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Tumble & Fall
A novel about the end of days full of surprising beginnings
The world is living in the shadow of oncoming disaster. An asteroid is set to strike the earth in just one week’s time; catastrophe is unavoidable. The question isn’t how to save the world—the question is, what to do with the time that's left? Against this stark backdrop, three island teens wrestle with intertwining stories of love, friendship and family—all with the ultimate stakes at hand.
Alexandra Coutts's TUMBLE & FALL is a powerful story of courage, love, and hope at the end of the world.
The world is living in the shadow of oncoming disaster. An asteroid is set to strike the earth in just one week’s time; catastrophe is unavoidable. The question isn’t how to save the world—the question is, what to do with the time that's left? Against this stark backdrop, three island teens wrestle with intertwining stories of love, friendship and family—all with the ultimate stakes at hand.
Alexandra Coutts's TUMBLE & FALL is a powerful story of courage, love, and hope at the end of the world.
372 pages, Hardcover
First published September 17, 2013
About the author
Alexandra Coutts
2 books52 followersAlexandra Bullen Coutts has been a playwright, waitress, barista, gardener, script reader, yoga instructor and personal assistant. She grew up in Massachusetts, went to college in New York City, and lives most of the year full time on Martha’s Vineyard.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 301 reviews
December 4, 2013
The asteroid Persephone is on a collision course with Earth. In roughly 7 days, the earth, as we know it, might be gone. Giant ass asteroid + Earth. Let's face it, nothing good can come of this.
What might potentially happen to the earth, if it doesn't go kaboom? Well...
The people in this book:
Really? Really.
Oh, it's not just sun-tanning. No.
Fine. I get it. People have different reactions under stress. Some people react more calmly than others, but I cannot believe that the world, collectively, can stay so incredibly fucking calm in times of chaos. When the world is ending in 7 days or less, there's bound to be chaos. Let's take another chaotic event, for example...let's say, a hurricane warning. It is a mess. The freeways and streets are jam packed with people wanting to get the fuck out of Dodge. Granted, there's not much you can go or do when there's a fucking ASTEROID coming your way, but the reaction of the world in general, and of the main people featured in this book seems outrageous in terms of lack of outrageousness.
In short: the teenagers in this book and their families are going about life as usual, despite the looming threat of doom over their heads. These teenagers are going through rites of passages, like they would under normal circumstances. Some of their circumstances are a little more (ok, a lot more) outrageous than others, but the asteroid and the end of the world is but a very, very distant afterthought. This is not an apocalyptic novel. It is an YA contemporary under disguise as such.
There are three main characters in this book, and it is narrated in third-person POVs, which got rather annoying. I have to be blunt, there was no point to this book. The three characters have a spidersilk-thin thread of connection, their stories, their lives do not intersect at all, except for some very, very forced interactions towards the end of the story. All three of our narrators are so very unlikeable, and so very self-absorbed, and their stories are each utterly ridiculous in their own way. They are bland, they have no personality, and they are typical teenagers...which is to say, their thought and actions leave much to be desired. Unlike typical teenagers in your usual YA contemporary, these teenagers never develop in complexity or maturity by the book's end.
Sienna: The first character we meet, a troubled young teenaged girl in a group home for trying to commit suicide. She resents her father, she resents her father's new fiancée, and she falls for someone with whom she remembered vaguely from...like, infancy. So, the world is ending: what does Sienna do? Spend time with her father and Ryan, her little brother? Try to reconcile their differences? Or run off to be with the boy she's known for about 5 minutes since coming back to Martha's Island? If you chose the latter, DING DING DING. We've got a winner here. Or not.
Oh, lest I forgot to mention, Sienna's WUV OF HER LIFE is on a grand, grand mission. He and his team of ragamuffins are building their version of a Noah's Ark. Which is to say, an amphibious boat! Because that would be SO HELPFUL WHEN THE FUCKING ASTEROID HITS.
Zan: Hopelessly in love...with her dead boyfriend. The revered Leo. He-Who-Can-Do-No-Wrong Leo. Leo shit daisies and honeysuckle. He peed Chanel No. 5. He is perfection in a nutshell. Oh, and of course, he was brilliant, too, but he just didn't show it because it's just not cool to be book smart, maaaaaaan. It's just so much better to flunk out of 10th grade than to actually fucking apply yourself once in awhile. Yes, I do speak ill of the dead when they deserve it.
unicornVanessa, despite the few clues they have.
Caden: Well, we have a refreshing surprise here! Our young man, Caden, does not run away from his parents! Rather, his parent (specifically, his dad) drugs him and kidnaps him. You see, Caden's dad disappeared from his life when he was but a wee, wee toddler. And since the world is ending (oh, right, there's supposed to be a fucking asteroid somewhere in all this), this would be the best time to get to know your long-lost son! Naturally, coming up to him and approaching him for a cup of coffee and some personal time together wouldn't work. Nah.
Wait, what?
The parents: Where the fuck are the parents?! They are the least effective parents I've ever seen. They don't question the disappearance of their daughter, or else they halfheartedly protest when their teenaged daughter does something stupid. You know what my parents would do? They would lock me the fuck up. That's what any reasonable parent who cares about their children would do. And for the most part, what little we see of the parents in this book do indicate that the parents in this book mean well, and they care about their child (with the exception of Caden's). They underreact, much like all the people in the world with the exception of two of our main characters, Zan and Sienna. The parents are largely there as an extraneous presence, because it's implausible for all our characters to be orphans. There is largely no purpose for their existence in the book besides as people to fluff up the scenery.
After reading this book, there's a hand-shaped imprint on my forehead that will take a few hours to go away. Skip this mess.
What might potentially happen to the earth, if it doesn't go kaboom? Well...
First: water. Massive tsunamis if an ocean took a direct hit, washing away entire coastlines. Then: fire. The displaced embers of Earth’s very core, falling chunks of flaming hail. And last but not least: ice. A frozen planet, shrouded in clouds of debris, hidden from the life-giving forces of the sun.Appropriate reaction?
The people in this book:
Really? Really.
Who could possibly care about getting a tan at a time like this? But the rocky shoreline was sardine-packed with clusters of families, all of whom seemed to share Dad’s idea of forced togetherness. When the going gets tough, the tough go swimming.Right.
Oh, it's not just sun-tanning. No.
A guy with slick hair and a handlebar mustache pushes a flyer into her palm. “Sleep-In at the Common,” the flyer reads in photocopied print. “Epic slumber party tomorrow night.” He smiles at her. “Bring a tent.”And...
Two things people make time for at the end of the world: free food and a party.But it's all good, you see, because at that block party, they have a Battle of the Bands. YEAH!
Fine. I get it. People have different reactions under stress. Some people react more calmly than others, but I cannot believe that the world, collectively, can stay so incredibly fucking calm in times of chaos. When the world is ending in 7 days or less, there's bound to be chaos. Let's take another chaotic event, for example...let's say, a hurricane warning. It is a mess. The freeways and streets are jam packed with people wanting to get the fuck out of Dodge. Granted, there's not much you can go or do when there's a fucking ASTEROID coming your way, but the reaction of the world in general, and of the main people featured in this book seems outrageous in terms of lack of outrageousness.
In short: the teenagers in this book and their families are going about life as usual, despite the looming threat of doom over their heads. These teenagers are going through rites of passages, like they would under normal circumstances. Some of their circumstances are a little more (ok, a lot more) outrageous than others, but the asteroid and the end of the world is but a very, very distant afterthought. This is not an apocalyptic novel. It is an YA contemporary under disguise as such.
There are three main characters in this book, and it is narrated in third-person POVs, which got rather annoying. I have to be blunt, there was no point to this book. The three characters have a spidersilk-thin thread of connection, their stories, their lives do not intersect at all, except for some very, very forced interactions towards the end of the story. All three of our narrators are so very unlikeable, and so very self-absorbed, and their stories are each utterly ridiculous in their own way. They are bland, they have no personality, and they are typical teenagers...which is to say, their thought and actions leave much to be desired. Unlike typical teenagers in your usual YA contemporary, these teenagers never develop in complexity or maturity by the book's end.
Sienna: The first character we meet, a troubled young teenaged girl in a group home for trying to commit suicide. She resents her father, she resents her father's new fiancée, and she falls for someone with whom she remembered vaguely from...like, infancy. So, the world is ending: what does Sienna do? Spend time with her father and Ryan, her little brother? Try to reconcile their differences? Or run off to be with the boy she's known for about 5 minutes since coming back to Martha's Island? If you chose the latter, DING DING DING. We've got a winner here. Or not.
“You have no idea how lucky we are, Goose. We’re so lucky to have this house, this island, a place that’s still calm. Where we can be together, and relax. Doesn’t that sound better?”A filial daughter, Sienna is not. Actually, where I come from, we call that a stupid bitch.
“No,” Sienna insists. “It sounds like an excuse. What if I said I’m staying?”
“Without us?” Dad replies. “Without Ryan?”
“I don’t want to, but…” Sienna takes a breath. “I think I love him, Dad. I mean, I know I do. Owen. I love him, and I’m not coming home.”
Dad’s breathing gets quick and sharp. “You don’t love him, Sienna,” he hisses. “You hardly even know him.”
Sienna feels a fury in her chest. The phone is hot on her ear and she feels her whole body tingling.
Oh, lest I forgot to mention, Sienna's WUV OF HER LIFE is on a grand, grand mission. He and his team of ragamuffins are building their version of a Noah's Ark. Which is to say, an amphibious boat! Because that would be SO HELPFUL WHEN THE FUCKING ASTEROID HITS.
Zan: Hopelessly in love...with her dead boyfriend. The revered Leo. He-Who-Can-Do-No-Wrong Leo. Leo shit daisies and honeysuckle. He peed Chanel No. 5. He is perfection in a nutshell. Oh, and of course, he was brilliant, too, but he just didn't show it because it's just not cool to be book smart, maaaaaaan. It's just so much better to flunk out of 10th grade than to actually fucking apply yourself once in awhile. Yes, I do speak ill of the dead when they deserve it.
Leo’s memory was nearly photographic, a fact that Zan admired but also secretly found a little annoying, especially since he was constantly on academic probation at school. It was as if he stuffed himself so full of fictional characters and random statistics and the names of small villages in countries most people couldn’t point to on a map that he didn’t have room for things like the periodic table or vocab lists...Sometimes she wished he’d just get it together long enough to pass the tenth grade.Leo's been dead nearly a year and he still occupies a place in her heart, in her mind, in her life. Zan's memory of Leo and the reverence with which she holds him supercedes her duty to the living. Zan finds a mysterious scrap of paper with the name "Vanessa" on it. Well! It's from Leeeeeeeeeeo, surely it was a message that he meant to leave her. She's only got 7 days left until the world ends. What else is there to do? Spend time with her mom and dad? Savor the time they have left together?
Of course her parents will notice that she’s gone. No matter how deeply they bury themselves in projects and routine, it’s clear that they’re anxious, clear that they’d like her around. And for a moment, Zan wonders if she should stay. What if this really is their last week together? Does she want to spend it on some crazy mission, searching for clues and an answer she isn’t sure she wants to find?LOL! Bitch, please. Nah, Zan runs off with Leo's best friend Nick to find the mysterious
Caden: Well, we have a refreshing surprise here! Our young man, Caden, does not run away from his parents! Rather, his parent (specifically, his dad) drugs him and kidnaps him. You see, Caden's dad disappeared from his life when he was but a wee, wee toddler. And since the world is ending (oh, right, there's supposed to be a fucking asteroid somewhere in all this), this would be the best time to get to know your long-lost son! Naturally, coming up to him and approaching him for a cup of coffee and some personal time together wouldn't work. Nah.
There’s a sharp squeal of tires as the car cuts him off, blocking his path to the trees. Both doors open and the smaller man is on him first, holding his wrists and twisting his arms in awkward angles behind his back. The driver lunges forward. There’s something in his hand that feels warm on Caden’s face, covering his mouth and nose. It’s damp and smells medicinal.Seriously overreacting, man. So to make up for lost time, Caden's dad takes him to do all the *grunts* manly things he missed out on during the 14 years or so of his absence. His very wealthy absentee father takes him to play baseball! He takes him hunting! He gets him a prostitute!!!
Wait, what?
Her name is Camille, and she stands at the foot of the bed, unwrapping one of what appear to be many silk scarves from around her bare shoulders. Beneath them she wears a cream-colored camisole, lacy and detailed around her neck and cleavage, and flowing black pants that swish around her bare feet when she moves.Of all the stories within the book, Caden's makes the least sense. And that's saying something.
The parents: Where the fuck are the parents?! They are the least effective parents I've ever seen. They don't question the disappearance of their daughter, or else they halfheartedly protest when their teenaged daughter does something stupid. You know what my parents would do? They would lock me the fuck up. That's what any reasonable parent who cares about their children would do. And for the most part, what little we see of the parents in this book do indicate that the parents in this book mean well, and they care about their child (with the exception of Caden's). They underreact, much like all the people in the world with the exception of two of our main characters, Zan and Sienna. The parents are largely there as an extraneous presence, because it's implausible for all our characters to be orphans. There is largely no purpose for their existence in the book besides as people to fluff up the scenery.
After reading this book, there's a hand-shaped imprint on my forehead that will take a few hours to go away. Skip this mess.
