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b_tellefsen_rescuesandreads's review
4.0
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.
kayleenconnor's review
5.0
This was a very well put together book. I enjoyed the back and forth as to who could have done it mystery. This book had me in tears at the end. Would highly recommend.
About the only word of caution I would say is that Olivia’s mother Abi was getting on my nerves for a bit. She was so set on getting help with her daughter’s case that when help was offered here and there she would reject it...like well what is it that you want? I can only assume the writer was playing her as the role of grieving but seemed a little over kill at times.
About the only word of caution I would say is that Olivia’s mother Abi was getting on my nerves for a bit. She was so set on getting help with her daughter’s case that when help was offered here and there she would reject it...like well what is it that you want? I can only assume the writer was playing her as the role of grieving but seemed a little over kill at times.
aschae's review
5.0
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!!
catreader18's review
5.0
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!
daniellemeryssa's review
5.0
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!
susan_loves_stories's review against another edition
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
4.0
melli80's review
5.0
Ok so my suspect list was accurate kinda.. I love the way it flowed and the way the author told this story.. however I will warn you when you get to the ending chapters have some tissue.. you will cry..
I received an arc from netgalley in return for an honest review
I received an arc from netgalley in return for an honest review
abookloversdiary's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
booksums's review
2.0
It’s difficult to decide whether or not I liked The Night Olivia Fell. Kind of. I think I just wanted to keep reading to confirm my own theories about Olivia’s fall, most of which were based on very obvious cues that sort of ruined the element of surprise. The mystery itself was simple, so it wasn’t difficult to piece together what would be revealed at the end of the book. This was disappointing because there was little shock value at all, and it made reading feel a bit tedious. There were some elements of the story that I wasn’t expecting, but they weren’t gratifying enough to be worth it and were just a bit cliche.
Apart from the plot, the characters were also just okay. Abi or Abigail Knight, Olivia’s mother, was probably my favourite, solely because of how well her character was developed throughout the story. She isn’t exactly likeable, but her motivations as a mother in the situation she was in were understandable (in some ways, at least). Though that isn’t to say that I liked her character or that it was well-written or well-developed, it was just miles ahead of the rest. The other characters weren’t treated as well as she was, not even her daughter Olivia, whose story the novel explores through a dual lens of her past and her mother’s present experiences. Her character was just as unlikeable, unfortunately. Even more so for characters like Madison, Tyler and Derek, who played significant roles throughout the entire story. These characters felt very one-dimensional, and their development, both as individuals and figures in Olivia’s life, was lacking. All of this, paired with the predictable plot (and lack thereof) along with the awkward dialogue, made The Night Olivia Fell pretty unremarkable.
The book itself wasn’t awful, which is why I gave it two stars instead of one, but I don’t think I’ll be reading any of the author’s other works anytime soon.
Apart from the plot, the characters were also just okay. Abi or Abigail Knight, Olivia’s mother, was probably my favourite, solely because of how well her character was developed throughout the story. She isn’t exactly likeable, but her motivations as a mother in the situation she was in were understandable (in some ways, at least). Though that isn’t to say that I liked her character or that it was well-written or well-developed, it was just miles ahead of the rest. The other characters weren’t treated as well as she was, not even her daughter Olivia, whose story the novel explores through a dual lens of her past and her mother’s present experiences. Her character was just as unlikeable, unfortunately. Even more so for characters like Madison, Tyler and Derek, who played significant roles throughout the entire story. These characters felt very one-dimensional, and their development, both as individuals and figures in Olivia’s life, was lacking. All of this, paired with the predictable plot (and lack thereof) along with the awkward dialogue, made The Night Olivia Fell pretty unremarkable.
The book itself wasn’t awful, which is why I gave it two stars instead of one, but I don’t think I’ll be reading any of the author’s other works anytime soon.
editorsel's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75