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sbojo32's review
3.0
Alternating between the perspectives of Olivia, leading up to the night of her fall and Abi (her mother), in the aftermath of the fall, The Night Olivia Fell is a mystery at its core. The book does have suspense, and I wanted to know what happened. However, it was also predictable. I figured out most of it and it was just a matter of reading to see how it all came together.
Olivia's chapters read a little bit like young adult fiction, but they were from the perspective of a 16-year-old girl. Abi came across as desperate (which is to be expected) but also naive. It was frustrating to read her, running blindly trying to figure out what happened, trusting the wrong people.
The story starts with knowing that something happened to Olivia. She was in an "accident" which her mom believes was not an accident, but a deliberate action. Olivia was so severely injured she is brain-dead and would never wake up. However, then it is discovered that she's pregnant. It's pretty easy to figure out who the baby's father is (even though plenty of people Abi talks to lie to her). I enjoyed the book, I enjoyed the story; I just wish there was a little more suspense.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Olivia's chapters read a little bit like young adult fiction, but they were from the perspective of a 16-year-old girl. Abi came across as desperate (which is to be expected) but also naive. It was frustrating to read her, running blindly trying to figure out what happened, trusting the wrong people.
The story starts with knowing that something happened to Olivia. She was in an "accident" which her mom believes was not an accident, but a deliberate action. Olivia was so severely injured she is brain-dead and would never wake up. However, then it is discovered that she's pregnant. It's pretty easy to figure out who the baby's father is (even though plenty of people Abi talks to lie to her). I enjoyed the book, I enjoyed the story; I just wish there was a little more suspense.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
kaleenazagrzebski's review
5.0
The Night Olivia Fell is an emotional story about Abi Knight, a single mother who gets the phone call no mother ever wants to get in the wee hours of the morning. Her daughter, Olivia, has fallen off a bridge. Not only is Olivia brain dead, but according to the law, the hospital has to keep her on life support. Because she’s pregnant.
When Abi notices the bruises on Olivia’s wrists that the doctors and police don’t seem to care about, Abi is determined to find out what really happened to her daughter, and who the father of her unborn grandchild is.
During flashbacks told from Olivia’s perspectives, we find out what she was going through during the months leading up to her fall. Olivia is a teenager trying to figure out who her father is and who she is, trying to prove to her mom that she can get into college, get a good job, and meet the man of her dreams, without her mom monitoring her every move.
I loved the alternating perspectives between mother and daughter and the differing timelines. I thought it was very effective for this type of story. You had a pretty good iea how Olivia’s storyline was going to end, you just needed a few details worked out.
Definitely an emotional read towards the end as the storylines wrap up. I loved the emotional element to this mystery. I think the best description of this book would be described as a mystery written by Taylor Jenkins Reid. You read the book waiting and guessing the big reveal you know is coming, while leaving you an emotional wreck in the process.
When Abi notices the bruises on Olivia’s wrists that the doctors and police don’t seem to care about, Abi is determined to find out what really happened to her daughter, and who the father of her unborn grandchild is.
During flashbacks told from Olivia’s perspectives, we find out what she was going through during the months leading up to her fall. Olivia is a teenager trying to figure out who her father is and who she is, trying to prove to her mom that she can get into college, get a good job, and meet the man of her dreams, without her mom monitoring her every move.
I loved the alternating perspectives between mother and daughter and the differing timelines. I thought it was very effective for this type of story. You had a pretty good iea how Olivia’s storyline was going to end, you just needed a few details worked out.
Definitely an emotional read towards the end as the storylines wrap up. I loved the emotional element to this mystery. I think the best description of this book would be described as a mystery written by Taylor Jenkins Reid. You read the book waiting and guessing the big reveal you know is coming, while leaving you an emotional wreck in the process.
jennabuythebook's review
3.0
Good mystery but I don’t think I picked this one up at the right time. Even though we know what will inevitably happen to Olivia, a terribly sad ending nonetheless.
boskycat's review against another edition
3.0
Suggested book for an online bookclub book. Thrillers are what I enjoy and I got what I wanted. The book started with the death of Olivia. The rest of the book goes back and forth in time from the POV of Olivia and Abi, her mother. There were enough interesting plot points to keep me reading. However, was disappointed by the juvenile writing style throughout the book.
lookingforamandaa's review
3.0
I’m having a hard time while thinking about this book. I don’t think I would say that I enjoyed it, but I really needed to know what happened. I think the author did a good job writing this story. The twists and turns were not ones I predicted. I think I would have liked this book if Olivia had just died. But her being in the hospital with no brain activity, but being kept alive because she was pregnant made me uncomfortable. I think that’s because I have a daughter and since having her, I have a tough time with bad things happening to kids.
I liked that the story went back and forth between Olivia’s perspective in the past and Abi’s perspective in the present. I thought this was a good way to create more suspense. We follow Abi as she tries to figure out what happened to Olivia, but we also get to see the events from Olivia’s point of view leading up to that night.
Overall, this was a well written and interesting story. Certain parts didn’t sit well with me, but that’s a personal thing for me. The book was suspenseful and I couldn’t put it down until I knew exactly what had happened. I was also really happy with the ending.
I liked that the story went back and forth between Olivia’s perspective in the past and Abi’s perspective in the present. I thought this was a good way to create more suspense. We follow Abi as she tries to figure out what happened to Olivia, but we also get to see the events from Olivia’s point of view leading up to that night.
Overall, this was a well written and interesting story. Certain parts didn’t sit well with me, but that’s a personal thing for me. The book was suspenseful and I couldn’t put it down until I knew exactly what had happened. I was also really happy with the ending.