December 5, 2013
Tumble & Fall
Otherwise known as Tumble & BORE (sorry, I hadn’t seen anyone use that pun yet). Tumble & Fail: the most boring apocalyptic book ever. A gentler, kinder soul might say that it’s a character-driven novel exploring the way three teens face the oncoming apocalypse. That gentler and kinder soul would be wrong. The apocalypse is treated like background radiation. It keeps getting mentioned, but it’s hard to see what the hell it’s got to do with the book. Honestly, you could remove it and most of the book would scarcely be affected which is problematic considering how much the book rides on that concept.
This book is made even more boring since, for a bunch of people about to possibly die, and have everyone they love die, these are the most disaffected people ever. No joke, the first hundred pages or so of this novel is people standing around going:
“Hey, heard about that apocalypse thing?”
“Yeah, sucks. Wanna make out?”
“Sure.”
There you go. If you were interested in Tumble & Fall, you now have a basic grasp of the plot – times three! This is possibly the most disconnected and emotionless novel I have ever read. Even Michel Foucault’s History of Sexuality was more interesting because at least it was funny! Zan gets the closest to some kind of emotional impact, but it’s over a boy who died 10 months ago. Where’s the examining of one’s life, the search for the meaning of it all, the desperate despair at an uncontrollable fate? If you’re writing a story about the oncoming apocalypse, here’s a tip, why don’t some of the characters spend some time actually agonizing over it. This novel spends so much time trying to be cool, yet fails to be anything other than frustrating.
The writing is abysmal, especially when it’s trying to be clever.
“Two things people make time for at the end of the world: Free food and a party.”
The two things everyone cares about is sex and doing all the illegal shit they couldn’t otherwise do unless the world was coming to an end. End times babies and our inherent affinity to breaking shit is proof of that.
Free food and a party? Don’t get me wrong, I will eat ALL the things if I know the end of the world is over. I’ll probably have cans of whipped cream on tap just so I can constantly be injecting it into my mouth. But a lame community center party with cocktail wienies? WHO DOES THIS?! You have a week to live people! It’s like you don’t even know how!
Here’s a tip:
-420 Party
-Booze
-Big ass speakers and a base.
-A packet of condoms (safe sex, kids! Even at the end of the world!)
-lube
-honey
-pine cones
-an enraged badger
-a bag full of feathers
-enough PVC glue to fill a vat
-a pool filled with corn flour slime
-inflatable pool filled with jello
-glow sticks
-whistles
-sparklers
-clothing optional policy
I don’t know about you, but that party sounds like it’d be totally illegal in at least 49 states but totally awesome in every single one of them! Boom. I should have written this novel.
Most of the time, unless I paid attention to the chapter header, it took me awhile to figure out who was who. I only figured out the difference between Zan and Sierra because one of them was constantly moaning about a dead boyfriend that I honestly couldn’t have cared less about. And the only thing that marks Caden’s chapters differently is that he’s checking out girls instead of boys and being even more disaffected than the other two characters. Which frankly seems like he bends the rules of the time space continuum to achieve.
What I want to know is, end of the world, why did Coutts pick the three most boring teenagers ever, living at the most boring place ever, to write about?
I stretched my brain to think about three characters I’d be even less enthused to read about and this was all I could come up with:
1. Someone whose goal is to document the full life cycle of the Boletellus obscurecoccineus fungus family before the end of the world.
2. A man desperately trying to convince family and friends to legitimately convert to Jedi-ism before the end of the world to save their mitochondrial souls (because he doesn’t really understand the force).
3. A mime trying to send a message of peace to the entire world through silent body motions – only to realize, sadly, that nobody cares. Because everyone hates mimes. Everyone.
Actually, I take that back. Those three people could actually manage to be more interesting.
Fail.
This book was given to me by the publishers for the purpose of an honest review. As you can see, there's no reason they would give me money, gifts or favors for this kind of stuff.
This review and others like it can be found on my blog, Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.
Otherwise known as Tumble & BORE (sorry, I hadn’t seen anyone use that pun yet). Tumble & Fail: the most boring apocalyptic book ever. A gentler, kinder soul might say that it’s a character-driven novel exploring the way three teens face the oncoming apocalypse. That gentler and kinder soul would be wrong. The apocalypse is treated like background radiation. It keeps getting mentioned, but it’s hard to see what the hell it’s got to do with the book. Honestly, you could remove it and most of the book would scarcely be affected which is problematic considering how much the book rides on that concept.
This book is made even more boring since, for a bunch of people about to possibly die, and have everyone they love die, these are the most disaffected people ever. No joke, the first hundred pages or so of this novel is people standing around going:
“Hey, heard about that apocalypse thing?”
“Yeah, sucks. Wanna make out?”
“Sure.”
There you go. If you were interested in Tumble & Fall, you now have a basic grasp of the plot – times three! This is possibly the most disconnected and emotionless novel I have ever read. Even Michel Foucault’s History of Sexuality was more interesting because at least it was funny! Zan gets the closest to some kind of emotional impact, but it’s over a boy who died 10 months ago. Where’s the examining of one’s life, the search for the meaning of it all, the desperate despair at an uncontrollable fate? If you’re writing a story about the oncoming apocalypse, here’s a tip, why don’t some of the characters spend some time actually agonizing over it. This novel spends so much time trying to be cool, yet fails to be anything other than frustrating.
The writing is abysmal, especially when it’s trying to be clever.
“Two things people make time for at the end of the world: Free food and a party.”
The two things everyone cares about is sex and doing all the illegal shit they couldn’t otherwise do unless the world was coming to an end. End times babies and our inherent affinity to breaking shit is proof of that.
Free food and a party? Don’t get me wrong, I will eat ALL the things if I know the end of the world is over. I’ll probably have cans of whipped cream on tap just so I can constantly be injecting it into my mouth. But a lame community center party with cocktail wienies? WHO DOES THIS?! You have a week to live people! It’s like you don’t even know how!
Here’s a tip:
-420 Party
-Booze
-Big ass speakers and a base.
-A packet of condoms (safe sex, kids! Even at the end of the world!)
-lube
-honey
-pine cones
-an enraged badger
-a bag full of feathers
-enough PVC glue to fill a vat
-a pool filled with corn flour slime
-inflatable pool filled with jello
-glow sticks
-whistles
-sparklers
-clothing optional policy
I don’t know about you, but that party sounds like it’d be totally illegal in at least 49 states but totally awesome in every single one of them! Boom. I should have written this novel.
Most of the time, unless I paid attention to the chapter header, it took me awhile to figure out who was who. I only figured out the difference between Zan and Sierra because one of them was constantly moaning about a dead boyfriend that I honestly couldn’t have cared less about. And the only thing that marks Caden’s chapters differently is that he’s checking out girls instead of boys and being even more disaffected than the other two characters. Which frankly seems like he bends the rules of the time space continuum to achieve.
What I want to know is, end of the world, why did Coutts pick the three most boring teenagers ever, living at the most boring place ever, to write about?
I stretched my brain to think about three characters I’d be even less enthused to read about and this was all I could come up with:
1. Someone whose goal is to document the full life cycle of the Boletellus obscurecoccineus fungus family before the end of the world.
2. A man desperately trying to convince family and friends to legitimately convert to Jedi-ism before the end of the world to save their mitochondrial souls (because he doesn’t really understand the force).
3. A mime trying to send a message of peace to the entire world through silent body motions – only to realize, sadly, that nobody cares. Because everyone hates mimes. Everyone.
Actually, I take that back. Those three people could actually manage to be more interesting.
Fail.
This book was given to me by the publishers for the purpose of an honest review. As you can see, there's no reason they would give me money, gifts or favors for this kind of stuff.
This review and others like it can be found on my blog, Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.
Shelved as 'dnf'
August 28, 2013Bleh. Third person, present tense. Three POVs.
Did not fall for this at all. Fall. Get it? Fall. Sadly, I've resorted to bad jokes to amuse myself.
Did not fall for this at all. Fall. Get it? Fall. Sadly, I've resorted to bad jokes to amuse myself.
June 30, 2013
Not what I was expecting, and quite frankly, I just don't get it.
After reading the summary, I looked at the cover and thought, "Hmmm, doesn't really look like a science fiction or dystopian." Well, it's not.
I spent the first part of the book really confused because I was introduced to three different point of views, and I kept wondering how they were all connected, aside from Zan dropping of groceries at Caden's place. Well, here's your warning - they weren't connected. They never do come together, other than on a car ride and the last scene.
To me, I felt this book would have been better written as three short stories because they were different people dealing with different issues. It was just irritating that my reading experience was constantly interrupted by the next short snippet.
And really, they were just everyday issues that normal people deal with all the time in our society - given, Caden's adventure was a bit extreme, but that's not to say that doesn't happen either. Each character is unhappy with his or her reality, he/she is faced with an alternative, and he/she overcomes said problem, and he/she learns to appreciate what he/she has.
I just don't understand why Coutts would use the "end of the world" topic in this book. I guess the end of the world makes you realize what's important in life, but really, the lessons in this book doesn't need such a dramatic catalyst for one to believe so.
I didn't get the sense of doom-and-gloom or the desperation one would feel knowing the end was coming. People weren't scrambling around like they did before Y2K or a hurricane or other natural disaster to prepare themselves. I did find it interesting that everyone seemed to think it was the time to stay at home and spend the last moments with those you care about. I would have expected some people to just think, "What the heck" and start looting or committing other crimes because none of it mattered next week.
The individual stories themselves weren't bad, though I don't think they were anything special and even a bit bored. I just don't really understand why Coutts chose to write this book the way she did.
After reading the summary, I looked at the cover and thought, "Hmmm, doesn't really look like a science fiction or dystopian." Well, it's not.
I spent the first part of the book really confused because I was introduced to three different point of views, and I kept wondering how they were all connected, aside from Zan dropping of groceries at Caden's place. Well, here's your warning - they weren't connected. They never do come together, other than on a car ride and the last scene.
To me, I felt this book would have been better written as three short stories because they were different people dealing with different issues. It was just irritating that my reading experience was constantly interrupted by the next short snippet.
And really, they were just everyday issues that normal people deal with all the time in our society - given, Caden's adventure was a bit extreme, but that's not to say that doesn't happen either. Each character is unhappy with his or her reality, he/she is faced with an alternative, and he/she overcomes said problem, and he/she learns to appreciate what he/she has.
I just don't understand why Coutts would use the "end of the world" topic in this book. I guess the end of the world makes you realize what's important in life, but really, the lessons in this book doesn't need such a dramatic catalyst for one to believe so.
I didn't get the sense of doom-and-gloom or the desperation one would feel knowing the end was coming. People weren't scrambling around like they did before Y2K or a hurricane or other natural disaster to prepare themselves. I did find it interesting that everyone seemed to think it was the time to stay at home and spend the last moments with those you care about. I would have expected some people to just think, "What the heck" and start looting or committing other crimes because none of it mattered next week.
The individual stories themselves weren't bad, though I don't think they were anything special and even a bit bored. I just don't really understand why Coutts chose to write this book the way she did.
August 16, 2013
Tumble & Fall is another book which I knew I had to immediately read after seeing the gorgeous cover. I guess it’s kind of my fault for not reading the blurb more carefully, but who is the couple on the cover meant to represent?, maybe I was expecting more romance from the story, the cover does seem to convey this is what the book would be about.
The three different pov’s we got from Caden, Sienna and Zan I didn’t mind. It was interesting learning about these three different individuals back stories and then seeing them intertwine together. But once again I only found myself invested in one story and what a beautiful one it was. I think if it wasn’t for Zan’s story I probably would have given up on this story very early on. But I loved watching Zan go on her journey to discover the truth and the ever loyal Nick by her side. Coutts from very early on led me to believe what had actually gone down between Zan and her boyfriend, but I’m glad that despite this Zan went out to find out more.
Where I was fully invested with Zan’s story, with Caden and Sienna, not so much, I even admit to skimming over some of their parts. Tumble & Fall may have not been one of the most memorable reads for me of this year, but Zan’s story definitely found a special way to my heart.
This review can be found on The Readers Den
The three different pov’s we got from Caden, Sienna and Zan I didn’t mind. It was interesting learning about these three different individuals back stories and then seeing them intertwine together. But once again I only found myself invested in one story and what a beautiful one it was. I think if it wasn’t for Zan’s story I probably would have given up on this story very early on. But I loved watching Zan go on her journey to discover the truth and the ever loyal Nick by her side. Coutts from very early on led me to believe what had actually gone down between Zan and her boyfriend, but I’m glad that despite this Zan went out to find out more.
Where I was fully invested with Zan’s story, with Caden and Sienna, not so much, I even admit to skimming over some of their parts. Tumble & Fall may have not been one of the most memorable reads for me of this year, but Zan’s story definitely found a special way to my heart.
This review can be found on The Readers Den
March 11, 2015
Read more reviews at What Danielle Did Next
3.5 stars overall
Tumble & Fall is not the easiest book to read. In fact it was hard work at times to the point where I almost abandoned it. I am so glad I didn't listen to my instincts. I said I'd stick it out to 100 pages and it was worth the trudge. It was a beautiful, interesting, unassuming read that really captured my attention.
There are three POV's in this book, Sienna, Zan and Caden and all are in the 3rd person. This was overwhelming at first, it's hard enough trying to get to know one character but three? PLUS all their families and friends they encounter? I've read reviews that said they expected the three POV's to have purpose and come together and they didn't - I disagree. I found that each character connected with the others by the end, not perhaps in the most obvious of ways but like I said this is a very understated book.
