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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
Okay, this book was kind of a whirlwind of emotion and suspense with a wee bit of facepalm. The story was a good one and hooks you right away with the shock of Olivia's "accident" and of course you feel for her mothers struggle to find out what happened. As you're reading it's easy notice a few things she really doesn't pay attention to because she's so caught up in her distress, you can't blame her but oh do you want to shake her just a little. You also know you've really become an adult when you're shaking your head everytime a teenager lies, damn kids. The ending is what really got me though, it was so emotional and heartbreaking, I may have even cried a little bit..
This fell between 2-3 stars for me. I’ve read stories similar to this before, so the plot wasn’t really original. I figured out the killer very quickly, and the writing was juvenile to the point that every “twist” was painfully obvious. Also dialogue was terrible. Whenever someone got overwhelmed they became instantly enraged. It was bizarre. Not my favorite. Bumped up to 3 because the very end was sentimental.
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a really quick and easy read, great if you’re in a bit of a slump.
*slight spoilers*
Not going to lie the first few chapters of the book sucked me in! As I kept reading the plot started to become predictable. Olivia wasn’t the quiet good girl everyone knew. Abi was also hiding secrets of her own.
At times it felt like I was reading a “Lifetime” movie.
For example:
Poor girl has a secret affair with the towns prominent son, gets pregnant and is paid to “take care of it” but keeps the baby in secret. I don’t understand why Abi stayed in the same town of the baby’s father. Did she not think Olivia wouldn’t put two and two together one day?? *sighs*
The final showdown at the end left me dissatisfied to say the least. The whole reasoning had my eyes rolling. Overall it wasn’t a bad read and the story did hold my attention. It just didn’t work out in my favor.
*NetGalley Review*
Not going to lie the first few chapters of the book sucked me in! As I kept reading the plot started to become predictable. Olivia wasn’t the quiet good girl everyone knew. Abi was also hiding secrets of her own.
At times it felt like I was reading a “Lifetime” movie.
For example:
Poor girl has a secret affair with the towns prominent son, gets pregnant and is paid to “take care of it” but keeps the baby in secret. I don’t understand why Abi stayed in the same town of the baby’s father. Did she not think Olivia wouldn’t put two and two together one day?? *sighs*
The final showdown at the end left me dissatisfied to say the least. The whole reasoning had my eyes rolling. Overall it wasn’t a bad read and the story did hold my attention. It just didn’t work out in my favor.
*NetGalley Review*
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I thought it flowed easily between mother and daughter narration and past vs. present. There were several characters that could be responsible for Olivia falling, but the ending isn’t necessarily shocking. The scenario is believable, as are the ripple effects. I’d read more by Christina McDonald.
This was exactly the right book for the start of 2020. It was engaging, fast-paced, compulsively readable, and I really enjoyed it!
In the early morning hours of one October day, Abi Knight receives a call that every mother dreads: Her daughter, Olivia, has been found at the bottom of a bridge. She is effectively brain dead but she must remain on life support as she is pregnant, and they cannot legally terminate her life while the baby still lives.
Crushed under the enormous weight of grief, as well as the knowledge that she will now be raising a grandchild, Abi is determined to find out what happned to her daughter. The police believe it was an accident, but Abi is positive foul play was involved and she will do anything, and upset anyone, to find the truth.
Told in alternating perpsectives between Olive in the months leading to her "accident" and Abi in present day, this book weaves a suspensful tale that makes you wonder....how well do you really know your children?
This book is compared to Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight and, though I stand by the comparison (the plots are very similar), The Night Olivia Fell was what I had hoped Reconstructing Amelia would be.
First, I feel it is important for those who wish to pick up this book to know that this really is all about the journey. It is about you feeling Abi's desperation as she tracks down who is responsible for her dauther's death. It is about you questioning the honesty of every suspect and not knowing who to trust as everyone has equal motive to be guilty. It is about you following Olivia as she arrives to the place that left her brain dead and broken.
