Bradbury here, and I'll be reviewing Ryan Quinn's The Fall.
The Fall
By: Ryan Quinn
Order from B&N
Book provided by author and Goodreads
The new school year at Florence University, nestled in the Pennsylvania countryside, dawns bright with the possibilities that only a fresh start can bring. For three students in particular, it will be a year unlike any other, one that will alter the courses of their lives forever. There is Ian, the film buff trying to figure out his life—and how to catch the eye of the football player he can’t stop fantasizing about; Casey, the local football star whose future off the field is frustratingly uncertain; and Haile, the classical-music prodigy seeking refuge from a past life so that she may start anew as a singer-songwriter. Together the trio will form a fateful friendship, recounted through alternating first-person narratives. Sexy, fast-paced, and layered with intimate insight about life’s most formative years, The Fall is a compelling and contemporary coming-of-age story about what happens when we are forced for the first time to really confront who we are and who we want to become.
Before I start the review I'd like to thank the author and Goodreads for hosting the giveaway.
Next is a bit of warning: this book is for mature readers as it contains some language and sexual content. If you're okay with that then I encourage you to read on.
The good news of The Fall is that the book is beautifully written. You're given full access to the characters' deepest thoughts and all their raw emotions to the point where your mind nearly becomes synced with theirs. No matter your personality, you will find yourself attached to at least one of the characters by the end of the book. Quinn truly has a talent that can't be overlooked, and deserves more recognition.
The bad news (yes, sorry, there is bad news) is that The Fall lacks in a few areas. First is Casey's story. It seemed as if Casey's side wasn't nearly as developed as Haile's or Ian's, and thus he felt more like a convenient "filling"whenever points in the plot needed to be connected. There are often times when the reader must assume Casey's emotions because they are not clearly explained, like why he wants to go to med school or why he ultimately gives up med school. I would have liked to see Casey assert his leadership more in the book, like what his coach had wanted, but every time his spotlight is taken away by Nato.
Next was the plot. The author had tried to fit too many problems and sprung them on sporadically, that at a certain point you're not sure which ones have been solved yet and which ones deserve the main focus.
Then there was the sexual content. You get so wrapped up in the author's lyrical flow of storytelling, and then all of the sudden you're taken aback by the explicit details. I personally think the story could have been smoother if the emotions portrayed during those R rated parts were somehow told through different scenes.
Lastly is the relationship between Haile and Casey. It seemed to be sprung toward the end of the book for the sake of a happy ending. It's a little abrupt, and you're left feeling like you have no choice but to accept it. You don't know how their feelings for each other developed, but somehow it did.
Paper Frontiers gives The Fall a 4 out of 5.
The Fall is an emotional story packed with page-turning drama and characters depicted so realistically it seems like three autobiographies interwoven into one book. The gay theme of the story isn't so intense that straight readers will be turned away, but if you're homophobic then, obviously, don't read it.
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