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hiveretcafe's review against another edition
4.0
That is not an ending! WHAT? I want to find out what happens!
audreychamaine's review against another edition
3.0
First, I want to say that, in general, I love stories about plagues and disasters. The Way We Fall really fit the bill. There is a strange new illness, numerous victims that seem to get sick at random, quarantine, and the madness that follows when it seems like the entire world is lost to the disease. If you are a fan of books like Richard Preston’s The Cobra Event, but want it in a quick-to-read YA form, this is the book for you.
Crewe’s protagonist, Kaelyn, speaks in the first person, telling the story through a series of diary entries. This made the book really remind me of Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer. Kaelyn’s voice is of a girl who is more kid than woman, who is full of insecurities and worries, but finds strength in her desire to help others. I often feel like the protagonists in YA books sound too adult and too prescient, but Kaelyn’s voice was very believable.
The only issue I had with this book was the ending. Crewe leaves things very open and unresolved. I don’t know if this is because there will be a sequel, and I hope there isn’t. The book works so well as a standalone that a sequel would detract from the power of the original story. Still, I’d have liked a bit more closure.
While at once a horror story and a tale of hope, I really enjoyed this latest from Megan Crewe. Poignant scenes stuck with me after I put the book down, and every once in a while I feel a little worried about the itch on my arm.
Crewe’s protagonist, Kaelyn, speaks in the first person, telling the story through a series of diary entries. This made the book really remind me of Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer. Kaelyn’s voice is of a girl who is more kid than woman, who is full of insecurities and worries, but finds strength in her desire to help others. I often feel like the protagonists in YA books sound too adult and too prescient, but Kaelyn’s voice was very believable.
The only issue I had with this book was the ending. Crewe leaves things very open and unresolved. I don’t know if this is because there will be a sequel, and I hope there isn’t. The book works so well as a standalone that a sequel would detract from the power of the original story. Still, I’d have liked a bit more closure.
While at once a horror story and a tale of hope, I really enjoyed this latest from Megan Crewe. Poignant scenes stuck with me after I put the book down, and every once in a while I feel a little worried about the itch on my arm.
christajls's review against another edition
4.0
Originally reviewed at Christa's Hooked on Books
The Way We Fall, by Canadian author Megan Crewe, is a gritty and realistic read. It will keep you hanging onto every word, not wanting to put down the book until you know exactly what will happen to each and every character. There was more than one occasion where my obsession with this book almost made me miss my subway stop.
The most significant thing I have to say about this book is that is just feels so real. An unknown virus sweeps a small, but densely populated island. It's highly contagious, leaving doctors and scientists unable to keep up with the rate of infection. Megan clearly did her research for this book. All the government protocols, hospital organization and details about the virus itself were incredibly well thought out and to the best of my knowledge (and what little I read on Wikipedia) pretty accurate. This made reading this book even more terrifying. It reminded me of recent pandemic scares and totally had me believing that this was something that could really happen.
In addition to the detail that was put into this book, The Way We Fall, is led by a really strong main character. I really liked Kaelyn – I found her both strong willed, as well as compassionate. An admirable combination. She's the type of character who takes action. When news about the virus is starting to come out she immediately wanted to get involved and help others in the town. This desire to help others is a quality that continues no matter how bad things get. However, despite this bravery I did not find her character too good to be true. She is definitely flawed. Kaelyn gets scared and nervous just like anyone would in a similar situation, which sometimes leads her to make some poor decisions. These flaws only enhance the layers of her character and make her someone you can easily relate too.
Overall this was an exciting read. If it wasn't for work I probably would have read the whole thing in one sitting. Because it felt so much like something that could really happen it was a chilling book and one that will stay with me for some time to come. As this is the first in a proposed trilogy I can't wait to see what happens next and how Kaelyn deals with the next challenges to come.
The Way We Fall, by Canadian author Megan Crewe, is a gritty and realistic read. It will keep you hanging onto every word, not wanting to put down the book until you know exactly what will happen to each and every character. There was more than one occasion where my obsession with this book almost made me miss my subway stop.
The most significant thing I have to say about this book is that is just feels so real. An unknown virus sweeps a small, but densely populated island. It's highly contagious, leaving doctors and scientists unable to keep up with the rate of infection. Megan clearly did her research for this book. All the government protocols, hospital organization and details about the virus itself were incredibly well thought out and to the best of my knowledge (and what little I read on Wikipedia) pretty accurate. This made reading this book even more terrifying. It reminded me of recent pandemic scares and totally had me believing that this was something that could really happen.
