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The Upside of Falling Down
For Clementine Haas, finding herself is more than a nice idea. Ever since she woke up in an Irish hospital with complete amnesia, self-discovery has become her mission. They tell her she’s the lone survivor of a plane crash. They tell her she’s lucky to be alive. But she doesn’t feel lucky. She feels…lost. With the relentless Irish press bearing down on her, and a father she may not even recognize on his way from America to take her home, Clementine assumes a new identity and enlists a blue-eyed Irish stranger, Kieran O’Connell, to help her escape her forgotten life…and start a new one. Hiding out in the sleepy town of Waterville, Ireland, Clementine discovers there’s an upside to a life that’s fallen apart. But as her lies grow, so does her affection for Kieran, and the truth about her identity becomes harder and harder to reveal, forcing Clementine to Can she leave her past behind for a new love she’ll never forget?
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First published January 30, 2018
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About the author
Rebekah Crane
10 books606 followersRebekah Crane is the author of The Odds of Loving Grover Cleveland and other young-adult novels. She found a passion for this genre while studying secondary English education at Ohio University. She is a former high school English teacher, a yoga instructor, and the mother of two girls. After living and teaching in six different cities, Rebekah finally settled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains to write novels and work on screenplays. She now spends her days tucked behind a laptop at seventy-five hundred feet, where the altitude only enhances the writing experience.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,379 reviews
August 8, 2019
Although this book starts on an interesting note with Clementine surviving a plane crash, the story unfortunately becomes cliche and predictable. It becomes your run of the mill YA romance: girl meets boy. Boy helps her find herself. He finds himself, too. There’s drama and jealousy. Yada yada. While this is fine, I personally was hoping for something more.
Am I becoming too old for YA? Maybe that’s the problem. I could see myself loving this five years ago. Now, it feels like a washed down version of 5 other YA novels I’ve read before.
But if you’re into those warm fuzzy reads where everyone seems to find their way in the end, and you’re younger than 18, I wouldn’t not recommend this. There’s nothing wrong with the writing or story, really. I just found it to be a little too boring.
Am I becoming too old for YA? Maybe that’s the problem. I could see myself loving this five years ago. Now, it feels like a washed down version of 5 other YA novels I’ve read before.
But if you’re into those warm fuzzy reads where everyone seems to find their way in the end, and you’re younger than 18, I wouldn’t not recommend this. There’s nothing wrong with the writing or story, really. I just found it to be a little too boring.
June 10, 2019
This is a fast, sweet, cute, light summer read. When Clementine wakes up in a hospital, she remembers nothing, but her wonderful nurse, Stephen, tells her name, that she’s 18-years-old, and she’s in Ireland, but is originally from Cleveland, Ohio, and, oh yeah, she’s the only survivor of a plane crash.
Clementine makes a hospital break with Kieran, except she lies to him about why she needs his help escaping. Miraculously, mysteriously, and improbably, her photo hasn’t made it into the news yet, so he buys “Jane’s” story. Her plan is to run away with him to the small town of Waterville, get her memory back, and then return to the United States.
Everyone she meets is so kind it’d be easier to believe that the Die Hard franchise is a documentary on what it’s like to be a police officer. There is Kieran’s prickly sister and the god awful rich American, but, in general, everyone she runs into is preposterously generous. I have met people, including strangers, willing to go out of their way to help another human, but not at the frenzied pace Clementine/Jane does.
So while I thought this was fun and uplifting, it was a little too sweet for my taste, even with a nice twist toward the end, but if you’re looking for a light read, I recommend this.
For more reviews, please visit http://www.theresaalan.net/blog
Clementine makes a hospital break with Kieran, except she lies to him about why she needs his help escaping. Miraculously, mysteriously, and improbably, her photo hasn’t made it into the news yet, so he buys “Jane’s” story. Her plan is to run away with him to the small town of Waterville, get her memory back, and then return to the United States.
Everyone she meets is so kind it’d be easier to believe that the Die Hard franchise is a documentary on what it’s like to be a police officer. There is Kieran’s prickly sister and the god awful rich American, but, in general, everyone she runs into is preposterously generous. I have met people, including strangers, willing to go out of their way to help another human, but not at the frenzied pace Clementine/Jane does.
So while I thought this was fun and uplifting, it was a little too sweet for my taste, even with a nice twist toward the end, but if you’re looking for a light read, I recommend this.