As is the plot as a whole. For a book about the end of the world don't expect Bruce Willis to come in and save the day. This is not a story about suddenly seizing the day because let's be real - do you think you would? Everyday we hear of disasters, horrifying things that happen to other people and we get those thoughts-
- I need to live life to the full
- I need to take more risks
- I need to tell him/her that I love them...
Do we? Not very often. It's understandable. Life is full of fear every single day not just when there's an impending disaster. At times the characters seem to be in a state of suspended animation - They don't do anything wild or exciting...they live and sometimes they simply exist. They fill their hours holding hands, making dinner, chasing dreams and confronting their past just like people do every.single.day. That's the beauty of this book, it's almost too difficult for me to put into words but there's a captivating atmosphere to Tumble & Fall that drew me in to the lives of these three people and made me care about them.
The main theme of each POV is family - the dynamic, the interaction, the relationships.
Sienna was my favourite POV. Recovering from depression, her father collects her from rehab to spend their last days at their beloved summer house on Martha's Vineyard. Haunted by memories of her dead mother she finds another woman taking her place. Her story is all about reconciling her past and present, rediscovering balance in her life. I loved the development of the relationship between her and her childhood friend Owen, their moments were beautiful and swoon-worthy. There's a strong emphasis on love throughout her story, how it can bring peace but also unbalance you.
Zan is dealing with her own personal grief. Losing her boyfriend Leo the previous year she finds evidence that the night he died he was cheating on her. As the world prepares for the apocalypse, Zan's belief system is crushed. Was Leo with another woman the night he died? Did he truly love her? I adored the scavenger hunt she and Leo's best friend Nick went on to figure out the truth which is something neither of them could ever have anticipated.
Caden's POV was the most jarring of all three. I connected with him the least to be honest. His story of reconnecting with family members from both the past and present was interesting but creepy at times. His father was almost like a cartoon villain. I enjoyed the theme of redemption however that threaded it's way through Caden's story.
This book is truly a lesson in the art and beauty of the everyday mundane. We aren't going to suddenly live our best lives because it's ending... because newsflash right now it's ending.
If this book was a movie - It would be firmly Art House - directed by Lars Von Trier or Sophia Coppola guaranteed.
There's a heavy strain of denial running through the characters' stories. The panic doesn't happen until the end gets closer but again it's brief. There's a calm and peace in acceptance which is something human beings do so beautifully when we're not screaming at each other, when we remember to breathe, when we listen to the beat of our hearts rather than the train of thoughts rushing through our heads. Tumble & Fall is a book that echoes back to a simpler time in people's lives, a time in between the heartbeats.
The Beatles sang "I want to hold your hand" - A simple, pure, elegant statement - this book is its literary equivalent.
3.5 stars overall
Tumble & Fall is not the easiest book to read. In fact it was hard work at times to the point where I almost abandoned it. I am so glad I didn't listen to my instincts. I said I'd stick it out to 100 pages and it was worth the trudge. It was a beautiful, interesting, unassuming read that really captured my attention.
There are three POV's in this book, Sienna, Zan and Caden and all are in the 3rd person. This was overwhelming at first, it's hard enough trying to get to know one character but three? PLUS all their families and friends they encounter? I've read reviews that said they expected the three POV's to have purpose and come together and they didn't - I disagree. I found that each character connected with the others by the end, not perhaps in the most obvious of ways but like I said this is a very understated book.
As is the plot as a whole. For a book about the end of the world don't expect Bruce Willis to come in and save the day. This is not a story about suddenly seizing the day because let's be real - do you think you would? Everyday we hear of disasters, horrifying things that happen to other people and we get those thoughts-
- I need to live life to the full
- I need to take more risks
- I need to tell him/her that I love them...
Do we? Not very often. It's understandable. Life is full of fear every single day not just when there's an impending disaster. At times the characters seem to be in a state of suspended animation - They don't do anything wild or exciting...they live and sometimes they simply exist. They fill their hours holding hands, making dinner, chasing dreams and confronting their past just like people do every.single.day. That's the beauty of this book, it's almost too difficult for me to put into words but there's a captivating atmosphere to Tumble & Fall that drew me in to the lives of these three people and made me care about them.
The main theme of each POV is family - the dynamic, the interaction, the relationships.
Sienna was my favourite POV. Recovering from depression, her father collects her from rehab to spend their last days at their beloved summer house on Martha's Vineyard. Haunted by memories of her dead mother she finds another woman taking her place. Her story is all about reconciling her past and present, rediscovering balance in her life. I loved the development of the relationship between her and her childhood friend Owen, their moments were beautiful and swoon-worthy. There's a strong emphasis on love throughout her story, how it can bring peace but also unbalance you.
Zan is dealing with her own personal grief. Losing her boyfriend Leo the previous year she finds evidence that the night he died he was cheating on her. As the world prepares for the apocalypse, Zan's belief system is crushed. Was Leo with another woman the night he died? Did he truly love her? I adored the scavenger hunt she and Leo's best friend Nick went on to figure out the truth which is something neither of them could ever have anticipated.
Caden's POV was the most jarring of all three. I connected with him the least to be honest. His story of reconnecting with family members from both the past and present was interesting but creepy at times. His father was almost like a cartoon villain. I enjoyed the theme of redemption however that threaded it's way through Caden's story.
This book is truly a lesson in the art and beauty of the everyday mundane. We aren't going to suddenly live our best lives because it's ending... because newsflash right now it's ending.
If this book was a movie - It would be firmly Art House - directed by Lars Von Trier or Sophia Coppola guaranteed.
There's a heavy strain of denial running through the characters' stories. The panic doesn't happen until the end gets closer but again it's brief. There's a calm and peace in acceptance which is something human beings do so beautifully when we're not screaming at each other, when we remember to breathe, when we listen to the beat of our hearts rather than the train of thoughts rushing through our heads. Tumble & Fall is a book that echoes back to a simpler time in people's lives, a time in between the heartbeats.
The Beatles sang "I want to hold your hand" - A simple, pure, elegant statement - this book is its literary equivalent.
July 12, 2013
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There may be slight spoilers in this review.
"This is the way the world ends: Not with a bang but a whimper"
-T.S. Eliot
When will I ever learn not to judge a book by it's cover? Probably not in the future, but it's a lesson I need to learn pronto. Tumble & Fall has an extremely gorgeous cover and that's what drew me into reading this book. Sure, I loved the premise of an asteroid about to strike the Earth and people living the last moments of their lives, but the cover really sealed the deal for me. Truthfully Tumble & Fall is NOT an apocalyptic novel at all, it's merely a contemporary "issue" book about parenting, family, and friends.
Tumble & Fall would have worked better without it's pseudo-apocalyptic premise; this is straight up contemporary romance. Why the author decided to make this novel about the end of the world is beyond my comprehension! I know this is a tactic to raise the stakes, to make the character's goals more important to them, but it doesn't work well with the plot. I would have expected this book to be dramatic and for there to be high tension throughout the book. This book is anything but tense, and the tone of the novel is very serene and calm, despite the fact that the world is ending. I expected people to be panicking, for there to be riots, crime, murders because the world is ending. LIFE AS YOU KNOW IT IS ENDING AND YET ALL OF THE CHARACTERS WERE SO RELAXED AND CHILL ABOUT IT. It seemed as if all of the characters were apathetic towards the apocalypse and welcomed death. Their lack of concern towards the apocalypse was pretty disconcerting and unrealistic. If the world was ending, would you just sit there and fight with your family members? Would you run away with a guy that you just met that day? Would you care about such frivolous things?
Some people will probably form a connection with the characters from Tumble & Fall, but I just couldn't. I wanted to like this book and it's characters, but the characters lacked depth and raw emotion. The characters in Tumble & Fall were dry, pretty one dimensional, and not very memorable. I can't even recall the characters' names 5 days after finishing it, because they were so bland and unoriginal. The characters were pretty generic and suffered from so many stereotypical teenage literary tropes. Don't even get me started on the lack of common sense that most of the character suffered from. These characters don't feel like real teenagers at all, everything about them feels so fake.
The plot of the book isn't much better than the characters. All of the individual stories never really mesh well together and the connection between the stories is weak and virtually non-existent. I expected there to be a significance of the alternating point-of-views, but there really is no point to it. It can't help that all of the point of views sounded almost identical; I had no idea whose POV it was, unless I read the chapter header. The ending of this book was such a terrible way to end this book and I felt as if nothing was resolved. I felt angry and cheated by the way that the author failed to provide me with closure.
The world definitely doesn't end with a bang in Tumble & Fall. I was extremely disappointed and I feel like I was misled by the book's description. Also I really need to stop judging books by their covers, because it's become problematic. Tumble & Fall had so much potential, but the author turned this novel into a convoluted, contemporary novel. Tumble & Fall is definitely my most disappointing novel of 2013 so far. *sighs*
There may be slight spoilers in this review.
"This is the way the world ends: Not with a bang but a whimper"
-T.S. Eliot
When will I ever learn not to judge a book by it's cover? Probably not in the future, but it's a lesson I need to learn pronto. Tumble & Fall has an extremely gorgeous cover and that's what drew me into reading this book. Sure, I loved the premise of an asteroid about to strike the Earth and people living the last moments of their lives, but the cover really sealed the deal for me. Truthfully Tumble & Fall is NOT an apocalyptic novel at all, it's merely a contemporary "issue" book about parenting, family, and friends.
Tumble & Fall would have worked better without it's pseudo-apocalyptic premise; this is straight up contemporary romance. Why the author decided to make this novel about the end of the world is beyond my comprehension! I know this is a tactic to raise the stakes, to make the character's goals more important to them, but it doesn't work well with the plot. I would have expected this book to be dramatic and for there to be high tension throughout the book. This book is anything but tense, and the tone of the novel is very serene and calm, despite the fact that the world is ending. I expected people to be panicking, for there to be riots, crime, murders because the world is ending. LIFE AS YOU KNOW IT IS ENDING AND YET ALL OF THE CHARACTERS WERE SO RELAXED AND CHILL ABOUT IT. It seemed as if all of the characters were apathetic towards the apocalypse and welcomed death. Their lack of concern towards the apocalypse was pretty disconcerting and unrealistic. If the world was ending, would you just sit there and fight with your family members? Would you run away with a guy that you just met that day? Would you care about such frivolous things?
Some people will probably form a connection with the characters from Tumble & Fall, but I just couldn't. I wanted to like this book and it's characters, but the characters lacked depth and raw emotion. The characters in Tumble & Fall were dry, pretty one dimensional, and not very memorable. I can't even recall the characters' names 5 days after finishing it, because they were so bland and unoriginal. The characters were pretty generic and suffered from so many stereotypical teenage literary tropes. Don't even get me started on the lack of common sense that most of the character suffered from. These characters don't feel like real teenagers at all, everything about them feels so fake.
The plot of the book isn't much better than the characters. All of the individual stories never really mesh well together and the connection between the stories is weak and virtually non-existent. I expected there to be a significance of the alternating point-of-views, but there really is no point to it. It can't help that all of the point of views sounded almost identical; I had no idea whose POV it was, unless I read the chapter header. The ending of this book was such a terrible way to end this book and I felt as if nothing was resolved. I felt angry and cheated by the way that the author failed to provide me with closure.
The world definitely doesn't end with a bang in Tumble & Fall. I was extremely disappointed and I feel like I was misled by the book's description. Also I really need to stop judging books by their covers, because it's become problematic. Tumble & Fall had so much potential, but the author turned this novel into a convoluted, contemporary novel. Tumble & Fall is definitely my most disappointing novel of 2013 so far. *sighs*
October 8, 2013
Pre-read: Having read reviews for this book, I can't help but think the idea of this novel sort of reminds me of this shortlived series on ABC Family:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Mo...
I'm definitely reading this soon, but I'll admit I'm less excited about it as I was when it was first proposed.
Post-read:
Dude, are you kidding me?
I probably could just leave a statement like that, but I'll bite further. I read a lot of speculative fiction. Sometimes speculative fiction is a difficult genre to sell depending on the tones and what if scenarios. This book reminded me of when I picked up "Kiss, Crush, Collide" by Christina Meredith a while back in that I picked up this beautifully artistic cover, great formatting and lettering, excellent premise, but when I opened the book and read inside, I was absolutely floored by how uninspired, dull, plodding and formulaic it was. I didn't really care about the characters, the science was a complete fail, and it had not a lick of realism or development to it. In case anyone wanted to know: this book really did feel like like "Three Moon Over Milford" as I read it. Only to give a little more credit to the ABC Family series, at least that held my attention for longer (2, maybe 3 episodes of its broadcast). After a point in this book, I just didn't care. I read to the end but it wasn't good, at all.I'll write an extended review for this one when I can collect my thoughts.
Full review:
One thing I'll mention before I begin writing this review: I technically read this book twice: once in galley form, where I had to force myself through the narrative and felt like it was difficult to follow or feel invested in, and another in the audiobook form. Before you start asking me "Rose, why on everloving earth would you check out an audiobook from the library for a book you didn't like?" Here's my defense: believe it or not - an audiobook reading can make a narrative experience better depending on the strength of the narrator. Matt Bomer's reading of James Patterson's "Toys" made the reading experience of that book better than if I'd picked up that book on my own.
I wanted to try it and well...I had an extra slot to check out digital items from my library. I was bored, it was there, and I liked the narrative preview enough to give it a go. I regret nothing!
If you can get the audio form, and you're really curious to peruse it - try it as an alternative - if even to preview before you pick it up, Angela Brazil gives far more emotion and life to the characters than the original text gave on its own, enough to bump up my rating by a full star after meditating over it. I'm actually glad I had the patience to sit through this twice just to hear her narration of it, but ultimately speaking, my original review for the book still stands: with the text taken for its own story, this book was not good. It was actually rather disappointing considering such an interesting premise and cover to illustrate it.
