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natsavage19's review
adventurous
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? It's complicated
4.5
An inclusive, emotional story of four queer humanoids coming of age in a magical world.
quierdo's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
tatyanavogt's review
5.0
Okay, so I was scared to read this book after hearing it was racist, but I got it in a book box and decided to read it anyway and I am so glad that I did. Because a book has racism in it, does not make the book racist. (I'm black by the way)
I Loved this book, I loved the writing, I loved the diverse characters, I loved the queer rep (although some things felt a little weird). I appreciate that in a book about being discriminated against for being different the author didn't shy away from racial discrimination while making it clear (in my opinion) that most of the characters along with the author don't condone it. I also appreciated that since the author is white that they did NOT make the book about race and racism even though they included that element. Thats not what the book is about. Their are so many other things that the book is about, race is just one element that one of the characters faces (and part of it is also because he is a giant, not just because he is black)
Now I will admit that a LOT is going on in the book, and some things are a little convoluted and not clear. I didn't have an issue with it. I will say that my current 5 star rating might be a little contingent on how the second book turns out.
Spoiler thoughts:
- The first time David experiences racism the second cop is uncomfortable because he thinks its weird that his partner is singling out this big black dude for no reason.
- The elevator scene pushes things a little bit with the monstrous behavior, although they are in a literal city of monsters, it didn't feel like any of the other monsters were described in the same loosing control primal sort of way. (this is partially forgiven for me since David is clearly an important character in the story)
- The big controversial moment where a white character frames a black dude.. one of the reasons she did it was because she knew he was from the university and she assumed that he would be able to get out of it quickly... She didn't think about the fact that he is black he doesn't have the same privilege as his white friend. (I actually thought that was really good commentary weather intentional from the author or not)
- I loved that in this book the black characters are IMPORTANT, they aren't just useless side characters that are only there to check off a diversity quota and get almost zero page time. (I'm also glad this isn't a white author trying to do an 'own voices' type novel that is solely on the experience of POCs) -> This book is JUST THE RIGHT amount of diversity and representation from a white author.
I Loved this book, I loved the writing, I loved the diverse characters, I loved the queer rep (although some things felt a little weird). I appreciate that in a book about being discriminated against for being different the author didn't shy away from racial discrimination while making it clear (in my opinion) that most of the characters along with the author don't condone it. I also appreciated that since the author is white that they did NOT make the book about race and racism even though they included that element. Thats not what the book is about. Their are so many other things that the book is about, race is just one element that one of the characters faces (and part of it is also because he is a giant, not just because he is black)
Now I will admit that a LOT is going on in the book, and some things are a little convoluted and not clear. I didn't have an issue with it. I will say that my current 5 star rating might be a little contingent on how the second book turns out.
Spoiler thoughts:
Spoiler
- The first time David experiences racism the second cop is uncomfortable because he thinks its weird that his partner is singling out this big black dude for no reason.
- The elevator scene pushes things a little bit with the monstrous behavior, although they are in a literal city of monsters, it didn't feel like any of the other monsters were described in the same loosing control primal sort of way. (this is partially forgiven for me since David is clearly an important character in the story)
- The big controversial moment where a white character frames a black dude.. one of the reasons she did it was because she knew he was from the university and she assumed that he would be able to get out of it quickly... She didn't think about the fact that he is black he doesn't have the same privilege as his white friend. (I actually thought that was really good commentary weather intentional from the author or not)
- I loved that in this book the black characters are IMPORTANT, they aren't just useless side characters that are only there to check off a diversity quota and get almost zero page time. (I'm also glad this isn't a white author trying to do an 'own voices' type novel that is solely on the experience of POCs) -> This book is JUST THE RIGHT amount of diversity and representation from a white author.
kariniwonderland's review
2.0
I got this gorgeous Illummicrate edition of this book and was looking forward to reading it. But unfortunately this one wasn't for me. It had promise, but it was a confusing read that made it difficult to keep up with the story.
laelyn's review
1.0
I can honestly say that We All Fall Down was one the releases currently on my arc list that I was the most excited for. The blurb sounds absolutely amazing and while I haven't read Szabo's previous work, I heard only great things about What Big Teeth, which is on my tbr, too. I'm not sure it'll stay on that list though, because this new novel turns out to be one of my biggest disappointment this year, so far. I just. I don't know what happened.
