If I Fall

Circle and Cross #1

by Kelseyleigh Reber

Elvira Hamilton's parents are taken from her on a terrifying night in 1901. They are the victims of a war raging in the shadows of Edwardian England -- a struggle between wielders of supernatural powers known as Marked and the violent Radicals who are hunting them to extinction. With little choice but to flee, seventeen-year-old Elvira and her young sister stow away aboard the RMS Celtic in hopes of reaching safety in America. But they soon discover that the war they left behind has followed them, and that there is no escaping the Radicals.

In her struggle to survive aboard the ship, Elvira meets Adam Laurence, a mysterious and handsome young man from first class. She must decide whether to trust him, and whether to tell him her secret -- that she is Marked, yet has no powers. If she reveals her true nature, her fate will be in his hands. But if she lies about her past, she risks losing the only ally she has.

If I Fall is the first of three books in the Circle & Cross saga.

Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction

238 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 2011

About the author

Kelseyleigh Reber is the author of If I Fall and If I Resist, the first two installments in the Circle & Cross Trilogy. She lives in Pennsylvania with her family where her favorite room remains her bedroom turned library. Having loved reading and creating the written word since she was a small girl, Kelseyleigh is a self-professed bibliophile with a passion for both the fantastical and historical. She also has a strong passion for chocolate, but that book has yet to be written.

Reviews

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic. I can't even begin on how action packed it was. When I was reading it I assumed that the action at the beginning of the novel would be it but I was wrong.

Elvira and Dela Hamilton just make it out of their village when the Radicals attack it. The price they had to pay was their house being burned down and their parents being left behind. Both of them have to leave England as soon as possible before the Radicals find and kill them. Elvira and Dela both have a Mark on their wrist that enables them to have special powers which labels them as Marked. Elvira, at sixteen, still hasn't presented a power and it frustrates her since her twelve year old sister Dela has already developed one. They both sneak onto a ship en route to America where they will hopefully be reunited with their parents and will be free from the raging war between the Radicals and the Marked. When Elvira leaves her hiding spot to find food for herself and Dela she gets caught stealing and takes off just to run into Adam Laurence. Adam ends up saving Elvira from being thrown off the ship and from that moment on the two of them develop a connection. Their connection mixed with what Elvira and Dela really are along with the battle between the Radicals and Marked mix into a noxious but ideal combination on the ship. The suspense skyrockets from there where it continues all the way to the last page.

[Saba · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I Fall was one of the MOST ELOQUENT and BRILLIANT novel I have come across in the YA category. The writing is not only authentic and true to the time period but it is also filled with profoundness that gives the book its lovely charm.

Set in the transition between the Victorian and Edwardian era, the mannerisms of the characters are refined and the descriptions are very expressive. It was so genuine, I felt as if I had dived into the time period itself. The main character, Elvira Hamilton, is richly developed throughout the story, along with many of the other major characters. In addition, the handsome Mr. Adam Laurence will have the female readers swooning due to his charming antics.

I could go on and on, but in short, I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend this novel! This crafted work of brilliance will leave readers (such as myself) begging for more. You will definitely not be disappointed!!!!!!

[Deanna Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Read it in one sitting. Can't wait for #2.

[Shakila Reiff · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, I was bored, even though it wasn't lacking in action. I didn't particularly like the storyline. Adam seemed unrealistic and cheesy and typical, and just weird. I didn't mind Elvira, but kind of felt blah about her, so when something supposedly scary happened to her, or sad, I didn't care. I liked Dela most of the time.
I feel like the writer was trying too hard to make it sound profound. But I liked the parts where she made something out of the ordinary happen from the typical things she made happen.

[Sarita Roth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. For me, it read really fast and kept me interested throughout. I was on the edge of my seat, waiting to find out what was going to happen between Adam and Elvira. And I couldn't wait to find out the fate of both girls. I first found out about this book from my husband who was one of Kelseyleigh's professor at Franklin & Marshall, so I am glad I finally got to read it and I'm looking forward to the next book.

[Moiety · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quick YA read that leaves a lot to be desired. Aside from the mostly unexplained Radicals versus Marked conflict, the focus is on the relationship between Elvira and Adam. His immediate interest in her, their first meeting, never grabbed me; it felt forced, unnatural. I would have liked to know more about the Marked, their significance, their history, why the Radicals were so intent on destroying them. There had to be more than just “they’re different, they’re freaks”. Flat characterization. Lots of reaction rather than action. Good writing, I just wish the story was better developed and executed.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book because the author is from my area and attends Franklin and Marshall College here in Lancaster, PA. I felt the story to be rather vague and slow moving. I would have liked the author to explain more about how the two groups of people, the Marked and the Radicals, came to be. This is Book One in a series of three. I wasn't left with any real desire to delve into the rest of the series. Kudos to the author, however, for getting published while still in college.

[Sarah Tibbetts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written! I wanted to keep reading on and can't wait for the next book in the trilogy. I could visualize and feel what the characters were seeing and feeling because of Kelseyleigh's writing ability. I was very impressed by this young author. I would recommend this book.