Mini Reviews: The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe and Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald

From Goodreads: It starts with an itch you just can't shake. Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throat. A few days later, you'll be blabbing your secrets and chatting with strangers like they’re old friends. Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in. And then you're dead. 

When a deadly virus begins to sweep through sixteen-year-old Kaelyn’s community, the government quarantines her island - no one can leave, and no one can come back. Those still healthy must fight for dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival. As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest. Because how will she go on if there isn't?

My Rating: 3.5 hearts

Thoughts on the Novel: The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe is a book that imagines would happen if a relatively isolated community were to suffer an outbreak of a new and unknown virus. How would the government react? How would members of the community deal with the situation? What’s nice about the novel is that because the story is set on an island, quarantining people actually becomes a plausible solution. When that happens of course, emotions get heightened and the best and worst in people are brought out.

Although Crewe escalates the situation gradually to increase tension, I never felt a sense of urgency to turn the pages as quickly as possible. Part of this was because of the slow pacing and part of it was because the book was narrated in the form of diary entries to Leo, Kaelyn’s ex-best friend who we learn a little about but only appears right before the abrupt ending. The entries were written obviously after things already happened so it felt a little like I was reading about Kaelyn’s past. This sort of made it hard to completely connect with the characters, and made me feel as if I was watching the action from a distance.   

The Way We Fall was released by Disney-Hyperion in January 2012.

In exchange for an honest review, this ARC was received from the publisher (Disney-Hyperion) for free via NetGalley.

original image from thegate.ca

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From Goodreads: Seventeen-year-old Sadie is in love: epic, heartfelt, and utterly onesided. The object of her obsession - ahem, affection - is her best friend, Garrett Delaney, who has been oblivious to Sadie's feelings ever since he sauntered into her life and wowed her with his passion for Proust (not to mention his deep-blue eyes). For two long, painful years, Sadie has been Garrett's constant companion, sharing his taste in everything from tragic Russian literature to art films to '80s indie rock - all to no avail. But when Garrett leaves for a summer literary retreat, Sadie is sure that the absence will make his heart grow fonder - until he calls to say he's fallen in love. With some other girl! A heartbroken Sadie realizes that she's finally had enough. It's time for total Garrett detox! Aided by a barista job, an eclectic crew of new friends (including the hunky chef, Josh), and a customized selfhelp guide, Sadie embarks on a summer of personal reinvention full of laughter, mortifying meltdowns, and a double shot of love. 

My Rating: 3 hearts

Thoughts on the Novel: When reading Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald, expect a book that’s slow and doesn’t have much romance since McDonald’s latest book is more about self-discovery as Sadie attempts to find out who she is without the influence of Garrett.  

Garrett was around a little bit in the beginning part of the novel, but because he soon leaves for camp, I didn’t get as annoyed at Sadie for obsessing over Garrett as I would have normally. I mean, she falls in love with him pretty much instantly after she spots him for the first time, and immediately thinks they’re fated to be together just because she’s sitting next to the only free table in the room. Two years later, Garrett – who didn’t really leave a good first impression on me – still has no clue his best friend is in love with him because Sadie is too chicken, I guess, to tell him that she’d like to be more than friends. Once Sadie realizes that she needs to get over Garrett though, I liked her much more. It was fun seeing her twelve steps to detoxify herself of Garrett and hang out with new people who had such different personalities and backstories from each other and him. 

Getting Over Garrett Delaney was released in January 2012 by Candlewick Press 2012.

In exchange for an honest review, this ARC was received from the publisher (Candlewick Press) for free via NetGalley.