After the Fall

by Kate Hart

In a story told from two viewpoints, seventeen-year-old Raychel relies on the support of her overachieving best friend Matt while secretly sleeping with his brother Andrew, and Matt tries to play hero and hide how much he loves her.

• ISBN10: 1250144213
• ISBN13: 9781250144218
• Publish Date: 23 January 2018 (first published 24 January 2017)
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Square Fish
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

[Leah]

I have no idea where to start with this book. Honestly? It just wasn't my kind of book. The whole YA trope of the MC being irresistible to all who see her is exhausting, how convenient that Carson, Matt & Andrew all fell under Raychel's spell (and that's before we get into what Carson did which was disgusting and I kinda go back & forth how Raychel got herself into that position the second time? Even though she knew what he did the first time? But I don't want to be accused of blaming her, because I don't and I kinda wish there'd been more repercussion to it for Carson, because it was all very blase and glazed over, imo). How absolutely stupid of Raychel to fall for Andrew, and think it's okay to not tell her best friend - and Andrew's brother - that they're together because it's "not his business". Lol say what? If Raychel and Matt's friendship was as good as they both say, then you tell your best friend everything (although I do debate how real their friendship was - it seemed lopsided to me, but more on that later) and not only that, but they're brothers for Christ sake, so why keep it a secret? Why make it something bigger than it needs to be, especially considering what it lead to? You're just asking for trouble. Trouble that could have been so easily avoided.

Back to the lopsided "friendship". It was hopelessly lopsided and I kind of feel like Matt felt more for Raychel than Raychel could ever feel for Matt (although she said that if he'd confessed his feelings at 15 she'd be all for it? But that was never touched on again, that there *were* feelings there, that magically disappeared with no explanation), it was like she used him as a crutch, not a friend. You don't blow up at your friend constantly, because he might not say what you like, and Raychel blew up at Matt three or four times prior to the accident, and I never really understood why - and I felt for Matt. Was Matt perfect? No. Not at all. But Raychel treated him so poorly - as did Andrew. There wasn't any need, and here's the thing: when you have a friend and you also have a sibling, if the friend and sibling become friends, you get jealous. That's just how it works because siblings can be infuriating, and to see your friend slip away to someone else, is hard to take, and that's why I can sympathise with Matt. When you only have one real friend and you feel like you're losing them, you don't always act rationally. You get jealous, maybe a bit mean, and Raychel never even considered that. Matt was selfish absolutely, but I 100% see where he was coming from.

Honestly, the synopsis (especially this one on GoodReads "Raychel is sleeping with two brothers") really tells me that this wasn't going to be my kind of book. It's a shame, but I honestly couldn't warm to Raychel, she just had this Jekyll & Hyde personality and it was kinda like you have to walk on eggshells all the damn time, to keep her happy or she'd explode.

The only good thing in the book was Dr & Mrs R, the most awesome, kind parents you could imagine! People will love the book I'm sure, I'm just not a love triangle fan in the first place, never mind when two brothers are involved.

[shannonmiz]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
4.5*

Ah, this book. So important. So heartbreaking. So honest. I really enjoyed this book, and at times, I was really angry, but in the good "this book is making me think, and I am now mad at society at large" way. I felt so many emotions throughout the book. It's also a really hard book to review because a lot of it is spoilery.  So let's just talk about what I liked, shall we?

• The book talks about serious, real issues facing young people today. It doesn't shy away from talk about consent, and rape, and race relations, and privilege, and women's issues, and it is pretty awesome. There are moments when the characters are even having these discussions, and the reader is privy to them. I think this is great- showing honest discussion among friends, learning, growing.


• Along those lines, I think that having the hard conversations about consent is so, so important, and this book jumped right into them. One of my favorite interactions in the book is Raychel wondering why they don't teach these issues in school aloud to her friend Asha. Asha's sarcastic line is so spot on:
  

  "You can't talk about sex in school! It makes those horny teens want to.... 'do it'"

  
  


• So. Many. Feels. The characters, as you can imagine, go through a lot during the course of the book. And my heart broke for all of them, for so many reasons that I cannot tell you. (Sorry, not sorry.)


• Raychel just... she was a character I felt sympathy for, a character who I rooted for. I wanted to give her a big hug throughout... well, the entire book. Even when she made choices that maybe weren't super, I understood her choices, they made sense for her story. I didn't always completely connect to her, but I still felt for her.


• There was a great deal of attention given to family relationships and friendships. The thing was, they were incredibly realistic, too. The changes that we undergo as we move out of high school, into college, Raychel and her friends were living through some of these situations. And I really think that is something important to stress to young adults, who may be looking for some realistic depictions of "what comes next".  Relationships change, some for the better, some not, and I think this book really drives that home. Truly, it is a life lesson, not just a teen life lesson.

Bottom Line: This was an impressively strong debut, with strong characters and vitally important topics. A definite must-read for anyone looking for a grittier contemporary.

**Copy provided by publisher for review