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We All Fall Down
Theo's always been impulsive. But telling Paige how he feels? He's obsessed over that decision. And it's time. Tonight. At the party on the riverbank, under the old walking bridge, site of so many tales of love and death.
Paige has had a crush on Theo since they first met, but she knows her feelings are one-sided. She's trying to move on, to flirt. A party at the river is just what she needs. Except a fight breaks out, and when Paige tries to intervene--Theo's fist lands in her face.
All Theo and Paige want to do is forget that fateful night. But strange events keep drawing them back to the bridge. Someone, something is determined to make them remember...and pay for what they each did.
Paige has had a crush on Theo since they first met, but she knows her feelings are one-sided. She's trying to move on, to flirt. A party at the river is just what she needs. Except a fight breaks out, and when Paige tries to intervene--Theo's fist lands in her face.
All Theo and Paige want to do is forget that fateful night. But strange events keep drawing them back to the bridge. Someone, something is determined to make them remember...and pay for what they each did.
368 pages, Paperback
First published October 3, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 678 reviews
April 13, 2021
This book was dumb.
So you have Theo and Paige, two high schoolers who suffer from mental illness but are best friends and also love each other deeply, though they are both too stupid to realize it at the same time. Theo has ADD and ODD, and Paige suffers from severe anxiety, paranoia, and sleep disorders. She's also a huge germaphobe and I'm not sure if the author was trying to portray that as OCD or not.
To sum everything up, there is a creepy ass bridge in town and one night, they're hanging out at a party there when Theo decides he's going to admit his feelings. Paige is into someone else, so he gets drunk as hell, but the person she's into is actually a jerk and tries to bully her into climbing part of the bridge. Theo gets mad, everyone argues, and Theo goes to punch the jerk in the face but Paige shoves herself in the way and he accidentally punches her instead.
Well, it doesn't matter that it's an accident, because her parents press charges and she acts like he hit her on purpose and blah blah blah. Cut to six months later where they are both working close by (him on the bridge itself and her doing a course at a college right across said bridge). Spooky shit starts happening: they see and hear things that aren't there, both of them re-live that horrible night over and over again, etc. Theo meets a weird kid, Gabriel, who works at the library and tells him the bridge is haunted by bad energy.
One of the things that bothered me most of all was that we are told Theo has ADHD and ODD over and over again, but nothing he actually did made me feel like this was true. Paige's anxiety is easier to see, but I still felt like the author was just dumping a ton of stereotypes onto the page. (Onto the Paige....sorry)
They also kept talking about how unhealthy the relationship between Theo and Paige was, and how messed up they were, and I just...didn't feel that way. They had a supportive friendship where they helped each other with their issues. They were teenagers, so it feels unrealistic to expect them to have perfected coping mechanisms. They were also kind of co-dependent, but again...teenagers. Did they both need to grow and did they both need individual therapy? Yes. But was it super unhealthy and messed up? I didn't get that vibe.
Especially because the huge catalyst was that Theo accidentally hit Paige. Because she put herself in the middle of him fighting with another dude. I'm not going to say that it's totally chill for that to have happened but she spent the whole book acting like he punched her on purpose and was trying to excuse an abusive relationship.
The supernatural stuff also deeply angered me, but that has to go behind a cut.
So you have Theo and Paige, two high schoolers who suffer from mental illness but are best friends and also love each other deeply, though they are both too stupid to realize it at the same time. Theo has ADD and ODD, and Paige suffers from severe anxiety, paranoia, and sleep disorders. She's also a huge germaphobe and I'm not sure if the author was trying to portray that as OCD or not.
To sum everything up, there is a creepy ass bridge in town and one night, they're hanging out at a party there when Theo decides he's going to admit his feelings. Paige is into someone else, so he gets drunk as hell, but the person she's into is actually a jerk and tries to bully her into climbing part of the bridge. Theo gets mad, everyone argues, and Theo goes to punch the jerk in the face but Paige shoves herself in the way and he accidentally punches her instead.
Well, it doesn't matter that it's an accident, because her parents press charges and she acts like he hit her on purpose and blah blah blah. Cut to six months later where they are both working close by (him on the bridge itself and her doing a course at a college right across said bridge). Spooky shit starts happening: they see and hear things that aren't there, both of them re-live that horrible night over and over again, etc. Theo meets a weird kid, Gabriel, who works at the library and tells him the bridge is haunted by bad energy.