I'll admit that I expected far greater stakes in a story which showcases the end of the world in an elaborate "what if" scenario (an asteroid poised to hit the earth). One could say that a narrative that provides a more quiet, reflective perspective on the coming to terms of three teens in the event of a natural disaster bringing certain doom would make for a fine story. Okay, cool.
But that's not what happens here.
Sienna, Camden, and Zan never really grow at any point in this story - it's just a showcase of a series of situations where they carry out their own existences and petty problems that plod along in the last seven days before the asteroid hits. It's like everyone in the book pretty much says "Asteroid? We're doomed. Might as well spend our last days twiddling our thumbs since there's nothing we can possibly do. We could send a rocket to break it up, but oh wait - that didn't do any good. We're still going to die, so tough nuts."
Sienna's in turmoil over her father getting remarried just days before the end of the world comes about, and she's just gotten out of therapy. She runs off with a guy she knew from childhood and knows a girl who plays in a band. Somehow the guy she's into is building a boat, and...um...stuff happens including some forms of forgiveness. I really did not care after a point.
Camden gets kidnapped by his long lost father - like drugged and dragged to his father's home. Father spends some bonding time with Cam, starting off mild with an awkward game of playing catch in the park, and the reveal about why he left their family. Cam's father then somehow gives him a prostitute so that he can lose his virginity, but oh wait - the guy's a jerk also for emotionally blackmailing a woman in his care, which Cam and said woman escape and he ends up losing his virginity to her, and...
Yeah, I didn't care much about his storyline either. =/ There was a bright moment when Cam comes home and has a reconciling with his mother and sister, but honestly, how plausible is this in a scenario for the end of the world? Asteroid, people. Do you not understand there is an asteroid? Priorities, man. Priorities.
Sense this does not make.
I think Zan's story was probably the more compelling of the three narratives, but even that had its share of melodrama that really didn't fit in with the end of the world scenario either. Zan's grieving over her dead boyfriend Leo, but finds a receipt that suggests that he might've been cheating on her with someone called "Vanessa." So she takes off on a road trip to find out who Vanessa is with Leo's former best friend, and the love machine starts playing full throttle and...oh wait, Vanessa is not the person that Zan thinks she is and...sadness. All the feels.
Except those feels never came for me because I couldn't really get into it. =/
The ending didn't have the punch I was hoping for either, as Sienna, Cam, and Zan's stories only had loose connections - they didn't feel all that meaningful though.
I could talk about the parents in this story, but really all of them felt like they were cut from the same melodramatic cookie cutter - no variation really.
In the end, I think this book tried to be something of a quiet slice of life speculative work, but it failed because the characters were petty and bland, and the fact that the story itself really didn't have strong stakes to begin with. Plus, science, scenario, and variation fails all around.
I do give credit to Angela Brazil for her narration in this piece though. She did the best for what the material would offer, and her vocal variations and emotional touches really made it stand out more. I just wish that it could've been a more compelling narrative on overarching notations.
Overall score: 1.5/5 stars
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher MacMillan.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Mo...
I'm definitely reading this soon, but I'll admit I'm less excited about it as I was when it was first proposed.
Post-read:
Dude, are you kidding me?
I probably could just leave a statement like that, but I'll bite further. I read a lot of speculative fiction. Sometimes speculative fiction is a difficult genre to sell depending on the tones and what if scenarios. This book reminded me of when I picked up "Kiss, Crush, Collide" by Christina Meredith a while back in that I picked up this beautifully artistic cover, great formatting and lettering, excellent premise, but when I opened the book and read inside, I was absolutely floored by how uninspired, dull, plodding and formulaic it was. I didn't really care about the characters, the science was a complete fail, and it had not a lick of realism or development to it. In case anyone wanted to know: this book really did feel like like "Three Moon Over Milford" as I read it. Only to give a little more credit to the ABC Family series, at least that held my attention for longer (2, maybe 3 episodes of its broadcast). After a point in this book, I just didn't care. I read to the end but it wasn't good, at all.I'll write an extended review for this one when I can collect my thoughts.
Full review:
One thing I'll mention before I begin writing this review: I technically read this book twice: once in galley form, where I had to force myself through the narrative and felt like it was difficult to follow or feel invested in, and another in the audiobook form. Before you start asking me "Rose, why on everloving earth would you check out an audiobook from the library for a book you didn't like?" Here's my defense: believe it or not - an audiobook reading can make a narrative experience better depending on the strength of the narrator. Matt Bomer's reading of James Patterson's "Toys" made the reading experience of that book better than if I'd picked up that book on my own.
I wanted to try it and well...I had an extra slot to check out digital items from my library. I was bored, it was there, and I liked the narrative preview enough to give it a go. I regret nothing!
If you can get the audio form, and you're really curious to peruse it - try it as an alternative - if even to preview before you pick it up, Angela Brazil gives far more emotion and life to the characters than the original text gave on its own, enough to bump up my rating by a full star after meditating over it. I'm actually glad I had the patience to sit through this twice just to hear her narration of it, but ultimately speaking, my original review for the book still stands: with the text taken for its own story, this book was not good. It was actually rather disappointing considering such an interesting premise and cover to illustrate it.
I'll admit that I expected far greater stakes in a story which showcases the end of the world in an elaborate "what if" scenario (an asteroid poised to hit the earth). One could say that a narrative that provides a more quiet, reflective perspective on the coming to terms of three teens in the event of a natural disaster bringing certain doom would make for a fine story. Okay, cool.
But that's not what happens here.
Sienna, Camden, and Zan never really grow at any point in this story - it's just a showcase of a series of situations where they carry out their own existences and petty problems that plod along in the last seven days before the asteroid hits. It's like everyone in the book pretty much says "Asteroid? We're doomed. Might as well spend our last days twiddling our thumbs since there's nothing we can possibly do. We could send a rocket to break it up, but oh wait - that didn't do any good. We're still going to die, so tough nuts."
Sienna's in turmoil over her father getting remarried just days before the end of the world comes about, and she's just gotten out of therapy. She runs off with a guy she knew from childhood and knows a girl who plays in a band. Somehow the guy she's into is building a boat, and...um...stuff happens including some forms of forgiveness. I really did not care after a point.
Camden gets kidnapped by his long lost father - like drugged and dragged to his father's home. Father spends some bonding time with Cam, starting off mild with an awkward game of playing catch in the park, and the reveal about why he left their family. Cam's father then somehow gives him a prostitute so that he can lose his virginity, but oh wait - the guy's a jerk also for emotionally blackmailing a woman in his care, which Cam and said woman escape and he ends up losing his virginity to her, and...
Yeah, I didn't care much about his storyline either. =/ There was a bright moment when Cam comes home and has a reconciling with his mother and sister, but honestly, how plausible is this in a scenario for the end of the world? Asteroid, people. Do you not understand there is an asteroid? Priorities, man. Priorities.
Sense this does not make.
I think Zan's story was probably the more compelling of the three narratives, but even that had its share of melodrama that really didn't fit in with the end of the world scenario either. Zan's grieving over her dead boyfriend Leo, but finds a receipt that suggests that he might've been cheating on her with someone called "Vanessa." So she takes off on a road trip to find out who Vanessa is with Leo's former best friend, and the love machine starts playing full throttle and...oh wait, Vanessa is not the person that Zan thinks she is and...sadness. All the feels.
Except those feels never came for me because I couldn't really get into it. =/
The ending didn't have the punch I was hoping for either, as Sienna, Cam, and Zan's stories only had loose connections - they didn't feel all that meaningful though.
I could talk about the parents in this story, but really all of them felt like they were cut from the same melodramatic cookie cutter - no variation really.
In the end, I think this book tried to be something of a quiet slice of life speculative work, but it failed because the characters were petty and bland, and the fact that the story itself really didn't have strong stakes to begin with. Plus, science, scenario, and variation fails all around.
I do give credit to Angela Brazil for her narration in this piece though. She did the best for what the material would offer, and her vocal variations and emotional touches really made it stand out more. I just wish that it could've been a more compelling narrative on overarching notations.
Overall score: 1.5/5 stars
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher MacMillan.
Shelved as 'dnf'
September 12, 2013Pages Read: 67
Okay, under ordinary circumstances, I wouldn't have DNFed this book and I honestly might have given it a 2.5 or so which isn't terrible, but I just can't right now. There are so many books I need to read which I will enjoy reading more.
The book is not, so far at least, as bad as I was expecting based on the early reviews, but I just do not care for any of the main characters, and I cannot remember who any of the myriad secondary characters actually are, which means it's both boring and confusing.
Okay, under ordinary circumstances, I wouldn't have DNFed this book and I honestly might have given it a 2.5 or so which isn't terrible, but I just can't right now. There are so many books I need to read which I will enjoy reading more.
The book is not, so far at least, as bad as I was expecting based on the early reviews, but I just do not care for any of the main characters, and I cannot remember who any of the myriad secondary characters actually are, which means it's both boring and confusing.
September 12, 2013
I don't understand why so many good books get such low ratings on this site. YAs are treated the worst, and it saddens me as an author. I hope these ratings don't discourage readers who may think this sounds interesting. Give it a try.
I had a great experience reading this book. It's not a story where rockets are going off, and volcanoes erupt, and tsunamis roll in, nor did it ever promise to be that sort of book. It's not a high action look at asteroid drama. It's a mature, thoughtful, and well-written account of what happens to people when they know the end of the world is near. How do they act differently? What choices do they make that are different from what they might have made before such a daunting prediction? How do they discover what is important to them? What last minute decisions do they feel compelled to make? It's a complex journey into multiple characters' lives and loves.
So if a reader is looking for high action, and will be disappointed by anything else, then perhaps he/she should skip this book. If the reader is interested in psychology and what makes people tick, then he/she may love this book as much as I do. I accept what the author was trying to do with this and found that she did it very well.
My only complaint, hence the four stars, is that I, personally, would have liked the characters' lives to intersect more often throughout. Instead, it ended up reading like different stories that only brushed up against one another at the very end. This was a little loosely plotted for my tastes. Each story felt a bit unstructured, and so at times, it did move a little slowly. But I can forgive that because these are amazingly well-drawn, realistic characters with depth that makes me wonder about what choices I would make at the end of our days...
I had a great experience reading this book. It's not a story where rockets are going off, and volcanoes erupt, and tsunamis roll in, nor did it ever promise to be that sort of book. It's not a high action look at asteroid drama. It's a mature, thoughtful, and well-written account of what happens to people when they know the end of the world is near. How do they act differently? What choices do they make that are different from what they might have made before such a daunting prediction? How do they discover what is important to them? What last minute decisions do they feel compelled to make? It's a complex journey into multiple characters' lives and loves.
So if a reader is looking for high action, and will be disappointed by anything else, then perhaps he/she should skip this book. If the reader is interested in psychology and what makes people tick, then he/she may love this book as much as I do. I accept what the author was trying to do with this and found that she did it very well.
My only complaint, hence the four stars, is that I, personally, would have liked the characters' lives to intersect more often throughout. Instead, it ended up reading like different stories that only brushed up against one another at the very end. This was a little loosely plotted for my tastes. Each story felt a bit unstructured, and so at times, it did move a little slowly. But I can forgive that because these are amazingly well-drawn, realistic characters with depth that makes me wonder about what choices I would make at the end of our days...
August 25, 2013
After seeing so many low reviews and DNF's for this book, I went in with a lot of hesitation. The only other person who seemed to remotely enjoy this book was Dani from What Danielle Did Next and even she struggled a bit with it. I was even more nervous as, since I received this for an ARC tour, I only had a week to read it. When I read books that I'm not completely 100% into- I tend to take longer to read them- which makes sense, yeah? So, I was afraid with school and everything else in my week, I wouldn't be able to get through this book.
The first night I started it- I didn't get too far, seeing as it was a school night and it just wasn't grabbing me. I thought the idea of an asteroid coming to Earth and watching how the main characters would deal with that knowledge was a pretty cool one. Yet, the book just had a slower start for me. After seeing it was told in three perspectives, I was a little wary that I would get overwhelmed with the switching back and forth- trying to remember what was going on with the other characters' storylines. It turns out I didn't have as difficult of a time as I thought. I really liked Sienna and Zan's storylines, but Caden's really bothered me. I honestly think the book could have done fine without him. Their stories are all told in 3rd person, which threw me for a loop considering the nature of this story. A lot of reviewers said they had problems connecting with the characters and I wonder if this had something to do with that. I know I personally didn't feel overly connected to them, but I still enjoyed reading about them.
Let's start with Sienna. (Since she was my favorite) She is just getting out of a home (treatment center if you will) for depression. She lost her mother at a young age and is still dealing with the aftermath of that tragedy. Her father comes to pick her up and ends up bringing her to Martha's Vineyard, where they will spend their remaining time with her younger brother, Ryan, and her father's new fiancé, Denise (Denny). Sienna is less than thrilled at this development. Martha's Vineyard holds a lot of memories of Sienna's mother and not only is it difficult to be there and deal with her grief, she now has another woman infringing on her family time. Sienna ends up meeting up with an old childhood friend, Owen, and for the first time Sienna feels like she can breathe again while spending time with him. However, spending time with Owen comes at a cost- her father brought her to the Vineyard to spend time with her family and connect with one another. Having suffered under the weight of her depression and grief- sneaking out and spending time with Owen makes her feel alive, and she finds herself craving that sense of freedom more than anything. Even at the sacrifice of her own family. Sienna must make some pretty difficult decisions, but in the end I believe she chose the right one. I like that she didn't let Owen define her in those ultimate decisions, no matter how much they cared for each other. Sienna did what she had to do, all the while knowing she was risking her relationship and happiness with Owen.
