wendie7's review
4.0
I really liked this book and probably would have considered it 4.5 stars had I not hated the ending. I was on the edge of my seat and then suddenly it was like "And then X happened and now I only have three pages left so la la la The end." Totally a cop out ending, if you ask me. Otherwise, loved it!
rstashick's review
4.0
An interesting read. The thoughts and actions of a religious cult are captured well and the ingrained beliefs left with a survivor are the basis of this story. I enjoyed this book, but it got a bit slow mid way through. Still a four star book for me.
samantherh's review
5.0
Really good book!
It would've been nice to find out what ended up happening with Sunny and her children and whether or not she was able to overcome the obstacles she was facing in the end. I would love to read another book that continues this story.
It would've been nice to find out what ended up happening with Sunny and her children and whether or not she was able to overcome the obstacles she was facing in the end. I would love to read another book that continues this story.
marryallthepeople's review
2.0
Gah, this was such an excellent premise but I couldn't get into the execution of it. Was it poorly written or was I just not interested? It's hard to tell ...
shelleyrae's review
4.0
Exploring the issues of identity, family and faith, All Fall Down is a thought provoking and intriguing novel.
Nineteen year old Sunshine has grown up in The Family of Superior Bliss, whose teachings of environmental sustainability and physical well being have been twisted by the charismatic cult leader to include harsh punishments, sexual abuse and psychological torture. When her mother commands Sunny to leave the compound in the middle of the night to seek shelter with the biological father she has never met, Sunny flees with her three children into the darkness.
The arrival of Sunshine and her children, Peace, Happy and Bliss, on their doorstep shocks Christopher and his wife, Leisel, who nevertheless invite the family into their home. Bewildered and wary, Sunny is devastated when the morning news reports a mass suicide at the compound and she is left to make her way in an unfamiliar world that she has been taught poisons and corrupts. Adjusting to her new life in the home of her father and stepmother proves to be a challenge when the comforting message of the Family continues to beckon.
When there is just enough truth within a lie it is much easier to believe the veracity of what is said in it's entirety, and I think the author skilfully show how cults ensnare it's members and then are able to convince them of less rational notions. Essentially the tenets of the Family of Superior Bliss are reasonable, to recycle and reuse, to be healthy both physically and mentally and to support one another but the aims are more lure than practice, perverted by a narcissist leader whose taste for extremism is allowed to flourish. It is understandable that Sunny would try to hold onto the only 'truths' she has ever known and Hart shows how difficult it is for Sunny to separate the socially acceptable messages she has learnt from the negative ones. It's a very sympathetic characterization of a cult victim, Sunny is both heart breakingly naive and vulnerable and yet has amazing inner strength to examine what she has been taught and adjust to new expectations. That the path is difficult is hardly surprising.
Equally interesting are the repercussions of Sunny's unexpected arrival for Leisel and Chris. The pair had to adjust to not only the practicalities of their household swelling by four new members but also get to know Sunny and her children, and help them integrate into society. Leisel in particular was repeatedly challenged in her own beliefs and choices which I think was an interesting counterpoint to the adjustments Sunny has to make. I was less interested in Leisel's quest for motherhood and felt it to be somewhat of an irrelevant issue that detracted from the story. I didn't think much of Chris, his guilt seemed insincere, though I was glad he eventually made some steps towards supporting both his daughter and his wife.
There was potential for the author to examine the issues in the novel more deeply but I think the story is accessible in a way that a more involved treatment would not allow. All Fall Down is an unusual and fascinating perspective of a compelling subject and is sure to stay with you.
Nineteen year old Sunshine has grown up in The Family of Superior Bliss, whose teachings of environmental sustainability and physical well being have been twisted by the charismatic cult leader to include harsh punishments, sexual abuse and psychological torture. When her mother commands Sunny to leave the compound in the middle of the night to seek shelter with the biological father she has never met, Sunny flees with her three children into the darkness.
The arrival of Sunshine and her children, Peace, Happy and Bliss, on their doorstep shocks Christopher and his wife, Leisel, who nevertheless invite the family into their home. Bewildered and wary, Sunny is devastated when the morning news reports a mass suicide at the compound and she is left to make her way in an unfamiliar world that she has been taught poisons and corrupts. Adjusting to her new life in the home of her father and stepmother proves to be a challenge when the comforting message of the Family continues to beckon.
