sc104906's review against another edition
3.0
Raychel has always been close with the Richardson brothers and family. Her best friend is the older brother Matt, who has been harboring a major crush on her for years. She only sees him as a friend. However, after being sexually assaulted by one of her classmates, Raychel begins reaching out for comfort from the Richardson boys, Matt as a friend and romantically with the younger brother Andrew. Neither knows really what happened between Raychel and the boy who hurt her, but she is working on finding her voice and demanding that guys treat her the way she demands to be treated.
This novel works through the concept of consent. It discusses society's acceptance of allowing men to take advantage of women because they were asking for it or implying things implicitly. Raychel and co. were forced to look unflinchingly at themselves, which made many of the characters unlikable.
This novel works through the concept of consent. It discusses society's acceptance of allowing men to take advantage of women because they were asking for it or implying things implicitly. Raychel and co. were forced to look unflinchingly at themselves, which made many of the characters unlikable.
paigepages's review against another edition
3.0
The first half of this book was really good; I thought, "hey this is a pretty entertaining, light read." Then the second half came and had me sobbing.
kspear22's review against another edition
5.0
It's very rare for me to be blindsided by the emotional range and depth of a book. But After the Fall did just that. After reading the synopsis, I expected a love triangle and I got that. I also got so much more.
Raychel is poor. She wants to get out of the town she's grown up in, but everything that could go wrong seems to do so. Matt is the opposite. He leads a charmed life and is almost guaranteed to be heading to Duke next year. They've been best friends forever. Matt, however, wants more. He just doesn't know how to say it. Then there's his younger brother, Andrew. He's the opposite of Matt in almost every way. Not so serious, a bit of a slacker. Together, the three of them comprise a sort of Musketeers gang.
Initially, we see Raychel dealing with the after effects of a hookup gone wrong. She's questioning herself and what had happened. No one else knows and her struggle carries over into her friendships. Matt knows something is wrong, but doesn't know how to get it out of her. As things begin to fall apart further, Raychel finds solace in an unlikely source—Andrew.
After the Fall is told from two points of view: Raychel and Matt. I felt this was absolutely crucial to the story considering each character's differing feelings. What one thinks the other doesn't realize. I completely understood her frustration with Matt, but once his perspective came into play, it helped paint him into a better light. Somewhat. I did have issues with Matt as a character. He was very opinionated and judgmental. Times when he thought he was being helpful tended to make situations worse. And I'm not saying Raychel was perfect. Not even close. But her station in life was the polar opposite of his, and he had a hard time seeing that. Andrew was absolutely my favorite character. He had a goofy charm and charisma. Where Matt tried to be serious and pressure Raychel into making choices that wouldn't work for her, Andrew just listened and offered comfort. He let her be her.
This story is invaluable. It broaches many subjects, and consent is probably the most important. I felt feminist vibes nearly every time Raychel spoke. It's important for young women to read so they don't take the blame for something that was someone else's fault. But beware. This is by no means an easy read. The last half is emotionally gripping. My heart was in a vise. But it's REAL. That's what I appreciated most. Because life isn't always like the movies.
Raychel is poor. She wants to get out of the town she's grown up in, but everything that could go wrong seems to do so. Matt is the opposite. He leads a charmed life and is almost guaranteed to be heading to Duke next year. They've been best friends forever. Matt, however, wants more. He just doesn't know how to say it. Then there's his younger brother, Andrew. He's the opposite of Matt in almost every way. Not so serious, a bit of a slacker. Together, the three of them comprise a sort of Musketeers gang.
Initially, we see Raychel dealing with the after effects of a hookup gone wrong. She's questioning herself and what had happened. No one else knows and her struggle carries over into her friendships. Matt knows something is wrong, but doesn't know how to get it out of her. As things begin to fall apart further, Raychel finds solace in an unlikely source—Andrew.
After the Fall is told from two points of view: Raychel and Matt. I felt this was absolutely crucial to the story considering each character's differing feelings. What one thinks the other doesn't realize. I completely understood her frustration with Matt, but once his perspective came into play, it helped paint him into a better light. Somewhat. I did have issues with Matt as a character. He was very opinionated and judgmental. Times when he thought he was being helpful tended to make situations worse. And I'm not saying Raychel was perfect. Not even close. But her station in life was the polar opposite of his, and he had a hard time seeing that. Andrew was absolutely my favorite character. He had a goofy charm and charisma. Where Matt tried to be serious and pressure Raychel into making choices that wouldn't work for her, Andrew just listened and offered comfort. He let her be her.