One of the things that bothered me most of all was that we are told Theo has ADHD and ODD over and over again, but nothing he actually did made me feel like this was true. Paige's anxiety is easier to see, but I still felt like the author was just dumping a ton of stereotypes onto the page. (Onto the Paige....sorry)
They also kept talking about how unhealthy the relationship between Theo and Paige was, and how messed up they were, and I just...didn't feel that way. They had a supportive friendship where they helped each other with their issues. They were teenagers, so it feels unrealistic to expect them to have perfected coping mechanisms. They were also kind of co-dependent, but again...teenagers. Did they both need to grow and did they both need individual therapy? Yes. But was it super unhealthy and messed up? I didn't get that vibe.
Especially because the huge catalyst was that Theo accidentally hit Paige. Because she put herself in the middle of him fighting with another dude. I'm not going to say that it's totally chill for that to have happened but she spent the whole book acting like he punched her on purpose and was trying to excuse an abusive relationship.
The supernatural stuff also deeply angered me, but that has to go behind a cut.
March 20, 2022
I had no idea what was going on at any point in this book
March 18, 2018
I preferred One Was Lost to this one. This one felt... forced. It was like the author was trying to meet a page quote and kept repeating material to get there. It started with a lot of promise and then got painful to finish. The ending made no sense at all. Not my favorite.
February 7, 2021
This one fell flat for me, didn't enjoy the plot line and didn't like the characters. Wasn't a very thrilling YA but then again I'm not the in the audience for this book either as I'm an adult
September 4, 2019
I hated the main character the whole time and I'm not used to that. She has anxiety and I get that but the whole time she acts so childish. It was not Theo's fault. That other guy was being a jerk and trying to pressure her. Theo stood up for her and she got in the way. She's to blame for the incident not Theo. She kept acting like it was some kind of planned out attack. It was an accident. Because of this, the book felt so drawn out and boring. The conclusion wasn't even that exciting.
September 18, 2019
3.5
Situation: a bridge that has been there so long that it needs to be redone or torn down.
Ppl make wishes and put the initials of the person they are making the wishes and the prayers for on a lock and then lock it to the bridge.
Could be for health to a new baby or it could be to keep love in their lives.
But weird things happen and it separates two best friends.
Theo would never hurt anyone, especially not her. What happened ?
But now time has passed and they are both back and working near the bridge .. will history repeat itself ?
Situation: a bridge that has been there so long that it needs to be redone or torn down.
Ppl make wishes and put the initials of the person they are making the wishes and the prayers for on a lock and then lock it to the bridge.
Could be for health to a new baby or it could be to keep love in their lives.
But weird things happen and it separates two best friends.
Theo would never hurt anyone, especially not her. What happened ?
But now time has passed and they are both back and working near the bridge .. will history repeat itself ?
November 25, 2019
I am not sure if it is my mood or my age, but this just wasn't the book for me. It confused me. I think teens will like it, because they love all things dramatic. As an adult, it left me concerned.
December 30, 2021
A pile of yikes. I HATE reading books that involve extended periods of gaslighting…and that’s 76% of the book. The story was messy and didn’t make a lot of sense towards the end (which I think was intentional?). Not for me, fam.
Also, Paige was pretty annoying (definitely intentional) and a limp noodle of a friend. Her parents are the same type of people who have also made passive aggressive comments about my ethnicity/size/religion as they mentally disqualify me as worth being around their precious daughter. Smh.
I enjoyed other books from Natalie Richards so I’m happy to just assume I’m not the intended audience for this one.
Also, Paige was pretty annoying (definitely intentional) and a limp noodle of a friend. Her parents are the same type of people who have also made passive aggressive comments about my ethnicity/size/religion as they mentally disqualify me as worth being around their precious daughter. Smh.
I enjoyed other books from Natalie Richards so I’m happy to just assume I’m not the intended audience for this one.
July 14, 2023
Yeah no. I was looking through books under “available now” for my kindle while waiting for my books to come in at the library, and I had read another one by this author that wasn’t great but wasn’t bad, so I picked it. Bad. As previously stated, the whole conflict centers on an accidental punch. I get that’s not a fun thing to go through but it was an accident. Also the supernatural shit made no sense at all. The explanation at the end didn’t explain how everyone else got haunted, just the main characters. Also the overbearing perfectionist college roommate character reminded me of ******
February 12, 2018
See my full review on my website: www.turnanotherpage.org
March 30, 2019
Content/ Trigger Warning: ADHD, ODD, Anxiety, Suicide Mention, Blood Mention
We All Fall Down is a book that I had been anticipating for months before I got to read it. I’ve really enjoyed Natalie D. Richards’ other books Six Months Later, and One Was Lost, so when I heard of We All Fall Down I tried to keep my expectations for this book to a minimum.
