The Fall

by Claire Merle

[Joséphine]

Having read and tremendously enjoyed "The Glimpse", I couldn't wait to get my hand on "The Fall". I was so excited by the premise of the first book, it even prompted me to include a discussion on top of my review to explore the mental health and discrimination issues. As it is, perhaps high expectations can sometimes mar our final enjoyment of a book. Had I not read the first book, I might've given half or even a full star more in the ratings. Thing is, once the premise, the setting and the characters are already in place, I think that it is the plot that carries the weight of drawing in the reader. Sadly, it always the plot that left me hanging out to dry.

The resolution did not reflect the reality that had been set up and in a bid to tie up all the loose ends, a number of sub-plots came up short. They were simplistic and convenient. I mean, how can the complicated relationship between Jasper and Ana, as a result of his eradicated memory that he partially managed to recover along the way, be resolved so directly? The twists and turns between the two were presented as vastly circumstantial and failed to delve into the dynamics of their relationship. As much as I was intrigued by Cole in "The Glimpse", somehow that interest in him did not sustain very well in "The Fall". He became more of an obstacle than someone integral to Ana's actions and motivations, seeing how determined she had been to join the Enlightenment Project because of him.

At the end, the idea of the Pures and the Crazies drowned amidst all these sub-plots and while the resolution did address what would become of their society in future, it didn't pan out as extensively anymore in "The Fall" as it first did in "The Glimpse". For those who took offence at the portrayal of discrimination based on mental illness, maybe this is welcome news. Still, I think reading about things that offend us reminds us to retain our humanity, and to never engage in such inhumane practices.

Fuller review here.