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mainereading's review against another edition
4.0
This is a coming of age story with wonderful friendship, and a neat little mystery. I really liked this book, and the people in it! And I enjoyed the little twist at the end.
celjla212's review against another edition
3.0
It's hard to become a normal teenage boy when you're sequestered in your own home because of your mother's extreme agoraphobia. Will knows something isn't right with the way he lives, but it takes venturing outside for him to realize just what he's missing--and that the world is so much more complicated than he could have imagined.
I am not sure if I would describe this as a coming of age story, per se, though Will does go through an enormous amount of growth. Part of it is due to puberty, and part of it is due to finally being able to explore the town around him and meet other people besides his mother. Will is sublimely innocent in many ways, and it's heartbreaking to watch him fall and get disappointed, but you also know it has to happen in order for him not to end up like his mother.
The agoraphobia/boy venturing out storyline would have been plenty enough for me, but around the 60 percent mark there are other elements and characters that come into play that I really could have done without. Yes, some history and background on main characters is important, but in my opinion the author often went off on tangents exploring events that didn't really matter in the end.
Once I committed myself to reading I got through it quickly, but ultimately I was left unsatisfied by the ending. A lot of questions were left unanswered, and not in a way that the reader can divine the answer for themselves. I liked Will and enjoyed seeing him blossom, but the rest of the story dragged me down.
I am not sure if I would describe this as a coming of age story, per se, though Will does go through an enormous amount of growth. Part of it is due to puberty, and part of it is due to finally being able to explore the town around him and meet other people besides his mother. Will is sublimely innocent in many ways, and it's heartbreaking to watch him fall and get disappointed, but you also know it has to happen in order for him not to end up like his mother.
The agoraphobia/boy venturing out storyline would have been plenty enough for me, but around the 60 percent mark there are other elements and characters that come into play that I really could have done without. Yes, some history and background on main characters is important, but in my opinion the author often went off on tangents exploring events that didn't really matter in the end.
Once I committed myself to reading I got through it quickly, but ultimately I was left unsatisfied by the ending. A lot of questions were left unanswered, and not in a way that the reader can divine the answer for themselves. I liked Will and enjoyed seeing him blossom, but the rest of the story dragged me down.
margaridamlopes's review against another edition
3.0
Will is adorable, fearless, and curious. His friendship with Jonah is the cutest thing. Also, I really liked the Angela bits.
But this book wasn't what I thought it would be - it was too much. Too much information, too much background family history, to be honest it was a bit boring and confusing to read at some point. In my opinion there was unnecessary drama in this book, it could have been simpler and I'd have probably liked it better!
But this book wasn't what I thought it would be - it was too much. Too much information, too much background family history, to be honest it was a bit boring and confusing to read at some point. In my opinion there was unnecessary drama in this book, it could have been simpler and I'd have probably liked it better!
fiddler_jones's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
katiemichellereads's review against another edition
4.0
I received a free review copy of this book through Netgalley.
My reviews can also be found on my blog, Kittens and Books.
Upon checking Goodreads for the genre listing, as I do for every review, I realized the third genre listed is young adult. I feel like this may be due to the low amount of users shelving the book so far - although it's third, only 6 users have marked it as YA. I realize it might (and probably will) change as time goes on and more people read the book after its release, but I also thought I should say here that this book is not young adult. Although the protagonist is in middle school, I don't think most kids that age would get as much out of the book as someone older.
The center of this book is anxiety. Will's mother has gone through a lot in her life, including the tragic loss of her entire family - even her twin brother, whose death she feels responsible for. As time went on, her fear grew, until she could no longer leave her house or even answer the door.
She never told Will not to leave the house, but of course she led by example. On the day he does leave, he realizes that outside is not as dangerous as his mother thinks. As Will grows more fearless, his mother's fears seem to multiply. How can she protect her son, the only thing she has left, if she cannot even leave her own house?