Good things first, though: The world Szabo creates is an intriguing one. I very rarely like urban fantasy type stories, but the world in this one is fascinating and has so much potential. I loved whenever the "monsters" were described, I loved the ideas on magic and just the general diversity of the lore and the characters. In the beginning I was also really excited about the way gender is explored.
Sadly, that is about all the good I take away from my reading experience. Maybe this is an issue of an author's writing style just not fitting the reader, because I had a really hard time actually just understanding what was going on and how this world works. The writing, the world building, the plot - everything is incredibly convoluted, making it hard to just delve in and enjoy the ride. I sometimes feel like a lot of the book is still entirely unedited, because there are, for example, sooooo many way too long dialogue scenes that lead to absolutely nothing, do absolutely nothing for the story or the characters, and are simply there to TELL us instead of SHOWING us parts of the world, story, character development. I skimmed entire pages and didn't feel like I missed anything at all.
The characters are, in theory, really interesting and there is definitely potential, but they are also surprisingly flat and underdeveloped. I didn't feel anything for either of them and I don't care what happens to them. Certain developments - David and Jesse's relationship and later twists, for example - really really need the reader's emotional investment to work for the story (and the sequel) but because neither of these characters have any actual personality that goes beyond superficial elements I simply didn't care. There was no depth and some of the choices made didn't make sense to me, at all. Turing is definitely my favorite of them all and the only one I actually rooted for and cared about. She baby.
The romances are not so much focused on, which I actually like, but what is there is just kind of... there. I don't like either of the two teased romances, but that is mostly because I don't like any of the characters that much (not talking about you, Turing, we love you in this house).
The way Szabo explores gender also made me a little... uncomfortable at times? Take this with a major grain of salt though because I'm a cis woman, but I'd be interested to hear how trans and nonbinary people view the way Jesse and Turing are written. I felt like there was a lot of emphasis on body = gender with Jesse and they were written as incredibly naive and almost child-like at times. Turing constantly being misgendered even though, based on the cover art and the character descriptions and monster lore given, I don't actually see any reason for a certain character assigning fixed pronouns to her (and I say her because that is how Turing refers to herself) felt like an odd choice. But again, this is just a personal feeling and the author's nonbinary themselves so obviously knows better.
The plot itself is all over the place and honestly suffers from the multiple povs, and that's coming from someone who loves reading multiple povs. There are pacing issues that lead to a lot of the story just draaaaaagging on and on until finally, it picks up speed closer to the ending. It's just boring and confusing, which is a shame because the potential to be amazing is THERE and the ideas are great. It's just the execution that is sorely lacking at this point.
I still think this will have its fans. It's diverse, it has cool ideas. I would absolutely not categorize this as young adult, though, which it is marketed as - this is definitely more new adult.
I feel really bad about giving this such a low rating, but I simply didn't enjoy my reading experience at all. 1,5 stars, but for me personally, and very subjectively, this is unfortunately leaning more towards a 1. I'm sure I will be in the minority though.
Many thanks to Macmillan and Netgalley for the arc! I'm sorry I didn't love this more.
Good things first, though: The world Szabo creates is an intriguing one. I very rarely like urban fantasy type stories, but the world in this one is fascinating and has so much potential. I loved whenever the "monsters" were described, I loved the ideas on magic and just the general diversity of the lore and the characters. In the beginning I was also really excited about the way gender is explored.
