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sandeeisreading's review against another edition
2.0
MANY THANKS TO MERIT PRESS AND EDELWEISS FOR THIS REVIEW COPY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW
This book wasn’t bad – it just wasn’t what I expected it to be.
When I requested this book from Edelweiss, I was expecting it to be an emotional journey of being in a forbidden relationship, with an added touch of mystery and suspense on the side. I did get... some of it, but not exactly what I was expecting. Like I said on my pre-review, everything was all over the place. I wish, it just focused more on the relationship and the struggle of falling in love with your cousin. Throwing in that suspense, that mystery, made it very confusing to me. I had the same problem with another book I've read recently.Now that the hell was the title of that book? Shit. Sometimes, simplicity is the best. A complicated plot line just makes it more confusing, irritating for the reader to stay focus on what's happening to the characters.
THE GIST
I've read Forbidden, and fell in love with it immensely. That is a book with so much passion that it oozes through its pages. It takes you in, makes you feel their pain, makes you feel their love, and then breaks you towards the end. They may have been brothers and sisters, but I didn't care. I felt the connection. I felt the reason. It felt real despite it being so wrong. But in love, who could say what's wrong or right, right? Incest may be a sensitive topic for a lot of people, but I'm not one of them. Just because other people doesn't think it's right, makes it wrong. And Forbidden showed the readers that. I was kind of hoping this book would make me feel that as well. Unfortunately, it didn't. There was a point that I was getting there, but then it just focused on something else entirely, which is why I couldn't give this book a high rating.
Jackie was an okay protagonist. I didn't hate her, but I didn't like her either. Her internal monologues weren't helping as well. I agree with Marcus, she was the one who wanted them to split upif they were even together in the first place. She was the one who makes all the irrational decisions. I feel that all the decisions she made, was very unfair for Marcus. He was a nice guy. He only cared about her well-being, but what she does is only push him away. I get that she was scared. This wasn't normal - but really who is? Nobody is. Like I said earlier, just because other people think it's not right, doesn't make it wrong. We are all humans here capable of thinking. Capable of making their own decisions. I'm not a big fan of people whose decisions are based on what other will think of them. Of course, I'm not saying everyone should not care what other people think of you - what I meant was, do what you think will make you happy. And if other people couldn't get that, screw them.
Marcus was well... I'm not sure I liked him too much as well. I get that he was hurt, but it was all too easy for him to move on. It sucks for me reading about it.
Now Will, I really liked. He's been a good friend to Jackie. I think of all the characters in this book, he was my favorite. And if you read the book, you'll see why. :)
I have this issue with their parents. Seriously, they weren't alcoholics, they weren't addicts, they weren't like Maya and Lochan's mom, so there was no reason for them not to notice that stuff has been going on with these two. I don't have any cousins that I'm close with, so I have no idea if this was normal. There were four adults in that house, and they didn't notice anything? Except maybe Claire but that's a different story.
What bothered me: Marcus and Jackie's relationship is what bothered me. I didn't like the fact that their relationship already started when they were introduced to us. I would have wanted to see more depth to the relationship, but I only saw bits of it. So I wasn't that invested on their relationship. For me, it felt that I have to finish the book just to see how the story ended, not because I wanted them to end up together.
And the mystery/thriller part, didn't really work for me. I really wish it was opted out. This book would have become a favorite. Like I said, this book wasn't bad - all the other stuff just didn't work for me.
Incestuous love story + missing girl + psycho stalker = Just didn't work for me I would have liked that this story dwelt more on the incestuous love story.
I hate leaving negative reviews, so I'm so sorry I left this. I really wanted to like this. I do want to emphasize though the importance of a simpler plot, but with a more complex character. Then again, it could just be for me. I've read a lot of good review for this book, so I'm sure a lot of you would like it as well. Unfortunately for me, I just didn't feel like.
This book wasn’t bad – it just wasn’t what I expected it to be.
When I requested this book from Edelweiss, I was expecting it to be an emotional journey of being in a forbidden relationship, with an added touch of mystery and suspense on the side. I did get... some of it, but not exactly what I was expecting. Like I said on my pre-review, everything was all over the place. I wish, it just focused more on the relationship and the struggle of falling in love with your cousin. Throwing in that suspense, that mystery, made it very confusing to me. I had the same problem with another book I've read recently.
THE GIST
Jackie and Marcus like each other.
They feel that they're meant to be together.
They understand each other more than anyone else can.
The only problem was...
They're cousins.
They knew it's wrong.
They try to avoid it.
They try to stay away from each other.
But the attraction is just too strong.
Jackie didn't want to hurt Marcus and her family.
She decided it was better, if they should stop whatever it was they have.
She decided it was for the best.
Ellie, Jackie's friend, has been missing for a couple of months now.
She blames herself because she hasn't been in touch with her.