I knew beforehand that there were two points of view within We All Fall Down. Normally in mystery novels, it would be somewhat difficult to enjoy the story. However in We All Fall Down that wasn’t the case. Our main characters have two very different personalities and thought processes.
Quickly into We All Fall Down we realize how unreliable our two main characters are. Both Paige and Theo have their problems, and they’re both not at all perfect. However these two created a story of intrigue that at times, left me confused (in a good way).
Nevertheless the story that these two have with each other is far from flawless and that’s honestly what I liked about Paige and Theo’s story the most. They’ve both made mistakes. They both have things going on. And Theo and Paige know that they’re not ideal for each other but they’ve got each other’s back no matter what.
When my interest is piqued by a Mystery / Thriller / Suspense novel, I rarely read the synopsis that belongs to that specific novel. –I don’t want the story to be predictable. I want the “surprises” to be an actual surprise.– That is the case with We All Fall Down. I didn’t read the synopsis, and didn’t look too far into said novel beyond whom this novel is written by, as well as the genres.
Much like Richards’ other works, the story becomes…..blurry. We don’t know what’s real, versus what’s not. There were a few scenes in this novel where I myself became confused as to what was going on in terms of reality. That’s honestly a praise to Richards’ writing. Usually I have the story sorted out within the first few chapters. Yet whenever I read Richards’ works, I can’t rightly predict the outcome. As was so when the answers to the story were revealed.
The last thing that I enjoyed about We All Fall Down is that the conclusion to the story is a great one. I’m very happy with how We All Fall Down ends.
I give We All Fall Down, 3 stars.
I actually read We All Fall Down during the Thrillerathon, back in February. I’m glad I did!
We All Fall Down is a book that I had been anticipating for months before I got to read it. I’ve really enjoyed Natalie D. Richards’ other books Six Months Later, and One Was Lost, so when I heard of We All Fall Down I tried to keep my expectations for this book to a minimum.
I knew beforehand that there were two points of view within We All Fall Down. Normally in mystery novels, it would be somewhat difficult to enjoy the story. However in We All Fall Down that wasn’t the case. Our main characters have two very different personalities and thought processes.
Quickly into We All Fall Down we realize how unreliable our two main characters are. Both Paige and Theo have their problems, and they’re both not at all perfect. However these two created a story of intrigue that at times, left me confused (in a good way).
Nevertheless the story that these two have with each other is far from flawless and that’s honestly what I liked about Paige and Theo’s story the most. They’ve both made mistakes. They both have things going on. And Theo and Paige know that they’re not ideal for each other but they’ve got each other’s back no matter what.
When my interest is piqued by a Mystery / Thriller / Suspense novel, I rarely read the synopsis that belongs to that specific novel. –I don’t want the story to be predictable. I want the “surprises” to be an actual surprise.– That is the case with We All Fall Down. I didn’t read the synopsis, and didn’t look too far into said novel beyond whom this novel is written by, as well as the genres.
Much like Richards’ other works, the story becomes…..blurry. We don’t know what’s real, versus what’s not. There were a few scenes in this novel where I myself became confused as to what was going on in terms of reality. That’s honestly a praise to Richards’ writing. Usually I have the story sorted out within the first few chapters. Yet whenever I read Richards’ works, I can’t rightly predict the outcome. As was so when the answers to the story were revealed.
The last thing that I enjoyed about We All Fall Down is that the conclusion to the story is a great one. I’m very happy with how We All Fall Down ends.
I give We All Fall Down, 3 stars.
I actually read We All Fall Down during the Thrillerathon, back in February. I’m glad I did!
October 7, 2017
Paige, a science geek, suffers from anxiety and a crush on her best friend Theo. He has ADHD and is considered by everyone to be a screw up. On the night Theo finally has the courage to tell Paige he loves her, he gets into an argument with a bully trying to force her to climb onto a bridge. She jumps between the boys just as Theo is about to punch the creep. Now Theo is on probation, his self esteem at an all time low. Paige’s anxiety is out of control, causing paranoia and hallucinations.