When there is just enough truth within a lie it is much easier to believe the veracity of what is said in it's entirety, and I think the author skilfully show how cults ensnare it's members and then are able to convince them of less rational notions. Essentially the tenets of the Family of Superior Bliss are reasonable, to recycle and reuse, to be healthy both physically and mentally and to support one another but the aims are more lure than practice, perverted by a narcissist leader whose taste for extremism is allowed to flourish. It is understandable that Sunny would try to hold onto the only 'truths' she has ever known and Hart shows how difficult it is for Sunny to separate the socially acceptable messages she has learnt from the negative ones. It's a very sympathetic characterization of a cult victim, Sunny is both heart breakingly naive and vulnerable and yet has amazing inner strength to examine what she has been taught and adjust to new expectations. That the path is difficult is hardly surprising.
Equally interesting are the repercussions of Sunny's unexpected arrival for Leisel and Chris. The pair had to adjust to not only the practicalities of their household swelling by four new members but also get to know Sunny and her children, and help them integrate into society. Leisel in particular was repeatedly challenged in her own beliefs and choices which I think was an interesting counterpoint to the adjustments Sunny has to make. I was less interested in Leisel's quest for motherhood and felt it to be somewhat of an irrelevant issue that detracted from the story. I didn't think much of Chris, his guilt seemed insincere, though I was glad he eventually made some steps towards supporting both his daughter and his wife.
There was potential for the author to examine the issues in the novel more deeply but I think the story is accessible in a way that a more involved treatment would not allow. All Fall Down is an unusual and fascinating perspective of a compelling subject and is sure to stay with you.
brookerhi's review
2.0
This book pretty much fell flat. Not a lot happened, and when something did, it didn't really make sense or add to the plot of the story.
rosepetals1984's review
4.0
Initial reaction: I'll likely rate this either 3.5 or 4 stars. Still need some time to think on the whole of it. I really liked the complexity of the characters and the various trials they went through in this novel. It's a bit of culture shock for Sunny and her kids moving into her father's family after leaving their old lives behind after a horrible set of events. It's a multidimensional eye to many difficult subjects, though I felt the ending was a bit quick for the jarring conflict that happens toward the end. Still, I appreciated the entire read.
Full review:
I read this book in its entirety back in March of 2020, but I'm only now just returning to give my full reflections on the novel. Originally, I had received this novel as an ARC from NetGalley back in 2011, but the galley expired before I could ever finish it (hence why on Goodreads my reading dates are so far apart).
It's not a secret that Megan Hart is one of my favorite authors for the level of depth and nuance that she gives the the stories she tells in any genre she's writing in. The tale of "All Fall Down" centers on a controversial portrayal from the very beginning, trading between dual perspectives that have so many complicated layers that I found it hard not to be taken in by both of them.
Liesel is a woman who's always wanted to start a family with her husband, but such an ambition had always been sidelined by her husband, Chris, who didn't want any children. They have had multiple disagreements centering on the matter, and Liesel feels the weight of her fracturing relationship with Chris. At the same time, 19-year old Sunshine (Sunny) flees with her young siblings in the middle of the night at her mother's bidding from a cult-like group in which all of the members die at the bidding of their leader. The intersection of Liesel and Sunny's stories are at the core of this novel, and how the two of them intersect begins a complex, visceral experience of navigating family, relationships, love, culture, and trauma.
Sunny's tale is particularly tragic on the level of having to untangle the life she was taught while in the Family of Superior Bliss and the world outside of the group. Sunny's collective narrative recounts abuse and survivor's guilt in the mix as well, some implied and other mentions overt. It's not that she hasn't had to interact with "Blemished" individuals, as she identifies those outside the "Family." Rather, her interactions were limited and dictated by a stringent set of rules. So it's a very different experience for her to show up literally on Liesel's and Chris's doorstep, recognizing Chris as her biological father alongside bringing her three siblings: Happy, Bliss, and Peace. I did find myself cringing to a certain extent hearing Sunny's continuous naivete, but I understood where it came from. I felt for Sunny in so many moments of the narrative where she struggles to do the right thing by her family and siblings. It's particularly heartbreaking knowing what happens to Sunny through the novel and getting to the point where she feels like there's no path to move forward in what are mutually contradictory lives she's been asked to abide by the rules of. Also having her social and moral expectations meeting up against violations that she struggles to comprehend.