She feels that if she could have been there for her, this shouldn't have happened.
A new girl comes to town. And she was somehow related to Ellie.
Marcus starts falling for the new girl.
Jackie becomes suspicious.
Marcus wouldn't hear any of it.
Then unexplained stuff started happening and the new girl was acting weird.
Does she have anything to do with Ellie's disappearance, or was Jackie just trying to prove something to get Marcus back?
I've read Forbidden, and fell in love with it immensely. That is a book with so much passion that it oozes through its pages. It takes you in, makes you feel their pain, makes you feel their love, and then breaks you towards the end. They may have been brothers and sisters, but I didn't care. I felt the connection. I felt the reason. It felt real despite it being so wrong. But in love, who could say what's wrong or right, right? Incest may be a sensitive topic for a lot of people, but I'm not one of them. Just because other people doesn't think it's right, makes it wrong. And Forbidden showed the readers that. I was kind of hoping this book would make me feel that as well. Unfortunately, it didn't. There was a point that I was getting there, but then it just focused on something else entirely, which is why I couldn't give this book a high rating.
Jackie was an okay protagonist. I didn't hate her, but I didn't like her either. Her internal monologues weren't helping as well. I agree with Marcus, she was the one who wanted them to split up
Marcus was well... I'm not sure I liked him too much as well. I get that he was hurt, but it was all too easy for him to move on. It sucks for me reading about it.
Now Will, I really liked. He's been a good friend to Jackie. I think of all the characters in this book, he was my favorite. And if you read the book, you'll see why. :)
I have this issue with their parents. Seriously, they weren't alcoholics, they weren't addicts, they weren't like Maya and Lochan's mom, so there was no reason for them not to notice that stuff has been going on with these two. I don't have any cousins that I'm close with, so I have no idea if this was normal. There were four adults in that house, and they didn't notice anything? Except maybe Claire but that's a different story.
What bothered me: Marcus and Jackie's relationship is what bothered me. I didn't like the fact that their relationship already started when they were introduced to us. I would have wanted to see more depth to the relationship, but I only saw bits of it. So I wasn't that invested on their relationship. For me, it felt that I have to finish the book just to see how the story ended, not because I wanted them to end up together.
And the mystery/thriller part, didn't really work for me. I really wish it was opted out. This book would have become a favorite. Like I said, this book wasn't bad - all the other stuff just didn't work for me.
Incestuous love story + missing girl + psycho stalker = Just didn't work for me I would have liked that this story dwelt more on the incestuous love story.
I hate leaving negative reviews, so I'm so sorry I left this. I really wanted to like this. I do want to emphasize though the importance of a simpler plot, but with a more complex character. Then again, it could just be for me. I've read a lot of good review for this book, so I'm sure a lot of you would like it as well. Unfortunately for me, I just didn't feel like.
mk_pagano's review against another edition
There were good and less good things about this one.
The good: it’s quite well-written with well-drawn characters and a rich setting. I liked spending time in this world I know little about (middle America). The romance was great, if you could head-canon away that it was incest, which I had to. And while the plot was meandering, it held my attention.
The less good: It felt like the story was trying to do too much. Her missing friend was this odd background thing that got brought up almost randomly, while the romance was very front and center. There was wayyy too much back and forth and not enough forward profession. I guessed very early on the gist of what happened to Ellie due to some blatant foreshadowing, and was kind of disappointed to be right. Then the end of the story turns into this suspenseful thriller that felt like an entirely different book. The protagonist makes some inexplicable choices, and I’m not just talking about the incest. But now that you mention it, there was the incest. I knew going in that’s what this was about but I had to head-cannon that they were going to end up not related, one of them adopted, something, so I could get on board with it. I guess that could have been a cop out, but just—I have a close extended family and my male cousins are like brothers to me so when I really thought about it was pretty yuck. Oh also I feel like the teenage girl in love with old movies thing has been done a lot and I’m a bit tired of it.
BUT this was an entertaining read, so I’d say 6/10 stars, on my star scale.
The good: it’s quite well-written with well-drawn characters and a rich setting. I liked spending time in this world I know little about (middle America). The romance was great, if you could head-canon away that it was incest, which I had to. And while the plot was meandering, it held my attention.
The less good: It felt like the story was trying to do too much. Her missing friend was this odd background thing that got brought up almost randomly, while the romance was very front and center. There was wayyy too much back and forth and not enough forward profession. I guessed very early on the gist of what happened to Ellie due to some blatant foreshadowing, and was kind of disappointed to be right. Then the end of the story turns into this suspenseful thriller that felt like an entirely different book. The protagonist makes some inexplicable choices, and I’m not just talking about the incest. But now that you mention it, there was the incest. I knew going in that’s what this was about but I had to head-cannon that they were going to end up not related, one of them adopted, something, so I could get on board with it. I guess that could have been a cop out, but just—I have a close extended family and my male cousins are like brothers to me so when I really thought about it was pretty yuck. Oh also I feel like the teenage girl in love with old movies thing has been done a lot and I’m a bit tired of it.