Oh Natalie Richards, why did you take write a a book that depicted mental illness so well and ruin it by adding supernatural element. Paige’s character was written with the precision by someone who has probably suffered from anxiety. Richards adds so many nuances to Paige’s anxiety attacks, distrustfulness and paranoia that I never knew whether she was reliably narrating her relationships with her roommate and the adults in her life. I suspected Melanie was probably ambitious and annoying, but not undermining her by talking to Paige’s parents and the professor. How reliable she was or wasn’t crept into her own thoughts, and readers are left to guess.
Richards depicted Theo’s ADHD fairly well, but not his ODD. If a character is going to have a psych diagnosis, I’d like to see it shown in behaviors. As someone who has worked with kids with these diagnoses, nothing in his behavior screamed ODD. He had empathy and most of his troubles resulted from impulse control problems, not overt opposition.
WE ALL FALL DOWN had enough meat with mental illness and health vs unhealthy relationships including whether one mistaken act of violence should define a friendship. Richards didn’t need the whole possible haunted bridge subplot. It muddied the waters of mental illness.
If WE ALL FALL DOWN had skipped the supernatural, this would be a solid four star review (not 5 stars because of Theo’s murky conditions).
Oh Natalie Richards, why did you take write a a book that depicted mental illness so well and ruin it by adding supernatural element. Paige’s character was written with the precision by someone who has probably suffered from anxiety. Richards adds so many nuances to Paige’s anxiety attacks, distrustfulness and paranoia that I never knew whether she was reliably narrating her relationships with her roommate and the adults in her life. I suspected Melanie was probably ambitious and annoying, but not undermining her by talking to Paige’s parents and the professor. How reliable she was or wasn’t crept into her own thoughts, and readers are left to guess.
Richards depicted Theo’s ADHD fairly well, but not his ODD. If a character is going to have a psych diagnosis, I’d like to see it shown in behaviors. As someone who has worked with kids with these diagnoses, nothing in his behavior screamed ODD. He had empathy and most of his troubles resulted from impulse control problems, not overt opposition.
WE ALL FALL DOWN had enough meat with mental illness and health vs unhealthy relationships including whether one mistaken act of violence should define a friendship. Richards didn’t need the whole possible haunted bridge subplot. It muddied the waters of mental illness.
If WE ALL FALL DOWN had skipped the supernatural, this would be a solid four star review (not 5 stars because of Theo’s murky conditions).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2023
This was one of the worst books I’ve made myself suffer through in a long time. Awful misconceptions about what mental illness looks like, a failed understanding of codependency vs. interdependence, an entire haunting based around one night that realistically would not happen, implications that a relationship is abusive based on a completely accidental incident, all centered around a BRIDGE which is nowhere near memorable enough to hold the weight of all the author is trying to put on it.
January 21, 2023
I’ve never been so relieved to finish a book 🥴
September 27, 2017
I received an ebook copy of this novel to review from NetGalley, but that does not influence my opinion.
This novel was just okay for me. It was a very quick read, but the plot or characters weren't completely engaging. It reads as a young adult contemporary, but tries to delve into some supernatural aspects that I wasn’t a fan of. t gave it three stars, but officially would rate it two and a half because it was overall just meh - I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it.
I feel as though this novel could have been done much better without the supernatural aspects. There was a lot of mental health issues brought up in this novel, but I felt as though everything was over-represented in a way. Our two main characters relied very heavily on the other, but went through enough growth in the novel to be tolerable and stand on their own.
Overall, this novel let me down. I would like to give this author another chance because I see a lot of potential in her storytelling, but I’ll have to research which one appeals to me the most.
Check out my full review on my blog!
http://theprincessgummybearreviews.bl...
This novel was just okay for me. It was a very quick read, but the plot or characters weren't completely engaging. It reads as a young adult contemporary, but tries to delve into some supernatural aspects that I wasn’t a fan of. t gave it three stars, but officially would rate it two and a half because it was overall just meh - I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it.
I feel as though this novel could have been done much better without the supernatural aspects. There was a lot of mental health issues brought up in this novel, but I felt as though everything was over-represented in a way. Our two main characters relied very heavily on the other, but went through enough growth in the novel to be tolerable and stand on their own.
Overall, this novel let me down. I would like to give this author another chance because I see a lot of potential in her storytelling, but I’ll have to research which one appeals to me the most.
Check out my full review on my blog!
http://theprincessgummybearreviews.bl...
March 6, 2024
What was even the point of this book?
I didn’t really get the concept of this book. Here’s a summary: MMC punches FMC because he’s angry and she just happens to be in the way when he was aiming for a different character. Traumatized by the incident FMC never gets into contact with MMC, because she angry at him, that makes sense at least, and with the urging of her parents to stay clear of him.
