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

by Megan Crewe

[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.