Zan was my second favorite of the story. She is dealing with her own grief and tragedy- having lost her boyfriend, Leo, to a car accident. She is coping the best she can, but the day Leo's sister brings her a book of his and she finds a receipt inside with the name Vanessa scrawled on it sends her on a wild goose chase to discover who this girl really was and what she meant to Leo. I felt bad for Zan- she started questioning her relationship with Leo, and even though he's gone, she is determined to prove that their love was real. With the help of Leo's best friend, Nick, the two embark on their own journey to search for answers about Leo's final moments. What they find is what they least expected, but it does help Zan find the closure she needs. I really liked Nick's character too. He was there for Zan when he didn't have to be- but spending his remaining time with her is what makes the journey worth it. I did hate the disconnect between Zan and her parents. She didn't even refer to them as Mom and Dad! After her half sister, Joni, ran away- things between her mother (especially) were strained. Zan hates that her sister left her without a word- and I felt the void she did because of how much she cared for her and then poof! She was gone without a word.
Finally, there's Caden. I didn't care for his story much. I'm not really sure why, because it was quite interesting- it just didn't grip me. Caden has a really heartbreaking story to be honest. His mother is an alcoholic and his dad ran off when he was younger. He has a sister, Carly, who does her best to hold the three of them together. After being kidnapped by his father (what?), in a last ditch effort to connect, Caden finds that life with his drunken mother and sister maybe wasn't that bad after all. Caden's dad was seriously off. Who takes his son to Fenway Park to play catch, when both of them hate sports? Or gets him a prostitute? I just didn't understand the point behind his actions. Caden meets Sophie, his father's... (girlfriend?) Caden is drawn to her, but doesn't understand how someone like her could be with his father. Once he learns the truth and that his father is all about the power play and manipulating situations to fit his will, he realizes this man may have been one of the contributors in his birth, but that was it. He was not a father to Caden and he never would be. Instead, the people who cared about him the most were waiting for him right where he left them.
Overall, I honestly enjoyed this story. I didn't once feel like I wanted to DNF it and I was genuinely interested in how these characters would find their peace at the end of days. Some people were complaining this isn't how people would act amidst the end of days, but I disagree. The book starts AFTER they learn about the asteroid. They've had their time for blind panic and freak outs. Winding down to the last few days- they have achieved acceptance. And they are trying to find out how to solve their own puzzle and put the pieces back together before the end so they can be able to let go and be able to say they were where they should be (both physically and mentally). I know that I am one of those in the minority, but I didn't hate this book- on the contrary, I really like that it made me think about these characters and their journeys for forgiveness, peace, and acceptance.
The first night I started it- I didn't get too far, seeing as it was a school night and it just wasn't grabbing me. I thought the idea of an asteroid coming to Earth and watching how the main characters would deal with that knowledge was a pretty cool one. Yet, the book just had a slower start for me. After seeing it was told in three perspectives, I was a little wary that I would get overwhelmed with the switching back and forth- trying to remember what was going on with the other characters' storylines. It turns out I didn't have as difficult of a time as I thought. I really liked Sienna and Zan's storylines, but Caden's really bothered me. I honestly think the book could have done fine without him. Their stories are all told in 3rd person, which threw me for a loop considering the nature of this story. A lot of reviewers said they had problems connecting with the characters and I wonder if this had something to do with that. I know I personally didn't feel overly connected to them, but I still enjoyed reading about them.
Let's start with Sienna. (Since she was my favorite) She is just getting out of a home (treatment center if you will) for depression. She lost her mother at a young age and is still dealing with the aftermath of that tragedy. Her father comes to pick her up and ends up bringing her to Martha's Vineyard, where they will spend their remaining time with her younger brother, Ryan, and her father's new fiancé, Denise (Denny). Sienna is less than thrilled at this development. Martha's Vineyard holds a lot of memories of Sienna's mother and not only is it difficult to be there and deal with her grief, she now has another woman infringing on her family time. Sienna ends up meeting up with an old childhood friend, Owen, and for the first time Sienna feels like she can breathe again while spending time with him. However, spending time with Owen comes at a cost- her father brought her to the Vineyard to spend time with her family and connect with one another. Having suffered under the weight of her depression and grief- sneaking out and spending time with Owen makes her feel alive, and she finds herself craving that sense of freedom more than anything. Even at the sacrifice of her own family. Sienna must make some pretty difficult decisions, but in the end I believe she chose the right one. I like that she didn't let Owen define her in those ultimate decisions, no matter how much they cared for each other. Sienna did what she had to do, all the while knowing she was risking her relationship and happiness with Owen.
Zan was my second favorite of the story. She is dealing with her own grief and tragedy- having lost her boyfriend, Leo, to a car accident. She is coping the best she can, but the day Leo's sister brings her a book of his and she finds a receipt inside with the name Vanessa scrawled on it sends her on a wild goose chase to discover who this girl really was and what she meant to Leo. I felt bad for Zan- she started questioning her relationship with Leo, and even though he's gone, she is determined to prove that their love was real. With the help of Leo's best friend, Nick, the two embark on their own journey to search for answers about Leo's final moments. What they find is what they least expected, but it does help Zan find the closure she needs. I really liked Nick's character too. He was there for Zan when he didn't have to be- but spending his remaining time with her is what makes the journey worth it. I did hate the disconnect between Zan and her parents. She didn't even refer to them as Mom and Dad! After her half sister, Joni, ran away- things between her mother (especially) were strained. Zan hates that her sister left her without a word- and I felt the void she did because of how much she cared for her and then poof! She was gone without a word.
Finally, there's Caden. I didn't care for his story much. I'm not really sure why, because it was quite interesting- it just didn't grip me. Caden has a really heartbreaking story to be honest. His mother is an alcoholic and his dad ran off when he was younger. He has a sister, Carly, who does her best to hold the three of them together. After being kidnapped by his father (what?), in a last ditch effort to connect, Caden finds that life with his drunken mother and sister maybe wasn't that bad after all. Caden's dad was seriously off. Who takes his son to Fenway Park to play catch, when both of them hate sports? Or gets him a prostitute? I just didn't understand the point behind his actions. Caden meets Sophie, his father's... (girlfriend?) Caden is drawn to her, but doesn't understand how someone like her could be with his father. Once he learns the truth and that his father is all about the power play and manipulating situations to fit his will, he realizes this man may have been one of the contributors in his birth, but that was it. He was not a father to Caden and he never would be. Instead, the people who cared about him the most were waiting for him right where he left them.
Overall, I honestly enjoyed this story. I didn't once feel like I wanted to DNF it and I was genuinely interested in how these characters would find their peace at the end of days. Some people were complaining this isn't how people would act amidst the end of days, but I disagree. The book starts AFTER they learn about the asteroid. They've had their time for blind panic and freak outs. Winding down to the last few days- they have achieved acceptance. And they are trying to find out how to solve their own puzzle and put the pieces back together before the end so they can be able to let go and be able to say they were where they should be (both physically and mentally). I know that I am one of those in the minority, but I didn't hate this book- on the contrary, I really like that it made me think about these characters and their journeys for forgiveness, peace, and acceptance.
October 16, 2013
Tumble & Fall is an electric, dazzling read that shouldn't be missed. Not only is it one of the most original novels I've ever read, it's one of the most heartbreaking and tragically beautiful stories out there. Stunning!
I'm sure we've all read at least one post-apocalyptic book. But have you ever read a pre-apocalyptic novel? Where the characters knew that the end of the world is coming to an end and only have one week left to live? And frankly, how do you live your last week on earth? That's definitely my favorite part about Tumble & Fall - how uniquely incredible it is. Also, you would totally expect the characters to be in a frenzy, rushing and panicking around and scared to death. While fear is there, the tagline shows the true beauty about Tumble & Fall: the end of everything is filled with beginnings. With one week left to live, our three protagonists are exploring everything - new and familiar - that they can. While it is a bit strange that everybody is relaxed about the world coming to its darkest finale, it worked perfectly for me in this case. Original and dreamy, Tumble & Fall shines!
I'm a huge fan of the post-apocalyptic genre, so reading a book about the coming of disaster was quite the read. Plus, Coutts's writing style was exceptional - each character had a fantastic vibe and tone, and I loved following every single character along through this journey of exploration. The characters unite together to stand with each other during their final week, and I loved the way Coutts demonstrated not only the blooming romance, but also the ever-growing friendship that has arose. The characters is what makes Tumble & Fall such a diverse and phenomenal book that radiates away from other books. Tumble & Fall is a must-read for lovers of catastrophe!
Another great thing about Tumble & Fall is how it's not always climatic. There's not always a crazy action scene or time of panic; again, it's all about living your last moments so preciously. Each character is after something to accomplish, and I fell for this book so hard. Alexandra Coutts is a very promising author to watch; with this marvelous debut, Coutts has quickly become one of my favorite debut authors of this year.
Overall, Tumble & Fall is a fresh take on catastrophe, dimming the effects of panic, and shining bright lights upon love and unity. Readers will devour it.
I'm sure we've all read at least one post-apocalyptic book. But have you ever read a pre-apocalyptic novel? Where the characters knew that the end of the world is coming to an end and only have one week left to live? And frankly, how do you live your last week on earth? That's definitely my favorite part about Tumble & Fall - how uniquely incredible it is. Also, you would totally expect the characters to be in a frenzy, rushing and panicking around and scared to death. While fear is there, the tagline shows the true beauty about Tumble & Fall: the end of everything is filled with beginnings. With one week left to live, our three protagonists are exploring everything - new and familiar - that they can. While it is a bit strange that everybody is relaxed about the world coming to its darkest finale, it worked perfectly for me in this case. Original and dreamy, Tumble & Fall shines!
I'm a huge fan of the post-apocalyptic genre, so reading a book about the coming of disaster was quite the read. Plus, Coutts's writing style was exceptional - each character had a fantastic vibe and tone, and I loved following every single character along through this journey of exploration. The characters unite together to stand with each other during their final week, and I loved the way Coutts demonstrated not only the blooming romance, but also the ever-growing friendship that has arose. The characters is what makes Tumble & Fall such a diverse and phenomenal book that radiates away from other books. Tumble & Fall is a must-read for lovers of catastrophe!
Another great thing about Tumble & Fall is how it's not always climatic. There's not always a crazy action scene or time of panic; again, it's all about living your last moments so preciously. Each character is after something to accomplish, and I fell for this book so hard. Alexandra Coutts is a very promising author to watch; with this marvelous debut, Coutts has quickly become one of my favorite debut authors of this year.
Overall, Tumble & Fall is a fresh take on catastrophe, dimming the effects of panic, and shining bright lights upon love and unity. Readers will devour it.
October 12, 2015
DNF I couldn't even get past the first three chapters. Ugh it has nothing to do with the end of the world. It mostly focuses on these three teenage kids and their relationship dramas. There's no tense, end of the world, "I'm dying" moments. Not worth putting up with anymore. I kept picking it up and then putting it back down immediately. Don't waste your time.
June 16, 2013
Actual rating: 2.5
I’d been hearing little bits and pieces of this novel for a while now, and admittedly I was seen drooling over the cover more than once, so when I saw that the publisher had it up on NetGalley for review, I went ahead and requested it. I’m not sorry I read it, but there were a lot of things that could have been done far better than they were.
An asteroid named Persephone is set to make a collision with Earth in a week, by the start of the novel. Due to massive underfunding of NASA and other space programs, there’s no way to really stop it and nothing to do but prepare. During the week that follows, three island teens go about their lives as best they can: Sienna, a suicidal teen released from a psychiatric home because of the asteroid, who has to deal with her father introducing her to his new fiancee; Caden, a young man with a drunken mother and absent father; and Zan, whose boyfriend Leo was killed in a car crash ten months earlier and whose death she still hasn’t quite recovered from.
The prose is the real strength of Tumble & Fall. The atmosphere and mood of it is haunting and very still, even when big things are happening. There’s a lot of uncertainty about Persephone and how bad the damage will be (which is actually a complaint I’ll get to in a minute), so people are simply either trying to go about their lives as best they can or are simply spending every second they can with their loved ones.
It’s a very unsettling read, not just because of the asteroid but because it feels very real. If all of humanity was about to be killed, in some parts of the world this is probably what it would be like. Calm, but with an unnerving creepiness underneath and a sense of loss.
As well as that, there’s genuine emotion in the novel. It feels very natural and real, from Sienna’s struggles with her mental health and her family, to Zan’s heartbreak over Leo’s death, to Caden’s anger at his father and mother. It never descended into melodrama, which it easily could have. The prose kept it from doing so.
However, there were major missteps in the novel that kept it from truly shining. Sienna’s story was one of the worst, I think. She meets a boy named Owen she used to sometimes play with as a child, and immediately starts spending a lot of time with him and then running off with him in the middle of the night. Within two days of knowing each other, they’re declaring their love for each other and Sienna is ignoring her family in favor of him.
