I was lucky to stumble upon Crane's last book, The Odds of Loving Grover Cleveland, last year, and enjoyed it immensely. Therefore, when I saw The Upside of Falling Down, I knew right away, that I had to read it, and you know what? It was utterly delightful!
"It's the upside of falling down," Kieran says. "It's why you jump in the first place...for that moment."
•Pro: The whole theme of the book is fabulous! It's about new beginnings and possibilities. Clementine's amnesia freed her from her past, and it was so wonderful being there with her as she tried to figure out who she was and who she wanted to be.
"I died and was reborn on June 18 in a plane crash in Ballycalla"
•Pro: I really enjoyed getting to know the people who became Clementine's inner circle. They were a very colorful group of characters, who were quite layered, and I really appreciated what they brought to the story. Clive and Stephen both won me over with their big, beautiful hearts!
•Pro: Kieran was a complicated guy. He was dealing with his own crisis, as he struggled with who he wanted to be and who his father wanted him to be. The Kieran I loved, was the one we saw when he temporarily left those worries for another day. He was very sweet, doting, generous, and very dedicated to those he loved. I was really pleased when we got to the bottom of his issues.
That's the dare I'm most afraid of - to live the life I choose.
•Pro: I loved being in Clementine's head. There was so much going on in there, and some of her reflections were quite amusing.
•Pro: Though this book explores some weighty topics, it stays on the lighter side.
•Pro: I thought it was great the way Crane slowly revealed Clementine's memories, because it lead to a rather BIG twist, which I didn't see coming until it was more or less upon us.
•Pro: I adored the setting! I visited Ireland back in 2007, and Crane brought me back to all those lovely places I had visited.
•Pro: The ending left me with a perma-smile, so I would say it was pretty solid.
Overall: I utterly adored this book! The fabulous characters plus the delightful setting, the sweet romance, and endless possibilities left me with a big stupid grin on my face. File it under "makes-me-happy".
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
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