Sadly, that is about all the good I take away from my reading experience. Maybe this is an issue of an author's writing style just not fitting the reader, because I had a really hard time actually just understanding what was going on and how this world works. The writing, the world building, the plot - everything is incredibly convoluted, making it hard to just delve in and enjoy the ride. I sometimes feel like a lot of the book is still entirely unedited, because there are, for example, sooooo many way too long dialogue scenes that lead to absolutely nothing, do absolutely nothing for the story or the characters, and are simply there to TELL us instead of SHOWING us parts of the world, story, character development. I skimmed entire pages and didn't feel like I missed anything at all.
The characters are, in theory, really interesting and there is definitely potential, but they are also surprisingly flat and underdeveloped. I didn't feel anything for either of them and I don't care what happens to them. Certain developments - David and Jesse's relationship and later twists, for example - really really need the reader's emotional investment to work for the story (and the sequel) but because neither of these characters have any actual personality that goes beyond superficial elements I simply didn't care. There was no depth and some of the choices made didn't make sense to me, at all. Turing is definitely my favorite of them all and the only one I actually rooted for and cared about. She baby.
The romances are not so much focused on, which I actually like, but what is there is just kind of... there. I don't like either of the two teased romances, but that is mostly because I don't like any of the characters that much (not talking about you, Turing, we love you in this house).
The way Szabo explores gender also made me a little... uncomfortable at times? Take this with a major grain of salt though because I'm a cis woman, but I'd be interested to hear how trans and nonbinary people view the way Jesse and Turing are written. I felt like there was a lot of emphasis on body = gender with Jesse and they were written as incredibly naive and almost child-like at times. Turing constantly being misgendered even though, based on the cover art and the character descriptions and monster lore given, I don't actually see any reason for a certain character assigning fixed pronouns to her (and I say her because that is how Turing refers to herself) felt like an odd choice. But again, this is just a personal feeling and the author's nonbinary themselves so obviously knows better.
The plot itself is all over the place and honestly suffers from the multiple povs, and that's coming from someone who loves reading multiple povs. There are pacing issues that lead to a lot of the story just draaaaaagging on and on until finally, it picks up speed closer to the ending. It's just boring and confusing, which is a shame because the potential to be amazing is THERE and the ideas are great. It's just the execution that is sorely lacking at this point.
I still think this will have its fans. It's diverse, it has cool ideas. I would absolutely not categorize this as young adult, though, which it is marketed as - this is definitely more new adult.
I feel really bad about giving this such a low rating, but I simply didn't enjoy my reading experience at all. 1,5 stars, but for me personally, and very subjectively, this is unfortunately leaning more towards a 1. I'm sure I will be in the minority though.
Many thanks to Macmillan and Netgalley for the arc! I'm sorry I didn't love this more.
literaryleftie's review
2.0
I have 3 disclaimers to make.
This book confused the heck out of me, especially at the beginning.
I won this book and received my copy for free.
Also, I never received my copy so I am doing my review based on the copy I was able to get my hand on, which was an audiobook. This means that some of the things that I did not quite get or understand stayed that way for me regardless of completion of this book.
With that out of the way, I really did enjoy this book. I liked the mix of modern times and modern technology with magic and more ancient ways of being. It was a mix that I have never read or experienced before. I think that I have gathered that Jesse was/is trans and is a person of color, specifically black. From outside research, I have gathered that a common and huge plot point in this book is common in Szabo's writing and that makes me uncomfortable.
I am white as can be so I cannot speak on the discomfort and wrongness I felt with the push on the violence towards persons of color. I can say that there was quite a bit of discomfort with the idea of a group of white women inflicting violence against gay men, especially with how it was written in this and What Big Teeth. It just seemed pushed and I can say that I will not be reading What Big Teeth after my reading of this book and my outside research.
This book confused the heck out of me, especially at the beginning.
I won this book and received my copy for free.
Also, I never received my copy so I am doing my review based on the copy I was able to get my hand on, which was an audiobook. This means that some of the things that I did not quite get or understand stayed that way for me regardless of completion of this book.