In addition to the detail that was put into this book, The Way We Fall, is led by a really strong main character. I really liked Kaelyn – I found her both strong willed, as well as compassionate. An admirable combination. She's the type of character who takes action. When news about the virus is starting to come out she immediately wanted to get involved and help others in the town. This desire to help others is a quality that continues no matter how bad things get. However, despite this bravery I did not find her character too good to be true. She is definitely flawed. Kaelyn gets scared and nervous just like anyone would in a similar situation, which sometimes leads her to make some poor decisions. These flaws only enhance the layers of her character and make her someone you can easily relate too.
Overall this was an exciting read. If it wasn't for work I probably would have read the whole thing in one sitting. Because it felt so much like something that could really happen it was a chilling book and one that will stay with me for some time to come. As this is the first in a proposed trilogy I can't wait to see what happens next and how Kaelyn deals with the next challenges to come.
kelleemoye's review against another edition
4.0
Reviewed at:
http://www.teachmentortexts.com/2012/03/way-we-fall.html
*Summary: Kaelyn lives on a small island off the coast of Canada. The only way to leave and return is on a ferry. Kaelyn returned to the island after living on the mainland and hasn't really seemed to fit in. So, Kaelyn has decided to turn over a new leaf. She doesn't want to be the quiet, weird girl in class anymore so she has started being more friendly to everyone in her class. And it is going really well. But then her friend Rachel's dad gets sick. Very sick. First he had a cough and was sneezing. Then it seemed like the illness took over his brain and he wanted to socialize, but had no inhibitions. Finally he is found in the yard screaming and hallucinating. Then he died. Just like that. Kaelyn's dad, a microbiologist, tells them all to stay away from anyone who has the symptoms because no one knows how to control it. This ends Kaelyn's resolution and starts an epidemic that takes over causing the government to quarantine the island. No longer is Kaelyn's life about making friends; it is about keeping her family safe, figuring out who her true friends are and surviving.
What I Think: I had trouble putting this book down. You get so caught up in the epidemic and rooting for survival that you have to know what happens to not only Kaelyn and her family and friends, but the whole community. The novel, written as an open letter to a friend of Kaelyn's who has left the island, really captured the emotions that would be feeling when an epidemic like this would take over a community. As Kaelyn's emotions change or envelop her, you feel them as well. But the truly terrifying aspect of this novel is that it could easily happen. We saw with the H1N1 pandemic of 2009 that the flu is relentless and that fear quickly takes over. In Kaelyn's story, the epidemic not only affects people who have the virus, but everyone in the community quickly showing all who are the good and the bad people in town. Fear becomes the emotion that controls too many instead of hope and kindness.
http://www.teachmentortexts.com/2012/03/way-we-fall.html
*Summary: Kaelyn lives on a small island off the coast of Canada. The only way to leave and return is on a ferry. Kaelyn returned to the island after living on the mainland and hasn't really seemed to fit in. So, Kaelyn has decided to turn over a new leaf. She doesn't want to be the quiet, weird girl in class anymore so she has started being more friendly to everyone in her class. And it is going really well. But then her friend Rachel's dad gets sick. Very sick. First he had a cough and was sneezing. Then it seemed like the illness took over his brain and he wanted to socialize, but had no inhibitions. Finally he is found in the yard screaming and hallucinating. Then he died. Just like that. Kaelyn's dad, a microbiologist, tells them all to stay away from anyone who has the symptoms because no one knows how to control it. This ends Kaelyn's resolution and starts an epidemic that takes over causing the government to quarantine the island. No longer is Kaelyn's life about making friends; it is about keeping her family safe, figuring out who her true friends are and surviving.
What I Think: I had trouble putting this book down. You get so caught up in the epidemic and rooting for survival that you have to know what happens to not only Kaelyn and her family and friends, but the whole community. The novel, written as an open letter to a friend of Kaelyn's who has left the island, really captured the emotions that would be feeling when an epidemic like this would take over a community. As Kaelyn's emotions change or envelop her, you feel them as well. But the truly terrifying aspect of this novel is that it could easily happen. We saw with the H1N1 pandemic of 2009 that the flu is relentless and that fear quickly takes over. In Kaelyn's story, the epidemic not only affects people who have the virus, but everyone in the community quickly showing all who are the good and the bad people in town. Fear becomes the emotion that controls too many instead of hope and kindness.
bmg20's review against another edition
3.0
“Most people think the scariest thing is knowing that you’re going to die. It’s not. It’s knowing you might have to watch every single person you’ve ever loved – or even liked – waste away while you just stand there.”