I really enjoyed this story. Although it took me a long time to read - the pacing was slow, especially in the beginning, and I normally read adult fiction pretty slowly anyway - the story had my attention from the start. Part of it had to do with my interest in psychology, and how interested I was in the anxiety Will's mother faced, but the other part had to do with the characters.
The characters felt like people. They were complex, with several sides to them, and each had a past, several of which were shared throughout the book. Seeing things through Will's eyes was wonderful, but the parts from his mother's perspective were just as great. The perspective change to "Titus" around the center of the book threw me off and I found it difficult to care for this new character who so suddenly took over their story - but by the end, the importance of his chapter was shown. I still wonder if there wasn't a better way to introduce him.
Overall, this is a great book. There are a few things that bothered me, including a part that felt incredibly unrealistic and something towards the end that felt a bit unresolved to me - neither of which I can give away without spoilers. But I think the positives outweigh the negatives by far, and I personally took a lot out of this book. I cannot help but feel it would be a very relatable book for parents as well, as Will's mother worrying over him and wanting him safe was such a central theme in the book. She had the same fears as I imagine most parents do, only amplified due to her anxiety.
I think this is one to read when you're in a patient mood, although the pacing does pick up towards the end, but it's definitely one I would recommend.
My reviews can also be found on my blog, Kittens and Books.
Upon checking Goodreads for the genre listing, as I do for every review, I realized the third genre listed is young adult. I feel like this may be due to the low amount of users shelving the book so far - although it's third, only 6 users have marked it as YA. I realize it might (and probably will) change as time goes on and more people read the book after its release, but I also thought I should say here that this book is not young adult. Although the protagonist is in middle school, I don't think most kids that age would get as much out of the book as someone older.
The center of this book is anxiety. Will's mother has gone through a lot in her life, including the tragic loss of her entire family - even her twin brother, whose death she feels responsible for. As time went on, her fear grew, until she could no longer leave her house or even answer the door.
She never told Will not to leave the house, but of course she led by example. On the day he does leave, he realizes that outside is not as dangerous as his mother thinks. As Will grows more fearless, his mother's fears seem to multiply. How can she protect her son, the only thing she has left, if she cannot even leave her own house?
I really enjoyed this story. Although it took me a long time to read - the pacing was slow, especially in the beginning, and I normally read adult fiction pretty slowly anyway - the story had my attention from the start. Part of it had to do with my interest in psychology, and how interested I was in the anxiety Will's mother faced, but the other part had to do with the characters.
The characters felt like people. They were complex, with several sides to them, and each had a past, several of which were shared throughout the book. Seeing things through Will's eyes was wonderful, but the parts from his mother's perspective were just as great. The perspective change to "Titus" around the center of the book threw me off and I found it difficult to care for this new character who so suddenly took over their story - but by the end, the importance of his chapter was shown. I still wonder if there wasn't a better way to introduce him.
Overall, this is a great book. There are a few things that bothered me, including a part that felt incredibly unrealistic and something towards the end that felt a bit unresolved to me - neither of which I can give away without spoilers. But I think the positives outweigh the negatives by far, and I personally took a lot out of this book. I cannot help but feel it would be a very relatable book for parents as well, as Will's mother worrying over him and wanting him safe was such a central theme in the book. She had the same fears as I imagine most parents do, only amplified due to her anxiety.
I think this is one to read when you're in a patient mood, although the pacing does pick up towards the end, but it's definitely one I would recommend.
judithdcollins's review against another edition
4.0
A special thank you to Crown Publishing, Hogarth, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
IF I FALL, IF I DIE, by Canadian Michael Christie, delivers a heartfelt and poignant coming- of- age magical debut—from fear to adventure; mother and son – a complex portrayal of mental illness, family, and friendship.
Will is a boy, not stepping outside the confines of his home until age 11. Diane, single agoraphobic mother lives in a constant panic of the world outside the doors of their home.