MMC stays clear of FMC bc he is embarrassed and regrets hitting her. Anyway they somehow keep bumping into each other bc of this bridge with locks on it that hold the sorrows and happiness of love in them. Apparently FMC put a lock on the bridge with her and MMC names on it, and I guess the lock was some how the lock was haunting them?
In the end MMC fell of bridge, lived and the end the haunting was over and all was fine. And it was said that it was FMC’s fault because she put a lock on the bridge with their names on it?!! Anyway I hope you enjoy it better than I did 😀
I didn’t really get the concept of this book. Here’s a summary: MMC punches FMC because he’s angry and she just happens to be in the way when he was aiming for a different character. Traumatized by the incident FMC never gets into contact with MMC, because she angry at him, that makes sense at least, and with the urging of her parents to stay clear of him.
MMC stays clear of FMC bc he is embarrassed and regrets hitting her. Anyway they somehow keep bumping into each other bc of this bridge with locks on it that hold the sorrows and happiness of love in them. Apparently FMC put a lock on the bridge with her and MMC names on it, and I guess the lock was some how the lock was haunting them?
In the end MMC fell of bridge, lived and the end the haunting was over and all was fine. And it was said that it was FMC’s fault because she put a lock on the bridge with their names on it?!! Anyway I hope you enjoy it better than I did 😀
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 10, 2017
Un-put-down-able. And I say this as one of Natalie's critique partners who has read the book in various stages, multiple times. I know too that the story started with a haunted bridge (a real one) and a broken teen boy who has just done something terrible. What the story has morphed into is a psychological supernatural mystery about the troubled boy and the equally troubled girl he realizes (too late?!) that he loves.
And the creepy bridge that keeps coming between them...
And the creepy bridge that keeps coming between them...
May 27, 2023
this was very meh which is sad because i’ve enjoyed most of her other work. couldn’t really get behind the plot, wasn’t rooting for either main character, and didn’t love the way mental health disorders like ADHD and anxiety were portrayed as lurking monsters that cause you to do and see terrible things..it all felt a little stigmatized. had to force myself to finish after about halfway
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October 3, 2017Review to come!
Read more of my reviews on JenRyland.com or check out my Bookstagram!
I received a free advance copy of this book from the publisher for possible review.
Read more of my reviews on JenRyland.com or check out my Bookstagram!
I received a free advance copy of this book from the publisher for possible review.
February 4, 2022
I really tried to like this but this was one of the worst books I have ever read. Plot made no sense, characters were so cringe, and the ending didn't conclude anything. Really not good. I thought this was a thriller but there was absolutely nothing scary or freaky at all in it.
March 20, 2022
2.5 stars
Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed this book but the ending was so anticlimactic and felt rushed and badly written.
Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed this book but the ending was so anticlimactic and felt rushed and badly written.
April 30, 2025
Congrats for being the only book I’ve rated 1 star in my entire life. Well deserved… #sorrynotsorry
October 1, 2017
Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for a copy of the eARC in exchange for a fair review.
Theo and Paige are best friends on the verge of being something more when everything goes horribly wrong. One night when jealousy and issues tear them apart. Now four months later all they want to do is move on from that horrible night, but something keeps drawing them back to the bridge.
Theo is working with his uncle when he finds a lock on the bridge with his initials and Paige's initials on it, but that isn't the part that freaks him out. When he begins to hear conversations from that night he knows something isn't right.
Then he runs into Paige for the first time since that night, and she is freaked out because she found an earring that she was wearing that night. It was lost though so she has no idea how it has just appeared again. Soon they find that they will have to muster up the courage to face not just their issues, but face that night and their part in what happened.
I have read all of Natalie's books, and I usually love them. I didn't quite love this one I felt a little underwhelmed by it. I guess I was expecting a bit more, however, I did enjoy the themes of forgiveness and facing one's problems. Both Theo and Paige were deeply flawed characters with a host of different issues that they were both struggling to come to terms with and find a sense of what is normal for them.
I don't know if it was overdone, but I can imagine if you are facing several issues from ADHD to anxiety and other things a struggle to find a balance in the meds and your behavior is a pretty common occurrence as well as a struggle to fit in as a normal teenager. I liked Theo and Paige and I was totally rooting for them! Side note I used issues because that is how they described it in the book. I think it is important to noramalize mental health because many people struggling with anxiety, depression, bipolar, and many other mental health problems that are often unfairly labeled.
