Monday, September 8, 2014

Review: Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang

Monday, September 8, 2014 with 6 comments
Title: Falling Into Place
Author: Amy Zhang
Series: n/a
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication Date: September 9th, 2014
Source: Received from Publisher via Edelwiess
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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On the day Liz Emerson tries to die, they had reviewed Newton’s laws of motion in physics class. Then, after school, she put them into practice by running her Mercedes off the road.

Why? Why did Liz Emerson decide that the world would be better off without her? Why did she give up? Vividly told by an unexpected and surprising narrator, this heartbreaking and nonlinear novel pieces together the short and devastating life of Meridian High’s most popular junior girl. Mass, acceleration, momentum, force—Liz didn’t understand it in physics, and even as her Mercedes hurtles toward the tree, she doesn’t understand it now. How do we impact one another? How do our actions reverberate? What does it mean to be a friend? To love someone? To be a daughter? Or a mother? Is life truly more than cause and effect? Amy Zhang’s haunting and universal story will appeal to fans of Lauren Oliver, Gayle Forman, and Jay Asher.


I really LOVED this book. I wasn't sure if I was going to because I kept seeing all this talk of sadness. All that stuff, it's true. It's sad as hell, there are parts that had me tearing up like a baby, but it is so beautifully written. *sigh* I love books that surprise me and this one really did. :) 

The fact I loved it came as a surprise because Liz Emerson is an asshole. I was not a fan of her. Usually that kills a book for me, but there was something about her that I liked. A tiny redeeming quality about her that made me still feel for her, even after all the horrible things she does. As the story goes on, you learn more about why she's the person she is. Life has not been kind to that girl, and my heart went out to her. All the while I wanted to punch her in her stupid face. 

One thing about Falling Into Place that you should know is, it bounces around a lot. The chapters are pretty short for the most part, and each one is told from a different time. Example, you will have a chapter from 2 days before the accident, then a day after the accident, and back to say... minutes before the accident. I kind of loved that, it switched things up for me, and always kept me on my toes. It is why it took me a little longer to get this one finished though. I only picked it up when I could give it my fullest attention. 

I really dislike comparing books to other books, but I kept thinking how.. if Lauren Oliver's book Before I Fall and Gayle Forman's book If I Stay got married and had a baby.... Falling into Place would be it. So in the description, I can see why it's recommended to fans of these authors. 

I would have to say that's the only reason it didn't earn a full 5 stars from me, based on the simple fact that it felt too familiar at times. Overall though, great debut and I would definitely recommend it.  :)





About the author:


Amy Zhang used to have lots of imaginary friends. When people told her to grow up, she turned her imaginary friends into characters and started telling their stories. When she isn't writing, she can be found playing piano, hitting balls on the tennis court, or struggling through her weekly existential crisis. She lives in Wisconsin with her family.

Find Amy:

Website | TwitterFacebookGoodreads



6 comments:

  1. I've never heard of this book before!! It sounds so interesting. Coming from a person who devoured Before I Fall and If I Stay, I'm sure this will be a great book for me to had to my library. Thanks for a great post, April! :)

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  2. I'm reading this one right now and agree that the writing is incredibly strong. The story is SO SAD SO FAR. I've not been eager to pick it up because of that. I need to make some progress in it and seeing that you enjoyed it will help me do that. Great review Jen!

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  3. I hope the "bouncy" timeline won't be too confusing for me. I've been salivating for this book since I've seen it on my Twitter feed.

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  4. I just started this one. Good to know that Liz is rude but that it's a great book. i like to be kept on my toes and I hope I am while I get further and further into it. Great review!

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  5. I need to make time for this soon, because I think I'm going to be in the 'love camp' with this one. <3 Lovely review, April!

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  6. I just have a feeling this one will be entirely too depressing for me. Part of the reason I still haven't read Before I Fall, too. I have it, though, so I'm sure I'll get to it one day when I'm in the mood for the sads. :)

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