The Upside of Falling Down (by Rebekah Crane) Review

The Upside of Falling Down (by Rebekah Crane) Review

I’ve successfully written and posted three posts for this years Blogtober (1, 2, 3) – I really didn’t expect to get to this point so, to anyone reading these posts, thank you for giving them a look!

I really don’t have a plan what my Blogtober posts will be, something I know is a cardinal sin in the blogging world, so – from now to the 31st of October- expect anything.

One thing I do know is that I’m loving writing book reviews and I’m also really loving being able to read whatever I want. I loved studying at uni, and part of me wishes I would’ve continued on with a masters, but I really did miss just reading because I want to rather than feeling like I was reading because I had to.

I went back to my usual cheesy YA books with my latest read, “The Upside of Falling Down”, and here’s what I thought.

Blurb

Clementine Haas is lucky to be alive, but she doesn’t feel lucky. After waking up in an Irish hospital with complete amnesia, she makes it her mission to remember and rediscover herself.

She assumes a new identity and enlists a stranger to help her move on from the life she’s forgotten.

Just as she begins to enjoy her new life, her lies (and the Irish press) bearing down on her threaten everything.

Review

I have a terrible memory, that’s for sure, but I’m nowhere near having amnesia. Luckily, Crane is great at describing Clementine’s struggles. I loved the idea of her writing a list of things she’s learning about herself in a little book, and I thought the hatred for her tattoo was funny.

I also liked how Clementine was likeable and the plot was original, too. Going back to YA novels after reading classics and whatever else I was made to read at uni, I was worried I’d find them boring. I didn’t need to worry though because Crane kept it interesting through weaving the present and aspects of the past into the narrative.

The secondary characters, Kieran and Siobhan, as well as Stephen and Clive, all added something extra to the story. Kieran enabled the romance, Siobhan became an obstacle for Clementine (who goes by Jane once she meets Kieran, something she explains the reason for a lot better than I would), whilst Stephen and Clive helped Clementine/Jane find herself as well as providing comedic relief when the story got a little heavy or boring.

The only thing I will say, against this book, is that it felt rushed. The Irish Press gave it loads about her being a plane crash survivor, but it wasn’t really mentioned other than a few flashbacks scenes and her face being in the paper. The romance, too, seemed a bit rushed at times. Also, I didn’t like the twist. I’m not going to spoil, in case anyone feels like reading, but it just made the story become a bit far fetched and cringey once the big twist was revealed.

That being said, I still think it’s worth a read. It made me escape whatever’s going on in my life and find myself in someone else’s and it really made me want to get onto the next plane to Ireland- and find myself a nice looking Irish guy!