With that out of the way, I really did enjoy this book. I liked the mix of modern times and modern technology with magic and more ancient ways of being. It was a mix that I have never read or experienced before. I think that I have gathered that Jesse was/is trans and is a person of color, specifically black. From outside research, I have gathered that a common and huge plot point in this book is common in Szabo's writing and that makes me uncomfortable.
I am white as can be so I cannot speak on the discomfort and wrongness I felt with the push on the violence towards persons of color. I can say that there was quite a bit of discomfort with the idea of a group of white women inflicting violence against gay men, especially with how it was written in this and What Big Teeth. It just seemed pushed and I can say that I will not be reading What Big Teeth after my reading of this book and my outside research.
izzys_internet_bookshelf's review
1.0
2/5
I was so excited for this book! I think I had high expectations for it because throughout the book I found it to be not as exciting as I was hoping it to be.
reread 6/29/22
1/5
Ok so I reread this book because I had forgotten what it is about. I found the story really jumbled and hectic. The story was good but the way the plot was planned out it made it hard to really pay attention to the elephant in the room when the author was trying to merge world building with the introduction of new characters.
I was so excited for this book! I think I had high expectations for it because throughout the book I found it to be not as exciting as I was hoping it to be.
reread 6/29/22
1/5
Ok so I reread this book because I had forgotten what it is about. I found the story really jumbled and hectic. The story was good but the way the plot was planned out it made it hard to really pay attention to the elephant in the room when the author was trying to merge world building with the introduction of new characters.
rainbowbookworm's review
1.0
I barely started the book and the author uses the f-word (derogatory term, not the 4-letter one). Came here to check the reviews and decided I'd rather bail.
kberry513's review
3.0
I'm struggling with rating this one because I think a lot of the issues may be addressed with the second book in the duology.
I got this in a book box and was surprised to see the rating was so low, so I did what I normally don't and read some reviews before I read the book.
Most of them appear to be from an ARC version, so I'm not sure if this was a change before publication, one of the things that was pointed out in several reviews was the main characters' ages being unclear, but other than Jack the characters ages were explicitly stated - Jesse turns 18 at the beginning and David says he's 20 (which makes Zara also 20). Belle mentions being 6 when things changed, so she's 26 and presumably Jack is around the same age as her sister, vaguely.
In the before, Jesse flipping back and forth between pronouns based on their outer physical gender felt like it was negatively reinforcing some stereotypes but further into the story, it becomes apparent that it's due to Jesse's own confusion and ultimate they decide they feel most comfortable with they/them. For me, this felt like a natural progression once it for addressed, from questioning things to making the decision, but as I'm not gender fluid or nb myself I'm not really qualified to make that call, except I this case the author is openly non binary, so I'm leaning towards it feeling natural.
As for Zara, the misgendering by others outside her inner monologue felt uncomfortable, but that discomfort felt deliberate as she was not out to anyone (other than the fairies) till the end. Both Hannah and Jack once they were in the know seem like they would respect her true identity and I expect they will in the future installment.
At this point, I'd consider the book a 4 or 4.5 - the world building was interesting, the characters were compelling, I definitely want to know what happens. I very much enjoyed the inclusion of so many nuanced characters of different genders, sexuality, and races - this is what the literary world needs to continue to do. My main criticism at this point is that it's very unclear why the first revolution happened and what story they are all doomed to repeat. However I'm hopeful the second half of the duology will clear everything up; even so I think a first book should be less unclear. Also there were a few times the reader is directly addressed which felt jarringly disjointed from the rest of the prose.
The big reason why I knocked the rating down from a 4.5 to a 3 is the main criticism in all the other reviews. Jack, a white woman, deliberately tells the police that David, a large black man, murdered two cops even though she knows for a fact he is innocent. In 2022 this feels tone deaf, not necessarily because the plotline was included at all, but because Jack feels almost no remorse about it.and because she is meant to be the Hero of the story. Inclusion of problematic plotlines in a novel isn't problematic on its own UNLESS the plotline isn't considered to be problematic within the context of the story itself (ex a character using racial slurs because it's intended to show the reader that character is an asshole vs a character that's supposed to be the Good Guy using them and never being called out for it). At the very end, Jack starts to feel bad about it (considering herself the monster of the story) but the racial aspect of her crime here is not directly addressed and I feel it should be - accusing a white man of the same crime would not have the same cringe factor. I'm hoping this will be addressed more fully in the second book in a respectable way, so I'm leaving this at 3 stars for now.