Liesel's journey through this novel has many complexities as well. Suddenly inheriting four children - including a newborn - is a task in itself, not to mention having to adjust to Sunny and her siblings' approaches to the world/teachings. Liesel tries to embrace the experience as much as she can at first, but the weight of responsibility threatens to crush her. Chris's approach and support to his newfound family is sporadic as well, which frustrates Liesel and causes many rifts between them. There were (read: many) times that I thought Liesel was selfish in her approach and assumptions, but I later understood that she was neither prepared, nor fully equipped, to be able to deal with everything. Hart's writing peels back layers of both Liesel and Sunny's psyches, to the point it feels so realistic and jarring when you observe events through their viewpoints. I loved that level of detail and depth in the overarching story, as much as it hurt to read at times.
I thought the ending of "All Fall Down" came a bit too quick given the steady build-up of tensions paced through the novel. Still it ended on a note that I felt could either lend to another story or at least give a hint of progression in both Liesel and Sunny's narratives. I felt it was very much worth the time taken to read and it's a story that I'm glad - among others - to have in my personal library. My recommendation for it is for those who enjoy slow burn, character driven stories, with an eye to contradictory worlds and reckonings between characters who are heavily flawed.
Overall score: 4/5 stars.
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley from the publisher Harlequin MIRA, but I also own a copy of this book in my personal library.
Full review:
I read this book in its entirety back in March of 2020, but I'm only now just returning to give my full reflections on the novel. Originally, I had received this novel as an ARC from NetGalley back in 2011, but the galley expired before I could ever finish it (hence why on Goodreads my reading dates are so far apart).
It's not a secret that Megan Hart is one of my favorite authors for the level of depth and nuance that she gives the the stories she tells in any genre she's writing in. The tale of "All Fall Down" centers on a controversial portrayal from the very beginning, trading between dual perspectives that have so many complicated layers that I found it hard not to be taken in by both of them.
Liesel is a woman who's always wanted to start a family with her husband, but such an ambition had always been sidelined by her husband, Chris, who didn't want any children. They have had multiple disagreements centering on the matter, and Liesel feels the weight of her fracturing relationship with Chris. At the same time, 19-year old Sunshine (Sunny) flees with her young siblings in the middle of the night at her mother's bidding from a cult-like group in which all of the members die at the bidding of their leader. The intersection of Liesel and Sunny's stories are at the core of this novel, and how the two of them intersect begins a complex, visceral experience of navigating family, relationships, love, culture, and trauma.
Sunny's tale is particularly tragic on the level of having to untangle the life she was taught while in the Family of Superior Bliss and the world outside of the group. Sunny's collective narrative recounts abuse and survivor's guilt in the mix as well, some implied and other mentions overt. It's not that she hasn't had to interact with "Blemished" individuals, as she identifies those outside the "Family." Rather, her interactions were limited and dictated by a stringent set of rules. So it's a very different experience for her to show up literally on Liesel's and Chris's doorstep, recognizing Chris as her biological father alongside bringing her three siblings: Happy, Bliss, and Peace. I did find myself cringing to a certain extent hearing Sunny's continuous naivete, but I understood where it came from. I felt for Sunny in so many moments of the narrative where she struggles to do the right thing by her family and siblings. It's particularly heartbreaking knowing what happens to Sunny through the novel and getting to the point where she feels like there's no path to move forward in what are mutually contradictory lives she's been asked to abide by the rules of. Also having her social and moral expectations meeting up against violations that she struggles to comprehend.
Liesel's journey through this novel has many complexities as well. Suddenly inheriting four children - including a newborn - is a task in itself, not to mention having to adjust to Sunny and her siblings' approaches to the world/teachings. Liesel tries to embrace the experience as much as she can at first, but the weight of responsibility threatens to crush her. Chris's approach and support to his newfound family is sporadic as well, which frustrates Liesel and causes many rifts between them. There were (read: many) times that I thought Liesel was selfish in her approach and assumptions, but I later understood that she was neither prepared, nor fully equipped, to be able to deal with everything. Hart's writing peels back layers of both Liesel and Sunny's psyches, to the point it feels so realistic and jarring when you observe events through their viewpoints. I loved that level of detail and depth in the overarching story, as much as it hurt to read at times.
I thought the ending of "All Fall Down" came a bit too quick given the steady build-up of tensions paced through the novel. Still it ended on a note that I felt could either lend to another story or at least give a hint of progression in both Liesel and Sunny's narratives. I felt it was very much worth the time taken to read and it's a story that I'm glad - among others - to have in my personal library. My recommendation for it is for those who enjoy slow burn, character driven stories, with an eye to contradictory worlds and reckonings between characters who are heavily flawed.
Overall score: 4/5 stars.
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley from the publisher Harlequin MIRA, but I also own a copy of this book in my personal library.