December 4, 2020
"Can you go to the darkest imaginable places with a person and still walk with them in the light?"
There were many things with this story that were great. Theo - his jitters and distraction, his perfectly displayed ADHD. As a parent with a kid with it - I thought it was well done. I also thought Paige was well done. Her anxiety and hidden OCD about being clean or germs (and to a small extent, food as well) - my kid has both anxiety and ADHD (and some hang ups when it comes to food). Both of these kids were so well done and I loved both of these characters for different reasons.
I love the story that pulled these two together too! Their friendship that turned into crush to (maybe) love. But I hate how angry Paige was at Theo. It was hard to process and I wanted so much to argue with her. The paranormal aspect of the story definitely felt secondary to the struggles of these two kids and they found their way to see if they could be friends again. I'm not sure I like how it all played out but I did enjoy the story.
There were many things with this story that were great. Theo - his jitters and distraction, his perfectly displayed ADHD. As a parent with a kid with it - I thought it was well done. I also thought Paige was well done. Her anxiety and hidden OCD about being clean or germs (and to a small extent, food as well) - my kid has both anxiety and ADHD (and some hang ups when it comes to food). Both of these kids were so well done and I loved both of these characters for different reasons.
I love the story that pulled these two together too! Their friendship that turned into crush to (maybe) love. But I hate how angry Paige was at Theo. It was hard to process and I wanted so much to argue with her. The paranormal aspect of the story definitely felt secondary to the struggles of these two kids and they found their way to see if they could be friends again. I'm not sure I like how it all played out but I did enjoy the story.
March 24, 2024
I really wanted to love this. The beginning was great! And I love some ADHD and anxiety representation! Theo is a fantastic character and is the only reason I do not give this book one star. Paige was awful. Her blaming Theo, despite acknowledging that what happened was a complete accident, was such a continuous issue throughout the novel. She had no real reason to resent him that much and it made her character insufferable.
The paranormal parts of it fell sooo flat and were nonsensical at times. The ending seemed not well thought out in the slightest. If Paige was that intelligent, how did she miss such obvious things?? I understand the power of anxiety but that does not make sense, seems like lazy writing to me.
The paranormal parts of it fell sooo flat and were nonsensical at times. The ending seemed not well thought out in the slightest. If Paige was that intelligent, how did she miss such obvious things?? I understand the power of anxiety but that does not make sense, seems like lazy writing to me.
February 14, 2021
Bit of an odd one at times. It was hard to know what was actually ghosts, and what was just the main character's mental health problems.
May 12, 2022
this was a solid 2.5 stars, but not in a bad way? it is incredibly close to being a 3 star book, I just think it will eventually end up being forgettable.
the characters were enjoyable enough to continue, but i feel like it wrapped up too quickly. it was rushed. i love reality with a dash of horror but there was something slightly off with it in this book.
idk, i can’t tell if this author is for me. this is the third book i’ve read by her, the second three star read. five total strangers reviver five stars… but it was also different. i want to like her books so much because i feel so connected to them as an ohioan… but they’re fairly dense for what you get out of them.
the characters were enjoyable enough to continue, but i feel like it wrapped up too quickly. it was rushed. i love reality with a dash of horror but there was something slightly off with it in this book.
idk, i can’t tell if this author is for me. this is the third book i’ve read by her, the second three star read. five total strangers reviver five stars… but it was also different. i want to like her books so much because i feel so connected to them as an ohioan… but they’re fairly dense for what you get out of them.
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January 6, 2025idk whether to give this 1 star or 5 stars, i just know the ending aggravated me
October 29, 2017
We All Fall Down by Natalie Richards is a book I was waiting to get my hands on since I read the summary. I love a good mystery and Richards always comes through with an interesting story that keeps me guessing until the very end. Also, the cover is perfect!
The book starts out introducing us to Theo and Paige. They have been friends for a while and Paige has always had a crush on Theo. It hasn’t been until recently that Theo has started to have the same feelings for her but Paige has come to a conclusion that Theo will never see her as more than just a friend, so she has set her sights on someone else. The night Theo decides he is going to tell Paige what he feels, is the same night that Paige determines she is going to put herself out there with another boy and Theo realizes he is too late. This is where things go incredibly wrong for them both.
When a fight breaks out between Theo and another character at a party on the riverbank, Paige attempts to intervene and ends up getting punched by Theo. As the scene plays out, Richards takes the reader into the fray with these characters and it was heartbreaking to see what ends up happening with these two. I wanted to be able to rewind everything for them both, so they didn’t need to go through this but if that happened we wouldn’t get the rest of the story.