I got this in a book box and was surprised to see the rating was so low, so I did what I normally don't and read some reviews before I read the book.
Most of them appear to be from an ARC version, so I'm not sure if this was a change before publication, one of the things that was pointed out in several reviews was the main characters' ages being unclear, but other than Jack the characters ages were explicitly stated - Jesse turns 18 at the beginning and David says he's 20 (which makes Zara also 20). Belle mentions being 6 when things changed, so she's 26 and presumably Jack is around the same age as her sister, vaguely.
In the before, Jesse flipping back and forth between pronouns based on their outer physical gender felt like it was negatively reinforcing some stereotypes but further into the story, it becomes apparent that it's due to Jesse's own confusion and ultimate they decide they feel most comfortable with they/them. For me, this felt like a natural progression once it for addressed, from questioning things to making the decision, but as I'm not gender fluid or nb myself I'm not really qualified to make that call, except I this case the author is openly non binary, so I'm leaning towards it feeling natural.
As for Zara, the misgendering by others outside her inner monologue felt uncomfortable, but that discomfort felt deliberate as she was not out to anyone (other than the fairies) till the end. Both Hannah and Jack once they were in the know seem like they would respect her true identity and I expect they will in the future installment.
At this point, I'd consider the book a 4 or 4.5 - the world building was interesting, the characters were compelling, I definitely want to know what happens. I very much enjoyed the inclusion of so many nuanced characters of different genders, sexuality, and races - this is what the literary world needs to continue to do. My main criticism at this point is that it's very unclear why the first revolution happened and what story they are all doomed to repeat. However I'm hopeful the second half of the duology will clear everything up; even so I think a first book should be less unclear. Also there were a few times the reader is directly addressed which felt jarringly disjointed from the rest of the prose.
The big reason why I knocked the rating down from a 4.5 to a 3 is the main criticism in all the other reviews. Jack, a white woman, deliberately tells the police that David, a large black man, murdered two cops even though she knows for a fact he is innocent. In 2022 this feels tone deaf, not necessarily because the plotline was included at all, but because Jack feels almost no remorse about it.and because she is meant to be the Hero of the story. Inclusion of problematic plotlines in a novel isn't problematic on its own UNLESS the plotline isn't considered to be problematic within the context of the story itself (ex a character using racial slurs because it's intended to show the reader that character is an asshole vs a character that's supposed to be the Good Guy using them and never being called out for it). At the very end, Jack starts to feel bad about it (considering herself the monster of the story) but the racial aspect of her crime here is not directly addressed and I feel it should be - accusing a white man of the same crime would not have the same cringe factor. I'm hoping this will be addressed more fully in the second book in a respectable way, so I'm leaving this at 3 stars for now.
agmenezes's review
2.0
:D SPOILER FREE REVIEW :D
I was aware of the controversy surrounding "We All Fall Down" before reading it – who wasn't? As it was a book box pick, I decided to join its readalong and give it a proper try! After all, I'm used to trusting the curators.
Well, I can definitely say this is a book fit for a readalong. I don't think I would have
A) been capable of judging all its issues by myself – specially since it's not my place to do so;
B) understood some very important pieces of information;
C) actually stayed motivated and finished reading it.
"We All Fall Down" is a fairytale-oriented urban fantasy. It revolves around a cyclical prophecy that renews itself each generation.
The narrative is extremely character driven (but with a twist). While the author takes their time to introduce our main characters, it seems that they don't fall naturally under their assigned roles. Instead, the sensation is as if they were suddenly rearranged to fit the prophecy, or at least this was done rather hastily (imagine Daenerys on the Game of Thrones finale).