Inside/Outside – two world collide. Once a promising filmmaker, a mother is controlled by paranoia, depression, and agoraphobia. She believes in a world rich in culture, art, travel –however, all within the inside. A safe world. She creates a world to keep them safe with no risk.
She makes Will wear a helmet; however, he is lured by the outside world and is tempted by other boys. He discovers skateboarding and once he steps out, he realizes he does not die. He wants to live.
Christie captures the conflict between Will’s love and loyalty to his mother and the adventure and desire of the outside world, with both compassion and humor. Brilliantly told, with beautiful, creative, and haunting prose--an exploration of the fearful, dark mental frailty.
FALL, IF I DIE A bittersweet portrayal of psychological, and emotional human dynamics between mother and son, for a mysterious, and intriguing contemporary read. An author to follow!
Judith D. Collins Must Read Books
IF I FALL, IF I DIE, by Canadian Michael Christie, delivers a heartfelt and poignant coming- of- age magical debut—from fear to adventure; mother and son – a complex portrayal of mental illness, family, and friendship.
Will is a boy, not stepping outside the confines of his home until age 11. Diane, single agoraphobic mother lives in a constant panic of the world outside the doors of their home.
Inside/Outside – two world collide. Once a promising filmmaker, a mother is controlled by paranoia, depression, and agoraphobia. She believes in a world rich in culture, art, travel –however, all within the inside. A safe world. She creates a world to keep them safe with no risk.
She makes Will wear a helmet; however, he is lured by the outside world and is tempted by other boys. He discovers skateboarding and once he steps out, he realizes he does not die. He wants to live.
Christie captures the conflict between Will’s love and loyalty to his mother and the adventure and desire of the outside world, with both compassion and humor. Brilliantly told, with beautiful, creative, and haunting prose--an exploration of the fearful, dark mental frailty.
FALL, IF I DIE A bittersweet portrayal of psychological, and emotional human dynamics between mother and son, for a mysterious, and intriguing contemporary read. An author to follow!
Judith D. Collins Must Read Books
hedread's review against another edition
4.0
Michael Christie writes of mental health issues with so much heart. I loved this story set in Thunder Bay with grain elevators as a story element. My father managed a grain elevator in Minnesota and died from grain dust causing cancer.
catrad's review against another edition
4.0
I was struck by the beauty of the prose in this book. For a book that I was expecting to be about a boy, his mum, and his love of skateboarding it became so much more. The development of the relationship between Will and his mum, between Will and the Outside (capital 'O' very important), and the uncovering of the story of their past leads into almost a mystery / thriller with Will and his new friend investigating the disappearance of kids and having dealings with the town bad guy.
I loved how thorough the author has been with the detail in this book, both fictional details of the characters lives, and actual details of the joys of skateboarding - his passion for the sport is really apparent, but not in an overpowering way. I also loved how all the loose ends seemed to tie up beautifully by the end of the novel. Even though some aspects of the characters lives are hard to comprehend, the author has provided amazing insights into their descent into or out of madness.
I felt quite disoriented reading this book at times, but this was probably a reflection of the fact that several of the main characters are battling mental breakdowns. Following the ups and downs of these battles was fascinating.
I've found this quite a hard book to review. It's left me happy yet sad, hollow yet satisfied. I would definitely recommend it though, as it is beautifully written and tackles a set of unusual subjects.
I loved how thorough the author has been with the detail in this book, both fictional details of the characters lives, and actual details of the joys of skateboarding - his passion for the sport is really apparent, but not in an overpowering way. I also loved how all the loose ends seemed to tie up beautifully by the end of the novel. Even though some aspects of the characters lives are hard to comprehend, the author has provided amazing insights into their descent into or out of madness.
I felt quite disoriented reading this book at times, but this was probably a reflection of the fact that several of the main characters are battling mental breakdowns. Following the ups and downs of these battles was fascinating.
I've found this quite a hard book to review. It's left me happy yet sad, hollow yet satisfied. I would definitely recommend it though, as it is beautifully written and tackles a set of unusual subjects.