BUT this was an entertaining read, so I’d say 6/10 stars, on my star scale.
shelvesofsecrets's review against another edition
2.0
Let me start by saying that I'm a science fiction\fantasy girl. I like action and somehow it's even better if there are dragons or airships or aliens. However, every so often, I throw in a contemporary read to spice things up. So when I got a copy of How We Fall, I decided to give it a try.
Unfortunately, this was not the book for me. There were about 40 pages near the end that I enjoyed because there was action. However, the rest I did not. There is such a strong forbidden love thing going on, which I don't really like. I felt like most of the book was Jackie complaining and/or being a b****, all relating to her forbidden love. So there's my problem. I didn't like the main character and I found the focus on forbidden love boring. I did enjoy the mystery plot running through the book, but there wasn't enough of it compared to the love-whining to come close to saving this book for me.
I didn't really connect with the characters, which didn't help things. As I said, I didn't like the narrator Jackie. I appreciate how brave she is at the end, but other than that, not a fan. I can't really blame Marcus for a lot of how he acted, but that doesn't mean I liked him either. The other characters had such small roles that I didn't form too much of an opinion on them.
However, my problems with the book completely come down to personal preference. I don't generally like romance books (I like romance in books, but prefer it to take a back seat to action). If romance is your thing, check out some more reviews and don't base your decision on this one. If your more of an action and adventure reader, give this one a pass.
Unfortunately, this was not the book for me. There were about 40 pages near the end that I enjoyed because there was action. However, the rest I did not. There is such a strong forbidden love thing going on, which I don't really like. I felt like most of the book was Jackie complaining and/or being a b****, all relating to her forbidden love. So there's my problem. I didn't like the main character and I found the focus on forbidden love boring. I did enjoy the mystery plot running through the book, but there wasn't enough of it compared to the love-whining to come close to saving this book for me.
I didn't really connect with the characters, which didn't help things. As I said, I didn't like the narrator Jackie. I appreciate how brave she is at the end, but other than that, not a fan. I can't really blame Marcus for a lot of how he acted, but that doesn't mean I liked him either. The other characters had such small roles that I didn't form too much of an opinion on them.
However, my problems with the book completely come down to personal preference. I don't generally like romance books (I like romance in books, but prefer it to take a back seat to action). If romance is your thing, check out some more reviews and don't base your decision on this one. If your more of an action and adventure reader, give this one a pass.
downthebookhole's review against another edition
5.0
4.5
I had to sit down and spend a lot of time trying to create the perfect review for this book because I just couldn’t find words. I feel like I owe it to all of you to do this book review justice because usually I have such a hard time expressing my feelings towards a book and can’t really get my thoughts out to be understandable. So although this will still probably be confusing and rambly I’m sorry. And I would love to say thanks again to the author for giving me a copy for review and making me feel all the feels.
In the wake of her best friends disappearance, Jackie realizes just how consumed and obsessed she has been with her relationship with Marcus, her cousin. She comes to terms with the fact that she has neglected everything else in her life and feels at fault for what had happened to Ellie. As she begins to try and uncover Ellie’s whereabouts it causes a rift between her and Marcus and their increasingly intense hidden relationship. Trying to call off the relationship makes her realize just how much she is in love with Marcus and causes her to really face the decisions and choices that lay in front of her.
Starting this book I was not sure how I would feel by the end of it. How We Fall focuses on taboo love, with things like this and the controversy behind it, already so many feelings and opinions were created in my head. At the beginning I was a little weirded out (I consider myself a pretty open-minded person) because I kept putting myself in Jackie’s position and couldn’t ever see myself falling in love with my cousin. By the end and definitely after reading some of the authors blog post about the book I realized it was so much more than the taboo love of cousins. I was rooting for Jackie and Marcus’s best friends/love relationship by the end of the book and was so invested in the story.
This (love) story although not very relatable for me personally, still drew me in and felt so real. The emotions, feelings and witty banter were on point! Jackie was an absolutely fantastic female character who I found I have a lot in common with. She blogs, reads and is into classic black and white movies (my soulmate!) She also like to hide from her family and spend time off by herself. Jackie’s love life was not relatable to me, but she was fantastically sarcastic and sassy and full of personality that I still found such a connection with that character.
Of course there were some swoony love interest and some highly intense detailed romantic scenes that were written with such intensity and realism. There was no fake or quick insta love to make the story unrealistic and unbelievable. Kate Brauning did a down right super fantastic job writing a deep, intriguing story filled with love, family, teenage angst, hard and difficult choices, mystery, drama and insight to life. Literally all the components that make a well rounded contemporary.