This story is invaluable. It broaches many subjects, and consent is probably the most important. I felt feminist vibes nearly every time Raychel spoke. It's important for young women to read so they don't take the blame for something that was someone else's fault. But beware. This is by no means an easy read. The last half is emotionally gripping. My heart was in a vise. But it's REAL. That's what I appreciated most. Because life isn't always like the movies.
michelle_pink_polka_dot's review against another edition
3.0
This book made me so mad and I wish I could tell you all the reasons why. But I can't because SPOILERS. But I will tell you some of the reasons.
Reason A-- Raychel. As soon as I saw that this Rachel spelled her name with a "Y" I knew she was going to be annoying. And I was right. She was all up in her own head-- trying to make the reader think she "didn't want to stand out", but she was constantly playing the victim and waiting for Matt or Andrew to come save her.
There is a sexual assault part to this book, and I'm certainly not referring to that when I say she wanted to be saved. It was all these other dumb things-- like constantly hurting her ankle and getting too drunk to walk and needing them to carry her and such that IRKed me.
Reason B-- Matt. Oh my god could this boy get any more pathetic? There was nothing I liked about him. Not only was he a uptight goody-goody, but there was a storyline where he was like trying to be better about being respectful to women-- but then he didn't change anything in the end, so I don't really know what the point of all of it was except to make me think he was a bigger DOUCHE than I already thought he was.
Reason C-- UUGHHHHGHGHWKHWOIHFNJNSK!!! The spoilery thing I can't tell you about. I found it so unnecessary and all it did for me was take the only part of the book I liked and set it on fire.
So I guess this looks like I didn't like the book. See, that's where my feelings get COMPLICATED because I kind of did like this book. I liked it enough to not want to stop reading it. I liked it enough to THINK about it long after I stopped reading it. I know for sure this is a book that won't soon leave my mind because UGHHHH the spoilery things that happen are so infuriating!!!
I wasn't super impressed by the writing (like I said the characters talk unnecessarily in their own heads a lot & say things like "nothing much happened on Monday" and "StuCo"), but there was something about the story and the drama that hooked me. I also enjoyed some of the tough conversations that the characters had about consent, treating people with respect, and it being okay to be sex positive but also okay to say no when you want to.
The last 1/3 of the book felt like a very different book. There's an event that takes place and things change so drastically that I'm not sure I wanted so much story after it took place. I did like the ending though because if it would've turned out differently I would have SCREAMED. But I didn't scream, I was calm, and all was well.
I'm going to go ahead and recommend this because I do think it's worth reading. It's not boring, and I can see where some people might like the big emotional "twist".
OVERALL: A book I liked despite being so ANGERED that I almost threw a Kindle. It's the story of 2 really annoying friends and a kick-ass brother-- and drama happens and things get COMPLICATED and SAD and UGLY. I think it's worth trying if you like Contemporary.
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Reason A-- Raychel. As soon as I saw that this Rachel spelled her name with a "Y" I knew she was going to be annoying. And I was right. She was all up in her own head-- trying to make the reader think she "didn't want to stand out", but she was constantly playing the victim and waiting for Matt or Andrew to come save her.
There is a sexual assault part to this book, and I'm certainly not referring to that when I say she wanted to be saved. It was all these other dumb things-- like constantly hurting her ankle and getting too drunk to walk and needing them to carry her and such that IRKed me.
Reason B-- Matt. Oh my god could this boy get any more pathetic? There was nothing I liked about him. Not only was he a uptight goody-goody, but there was a storyline where he was like trying to be better about being respectful to women-- but then he didn't change anything in the end, so I don't really know what the point of all of it was except to make me think he was a bigger DOUCHE than I already thought he was.
Reason C-- UUGHHHHGHGHWKHWOIHFNJNSK!!! The spoilery thing I can't tell you about. I found it so unnecessary and all it did for me was take the only part of the book I liked and set it on fire.
So I guess this looks like I didn't like the book. See, that's where my feelings get COMPLICATED because I kind of did like this book. I liked it enough to not want to stop reading it. I liked it enough to THINK about it long after I stopped reading it. I know for sure this is a book that won't soon leave my mind because UGHHHH the spoilery things that happen are so infuriating!!!
I wasn't super impressed by the writing (like I said the characters talk unnecessarily in their own heads a lot & say things like "nothing much happened on Monday" and "StuCo"), but there was something about the story and the drama that hooked me. I also enjoyed some of the tough conversations that the characters had about consent, treating people with respect, and it being okay to be sex positive but also okay to say no when you want to.
