Review: We All Fall Down by Natalie D. Richards

Title:  We All Fall Down 

Author:  Natalie D. Richards
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Publishing Date: October 3rd, 2017

Pages: 368
Genre: YA Mystery/Suspense

Series:  Stand Alone
Source:  ARC 

 

Theo's always been impulsive. But telling Paige how he feels? He's obsessed over that decision. And it's time. Tonight. At the party on the riverbank, under the old walking bridge, site of so many tales of love and death.

Paige has had a crush on Theo since they first met, but she knows her feelings are one-sided. She's trying to move on, to flirt. A party at the river is just what she needs. Except a fight breaks out, and when Paige tries to intervene--Theo's fist lands in her face.

All Theo and Paige want to do is forget that fateful night. But strange events keep drawing them back to the bridge. Someone, something is determined to make them remember...and pay for what they each did.

I was excited for the release of this book. I read one other book by this author and I very much loved it. The premise of this story looked interesting and promising. I was very excited. Unfortunately, this book didn't reach my expectations. 

This story is about a girl and boy who are friends, who started to crush on each other, who didn't have the nerve to tell each other, who had a night where things went wrong and their friendship broke. This is also a story about a bridge, lovers, carved initials, and hauntings. Mainly though, its a story about a boy and girl who find their way back to other when they are so desperately trying not to. 

This story really had promise and at the beginning, I was intrigued. The story starts off good but then it just wasn't. It started off exciting than with each page turn I started to lose interest, the story lost its oomph. I was really just bored for most of the read. I did, however, want to know what was going on so I kept reading. 

The pacing was slow for me, however, that wouldn't have bothered me if I liked the characters or if their angst made sense to me. The characters just didn't fit for me. I did;t feel a connection to them or feel a connection between the two. They were best friends on the verge of more and then once an accidental punch tears them apart. I understand how things got messed up but the continued distance, disconnect, and steady attempts to forget each other really bothered me. I don't see how this could have happened or made sense under these circumstances. The incident that tore them apart was an accident and something that shouldn't have happened but really wasn't all they made it out to be.  I guess you would just need to read it and make up your own mind but, accidentally hitting your friend who attempts to stop a fight is not violence towards the friend. It's violence yes, and something that needs to stop yes... but I just didn't feel it warded for Paige to totally call off all relationship ties with Theo. Seemed immature and silly to me. All I felt from both Theo and Paige was way too much angst. 

The mystery was okay, the hauntings and the bridge were interesting. Way more interesting than the fight between Paige and Theo but I don't feel like there was enough there for the story to be good. I feel this should have been the center of the story, the focus but it wasn't. I wasn't satisfied with the ending or conclusion of it all. 

I did think the writing style was good. The setting and the tone felt perfect for the story of the bridge. Take away the teen angst and drama add a bit more to the mystery and the hauntings... would have been great. The story was there, the execution was not. I was in the mood for a great eerie and dark read but just didn't get it. 

It didn't hit its mark with me. I needed more, wanted more. 

Lifelong Ohioan, Natalie D. Richards, spent many years applying her writing skills to stunningly
boring business documents. Fortunately, she realized she’s much better at making things up, and
has been writing for teens ever since. A champion of aspiring authors, Richards is a frequent
speaker at schools, libraries, and writing groups. She lives in Ohio with a Yeti, a Wookie (her
dogs) and her wonderful husband and children.