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A review by apolloapproved
How We Fall Apart by Katie Zhao
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
My Book Blog — Apollo Approved
Thank you Bloomsbury USA Children's Books for sending me an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
Reveiw
I have one thing to say. And that is: Mass texting an entire school is not a thing. Why does it feel like so many mystery plotlines revolve around that? I just sit there like, "This literally cannot happen." And even if it could, how the hell would they all have this person's contact saved. Like literal bruh.
Okay, so this book basically follows a group of four high school juniors who are pretty much trying to prove their innocence in the death of their former friend. Sound familiar? Wonder why…*cough [b:One Of Us Is Lying|32571395|One of Us Is Lying (One of Us is Lying, #1)|Karen M. McManus|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1490084494l/32571395._SY75_.jpg|49825436] cough*. Anyway, as is expected, all these main characters have their fair share of secrets, some of which are just slightly over dramatic and more than a little unbelievable. I won't say them here because spoilers (I wonder if there's a way to hide spoilers on here like on Goodreads…), but let's just say Krystal? Probably could've dialed that down.
I definitely think some of the more interesting parts of the book came in the form of the struggles the main characters faced. For example, Nancy and how she's a scholarship student at a private high school full of rich kids (sans Alexander). Also, factor in that she's Asian American and the book really highlights pressures students experience against these barriers.
The plot. It was so dramatic that it was like GIVE ME MORE, but at the same time it was so extra that in the back of your mind you're always going, "really?" The dialogue. You could almost explicitly tell that it was meant for almost younger young adults, I guess. I'm sure a twelve-year-old could read this and enjoy it maybe more than a fifteen-year-old could. That's mostly because when the characters end up being the same age as you, you almost expect them to act and do exactly as you do, and when they do anything remotely juvenile-esque you're like okay maybe this isn't for me?
Also, the book was fairly short, only about 350 pages. Which left much to be desired. Especially regarding the suspense, I definitely could've used more. This had a severe case of, "Oh, your classmate was murdered? Well, okay. Get to class!" Hopefully that will get better in the next installment, and hopefully at least one or two characters will become more attachment worthy. Especially because Anon doesn't count.
Finally, the finale. The reveal was…meh. As soon as just about anyone starts this they'll dwindle from two to one options as to who the mysterious "Proctor" is, and almost everyone is going to guess right. That being said, the way the reveal went down was slightly surprising because we didn't really get any hints as to it being that way, but maybe that just adds to the intrigue. I'm sure if a reread happened, I'd find little tidbits that would be utter eye-openers.
Thank you Bloomsbury USA Children's Books for sending me an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
Reveiw
I have one thing to say. And that is: Mass texting an entire school is not a thing. Why does it feel like so many mystery plotlines revolve around that? I just sit there like, "This literally cannot happen." And even if it could, how the hell would they all have this person's contact saved. Like literal bruh.
Okay, so this book basically follows a group of four high school juniors who are pretty much trying to prove their innocence in the death of their former friend. Sound familiar? Wonder why…*cough [b:One Of Us Is Lying|32571395|One of Us Is Lying (One of Us is Lying, #1)|Karen M. McManus|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1490084494l/32571395._SY75_.jpg|49825436] cough*. Anyway, as is expected, all these main characters have their fair share of secrets, some of which are just slightly over dramatic and more than a little unbelievable. I won't say them here because spoilers (I wonder if there's a way to hide spoilers on here like on Goodreads…), but let's just say Krystal? Probably could've dialed that down.
I definitely think some of the more interesting parts of the book came in the form of the struggles the main characters faced. For example, Nancy and how she's a scholarship student at a private high school full of rich kids (sans Alexander). Also, factor in that she's Asian American and the book really highlights pressures students experience against these barriers.
The plot. It was so dramatic that it was like GIVE ME MORE, but at the same time it was so extra that in the back of your mind you're always going, "really?" The dialogue. You could almost explicitly tell that it was meant for almost younger young adults, I guess. I'm sure a twelve-year-old could read this and enjoy it maybe more than a fifteen-year-old could. That's mostly because when the characters end up being the same age as you, you almost expect them to act and do exactly as you do, and when they do anything remotely juvenile-esque you're like okay maybe this isn't for me?
Also, the book was fairly short, only about 350 pages. Which left much to be desired. Especially regarding the suspense, I definitely could've used more. This had a severe case of, "Oh, your classmate was murdered? Well, okay. Get to class!" Hopefully that will get better in the next installment, and hopefully at least one or two characters will become more attachment worthy. Especially because Anon doesn't count.
Finally, the finale. The reveal was…meh. As soon as just about anyone starts this they'll dwindle from two to one options as to who the mysterious "Proctor" is, and almost everyone is going to guess right. That being said, the way the reveal went down was slightly surprising because we didn't really get any hints as to it being that way, but maybe that just adds to the intrigue. I'm sure if a reread happened, I'd find little tidbits that would be utter eye-openers.
❝ Everyone thought Jamie Ruan was perfect. Nobody knew what she was willing to do, how far she was willing to go, to maintain the flawless image she'd crafted. ❞
All in all, How We Fall Apart was a pretty good mystery with a group of students out to clear their names, face secrets being revealed along the way, and full of over-the-top drama. No stress because the cliffhanger wasn't huge, but there are more secrets to be unveiled…
Read…If You Liked…
• One of Us Is Lying
• Ace of Spades
• Crazy Rich Asians