The last 1/3 of the book felt like a very different book. There's an event that takes place and things change so drastically that I'm not sure I wanted so much story after it took place. I did like the ending though because if it would've turned out differently I would have SCREAMED. But I didn't scream, I was calm, and all was well.
I'm going to go ahead and recommend this because I do think it's worth reading. It's not boring, and I can see where some people might like the big emotional "twist".
OVERALL: A book I liked despite being so ANGERED that I almost threw a Kindle. It's the story of 2 really annoying friends and a kick-ass brother-- and drama happens and things get COMPLICATED and SAD and UGLY. I think it's worth trying if you like Contemporary.
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faithsmom's review against another edition
1.0
The characters were so unlikeable I only got about 50 pages in before deciding to not read it. I skipped ahead and after reading other reviews, realized I didn't miss much.
blondelibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Matt and Raychel have always been best friends. His younger brother, Andrew, has always been in the background, sometimes included, sometimes not. In their senior year, their relationships change forever. Liked the characters and the story moved along at a good pace (meaning I wasn't tempted to read the end and flip through the middle.)
romancelandias's review against another edition
5.0
This book was dark, gut-wrenching, tragic and very, very impactful. I found it interesting to read from pov's of two characters, boy and girl, who weren't each others love interests. Raychel and Matt have been best friends since they were kids, and one of them may or may not want something more, but they're not necessarily a good match. Nothing in this book will go in the direction you expect it to.
This book is not a love story. It has some romance, but it takes up very little of the book and is far from being all rainbows and unicorns. I was also surprised at how....problematic and frustrating Matt could be at times. Entitled, selfish and even a little misogynistic at times. I wouldn't call him a horrible person, but he did come off as very morally grey at times. In the end though, I think he really learned from it all and went on to become a better person. This was one of the most harrowing and heartbreaking books I read this month, and I could not recommend it enough.
This book is not a love story. It has some romance, but it takes up very little of the book and is far from being all rainbows and unicorns. I was also surprised at how....problematic and frustrating Matt could be at times. Entitled, selfish and even a little misogynistic at times. I wouldn't call him a horrible person, but he did come off as very morally grey at times. In the end though, I think he really learned from it all and went on to become a better person. This was one of the most harrowing and heartbreaking books I read this month, and I could not recommend it enough.
charmaineac's review against another edition
5.0
What an incredible book! The less you know going into it, the better. I was sold on this book from its initial premise — one girl, two adoring brothers... it's one of my favourite tropes! And to be honest, the fallout from that situation (Carson, Matt, Andrew, etc.) would have already been enough to make an enriching story. And then all of a sudden, the story progression shattered. And that made this book really stand out.
I find that there are usually two types of story progressions: the most basic form is a struggle all the way through the story, that culminates in a happily ever after. Slightly above that, a story can progress with some unsustainable perfection for a while, only for it to fall apart in hundreds of pieces. The rest of the story is then dealing with the fallout, leading to a slightly imperfect but more satisfying end. Think of putting the pieces back together like stained glass. Well, in this case, the story fell apart in millions of pieces. And rather than a stained glass replica, the image wound up looking entirely different. This analogy is getting far too long and crazy, but the point is: I didn't expect the story to go where it did, and the fall out SUCKED, but I felt an immense sense of catharsis by the end of it all.
Kate Hart definitely thought about all the consequences of her storytelling choices. There's a conversation between Raychel and her mother, imagining an alternate reality that would've left the families something for keeps. I can totally imagine Hart running through this scenario in depth. It would have been fascinating, but an entirely different story altogether.
As it is, this book already covers a lot of issues. Rape. The friend zone. Love triangles. Family. Wealth inequality, and socioeconomic prejudices (because there is always someone beneath you). Subtle racism (the kind that's too small to deal with). Grief. Substance use and abuse. But I swear, it's not an after school special.
The sad part is, I really think these two could've gotten the ending EVERYONE expected if this brother acted sooner. Raychel already considered it briefly, and only later came to love the fact that a boy seemed to like her platonically. Maybe that's Carson's fault. Maybe it's the other brother's fault, for taking action sooner. Raychel never expected him to make a move, but was really glad when he did. Would it have been the same if our main man went for it first? There were a million junctures where these two could've ended up together, but each one falling out of place led to this completely different result.
Against all odds, I want their families to stay intertwined. My heart ached for Mrs. Richardson. Her reaction — "How could she betray our trust like that?" — was so unexpected but made perfect sense. Everything happened so fast. What if they spoke sooner? What if the discovery didn't happen there? We can always beat ourselves up over the "what ifs" when accidents happen. But at the end of the day, the thing that matters most is that they happened at all.