Personally, I was far more interested in Sienna’s new family dynamics than I was this random guy she was suddenly into. I can’t stand insta-love, and unfortunately Sienna and Owen fell right into that pit. I wanted to see more of how Sienna dealt with her father’s new fiancee, Denise, or maybe her spending some time with her brother. I wanted to see more of them trying to figure out how to deal with each other in the aftermath of her suicide attempt and her six months spent at a psychiatric home. Given how one-dimensional Owen was as well, I just felt no urge to know him or read more about him, not like I did the rest of Sienna’s family.
Zan’s storyline was also fairly predictable, though I won’t go into specifics why. There was only two ways her storyline could have unfolded, and it’s a pretty basic storyline we’ve seen a hundred times before. That’s not to say there isn’t good emotion in there, because there is. I just knew where her storyline was going, so more than anything I felt bored by her chapters.
Caden’s story is the stranger one. His life quickly unravels and he’s thrust into odd situations, and out of the three I think his storyline is the one I enjoyed the most. His character growth felt believable, as well as his attraction to another character in his storyline, mostly because they weren’t declaring how much they loved each other within two days of meeting each other. The resolution of his storyline was the most touching, along with Zan’s.
But here’s my biggest complaint about the novel. If you’re going to have the catalyst for everything be something scientific, you had better make certain you get the facts of it right.
Spoilers for the novel underneath the cut.
Given the strength of the prose, emotion, and the technical writing, I’d be interested in seeing what else Alexandra Coutts has to offer in the future. But I do wish the overall characters and their storylines had been stronger, and I do wish the scientific facts hadn’t been skimped on in order to maintain a vague non-answer about the fate of everything.
See this review and others at On The Nightstand! I received a copy of this book for review through the publisher on NetGalley.
I’d been hearing little bits and pieces of this novel for a while now, and admittedly I was seen drooling over the cover more than once, so when I saw that the publisher had it up on NetGalley for review, I went ahead and requested it. I’m not sorry I read it, but there were a lot of things that could have been done far better than they were.
An asteroid named Persephone is set to make a collision with Earth in a week, by the start of the novel. Due to massive underfunding of NASA and other space programs, there’s no way to really stop it and nothing to do but prepare. During the week that follows, three island teens go about their lives as best they can: Sienna, a suicidal teen released from a psychiatric home because of the asteroid, who has to deal with her father introducing her to his new fiancee; Caden, a young man with a drunken mother and absent father; and Zan, whose boyfriend Leo was killed in a car crash ten months earlier and whose death she still hasn’t quite recovered from.
The prose is the real strength of Tumble & Fall. The atmosphere and mood of it is haunting and very still, even when big things are happening. There’s a lot of uncertainty about Persephone and how bad the damage will be (which is actually a complaint I’ll get to in a minute), so people are simply either trying to go about their lives as best they can or are simply spending every second they can with their loved ones.
It’s a very unsettling read, not just because of the asteroid but because it feels very real. If all of humanity was about to be killed, in some parts of the world this is probably what it would be like. Calm, but with an unnerving creepiness underneath and a sense of loss.
As well as that, there’s genuine emotion in the novel. It feels very natural and real, from Sienna’s struggles with her mental health and her family, to Zan’s heartbreak over Leo’s death, to Caden’s anger at his father and mother. It never descended into melodrama, which it easily could have. The prose kept it from doing so.
However, there were major missteps in the novel that kept it from truly shining. Sienna’s story was one of the worst, I think. She meets a boy named Owen she used to sometimes play with as a child, and immediately starts spending a lot of time with him and then running off with him in the middle of the night. Within two days of knowing each other, they’re declaring their love for each other and Sienna is ignoring her family in favor of him.
Personally, I was far more interested in Sienna’s new family dynamics than I was this random guy she was suddenly into. I can’t stand insta-love, and unfortunately Sienna and Owen fell right into that pit. I wanted to see more of how Sienna dealt with her father’s new fiancee, Denise, or maybe her spending some time with her brother. I wanted to see more of them trying to figure out how to deal with each other in the aftermath of her suicide attempt and her six months spent at a psychiatric home. Given how one-dimensional Owen was as well, I just felt no urge to know him or read more about him, not like I did the rest of Sienna’s family.
Zan’s storyline was also fairly predictable, though I won’t go into specifics why. There was only two ways her storyline could have unfolded, and it’s a pretty basic storyline we’ve seen a hundred times before. That’s not to say there isn’t good emotion in there, because there is. I just knew where her storyline was going, so more than anything I felt bored by her chapters.
Caden’s story is the stranger one. His life quickly unravels and he’s thrust into odd situations, and out of the three I think his storyline is the one I enjoyed the most. His character growth felt believable, as well as his attraction to another character in his storyline, mostly because they weren’t declaring how much they loved each other within two days of meeting each other. The resolution of his storyline was the most touching, along with Zan’s.
But here’s my biggest complaint about the novel. If you’re going to have the catalyst for everything be something scientific, you had better make certain you get the facts of it right.
Spoilers for the novel underneath the cut.
Given the strength of the prose, emotion, and the technical writing, I’d be interested in seeing what else Alexandra Coutts has to offer in the future. But I do wish the overall characters and their storylines had been stronger, and I do wish the scientific facts hadn’t been skimped on in order to maintain a vague non-answer about the fate of everything.
See this review and others at On The Nightstand! I received a copy of this book for review through the publisher on NetGalley.
July 20, 2016
Reviewed @ Enticed by Books
DNF at Page 79
This is the first time I'm going to do this type of review on my blog because I thought if I'm promoting a book I finished, then why not let my opinions known about something I couldn't. It's all in fairness and honesty! Alright, Tumble & Fall did not work for me at all. It's biggest let down is the third person narrative in addition to 3 different POV's. I can handle three storylines, but the third person narrative killed this book in my opinion. It made the stories so confusing and messy, and I was lost trying to figure out who was who. I'm not a person who takes notes during reading, but I had to in this one because of too many characters and too many events taking place at any given point. I stopped reading at the end of Day 2 (Page 79) because if I read another page, my mind would've burst.
Tumble & Fall follows the stories of Sienna, Zan and Caden amidst all the meteor scare. Sienna was released from rehab in the opening chapter and is struggling with her father's decision to remarry. Zan's boyfriend was killed in a car accident and upon receiving one of his treasured book and finding a name of a mysterious girl inside, she struggles with connecting her late boyfriend with the girl. On the other hand, Caden lives with an alcoholic mother and he is a druggie himself. Do you see how wrong the cover is? What is it even suppose to mean? Tumble & Fall is not a romantic book, atleast as far as I read. Sure there might be some romance brewing in the later chapters but that's definitely NOT the focus of this book, hence it being the wrong cover. It's beautiful, no doubt, but don't go in expecting to find some epic love story between a possible end of the world scenario.
Zan's story was my favorite, but the other characters made it too hard for me to continue her story. I was finding random things to do around the house so I could avoid reading this book and I don't know if that has happened with you or not, but this was surely my first time and in a way, I felt like I was betraying my job as a reviewer. Anyways, Tumble & Fall was a definite let down of 2013. I don't think I would be picking it up when it comes out. Final Thoughts: Skip It!
Did Not Finish
ARC borrowed from Around The World Tours (Thank You!)
DNF at Page 79
This is the first time I'm going to do this type of review on my blog because I thought if I'm promoting a book I finished, then why not let my opinions known about something I couldn't. It's all in fairness and honesty! Alright, Tumble & Fall did not work for me at all. It's biggest let down is the third person narrative in addition to 3 different POV's. I can handle three storylines, but the third person narrative killed this book in my opinion. It made the stories so confusing and messy, and I was lost trying to figure out who was who. I'm not a person who takes notes during reading, but I had to in this one because of too many characters and too many events taking place at any given point. I stopped reading at the end of Day 2 (Page 79) because if I read another page, my mind would've burst.
Tumble & Fall follows the stories of Sienna, Zan and Caden amidst all the meteor scare. Sienna was released from rehab in the opening chapter and is struggling with her father's decision to remarry. Zan's boyfriend was killed in a car accident and upon receiving one of his treasured book and finding a name of a mysterious girl inside, she struggles with connecting her late boyfriend with the girl. On the other hand, Caden lives with an alcoholic mother and he is a druggie himself. Do you see how wrong the cover is? What is it even suppose to mean? Tumble & Fall is not a romantic book, atleast as far as I read. Sure there might be some romance brewing in the later chapters but that's definitely NOT the focus of this book, hence it being the wrong cover. It's beautiful, no doubt, but don't go in expecting to find some epic love story between a possible end of the world scenario.
Zan's story was my favorite, but the other characters made it too hard for me to continue her story. I was finding random things to do around the house so I could avoid reading this book and I don't know if that has happened with you or not, but this was surely my first time and in a way, I felt like I was betraying my job as a reviewer. Anyways, Tumble & Fall was a definite let down of 2013. I don't think I would be picking it up when it comes out. Final Thoughts: Skip It!
Did Not Finish
ARC borrowed from Around The World Tours (Thank You!)
September 30, 2016
Bu kitap neden yazılmış, neden çevrilip basılmış anlamadım. Konu güzel aslında. Dünyaya tam bir hafta sonra bir göktaşı çarpacak ve bu göktaşı durdurulamıyor. Bu kısım iyi, gelelim saçmalığa; biz 3 farklı kişini bu bir haftada yaşadıklarını okuyoruz. Aynı mahallede oturan ama birbirleriyle pek alakası olmayan kişiler bunlar. Kim oldukları, geçmişleri filan yok! Direkt 1 haftayı okuyoruz. Yani her karakerin hayatının içine pat diye düşüp göktaşı düşene kadar ne yaptıkları var kitapta, öncesi sonrası yok. Göktaşı ile ilgili de bir şey yok. O orada kendi çapında yaklaşıyor. Devlet de bi roket attı durdurmak için o kadar. Ben zannetmiştim ki kitabı alırken ve arka yazısını filan okuyunca, kitaptaki karakterler Dünyayı kurtarmaya çalışacak filan. Hani macera kitabıdır bu diye düşünerek başladım okumaya fos çıktı resmen. Ne macerası hiç bir şey yok kitapta! Sonu da tam beklediğim gibi oldu. Dedim böyle bir kitap ancak bu şekilde sonlanır, tahminim doğru çıktı.
Konu zaten yeterince kötüyken bir de editör hataları, devrik cümleler, hatalı cümleler, yazım yanlışlıkları...
Konu zaten yeterince kötüyken bir de editör hataları, devrik cümleler, hatalı cümleler, yazım yanlışlıkları...
Want to read
March 3, 2013The cover..so romantic. Squeeee...
Read
August 26, 2013I had to DNF..I just couldn't :-(
April 19, 2017
Foiled again by a pretty cover. I wanted to like it, I really did. And man, did I try. But I was just bored. I have to agree with the majority of the reviews that I've read - for an end of the world scenario, these stories were blah. For the most part, nothing happens. People just do nothing and every once in awhile there's a mention of the world ending soon (an asteroid is headed toward earth in case you were wondering).
The story follows three teens during the last week on earth. There's Sienna who was just recently released from a psychiatric facility of sorts and finds out her father is getting remarried. She doesn't like this idea and runs off with a boy she knew when she was a child and now suddenly loves. Then there's Zan (short for Suzanne) who's trying to deal with the death of her boyfriend when she finds a mysterious phone number in his belongings and sets off with his best friend to find out who the girl is. And finally we have Caden who gets kidnapped (yes kidnapped) by his biological father who just wants to show his son that he's not a bad guy. Yeah, cause kidnapping is the way to go.
Truthfully, this story could have been told without the end of the world plot line because no one acted like the world was ending. I don't know about you, but if the world was ending, I would be checking off my bucket list and doing things I never thought I would do. Not sitting around...moping.. and they weren't even moping about the end of the world!
Another thing, aside from the chapter headings, it was really hard to tell the characters apart. I kept mixing up their stories because none of them stood out to me. I just wanted more. I wanted more passion and fear and emotion. Anything than what I ended up getting. To say this was a disappointment would be an understatement. I was just bored.
The story follows three teens during the last week on earth. There's Sienna who was just recently released from a psychiatric facility of sorts and finds out her father is getting remarried. She doesn't like this idea and runs off with a boy she knew when she was a child and now suddenly loves. Then there's Zan (short for Suzanne) who's trying to deal with the death of her boyfriend when she finds a mysterious phone number in his belongings and sets off with his best friend to find out who the girl is. And finally we have Caden who gets kidnapped (yes kidnapped) by his biological father who just wants to show his son that he's not a bad guy. Yeah, cause kidnapping is the way to go.
Truthfully, this story could have been told without the end of the world plot line because no one acted like the world was ending. I don't know about you, but if the world was ending, I would be checking off my bucket list and doing things I never thought I would do. Not sitting around...moping.. and they weren't even moping about the end of the world!
Another thing, aside from the chapter headings, it was really hard to tell the characters apart. I kept mixing up their stories because none of them stood out to me. I just wanted more. I wanted more passion and fear and emotion. Anything than what I ended up getting. To say this was a disappointment would be an understatement. I was just bored.
June 3, 2013
Nose Graze — Young Adult book reviews
3.5 stars
Tumble & Fall is such a tough book for me to review because there were so many things I loved about this book, but there were also some things I didn't like. I think it's going to be really hard for me to touch on everything, while still conveying how much I enjoyed the book!
Tumble & Fall follows three different plot lines/characters, which all converge at the end. We have Sienna: a girl who just got released from rehab for attempted suicide; Zan: a girl mourning the loss of her boyfriend's untimely death; and Caden: a boy with an alcoholic mother and an absent father who abandoned him when he was young. We learn about each characters' stories and relationships in alternating chapters, as they face the inevitable asteroid collision and live out their final days. It actually reminded me of those movies that always get released around Christmastime that have like 4 characters with different stories, but they all come together at the end. Tumble & Fall is very similar to that! (But not at all Christmas-y, hehe.)