I say this, because the ending, is not going to be a surprise. As I have mentioned plenty of times before, with a limited cast of characters, there are only so many different plot twists that can occur and so you have to be ready for the fact that you will likely guess the ending. Or, atleast, not be shocked when the culprit is revealed
However, it was really the journey of this story that truly grabbed me, and didn't let go. I found myself thinking of this book when I wasn't reading it, and ended up finishing the audiobook in less than two days.
I also appreciated how the author did not rely on standard "mean girl" tropes to further the plot. Olivia herself was a smart, solid, respectable young woman. Additionally, this story is not really following cliques or other typical tropes you might find in these circumstances. I found this very refreshing and I was pleasantly surprised.
In the early morning hours of one October day, Abi Knight receives a call that every mother dreads: Her daughter, Olivia, has been found at the bottom of a bridge. She is effectively brain dead but she must remain on life support as she is pregnant, and they cannot legally terminate her life while the baby still lives.
Crushed under the enormous weight of grief, as well as the knowledge that she will now be raising a grandchild, Abi is determined to find out what happned to her daughter. The police believe it was an accident, but Abi is positive foul play was involved and she will do anything, and upset anyone, to find the truth.
Told in alternating perpsectives between Olive in the months leading to her "accident" and Abi in present day, this book weaves a suspensful tale that makes you wonder....how well do you really know your children?
This book is compared to Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight and, though I stand by the comparison (the plots are very similar), The Night Olivia Fell was what I had hoped Reconstructing Amelia would be.
First, I feel it is important for those who wish to pick up this book to know that this really is all about the journey. It is about you feeling Abi's desperation as she tracks down who is responsible for her dauther's death. It is about you questioning the honesty of every suspect and not knowing who to trust as everyone has equal motive to be guilty. It is about you following Olivia as she arrives to the place that left her brain dead and broken.
I say this, because the ending, is not going to be a surprise. As I have mentioned plenty of times before, with a limited cast of characters, there are only so many different plot twists that can occur and so you have to be ready for the fact that you will likely guess the ending. Or, atleast, not be shocked when the culprit is revealed
However, it was really the journey of this story that truly grabbed me, and didn't let go. I found myself thinking of this book when I wasn't reading it, and ended up finishing the audiobook in less than two days.
I also appreciated how the author did not rely on standard "mean girl" tropes to further the plot. Olivia herself was a smart, solid, respectable young woman. Additionally, this story is not really following cliques or other typical tropes you might find in these circumstances. I found this very refreshing and I was pleasantly surprised.
As a mother, simply reading the description of this book tore my heart out and I knew I had to pick it up... I'm so glad I did. A fabulous read - heartbreaking and tragic but I could not put it down!?
Abi wakes to the call no parent should get - that her daughter Olivia has been in a tragic accident. Having always felt so close to her daughter, Abi begins a search for answers after finding out that everything she knew about Olivia is a lie.
How far will a mother's love go? To the ends of the earth of course....
My first book by this author and I'll surely be back for more!!
Abi wakes to the call no parent should get - that her daughter Olivia has been in a tragic accident. Having always felt so close to her daughter, Abi begins a search for answers after finding out that everything she knew about Olivia is a lie.
How far will a mother's love go? To the ends of the earth of course....
My first book by this author and I'll surely be back for more!!
Olivia’s mom, Abi, gets a call in the early morning hours that her daughter is in the hospital. She finds out her daughter is brain dead but the doctors need to keep her on life support to protect the baby. Abi is shocked to find out Olivia is pregnant. She starts on a mission to find out what happened to her daughter that is heart wrenching. The story is told in alternating chapters from Olivia’s viewpoint leading up to the fall and Abi’s viewpoint after the fall. I loved this style of writing. I read this book in 2 days because I could not put it down. I would highly recommend this book!
Beginning was slow to me but once details came to light and showed how everything was connected, I couldn't stop reading. I finished the book in one day and was bawling my eyes when I finished. Such a great book!
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes