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_inge's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book had me hooked from the start. Alice felt incredibly real, and I had no issue envisioning her life from the first pages. I love especially how her husband is seen to try his hardest but doesn’t quite get ‘it’, which made their communication issues understandable - even though this is usually something that can really put me off in a novel. The way Alice’s mental health develops felt very real too, I’m not surprised the author consulted women with similar experiences on this as it did come across as natural. Initially she’s quite funny and seems a bit conflicted, but gradually she spirals further and further. Some segments reminded me of Mona Awad’s writing. I love magical realism, horror, and unreliable narrators, so this was perfect for me.
The only downside to me is that the last quarter didn’t feel very necessary. The story seems to wrap up at one point, and I didn’t really need more of the plot to feel satisfied with the ending. I wouldn’t have minded an ambiguous ending, given the story as a whole could be interpreted in different ways as well. It would’ve been clear enough to feel like a fitting end. Instead, the last quarter increases the magical elements and wants to highlight generational trauma more. I actually felt less satisfied with this additional context than I would’ve felt if the book ended about 50 pages earlier.
If you’re into some of the topics I’ve mentioned here, you’re surely going to enjoy reading this book. I’d like to read more from Native authors after reading this as well.
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Gun violence, and Self harm
bedtimesandbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Genocide, Gun violence, Mental illness, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
minniepauline's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, and Colonisation
Moderate: Addiction and Alcoholism
fiaharringbook's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism
alicelalicon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Gaslighting
baileyanabella's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Slight spoiler alert in the content warnings - but if you are sensitive to dark themes I recommend looking over them, there is a lot in this book.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Confinement, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Gaslighting
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Alcohol
lettuce_read's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Racism, and Grief
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
And Then She Fell is the story of Alice, a Mohawk woman married to a white man and the mother of a newborn who has recently moved to suburban Toronto. I found Alice’s story to be a rich one, full of many layers, and while I’m not a fan of horror I thought horror elements were used here to excellent effect. The first half of the story appears straightforward. We first meet Alice as a young teen and witness the beginning of her mental health problems, as she sees and hears things that aren’t actually there. It’s clear that intergenerational trauma, misogyny, sexism and the legacy of colonisation plays into this. As an adult her mental health struggles are exacerbated by her move to the city where she feels alienated and unwelcome, encounters micro aggressions as well as more blatant racism, and is also troubled by cultural appropriation - her husband building his career on the back of her culture, gaining knowledge she hasn’t had access to. Add in the tough reality of a new baby and postpartum depression and it’s not a total surprise when she experiences a total psychotic break. Or does she? For at this point the story takes a really interesting turn. I don’t want to give too much away but it definitely left me with lots to think about - particularly the cultural lens through which we view mental illnesses, how something that is viewed as an illness in one culture could be viewed very differently by someone steeped in the knowledge of another culture. I was also left pondering the power of cultural knowledge and understanding, as well as the nature of horror, particularly that which is part of some people’s everyday reality. While aspects of this novel were tough to read - none more so than Alice’s terror at her hallucinations - there were other aspects that were a delight. Chief amongst these was the bonds between the women in Alice’s life. Her aunt, niece and cousin clearly had her back but by the end of the novel we’d seen that the bonds of female solidarity and empowerment ran far deeper and were much more complex. There is also a story within a story - a version of a Haudenosaunee creation story which Alice is attempting to write. There are clear parallels to be made between Alice’s story and that of the Sky Woman. The ending Alice crafted for her was perfect. I’d love to see this book on the shortlist.
Graphic: Addiction, Mental illness, Racism, Grief, Death of parent, and Colonisation
savvylit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Mental illness, Racism, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Colonisation
jessicakornelsen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Drug abuse, Genocide, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, and Classism