I think the easiest thing to do now is break it down into likes and dislikes:
Likes
* I like how different each of the characters were. I really cared about their stories and got invested in their individual lives and relationships!
* The book brilliantly feels sad and hopeful at the same time. Some scenes seriously made me want to cry, but others made me feel happy, despite the inevitable doom!
* I like how imperfect the stories in the book are. It's not all depressing, but it's not all smiles and butterflies either; there is a great mixture. Some things work out wonderfully and unexpectedly, but others completely fail and don't pan out at all. There were a lot of things I didn't expect to happen, because I thought the book would go one way (everything working out) or another (total doomsday with everything going to shit).
* I LOVED Zen's chapters so much! She definitely stole the spotlight, I think. Hers were most interesting, and kind of most tragic. Despite a few things that went unresolved (see dislikes), I think her character was the most developed, and I definitely found myself relating to her more than the others.
Dislikes
* The book may have been too short and had too many characters to really dig deep. We have 384 pages to alterante between three different characters, each with their own stories, problems, and relationships. As a result, it kind of feels like the author only scratched the surface. Perhaps the book would have been more intense and heart-wrenching if it focused on only one character, or if the book was longer.
* Sort of expanding on the previous point, I feel like some things weren't quite resolved. I almost didn't know what to think of them. In particular I'm referring to Zen's story.
* There is a little bit of insta-love in Sienna's chapters. Keep in mind that this book spans like seven days. Sienna goes from meeting someone to actually saying "I'm in love with you" in that time period.
* I think I was most disconnected from Caden's chapters. A lot of things in his story just felt so random and oddly strung together.
The Ending: Somewhere in between
Tumble & Fall has a bit of a gutsy, 'leave it to your imagination' ending. I'm kind of not sure whether to list this as a positive or negative, because I'm a little undecided. I usually hate it when books are left open-ended, but I think it kind of works in Tumble & Fall . Although maybe I was left wanting more, I was also left with a ton to think about, and I really like that!
Overall
Overall, I really enjoyed Tumble & Fall as I was reading it. It was such a breeze to get through and I was easily whipping through the pages! I think most of my "dislikes" come from after I finished the book and spent time reflecting on it. I think that with a bit more expansion and polish, Tumble & Fall could be a really fantastic book, but for now I'm sticking with "pretty good".
3.5 stars
Tumble & Fall is such a tough book for me to review because there were so many things I loved about this book, but there were also some things I didn't like. I think it's going to be really hard for me to touch on everything, while still conveying how much I enjoyed the book!
Tumble & Fall follows three different plot lines/characters, which all converge at the end. We have Sienna: a girl who just got released from rehab for attempted suicide; Zan: a girl mourning the loss of her boyfriend's untimely death; and Caden: a boy with an alcoholic mother and an absent father who abandoned him when he was young. We learn about each characters' stories and relationships in alternating chapters, as they face the inevitable asteroid collision and live out their final days. It actually reminded me of those movies that always get released around Christmastime that have like 4 characters with different stories, but they all come together at the end. Tumble & Fall is very similar to that! (But not at all Christmas-y, hehe.)
I think the easiest thing to do now is break it down into likes and dislikes:
Likes
* I like how different each of the characters were. I really cared about their stories and got invested in their individual lives and relationships!
* The book brilliantly feels sad and hopeful at the same time. Some scenes seriously made me want to cry, but others made me feel happy, despite the inevitable doom!
* I like how imperfect the stories in the book are. It's not all depressing, but it's not all smiles and butterflies either; there is a great mixture. Some things work out wonderfully and unexpectedly, but others completely fail and don't pan out at all. There were a lot of things I didn't expect to happen, because I thought the book would go one way (everything working out) or another (total doomsday with everything going to shit).
* I LOVED Zen's chapters so much! She definitely stole the spotlight, I think. Hers were most interesting, and kind of most tragic. Despite a few things that went unresolved (see dislikes), I think her character was the most developed, and I definitely found myself relating to her more than the others.
Dislikes
* The book may have been too short and had too many characters to really dig deep. We have 384 pages to alterante between three different characters, each with their own stories, problems, and relationships. As a result, it kind of feels like the author only scratched the surface. Perhaps the book would have been more intense and heart-wrenching if it focused on only one character, or if the book was longer.
* Sort of expanding on the previous point, I feel like some things weren't quite resolved. I almost didn't know what to think of them. In particular I'm referring to Zen's story.
* There is a little bit of insta-love in Sienna's chapters. Keep in mind that this book spans like seven days. Sienna goes from meeting someone to actually saying "I'm in love with you" in that time period.
* I think I was most disconnected from Caden's chapters. A lot of things in his story just felt so random and oddly strung together.
The Ending: Somewhere in between
Tumble & Fall has a bit of a gutsy, 'leave it to your imagination' ending. I'm kind of not sure whether to list this as a positive or negative, because I'm a little undecided. I usually hate it when books are left open-ended, but I think it kind of works in Tumble & Fall . Although maybe I was left wanting more, I was also left with a ton to think about, and I really like that!
Overall
Overall, I really enjoyed Tumble & Fall as I was reading it. It was such a breeze to get through and I was easily whipping through the pages! I think most of my "dislikes" come from after I finished the book and spent time reflecting on it. I think that with a bit more expansion and polish, Tumble & Fall could be a really fantastic book, but for now I'm sticking with "pretty good".
March 16, 2017
I started reading this book less than a week ago and I'm already finished with it! I picked this book up at the library, not knowing how much I would come to love it! This book is written in three different point of views but it is very clear throughout the entire story. I wish the beginning had more detail but once I got a little ways into the book I could figure out what was going on. I also wish the ending was more clear or had an epilogue to it because there were unanswered parts of the book. Other than that, I loved this book and definitely recommend it!!
Read
July 2, 2013**A version of this review will be posted to Ashley Loves Books at a later date.**
DNF Review
Stopped at page 200
Here’s the disclaimer: this was a touring ARC, so I was on a time limit for how long I could devote to this book, especially since it came in a big batch of other touring ARCs. Had I not been pressed for time, I probably would have pushed through and finished this – except I wouldn’t have felt any rush to do so. This is definitely one of those books I’d keep setting down every time another tour came through or some other shiny book drew my attention away.
It’s not that I didn’t like this book – it’s mostly that I was bored. Nothing grabbed my attention. For a book that focuses on the world ending REALLY soon (like, in a week soon.), everything seemed to move pretty slowly. I had absolutely no sense of urgency in any of the characters, and that kills me. I don’t need everyone to be in a widespread panic, of course – but at least one.
I was immediately thrown off when I started reading and realized it was going to be in third person with multiple narratives – sometimes that’s fine, but I’m used to dual narratives if it’s going to be third person; or at least a better switch when each story changed. The characters each lacked a distinct tone, and that made it harder for me to make the distinctions. Plus, none of the stories interconnected! I’m hoping they do later in the book and I just put it down too soon; but for the first 200 pages, it is like I’m reading 3 entirely separate books. And sometimes that’s ok, but none of these 3 were particularly interesting.
From the first 200 pages, I also didn’t really get a good sense of the characters. None of them had anything that really popped off the page to me. The closest was Nick & Zan, but I’m always drawn to the tragic side of things anyway. Caden was definitely the one I couldn’t take the most, he came across so ungrateful and whiny. I admit that there were a few parts that made me stick with it, and it did seem to be picking up the farther I went along since the characters were finally starting to think about what The End really meant. But it was slow going getting there.
I am curious what happens to the characters in Tumble & Fall, and I do intend to track this book down at a library eventually. I’m just going to have a stack of books in front of it.
DNF Review
Stopped at page 200
Here’s the disclaimer: this was a touring ARC, so I was on a time limit for how long I could devote to this book, especially since it came in a big batch of other touring ARCs. Had I not been pressed for time, I probably would have pushed through and finished this – except I wouldn’t have felt any rush to do so. This is definitely one of those books I’d keep setting down every time another tour came through or some other shiny book drew my attention away.
It’s not that I didn’t like this book – it’s mostly that I was bored. Nothing grabbed my attention. For a book that focuses on the world ending REALLY soon (like, in a week soon.), everything seemed to move pretty slowly. I had absolutely no sense of urgency in any of the characters, and that kills me. I don’t need everyone to be in a widespread panic, of course – but at least one.
I was immediately thrown off when I started reading and realized it was going to be in third person with multiple narratives – sometimes that’s fine, but I’m used to dual narratives if it’s going to be third person; or at least a better switch when each story changed. The characters each lacked a distinct tone, and that made it harder for me to make the distinctions. Plus, none of the stories interconnected! I’m hoping they do later in the book and I just put it down too soon; but for the first 200 pages, it is like I’m reading 3 entirely separate books. And sometimes that’s ok, but none of these 3 were particularly interesting.
From the first 200 pages, I also didn’t really get a good sense of the characters. None of them had anything that really popped off the page to me. The closest was Nick & Zan, but I’m always drawn to the tragic side of things anyway. Caden was definitely the one I couldn’t take the most, he came across so ungrateful and whiny. I admit that there were a few parts that made me stick with it, and it did seem to be picking up the farther I went along since the characters were finally starting to think about what The End really meant. But it was slow going getting there.
I am curious what happens to the characters in Tumble & Fall, and I do intend to track this book down at a library eventually. I’m just going to have a stack of books in front of it.
September 29, 2014
3.5 stars...
What would you do if the world were ending? Who are the people you would spend time with, what would you be doing, how would you come to terms with the end of everything?
That is the story behind Tumble & Fall. It’s told from multiple perspectives, but all are aware of the end of days, and all chose to spend these last days in completely different ways.
One person goes on an scavenger hunt, of sorts, to find out if the person she thought she loved was truly the person she thought he was.
One person is brought home to reconnect with their family … only to find out that maybe that family isn’t as perfect as they may seem on the outside.
One person is brought to the place where they were the happiest… before all the bad things happened. And there is where she may have found love.
Through each story though there is a common theme… not of sadness and despair, instead a hope for what comes after and enjoying the time that is left to them. Never a focus on the actual event that could end their lives… instead living it to the fullest while they are here.
Coutts writes beautifully and the story itself was really wonderfully done. The characters were well developed and of Sienna, Zan and Caden I couldn’t pick a favorite story line… I enjoyed them all. They didn’t blend together, they were completely different and unique and I found myself invested in what was happening with each of them.
All that said, there were a few things that did bother me though. The insta-love for Sienna’s character. I just was not feeling it. I get that it’s the end of the world and that it’s kind of either now or never, but it just was a bit forced for me. I’d have also liked to see some resolution between Zan and Nick… something that was never addressed by the end.
I loved the ending… which is a surprise if you know me at all. I just thought it was perfect for this. Overall this was an enjoyable read… one that will make you think even well after you’ve finished reading it. What would you do if the world were ending in seven days?
Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy for review.
This review can be found on my blog Fic Fare:
What would you do if the world were ending? Who are the people you would spend time with, what would you be doing, how would you come to terms with the end of everything?
That is the story behind Tumble & Fall. It’s told from multiple perspectives, but all are aware of the end of days, and all chose to spend these last days in completely different ways.
One person goes on an scavenger hunt, of sorts, to find out if the person she thought she loved was truly the person she thought he was.
One person is brought home to reconnect with their family … only to find out that maybe that family isn’t as perfect as they may seem on the outside.
One person is brought to the place where they were the happiest… before all the bad things happened. And there is where she may have found love.
Through each story though there is a common theme… not of sadness and despair, instead a hope for what comes after and enjoying the time that is left to them. Never a focus on the actual event that could end their lives… instead living it to the fullest while they are here.
Coutts writes beautifully and the story itself was really wonderfully done. The characters were well developed and of Sienna, Zan and Caden I couldn’t pick a favorite story line… I enjoyed them all. They didn’t blend together, they were completely different and unique and I found myself invested in what was happening with each of them.
All that said, there were a few things that did bother me though. The insta-love for Sienna’s character. I just was not feeling it. I get that it’s the end of the world and that it’s kind of either now or never, but it just was a bit forced for me. I’d have also liked to see some resolution between Zan and Nick… something that was never addressed by the end.
I loved the ending… which is a surprise if you know me at all. I just thought it was perfect for this. Overall this was an enjoyable read… one that will make you think even well after you’ve finished reading it. What would you do if the world were ending in seven days?
Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy for review.
This review can be found on my blog Fic Fare:
October 1, 2013
The reason I so desperately wanted Tumble & Fall is simple - the cover and, in part, the synopsis immediately made me think of Armageddon, and I freaking love that movie. Yes it's cheesy and cliched, but every time it comes on TV I watch it and get all sniffy at the end.
The book itself is not like Armageddon, apart from the fact an asteroid is heading towards earth, but I wasn't disappointed. Told through the risky medium of multiple-POV's, Alexandra Coutts has struck the perfect balance of beautiful, emotional writing with characters that feel incredibly real.
All three main characters, Sienna, Caden and Zan, are completely different from each other, so I was never confused about who was telling a particular part of the story - their voices are strong and individual, and their stories are most definitely their own. There is a little interaction between the three towards the end of the book, but for the most part these are three standalone stories. Often in multiple POVs I find myself rushing through at least one particular perspective because I like it less than the others, but this wasn't the case with Tumble & Fall.