I thought the world building was really nice and fun! It has some creepy government conspiracies aspects to it, but also a whole neighborhood that has roots settled deep in its past, bustling with retired witches and strange trinket shops. The antagonism between modern and ancient is very interesting!
Now, how can I put this?
"We All Fall Down" shows reality in a blunt, unforgiving way. It treats delicate matters, such as racism and gender identity, the way they appear in real life. It is raw, and it hurts to read some of it. At the same time, it made me consider some things I never had before as a cis-het Latina woman.
I did think some narrative choices were brilliant when exploring gender identity.
However, I do wonder if the author will address the racism of one of the characters on the second book. While I think it would be the correct thing to do (as we all expect the character to suffer the consequences), I believe that's not what Szabo had in mind, if their point was to portray reality as it is.
It'd be good to point out that the scene in evidence depicts structural, veiled racism, and the character who committed it doesn't even realize her mistake. By the end of the book, that is still the case, sadly.
The characters are okay, the world building is okay. But why did I give it two stars?
Well, I feel like nothing happened in the book until its last 100 pages. The pacing was off, and the biggest plot twist was minor (though adorably canine *wink wink*).
I'm not sure I'll read the sequel, specially considering I probably won't find a readalong for it. It just hasn't hooked me enough to want to know how the characters will end up, or even to spend money on it. *sigh*
Definitely don't read this if you aren't okay with the content warnings! As I said, it's raw and painful, even to those who have no personal connection to the portrayed minorities. However, this bluntness and unexpected perspectives/ narrators can be very interesting, if you can handle it.
I was aware of the controversy surrounding "We All Fall Down" before reading it – who wasn't? As it was a book box pick, I decided to join its readalong and give it a proper try! After all, I'm used to trusting the curators.
Well, I can definitely say this is a book fit for a readalong. I don't think I would have
A) been capable of judging all its issues by myself – specially since it's not my place to do so;
B) understood some very important pieces of information;
C) actually stayed motivated and finished reading it.
"We All Fall Down" is a fairytale-oriented urban fantasy. It revolves around a cyclical prophecy that renews itself each generation.
The narrative is extremely character driven (but with a twist). While the author takes their time to introduce our main characters, it seems that they don't fall naturally under their assigned roles. Instead, the sensation is as if they were suddenly rearranged to fit the prophecy, or at least this was done rather hastily (imagine Daenerys on the Game of Thrones finale).
I thought the world building was really nice and fun! It has some creepy government conspiracies aspects to it, but also a whole neighborhood that has roots settled deep in its past, bustling with retired witches and strange trinket shops. The antagonism between modern and ancient is very interesting!
Now, how can I put this?
"We All Fall Down" shows reality in a blunt, unforgiving way. It treats delicate matters, such as racism and gender identity, the way they appear in real life. It is raw, and it hurts to read some of it. At the same time, it made me consider some things I never had before as a cis-het Latina woman.
I did think some narrative choices were brilliant when exploring gender identity.
However, I do wonder if the author will address the racism of one of the characters on the second book. While I think it would be the correct thing to do (as we all expect the character to suffer the consequences), I believe that's not what Szabo had in mind, if their point was to portray reality as it is.
It'd be good to point out that the scene in evidence depicts structural, veiled racism, and the character who committed it doesn't even realize her mistake. By the end of the book, that is still the case, sadly.
The characters are okay, the world building is okay. But why did I give it two stars?
Well, I feel like nothing happened in the book until its last 100 pages. The pacing was off, and the biggest plot twist was minor (though adorably canine *wink wink*).
I'm not sure I'll read the sequel, specially considering I probably won't find a readalong for it. It just hasn't hooked me enough to want to know how the characters will end up, or even to spend money on it. *sigh*
Definitely don't read this if you aren't okay with the content warnings! As I said, it's raw and painful, even to those who have no personal connection to the portrayed minorities. However, this bluntness and unexpected perspectives/ narrators can be very interesting, if you can handle it.