There was something extremely enjoyable about this novel that I loved from the very start but unfortunately resulted in a mediocre overall opinion. The writing pace was very slow and detailed which reminded me a lot of The Age of Miracles (which I loved). I enjoy a slow build-up every now and then just as long as the climax is well worth it (which... hmm... what climax?). The writing style was at times difficult to grasp as it's written in the form of journal entries/letters to a friend that Kaelyn no longer speaks to; a friend left the island before the virus came to be.
I loved the storyline for one reason alone: the possibility that something like this could truly happen was terrifying. The symptoms of the virus were described so well that when one of the infected had an itch that just wouldn't go away I found myself feeling it too (at which point I had to take an immediate break and go walk outside). Something happened though around 60% when I came to the realization that the slow-paced and lack of build-up didn't appear to actually be leading to anything. And then there was the 'big revelation' as to why some people were surviving and some weren't... I was hoping for a bit more interesting of a reason. So I started losing interest. Life slowly kept getting worse but life went on, there was a predictable group of people that began doing anything they could to make others lives miserable... it was definitely lacking.
Other Random Issues
*I can't remember a YA I've read, ever, that didn't include a romance. (I'm sure I have but I really can't think of one off the top of my head). But in this particular case I felt it was completely unnecessary and really should have been left out for the better.
*So Kaelyn was able to review all of these medical records and determine the correlation between all the survivors. Maybe she's a genius (although considering she's 16 and only taking high school Algebra I'd have to say no). It was all incredibly far-fetched that she could figure out a way to save the human race but in moments of crisis is constantly forgetting to WEAR THE DAMN FACE MASK.
*And uh... birds?
*All this talk about self-defense training and I don't see a single kimora or choke hold. Lame.
There was something extremely enjoyable about this novel that I loved from the very start but unfortunately resulted in a mediocre overall opinion. The writing pace was very slow and detailed which reminded me a lot of The Age of Miracles (which I loved). I enjoy a slow build-up every now and then just as long as the climax is well worth it (which... hmm... what climax?). The writing style was at times difficult to grasp as it's written in the form of journal entries/letters to a friend that Kaelyn no longer speaks to; a friend left the island before the virus came to be.
I loved the storyline for one reason alone: the possibility that something like this could truly happen was terrifying. The symptoms of the virus were described so well that when one of the infected had an itch that just wouldn't go away I found myself feeling it too (at which point I had to take an immediate break and go walk outside). Something happened though around 60% when I came to the realization that the slow-paced and lack of build-up didn't appear to actually be leading to anything. And then there was the 'big revelation' as to why some people were surviving and some weren't... I was hoping for a bit more interesting of a reason. So I started losing interest. Life slowly kept getting worse but life went on, there was a predictable group of people that began doing anything they could to make others lives miserable... it was definitely lacking.
Other Random Issues
*I can't remember a YA I've read, ever, that didn't include a romance. (I'm sure I have but I really can't think of one off the top of my head). But in this particular case I felt it was completely unnecessary and really should have been left out for the better.
*So Kaelyn was able to review all of these medical records and determine the correlation between all the survivors. Maybe she's a genius (although considering she's 16 and only taking high school Algebra I'd have to say no). It was all incredibly far-fetched that she could figure out a way to save the human race but in moments of crisis is constantly forgetting to WEAR THE DAMN FACE MASK.
*And uh... birds?
Spoiler
How in the hell can a bird completely change your mind about throwing yourself off a cliff? That made no sense. And was kinda dumb.*All this talk about self-defense training and I don't see a single kimora or choke hold. Lame.
aneeqah's review against another edition
5.0
Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars
The Way We Fall came as kind of a surprise for me. I was thinking that it was going to be an average type read for me, because I hadn’t heard too many raving reviews about it. But I think I was even surprised by how much I ended up liking The Way We Fall. It was a fantastic survival story.
First off, I really liked the style of this book. It was written as a journal/letter to one of Kaeyla’s old friends, Leo. We got to see what happened with their friendship, without annoying flashbacks happening out of the blue. And I thought the narrative style was unique and fresh. It was first person, yes, but it was also past tense, which is kind of rare in the YA world [or, at least in my opinion], because the main character is writing about the events after they happened, since it’s a journal. Most of the time with 1st person, it’s always in the present tense. I thought it was kind of cool how in this book, it was so unique.
