Book Review- The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe

The Way We Fall, by Megan Crewe, and published by Hyperion is a tense YA thriller. It will hit shelves on 1/24/12.

The Story (SPOILERS): Kaelyn and her family have returned to a small island off the coast of North America. Everything is just like normal, until Kaelyn goes to Rachel’s house to do a school project. While doing homework, Rachel’s dad comes into the room, coughing, sneezing, itching and talking ridiculous stuff. A few days later he is dead.


Soon, the island is cut of from the mainland and thrust into a quarantine. Kaelyn’s father, a microbiologist, works day and night at the hospital trying to find a cure, but still people keep getting sick, even Kaelyn’s mother.

As more people die, the community begins turning to anarchy, fighting for food and meds. When Kaelyn falls ill, it seems like the end, but when she recovers, she brings hope to the island. All together 6 people have recovered from the virus. Several months pass and soon most of the population is dead. Desperate to save the last member of her family still alive, her little cousin Meredith, Kaelyn uses her own blood as a serum to help. The story ends with Meredith maybe getting better and the ferry boat returning after months of desolation.

My Thoughts- A great thriller that blends reality and terror. The book is written as a type of journal, from Kaelyn to her friend Leo. We are able to watch day by day the spread of the illness and how it affects people. Unlike other thrillers, this illness is not a gory violent death. Instead, people have flu like symptoms and the desire to hug everyone.

The author does a great job detailing the panic that would ensue in a town when it is isolated and under quarantine. I really liked that the majority of the town residents kept things decent. Teenagers step forward and begin bringing food to those in need. Of course, there is the gang that breaks off and terrorizes everyone.

A subplot running through the book is the budding romance between Kaelyn and Gav. Amongst all the death, these two find strength in each other. As they grow closer, you can only hope that Gav survives, because you never know whose going to drop.

The characters are well developed, so you feel connected to many as they suffer. The only thing that took me by surprise is the ending, it was very abrupt. I’ve noticed a trend of abrupt endings lately in YA. Things are left hanging a bit, but hopeful, so if this is a single standing book, you think the ones that have survived so far will make it. But, I suspect that this is a series, so what I really want to know is if the virus spreads to the mainland and if the effects are more global.

A tense read, but really thought provoking. I'd say it’s good for ages 12 and up.