This book could have been riddled with cliches, and although there is a little bit of insta-love for one of the characters, it didn't have that horrible unrealistic feeling - it suited the story and the situation and felt real and possible.
However, if you pick up Tumble & Fall looking for a action-packed, disaster-riddled post-apocalyptic story, you will be a little disappointed. Although there is talk of the asteroid and a few glimpses of what the world is doing to fight back or prepare, the main focus of this book is the characters, and the way that they interact with their friends and family as the end draws closer. None of this however, took away my enjoyment of this book - I loved getting to know the characters and see them come to realisations about themselves, their families and their relationships.
In the middle of an avalanche of post-apocalyptic and dystopian books that seem to sacrifice characterisation for action and world-building, Tumble & Fall stands out as a book that has fabulous characters, realistic situations and a real emotional punch.
The book itself is not like Armageddon, apart from the fact an asteroid is heading towards earth, but I wasn't disappointed. Told through the risky medium of multiple-POV's, Alexandra Coutts has struck the perfect balance of beautiful, emotional writing with characters that feel incredibly real.
All three main characters, Sienna, Caden and Zan, are completely different from each other, so I was never confused about who was telling a particular part of the story - their voices are strong and individual, and their stories are most definitely their own. There is a little interaction between the three towards the end of the book, but for the most part these are three standalone stories. Often in multiple POVs I find myself rushing through at least one particular perspective because I like it less than the others, but this wasn't the case with Tumble & Fall.
This book could have been riddled with cliches, and although there is a little bit of insta-love for one of the characters, it didn't have that horrible unrealistic feeling - it suited the story and the situation and felt real and possible.
However, if you pick up Tumble & Fall looking for a action-packed, disaster-riddled post-apocalyptic story, you will be a little disappointed. Although there is talk of the asteroid and a few glimpses of what the world is doing to fight back or prepare, the main focus of this book is the characters, and the way that they interact with their friends and family as the end draws closer. None of this however, took away my enjoyment of this book - I loved getting to know the characters and see them come to realisations about themselves, their families and their relationships.
In the middle of an avalanche of post-apocalyptic and dystopian books that seem to sacrifice characterisation for action and world-building, Tumble & Fall stands out as a book that has fabulous characters, realistic situations and a real emotional punch.
January 25, 2014
Ešte nikdy som nečítala knihu, kde by mala autorka taký fetiš na mená. Sú tam tri uhly pohľadu. Každý hrdina má rodičov/nevlastných rodičov, súrodencov, Love Interest/ex-priateľa, kamarátov, susedov, tety, známych, náhodných okoloidúcich... a VŠETCI. MAJÚ. MENÁ. Ešte keď je jedna z hrdiniek na párty a vy čítate "lalalalalala hudba hrala hviezdy sa trblietali a Steve pustil romantickú hudbu," pričom Steve nikdy v príbehu spomínaný nebol a nikdy spomínaný nebude... uf. Anyway.
Príbeh: na Zem sa rúti asteroid. Ostáva posledných 7 dní. Asi trikrát je to v knihe pripomenuté, takže keď náhodou zabudnete, priemerne každých 100 strán to niekto zmieni.
Miesto deja: ostrov s veľkým množstvom pomenovaných ľudí.
PoV #1: Sienna. Jej otec a nevlastná matka chystajú svadbu. Sienna sa to nepáči. Zato sa jej veľmi páči jeden chlapec, ktorý na ostrove žije. Varovanie: línia v knihe takmer nie je a keď už je, obávam sa, že jej je presne toľko, ako som vám už opísala. Môžem vám dopovedať aj zvyšok,
PoV #2: Zan. (Dievča.) Jej chlapec zomrel a Zan sa do rúk dostane meno Vanessa, o ktorej začne automaticky predpokladať, že ju chlapec podvádzal. Čiže stretne jedného svojho kamaráta a vyberú sa po Vanesse pátrať. Varovanie: stretnú EXTRÉMNE veľa pomenovaných ľudí. Veľa sa plače a zabúda na racionálne vysvetlenia.
PoV #3: Caden (Chlapec.) Jeho matka je alkoholička a otec neznámy - teda do dňa, kým ho natvrdo neunesie, pretože je superboháč a môže si to dovoliť.
...a vlastne nechápem, prečo som tomu dala 3 hviezdičky, vážne nie. Asi len preto, že ma na tej knihe nič vyslovene nehnevalo (čo je základný predpoklad pre moje 2), len to bolo nudné ako ďas. (Ako tri ďasy, sú tam tie línie tri.) Tak teda 3 a 5/10. Ale len preto, že autorkina stratégia utopiť zmysel pre vnímanie postáv, vzťahov, logiky a výstavby deja v mori nudy vyšla a ja som po pár kapitolách prevracala strany tak apaticky, že sa nič iné neostala energia.
Príbeh: na Zem sa rúti asteroid. Ostáva posledných 7 dní. Asi trikrát je to v knihe pripomenuté, takže keď náhodou zabudnete, priemerne každých 100 strán to niekto zmieni.
Miesto deja: ostrov s veľkým množstvom pomenovaných ľudí.
PoV #1: Sienna. Jej otec a nevlastná matka chystajú svadbu. Sienna sa to nepáči. Zato sa jej veľmi páči jeden chlapec, ktorý na ostrove žije. Varovanie: línia v knihe takmer nie je a keď už je, obávam sa, že jej je presne toľko, ako som vám už opísala. Môžem vám dopovedať aj zvyšok,
PoV #2: Zan. (Dievča.) Jej chlapec zomrel a Zan sa do rúk dostane meno Vanessa, o ktorej začne automaticky predpokladať, že ju chlapec podvádzal. Čiže stretne jedného svojho kamaráta a vyberú sa po Vanesse pátrať. Varovanie: stretnú EXTRÉMNE veľa pomenovaných ľudí. Veľa sa plače a zabúda na racionálne vysvetlenia.
PoV #3: Caden (Chlapec.) Jeho matka je alkoholička a otec neznámy - teda do dňa, kým ho natvrdo neunesie, pretože je superboháč a môže si to dovoliť.
...a vlastne nechápem, prečo som tomu dala 3 hviezdičky, vážne nie. Asi len preto, že ma na tej knihe nič vyslovene nehnevalo (čo je základný predpoklad pre moje 2), len to bolo nudné ako ďas. (Ako tri ďasy, sú tam tie línie tri.) Tak teda 3 a 5/10. Ale len preto, že autorkina stratégia utopiť zmysel pre vnímanie postáv, vzťahov, logiky a výstavby deja v mori nudy vyšla a ja som po pár kapitolách prevracala strany tak apaticky, že sa nič iné neostala energia.
May 21, 2013
TUMBLE AND FALL… It’s a very confusing start and with more than one story line to keep track off, it only got more confusing, that is till I settled into it. And perhaps I liked that aspect of it how the end of the world isn’t just about Romeo and Juliet. The end, apparently, does bring out the oddest of happenings, doesn’t it?
>There’s Caden and his family; Sienna and hers; then my personal favorite, Zan and her Leo.
They’ve all a past… and none of which were happy ones. But their present is dire and they’re all doing things they wouldn’t normally be doing and it’s in this that a thread is found. There’s this sameness among all of them: a need to be with the one you belong with… though none of them knew exactly where that was at first. So surprisingly, their stories become one of finding their place… as well as the people they belong to.
I enjoyed bits of this even when it was a bit difficult to take in, how oddly they were all being. Sienna especially and her need to make things easier for the rest of them… Why bother indeed? Zan and her need to see Leo as her one big thing. And it’s being that way that’s she’s unable to move on. And it’s odder stil because the world’s ending, but she’s still not moving forward! Caden had me not caring though… because it’s his story that’s most unbelievable of all: absentee father reappearing, prompting all the right questions from the kid; except a bit later all you get is questions and not much else because he realizes… as they all do, in fact… that they’re not where they’re supposed to be… and then the story becomes something else yet again: more personal but a bit hokey (if I’m being honest) of connections being made, or remade as the case maybe.
THANK YOU NETGALLEY!
>There’s Caden and his family; Sienna and hers; then my personal favorite, Zan and her Leo.
They’ve all a past… and none of which were happy ones. But their present is dire and they’re all doing things they wouldn’t normally be doing and it’s in this that a thread is found. There’s this sameness among all of them: a need to be with the one you belong with… though none of them knew exactly where that was at first. So surprisingly, their stories become one of finding their place… as well as the people they belong to.
I enjoyed bits of this even when it was a bit difficult to take in, how oddly they were all being. Sienna especially and her need to make things easier for the rest of them… Why bother indeed? Zan and her need to see Leo as her one big thing. And it’s being that way that’s she’s unable to move on. And it’s odder stil because the world’s ending, but she’s still not moving forward! Caden had me not caring though… because it’s his story that’s most unbelievable of all: absentee father reappearing, prompting all the right questions from the kid; except a bit later all you get is questions and not much else because he realizes… as they all do, in fact… that they’re not where they’re supposed to be… and then the story becomes something else yet again: more personal but a bit hokey (if I’m being honest) of connections being made, or remade as the case maybe.
THANK YOU NETGALLEY!
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July 21, 2013An asteroid is on target to strike and destroy the world. And yes, the best scientific minds in the world are probably on the case. But this book isn't about that. It's about three ordinary teens and what they are doing in those last few days before impact. Sienna has just been released from rehab, Zan is mourning the death of her boyfriend Leo, and Caden is dealing with his alcoholic mom and wondering about his absentee dad.
As the meteor speeds toward earth, these three characters have unfinished business to attend to, things that they need to take care of, or things that they get drawn into. Sienna struggles with the news that her widowed dad wants to remarry and deals with her growing feelings for a guy. Zan discovers something about her dead boyfriend that she needs to investigate. And Caden's story is surreal-slash-comical, involving kidnapping. And a hooker.
One of the things I liked most about the book was that it felt very YA. The concerns and preoccupations of these three teens facing imminent death are set against the conflicting agendas and expectations of their parents. Yes, teens facing imminent death are still rebellious and I love that!
With its intricate narrative structure and distinctly philosophical bent, I'd call Tumble & Fall an intellectual story more than an emotional one. I can't say I connected deeply with any of the individual characters, but I did connect to this fascinating, multi-faceted story as a whole, and found myself thinking about it long after I'd finished reading and moved on to other books.
Full review to come on my blog closer to release date.
As the meteor speeds toward earth, these three characters have unfinished business to attend to, things that they need to take care of, or things that they get drawn into. Sienna struggles with the news that her widowed dad wants to remarry and deals with her growing feelings for a guy. Zan discovers something about her dead boyfriend that she needs to investigate. And Caden's story is surreal-slash-comical, involving kidnapping. And a hooker.
One of the things I liked most about the book was that it felt very YA. The concerns and preoccupations of these three teens facing imminent death are set against the conflicting agendas and expectations of their parents. Yes, teens facing imminent death are still rebellious and I love that!
With its intricate narrative structure and distinctly philosophical bent, I'd call Tumble & Fall an intellectual story more than an emotional one. I can't say I connected deeply with any of the individual characters, but I did connect to this fascinating, multi-faceted story as a whole, and found myself thinking about it long after I'd finished reading and moved on to other books.
Full review to come on my blog closer to release date.
November 12, 2013
This is kind of a weird thing to feel guilty about, but in a tide of people who really strongly disliked, maybe even hated Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts, I feel so awkward admitting that hey I DID NOT HATE THIS BOOK. Like, what is wrong with me that I feel so different from the meh majority opinion. I do know that I have some pretty weird quirks or tendencies, so when something hits one of my quirks, I feel more of an affinity to it. For instance, Tumble & Fall opens with an epigraph that are song lyrics from ‘Stand By Me’ – specifically “if the sky that we look upon should tumble and fall all the mountains should crumble to the sea, I won’t cry, I won’t cry No I won’t shed a tear just as long as you stand, stand by me.” Guys, I love that song. I think we sang it in middle school chorus or something and so, when song lyrics like these trigger something in my memory, I know that I already feel that affinity connection and am going to look at the book more kindly. Also, the whole time while reading, I had the song stuck in my head which I would not consider to be a bad thing.
Read the rest of my review here
Note: Review and link will work on February 5, 2014
Read the rest of my review here
Note: Review and link will work on February 5, 2014
April 21, 2016
My first foray into this book started off pretty well. I thought it was interesting having all the different point of views about the world ending. I was wrong since some of the characters were particularly dull and lifeless. The only one that I was fairly interested in was Zan. She managed to have an ongoing need to find out what happened with her boyfriend.
There was also no mention of why and how the world was ending. I felt lost, so I made assumptions about it. There was a huge meteor going to hit earth or aliens were coming. There’s so many ways a book can fall short and I’m sad to say this one is of them. There needed to be MORE. More everything and I was just utterly bored with the meh characters and the plot? There is none. I’m so sad that this turned out to be such a boring read.
The cover is just gosh darn beautiful. That photo is adorable and the typography is spot on, but what is beautiful on the outside isn’t necessarily gorgeous on the inside.
There was also no mention of why and how the world was ending. I felt lost, so I made assumptions about it. There was a huge meteor going to hit earth or aliens were coming. There’s so many ways a book can fall short and I’m sad to say this one is of them. There needed to be MORE. More everything and I was just utterly bored with the meh characters and the plot? There is none. I’m so sad that this turned out to be such a boring read.
The cover is just gosh darn beautiful. That photo is adorable and the typography is spot on, but what is beautiful on the outside isn’t necessarily gorgeous on the inside.
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