I liked the main character. At first, I wasn’t a huge fan of our main character Kaeyla, because she was so insanely shy. But I ended up really liking her at the end. She went through some hard times in the book, and she wasn’t the same old wimpy girl she was in the beginning. The character development in her was so subtle, I didn’t realize she was so changed by the end of the book until I thought a lot about it afterwards. Usually I can catch the character development in a story happening, but everything flowed so seamlessly in this book. It was wonderful. . Overall, Kaeyla was a lovely main character.
I really liked how realistic this story was. I can totally see this type of thing happening in our world today [which, I think makes this book kind of scary]. A mysterious new disease on an island, followed by a quarantine is very likely. And then we’re likely to forget about that island. It seems like such a big possibility. Everything, in the book really. There was some stealing involved in this book and some random acts of violence as well. That’s all a natural human response, that’s bound to happen if you’re in a quarantine when food supplies are running out. That made the book so much better, for me.
The one really negative thing I guess I have to say about this book is that it’s kind of slow-paced. Don’t get me wrong, there were some great plot twists that really kept me reading, but overall, the pace of the book was kind of slow. In the beginning especially, nothing much was happening in certain times. Just at some points, nothing was really happening. So I can really see how people wouldn’t like this book because of the slowness.
Overall, I ended up really liking this book. The characters were really great, and so was the style of writing. The only negative thing I have to say would be that it was slightly slow-paced. If you’re a fan of dystopia/post-apocalyptic, you definitely need to give this book a shot!
The Way We Fall came as kind of a surprise for me. I was thinking that it was going to be an average type read for me, because I hadn’t heard too many raving reviews about it. But I think I was even surprised by how much I ended up liking The Way We Fall. It was a fantastic survival story.
First off, I really liked the style of this book. It was written as a journal/letter to one of Kaeyla’s old friends, Leo. We got to see what happened with their friendship, without annoying flashbacks happening out of the blue. And I thought the narrative style was unique and fresh. It was first person, yes, but it was also past tense, which is kind of rare in the YA world [or, at least in my opinion], because the main character is writing about the events after they happened, since it’s a journal. Most of the time with 1st person, it’s always in the present tense. I thought it was kind of cool how in this book, it was so unique.
I liked the main character. At first, I wasn’t a huge fan of our main character Kaeyla, because she was so insanely shy. But I ended up really liking her at the end. She went through some hard times in the book, and she wasn’t the same old wimpy girl she was in the beginning. The character development in her was so subtle, I didn’t realize she was so changed by the end of the book until I thought a lot about it afterwards. Usually I can catch the character development in a story happening, but everything flowed so seamlessly in this book. It was wonderful. . Overall, Kaeyla was a lovely main character.
I really liked how realistic this story was. I can totally see this type of thing happening in our world today [which, I think makes this book kind of scary]. A mysterious new disease on an island, followed by a quarantine is very likely. And then we’re likely to forget about that island. It seems like such a big possibility. Everything, in the book really. There was some stealing involved in this book and some random acts of violence as well. That’s all a natural human response, that’s bound to happen if you’re in a quarantine when food supplies are running out. That made the book so much better, for me.
The one really negative thing I guess I have to say about this book is that it’s kind of slow-paced. Don’t get me wrong, there were some great plot twists that really kept me reading, but overall, the pace of the book was kind of slow. In the beginning especially, nothing much was happening in certain times. Just at some points, nothing was really happening. So I can really see how people wouldn’t like this book because of the slowness.
Overall, I ended up really liking this book. The characters were really great, and so was the style of writing. The only negative thing I have to say would be that it was slightly slow-paced. If you’re a fan of dystopia/post-apocalyptic, you definitely need to give this book a shot!
j_loop72's review against another edition
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
The book was a fast read. It started strong, but as you got to the end it seemed to just keep stretching out similar scenarios one after another. And then all of a sudden the book ends with no real conclusion to the main problem. I get it is a part of a series, but the end was very unsatisfying.
(Spoilers)
Having dealt with the covid years, you could replay a lot of that here. It’s basically the same story which made me interested in how the author would tackle the idea of a novel epidemic. There were a lot of similar themes but again no real payoff.
(Spoilers)
Having dealt with the covid years, you could replay a lot of that here. It’s basically the same story which made me interested in how the author would tackle the idea of a novel epidemic. There were a lot of similar themes but again no real payoff.
katrinacall's review against another edition
4.0
It took me a little bit to get in to… I think I may have been confused as to who she was writing to… but that could also be because my mind wandered off since I listened to it on audio. But I like that they left you wanting to read the next book…. Good choice on ending the book like that. I didn't love it, but I enjoyed reading (listening) to it!
elliotalderson's review against another edition
2.0
The Way We Fall is about a sixteen year old girl, our main character, named Kaelyn. She's about as ordinary as ordinary gets. She no longer has a best friend. She never really talks to the other kids she goes to school with. But then she decides she needs to make a change to her life. Be a new Kaelyn. The change does come, but not in a way she expected.
