apocalyptic plot! It could even be a thriller!

As soon as I started reading it, I was disappointed. The beginning sets Kaelyn up as a shallow character who cares only about the most inconsequential teenage issues. It does improve from there, although the conversational tone bugged me a little. I do think that sort of tone is appropriate for Kaelyn as a narrator, but the exact style it was written seemed a little like the author was talking down to readers. I believe that as an intelligent sixteen-year-old, Kaelyn can write in a more sophisticated manner.

The book itself was pretty interesting. It wasn't as exciting as I was hoping for, but the plot was decent. I wouldn't say it was anything special, but it never got dull, and it seemed pretty realistic. I still think there was room to make it truly thrilling - and more fast-paced - but it was fine.

One thing that bugged me with this book - and the vast majority of YA in general - is that the romance seemed so forced. You do NOT have to have a love interest in every book! I didn't feel that that subplot added anything to the book; I didn't really care about it at all, and I could have easily gone without it.

Another one of my big issues was that Kaelyn's reactions to some events seemed so inappropriate. For example, I didn't even realize her father was dead for the longest time because she barely reacted to it!

This is the first in a series, and I think it has great potential. In the next book, I'd love to see more character development (which I thought was handled decently - but not brilliantly - in The Way We Fall), more of an explanation for the virus, less of the romance, and more about Leo's significance. I also look forward to finding out the fates of Meredith, Drew, and Aunt Lillian (because I have a feeling she's going to make an appearance).