Theo is an interesting character. He is a bit impulsive and high strung and Paige is the one person who gets him. Similarly, Paige suffers from anxiety and Theo is the one that helps her when she has her attacks. Their relationship is a bit co-dependent, but they can’t seem to give each other up. That is, until they are forced to. The outcome of the party is that Theo is put on medication and put on probation and he and Paige can’t be near each other.
Now I’m not going to say a lot here about what really is happening because I don’t want to ruin the story for anyone but there is something that continues to draw Theo and Paige back to the bridge where there happens to be a lock with their initials attached to it (along with a bunch of others). As Theo digs deeper into what is happening, strange incidents continue to pull them along to the end.
I enjoyed this one and if you are looking for a contemporary that delves a bit into the paranormal, consider checking this book out. I thought Richards did a wonderful job of building out these characters and their story and I will continue to look for more books from her in the future.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.
The book starts out introducing us to Theo and Paige. They have been friends for a while and Paige has always had a crush on Theo. It hasn’t been until recently that Theo has started to have the same feelings for her but Paige has come to a conclusion that Theo will never see her as more than just a friend, so she has set her sights on someone else. The night Theo decides he is going to tell Paige what he feels, is the same night that Paige determines she is going to put herself out there with another boy and Theo realizes he is too late. This is where things go incredibly wrong for them both.
When a fight breaks out between Theo and another character at a party on the riverbank, Paige attempts to intervene and ends up getting punched by Theo. As the scene plays out, Richards takes the reader into the fray with these characters and it was heartbreaking to see what ends up happening with these two. I wanted to be able to rewind everything for them both, so they didn’t need to go through this but if that happened we wouldn’t get the rest of the story.
Theo is an interesting character. He is a bit impulsive and high strung and Paige is the one person who gets him. Similarly, Paige suffers from anxiety and Theo is the one that helps her when she has her attacks. Their relationship is a bit co-dependent, but they can’t seem to give each other up. That is, until they are forced to. The outcome of the party is that Theo is put on medication and put on probation and he and Paige can’t be near each other.
Now I’m not going to say a lot here about what really is happening because I don’t want to ruin the story for anyone but there is something that continues to draw Theo and Paige back to the bridge where there happens to be a lock with their initials attached to it (along with a bunch of others). As Theo digs deeper into what is happening, strange incidents continue to pull them along to the end.
I enjoyed this one and if you are looking for a contemporary that delves a bit into the paranormal, consider checking this book out. I thought Richards did a wonderful job of building out these characters and their story and I will continue to look for more books from her in the future.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.
December 18, 2024
Okay, I am only giving this book a 2 stars because it is honestly a 1.5 for me, but I don't like ever giving books 1 stars. So to start, this book seemed okay, I mean having two characters with mental illnesses accurately represented? That sounds amazing, right? Well, not really with this book.
1st: I was confused about why the book made it seem like Theo MEANT to hit Paige when it is obvious that he didn't. That was the main part of the book and what broke them apart but it didn't make sense. Like if your best friend has a gun and is aiming for someone else, and you jump in the middle, you can't be mad if the bullet hits you. Like Theo was already throwing the punch and fighting, she got in the middle and got hit. You know you'll get hit if you have ever broken up a fight. That is how it works, stepping into a fight will get you hit. But her being upset about him throwing the punch AT ALL makes so much more sense than being mad that he hit her in the first place. We should be upset he was drunk and fighting at all, not for hitting you when it was basically your fault for getting in the way. Like what? But along with the other issues in the relationship maybe it makes sense. I am not sure honestly but that detail annoyed me the entire book. But maybe that is just an issue for me. So I'll move on to my next point.
2nd: Paige felt really annoying the entire book. She had well-represented anxiety yet she just wasn't a good character to read from. She was obnoxious almost. At every turn she talked about not liking Theo and hating him for being toxic and not getting better when she was basically the same. She didn't improve throughout the book, she got called out on her behavior which was basically the lesson she learned, and we saw her get help at the end (which is great, we should always appreciate showing how hard it is to get help) but most of the time I just dreaded when she would come on because of how her personality just wasn't pleasant.