Overall, How We Fall was a face paced, well written book that had me from page one and left me in awe filled with feels and without words to express just how much I enjoyed this book. It was deep and insightful, filled with dynamic and witty characters that came to deep realizations about love, life and loss.
(I still feel like I didn’t get out what I really wanted to say. I might have to try and rewrite this review soon. I lent out my copy of the book, but might try to re-read it close to the release date!)
I had to sit down and spend a lot of time trying to create the perfect review for this book because I just couldn’t find words. I feel like I owe it to all of you to do this book review justice because usually I have such a hard time expressing my feelings towards a book and can’t really get my thoughts out to be understandable. So although this will still probably be confusing and rambly I’m sorry. And I would love to say thanks again to the author for giving me a copy for review and making me feel all the feels.
In the wake of her best friends disappearance, Jackie realizes just how consumed and obsessed she has been with her relationship with Marcus, her cousin. She comes to terms with the fact that she has neglected everything else in her life and feels at fault for what had happened to Ellie. As she begins to try and uncover Ellie’s whereabouts it causes a rift between her and Marcus and their increasingly intense hidden relationship. Trying to call off the relationship makes her realize just how much she is in love with Marcus and causes her to really face the decisions and choices that lay in front of her.
Starting this book I was not sure how I would feel by the end of it. How We Fall focuses on taboo love, with things like this and the controversy behind it, already so many feelings and opinions were created in my head. At the beginning I was a little weirded out (I consider myself a pretty open-minded person) because I kept putting myself in Jackie’s position and couldn’t ever see myself falling in love with my cousin. By the end and definitely after reading some of the authors blog post about the book I realized it was so much more than the taboo love of cousins. I was rooting for Jackie and Marcus’s best friends/love relationship by the end of the book and was so invested in the story.
This (love) story although not very relatable for me personally, still drew me in and felt so real. The emotions, feelings and witty banter were on point! Jackie was an absolutely fantastic female character who I found I have a lot in common with. She blogs, reads and is into classic black and white movies (my soulmate!) She also like to hide from her family and spend time off by herself. Jackie’s love life was not relatable to me, but she was fantastically sarcastic and sassy and full of personality that I still found such a connection with that character.
Of course there were some swoony love interest and some highly intense detailed romantic scenes that were written with such intensity and realism. There was no fake or quick insta love to make the story unrealistic and unbelievable. Kate Brauning did a down right super fantastic job writing a deep, intriguing story filled with love, family, teenage angst, hard and difficult choices, mystery, drama and insight to life. Literally all the components that make a well rounded contemporary.
Overall, How We Fall was a face paced, well written book that had me from page one and left me in awe filled with feels and without words to express just how much I enjoyed this book. It was deep and insightful, filled with dynamic and witty characters that came to deep realizations about love, life and loss.
(I still feel like I didn’t get out what I really wanted to say. I might have to try and rewrite this review soon. I lent out my copy of the book, but might try to re-read it close to the release date!)
kate_brauning's review against another edition
5.0
“Debut novelist Brauning tells a touching story of young, star-crossed lovers caught in a drama they have tried hard to avoid…A sweetly written mix of mystery and romantic turmoil.” — Kirkus Reviews.
“Heartbreaking and well-paced, this mystery novel challenges readers to look past preconceptions and get to the know characters, rather than focus on an uncomfortable taboo. Brauning’s characters are well developed and their story engrossing. An intriguing thriller… this title will raise eyebrows and capture the interest of teens.” – School Library Journal
aafleur's review against another edition
1.0
I thought the missing friend was going be the focus of the book but it wasn't. The way the characters try hide their realationship was way too dramatic.
centurylore's review against another edition
1.0
this is awful omfg. i wanted a murder mystery and instead i get two cousins doing the dirty???
the writing was bland, the killer turned out to be a random nobody, the incest made me uncomfortable and nothing happened until the last 50 pages. honestly, don’t bother!!!!!
the writing was bland, the killer turned out to be a random nobody, the incest made me uncomfortable and nothing happened until the last 50 pages. honestly, don’t bother!!!!!
ninatest's review against another edition
2.0
The mystery part of this book was exciting, BUT the main plot of this book seemed to be the romance.
I'm sorry. but I could not stand Marcus. He seemed like the type of boy to punch a hole in dry wall if you know what I mean. I felt like he gas lighted Jackie a lot and it seemed like an unhealthy relationship. He was a f**k boi.
I felt like Sylvia got handed the short end of the stick. She seemed like a nice decent character.
I'm sorry. but I could not stand Marcus. He seemed like the type of boy to punch a hole in dry wall if you know what I mean. I felt like he gas lighted Jackie a lot and it seemed like an unhealthy relationship. He was a f**k boi.
I felt like Sylvia got handed the short end of the stick. She seemed like a nice decent character.