Item: The Shock of the Fall
Rating: 5.00
Author: mary

by Nathan Filer

WINNER OF THE COSTA BOOK OF THE YEAR 2013

WINNER OF THE SPECSAVERS POPULAR FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2014

WINNER OF THE BETTY TRASK PRIZE 2014

‘I’ll tell you what happened because it will be a good way to introduce my brother. His name’s Simon. I think you’re going to like him. I really do. But in a couple of pages he’ll be dead. And he was never the same after that.’

There are books you can’t stop reading, which keep you up all night.

There are books which let us into the hidden parts of life and make them vividly real.

There are books which, because of the sheer skill with which every word is chosen, linger in your mind for days.

The Shock of the Fall is all of these books.

The Shock of the Fall is an extraordinary portrait of one man’s descent into mental illness. It is a brave and groundbreaking novel from one of the most exciting new voices in fiction.

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‘A stunning novel. Ambitious and exquisitely realised, it's by turns shocking, harrowing and heartrending. The writing is so accomplished it's hard to believe it's a debut – it's clearly the work of a major new talent' S J WATSON

‘Nathan Filer is following in the footsteps of Mark Haddon’s genre-setting The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time. Both funny and painful… you’re going to love it’ DAILY MAIL

‘Bittersweet and wonderfully etched…perceptive and moving’ TELEGRAPH

‘A deeply moving (but also funny) first novel’ Kate Saunders, THE TIMES

‘A compelling story of grief, madness and loss. Filer has an ear for the dark comedy of life, and Matthew is a charismatic lead character who draws you in even as his world falls apart’
OBSERVER MAGAZINE

‘A tragic and comic account of living with schizophrenia. A must for fans of Matthew Quick’s The Silver Linings Playbook’
GQ

Matthew Holmes is nineteen and haunted. He’s haunted by what he remembers –his brother Simon’s death at the bizarrely sinister Ocean Cove Holiday Park in Dorset – and what he can’t – his role in it. He’s haunted by the voice inside his head that refuses to shut up. He’s haunted by the violence that he fears lingers beneath his skin. But, mostly, he’s haunted by words.

I think this book is a work of genius. This book isn't afraid to break the rules of YA. I find it to be a hidden gem in a genre that is oversaturated with the same type of novel. It is able to mix that deep and understanding knowledge of the subject matter at hand and also show respect for the reader. I enjoyed reading the book the whole time. It is a joy and a wonder and I am so glad I gave it a chance. You can tell by the writing that the author has had experience as a psychiatric nurse. He really captured how schizophrenia develops and the symptoms and signs of the disease.There is the gradual decline in personality, withdrawal, and neglect of self-care. Then there are then the auditory hallucinations (hearing voices), and delusions, such as the belief that other people are transmitting thoughts through the TV or controlling one's mind. Filer brings to vivid life the experience of being in a psychiatric institution. He is able to cover a very serious topic and he does so in such a beautiful way.

This is an incredibly sad and heart-wrenching story. And it is a novel that seems to challenge all other novels. I loved the way the story was portrayed, Filer uses different drawings, voices, and fonts to reveal simple assumptions in daily life. They are also used to ask those big questions about the brain (and the mind). How as humans are we able to construct memory? And mostly (as in with One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest) are those patients treated with the same respect as everyone else?

The Shock of the Fall

by Nathan Filer

Reviewed by mary on Mar 12, 2015

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