3rd: I am roasting Paige, but Theo also had some issues. Like mostly, how he handles everything. This wasn't a bad detail, actually it was just really sad. Theo blames almost everything on himself and thinks he is insane the entire book and all the other characters do is perpetuate that. Adhd can make people feel really alone, and so his always blaming everything on himself and seeing all of the signs from the ghost and continuing to just try to get more pills because he thinks he Is just insane was really sad to see. Paige (I know I keep talking about her but I really didn't like her as a character) spent the entire time blaming him. Theo literally helped throughout the book but in most of the instances where Theo really needs someone, Paige isn't even really there.
4th: Last on my list for this rant, is how the book ended with them getting together. Now I know the entire point of this book was for them to get together, but it felt like it perpetuated the idea of toxic relationships and gaslighting. They both knew the relationship was toxic and yet continued on with it. I appreciate that Paige seemed noncommital to the relationship for fear of how it may turn out. But it was not good that she spent the entire book acknowledging it was toxic but got together anyway. after, let us not forget, Theo is literally about to off himself because he felt like it would help her or fix the situation. He almost died and then she was basically like: "Okay yeah I'll date you now and I'll get help" I mean, girl boss but also sorta an asshole. A healthier option would've been Theo and Paige acknowledging that things were not healthy and learning to just stay friends instead, or at least until they got older and more mature with more emotional intelligence where they can communicate through their issues.
As a teenager I feel like it is definitely targetted to my age group, so maybe other people will like it, but I just couldn't find it in my heart. It just wasn't good and I forced myself to finish it, even though aside from all these issues it just wasn't very interesting. The supernatural plot just didn't seem to fit and it wasn't explained well. I am just sad because I was really hoping I'd like this book.
1st: I was confused about why the book made it seem like Theo MEANT to hit Paige when it is obvious that he didn't. That was the main part of the book and what broke them apart but it didn't make sense. Like if your best friend has a gun and is aiming for someone else, and you jump in the middle, you can't be mad if the bullet hits you. Like Theo was already throwing the punch and fighting, she got in the middle and got hit. You know you'll get hit if you have ever broken up a fight. That is how it works, stepping into a fight will get you hit. But her being upset about him throwing the punch AT ALL makes so much more sense than being mad that he hit her in the first place. We should be upset he was drunk and fighting at all, not for hitting you when it was basically your fault for getting in the way. Like what? But along with the other issues in the relationship maybe it makes sense. I am not sure honestly but that detail annoyed me the entire book. But maybe that is just an issue for me. So I'll move on to my next point.
2nd: Paige felt really annoying the entire book. She had well-represented anxiety yet she just wasn't a good character to read from. She was obnoxious almost. At every turn she talked about not liking Theo and hating him for being toxic and not getting better when she was basically the same. She didn't improve throughout the book, she got called out on her behavior which was basically the lesson she learned, and we saw her get help at the end (which is great, we should always appreciate showing how hard it is to get help) but most of the time I just dreaded when she would come on because of how her personality just wasn't pleasant.
3rd: I am roasting Paige, but Theo also had some issues. Like mostly, how he handles everything. This wasn't a bad detail, actually it was just really sad. Theo blames almost everything on himself and thinks he is insane the entire book and all the other characters do is perpetuate that. Adhd can make people feel really alone, and so his always blaming everything on himself and seeing all of the signs from the ghost and continuing to just try to get more pills because he thinks he Is just insane was really sad to see. Paige (I know I keep talking about her but I really didn't like her as a character) spent the entire time blaming him. Theo literally helped throughout the book but in most of the instances where Theo really needs someone, Paige isn't even really there.
4th: Last on my list for this rant, is how the book ended with them getting together. Now I know the entire point of this book was for them to get together, but it felt like it perpetuated the idea of toxic relationships and gaslighting. They both knew the relationship was toxic and yet continued on with it. I appreciate that Paige seemed noncommital to the relationship for fear of how it may turn out. But it was not good that she spent the entire book acknowledging it was toxic but got together anyway. after, let us not forget, Theo is literally about to off himself because he felt like it would help her or fix the situation. He almost died and then she was basically like: "Okay yeah I'll date you now and I'll get help" I mean, girl boss but also sorta an asshole. A healthier option would've been Theo and Paige acknowledging that things were not healthy and learning to just stay friends instead, or at least until they got older and more mature with more emotional intelligence where they can communicate through their issues.
As a teenager I feel like it is definitely targetted to my age group, so maybe other people will like it, but I just couldn't find it in my heart. It just wasn't good and I forced myself to finish it, even though aside from all these issues it just wasn't very interesting. The supernatural plot just didn't seem to fit and it wasn't explained well. I am just sad because I was really hoping I'd like this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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