I find that there are usually two types of story progressions: the most basic form is a struggle all the way through the story, that culminates in a happily ever after. Slightly above that, a story can progress with some unsustainable perfection for a while, only for it to fall apart in hundreds of pieces. The rest of the story is then dealing with the fallout, leading to a slightly imperfect but more satisfying end. Think of putting the pieces back together like stained glass. Well, in this case, the story fell apart in millions of pieces. And rather than a stained glass replica, the image wound up looking entirely different. This analogy is getting far too long and crazy, but the point is: I didn't expect the story to go where it did, and the fall out SUCKED, but I felt an immense sense of catharsis by the end of it all.
Kate Hart definitely thought about all the consequences of her storytelling choices. There's a conversation between Raychel and her mother, imagining an alternate reality that would've left the families something for keeps. I can totally imagine Hart running through this scenario in depth. It would have been fascinating, but an entirely different story altogether.
As it is, this book already covers a lot of issues. Rape. The friend zone. Love triangles. Family. Wealth inequality, and socioeconomic prejudices (because there is always someone beneath you). Subtle racism (the kind that's too small to deal with). Grief. Substance use and abuse. But I swear, it's not an after school special.
The sad part is, I really think these two could've gotten the ending EVERYONE expected if this brother acted sooner. Raychel already considered it briefly, and only later came to love the fact that a boy seemed to like her platonically. Maybe that's Carson's fault. Maybe it's the other brother's fault, for taking action sooner. Raychel never expected him to make a move, but was really glad when he did. Would it have been the same if our main man went for it first? There were a million junctures where these two could've ended up together, but each one falling out of place led to this completely different result.
Against all odds, I want their families to stay intertwined. My heart ached for Mrs. Richardson. Her reaction — "How could she betray our trust like that?" — was so unexpected but made perfect sense. Everything happened so fast. What if they spoke sooner? What if the discovery didn't happen there? We can always beat ourselves up over the "what ifs" when accidents happen. But at the end of the day, the thing that matters most is that they happened at all.
avalydia's review against another edition
4.0
More like 3.5.
This book was right up my alley and also eerily similar to a story I once wrote. Partly because of that story, I went into this one assuming Raychel would end up with Matt.
I'm still not quite sure I understand why she didn't. There were definitely hints at the beginning that she was attracted to Matt, hoping he would make a move, and leaning towards Andrew because she thought she couldn't have Matt. But then after Andrew died, she completely lost interest in Matt, and the conclusion seemed to be that he was an asshole for never asking her what she wanted (except he had planned to ask her the day Andrew died)? And then at the end he finally asked her for her side of the story and she told him about Carson, but she had definitely already done that earlier on the book?
Also, the more I think about it, Andrew never really had much substance as a character - he was just everything that Matt was not, and somehow oddly sensitive when Raychel and the plot needed him to be. (I should note that I didn't think Matt was particularly sensitive/aware, either.) It was sad when he died because Raychel and Matt's grief felt so raw and real, but I didn't mourn him as a character.
I did like that, towards the end, Raychel started forming closer bonds with her female friends. That was a nice touch and something that isn't focused on too often in other YA books I've read.
Anyway, despite my dissatisfaction with the resolution, I enjoyed reading this right up until the end, and the writing was quite good.
This book was right up my alley and also eerily similar to a story I once wrote. Partly because of that story, I went into this one assuming Raychel would end up with Matt.
I'm still not quite sure I understand why she didn't. There were definitely hints at the beginning that she was attracted to Matt, hoping he would make a move, and leaning towards Andrew because she thought she couldn't have Matt. But then after Andrew died, she completely lost interest in Matt, and the conclusion seemed to be that he was an asshole for never asking her what she wanted (except he had planned to ask her the day Andrew died)? And then at the end he finally asked her for her side of the story and she told him about Carson, but she had definitely already done that earlier on the book?
Also, the more I think about it, Andrew never really had much substance as a character - he was just everything that Matt was not, and somehow oddly sensitive when Raychel and the plot needed him to be. (I should note that I didn't think Matt was particularly sensitive/aware, either.) It was sad when he died because Raychel and Matt's grief felt so raw and real, but I didn't mourn him as a character.
I did like that, towards the end, Raychel started forming closer bonds with her female friends. That was a nice touch and something that isn't focused on too often in other YA books I've read.
Anyway, despite my dissatisfaction with the resolution, I enjoyed reading this right up until the end, and the writing was quite good.