A strange, deadly virus overtakes the island Kaelyn lives on. It starts with an itch you just can't get rid of. Then comes the itchy throat, fever, coughing and sneezing. It isn't long before you're starting to get really friendly with everyone, talking without thinking. And then come the hallucinations... and eventually, death.
--
I was really excited about this book when I initially read about it. It sounded interesting and like it could be a nice change from the usual. I was right, it was different. But I'm not sure it was a good different. It took me awhile to get used to the writing style. I'm not sure why. It just wasn't flowing right for me. I got used to it eventually.
I liked how Kaelyn stepped up and always did what she thought was best. The epidemic really hit close to home for her and even though she was grieving, she never really gave up on helping people and doing what she thought was the right thing. Even when she was ready to give up, she realized it wasn't the right thing to do.
One of the things I particularly liked about this book was the relationship between Kaelyn and her little cousin, Meredith. I got a very maternal vibe from Kaelyn when it came to Meredith and I found it sweet. Definitely one of the high points of the book.
One of the low points was how the book was basically written as Kaelyn writing to Leo, her old best friend. I didn't really see why that was necessary. I know he was important to her and that he ties in a bit to her relationship with Tessa. I just don't see why that had to be the format.
Overall, the book wasn't bad. It just wasn't great. Three stars seemed too much so I settled on two. It seems kind of harsh, though. Oh well. I'll probably check out the sequel to see where the story goes.
A strange, deadly virus overtakes the island Kaelyn lives on. It starts with an itch you just can't get rid of. Then comes the itchy throat, fever, coughing and sneezing. It isn't long before you're starting to get really friendly with everyone, talking without thinking. And then come the hallucinations... and eventually, death.
--
I was really excited about this book when I initially read about it. It sounded interesting and like it could be a nice change from the usual. I was right, it was different. But I'm not sure it was a good different. It took me awhile to get used to the writing style. I'm not sure why. It just wasn't flowing right for me. I got used to it eventually.
I liked how Kaelyn stepped up and always did what she thought was best. The epidemic really hit close to home for her and even though she was grieving, she never really gave up on helping people and doing what she thought was the right thing. Even when she was ready to give up, she realized it wasn't the right thing to do.
One of the things I particularly liked about this book was the relationship between Kaelyn and her little cousin, Meredith. I got a very maternal vibe from Kaelyn when it came to Meredith and I found it sweet. Definitely one of the high points of the book.
One of the low points was how the book was basically written as Kaelyn writing to Leo, her old best friend. I didn't really see why that was necessary. I know he was important to her and that he ties in a bit to her relationship with Tessa. I just don't see why that had to be the format.
Overall, the book wasn't bad. It just wasn't great. Three stars seemed too much so I settled on two. It seems kind of harsh, though. Oh well. I'll probably check out the sequel to see where the story goes.
tinumorien's review against another edition
2.0
Honestly, I was fairly disappointed. I was expecting so much more after hearing good comments from friends. I was expecting a good dystopia novel with hardcore action, but it was kind of soft. I couldn't find myself connecting with the narrator much.
I also felt that the last bit of the book felt very rushed. It was like WOOSH Meredith is sick, Dad is dead, things with Gav are better and Leo is on the boat coming back. I really don't see how and why that would happen. Also, why would they all of a sudden let a ferry come back to the island if the government didn't check it out first???? I felt it wasn't planned out well. I actually threw my book across the room in frustration because of the horrible ending.
Other than that, the book is a super easy read. I read it in a day, and the language is too simple for my taste. Again, that's just my taste. Others may prefer this style much more. Kind of a 'meh' book.
I also felt that the last bit of the book felt very rushed. It was like WOOSH Meredith is sick, Dad is dead, things with Gav are better and Leo is on the boat coming back. I really don't see how and why that would happen. Also, why would they all of a sudden let a ferry come back to the island if the government didn't check it out first???? I felt it wasn't planned out well. I actually threw my book across the room in frustration because of the horrible ending.
Other than that, the book is a super easy read. I read it in a day, and the language is too simple for my taste. Again, that's just my taste. Others may prefer this style much more. Kind of a 'meh' book.