For more reviews, please visit http://www.theresaalan.net/blog
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November 26, 2017
„Its not the current that will drown you. It’s the exhaustion from fighting it.“
Story ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Clementine wakes up after surviving a horrible plane crash.
She is the only survivor.
But when she wakes up she has no memory of her old life before the crash.
Beginning to panic, she escapes the hospital and leaves to find her memory, adventures and a little bit of love ❤️.
Characters ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Even though I really liked the main character Clementine, i loved Kieran. He always supported her and let her be the one she wanted to be. He was adorable.
His nickname for her was “Bunny”, how cute is that? 😍
Relationships ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was a really sweet and funny love story.
It had some cliches, but it was still original in his own way. I really liked it. It made me smile 😊
Writing style ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really liked the writing, it was poetic in some way.
Story ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Clementine wakes up after surviving a horrible plane crash.
She is the only survivor.
But when she wakes up she has no memory of her old life before the crash.
Beginning to panic, she escapes the hospital and leaves to find her memory, adventures and a little bit of love ❤️.
Characters ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Even though I really liked the main character Clementine, i loved Kieran. He always supported her and let her be the one she wanted to be. He was adorable.
His nickname for her was “Bunny”, how cute is that? 😍
Relationships ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was a really sweet and funny love story.
It had some cliches, but it was still original in his own way. I really liked it. It made me smile 😊
Writing style ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really liked the writing, it was poetic in some way.
January 29, 2018
"What is the point of cheating death if a life doesn't exist when you wake up?"
I loved Rebekah Crane's The Odds of Loving Grover Cleveland, so it's no surprise that I enjoyed this one just as much. Rebekah has such a knack for making you fall in love with even the most unconventional of characters. Her ability to mix witty banter with sensitive topics gives you that heartwarming feeling in the end.
In the Upside of Falling Down we are introduced to Clementine Haas, an 18 year old from Cleveland, Ohio who has miraculously survived a plane crash, being the only survivor, waking up in a hospital in Ireland. Only Clementine has no memory of the accident, she has no memory of her past, she doesn't know why she's in Ireland either. As Clementine awaits the arrival of her father, a father she can't remember, she is feeling an overwhelming sense of panic. She feels trapped, trapped in a world that isn't hers... of this Clementine Haas... someone's life that she can't recall. Her nurse, Stephen, agrees to take Clementine out to the courtyard of the hospital for some fresh air. This is where Clementine meets Kieran. A peculiar young man who has a strange affinity for orange Jell-O. This is where Clementine's life is left behind and Jane's life begins. For fear of Kieran finding out who she really is and that she is the survivor of the plane crash, she lies, she tells Kieran her name is Jane. As a friendly game of "truth or dare" unfolds, Jane dares Kieran to take her away from the hospital. She creates a phony story as to why she's there in the first place and asks for his help. Kieran agrees to help. From this point on Clementine is forced to keep up the lie and the life of Jane. She's introduced to Kieran's twin sister, Siobhan, who is pregnant, and has a strong dislike for Jane. She meets Siobhan's boss, Clive, an eccentric shop owner who has a hidden love for Jane Austen novels. Soon, Jane has found her place... she falls in love with Waterville, Ireland, with Clive and his mohawk, and Siobhan and their love/hate relationship... but most of all, she's fallen in love with Kieran. So, how can she leave this behind? She knows that she has to return to her father, to her life as Clementine, even though she still doesn't know who he is and ultimately who she is.
Could you imagine? Waking up with amnesia, not remembering anything from your past? Being reborn again? What a flood of emotions that would bring? Fear, panic, sadness, confusion, frustration, but mostly the feeling of isolation. Even though you really wouldn't be alone, I can't help but think it would be a very lonely thing to go through. You have to reestablish yourself all over again. You can't just simply reenter your life like re-spawning in some video game. Rebekah Crane presents Clementine as a strong young woman... I would say mature well beyond her years, and it's not until later in the novel when Clementine finally finds herself that you truly understand where this strength comes from. All things considered, I will admit, this was the only part of the novel that I had a hard time with. I felt that the character that was being portrayed should have truly been older than that of someone who was 18/19 years of age.
The way the story unfolds in the end at first seems to almost have this poetic justice about it, and although I saw it coming, my heart ached for Clementine. I didn't want her story to end there, carrying more guilt than she already felt. Everything unravels and it all begins to fall down around her. But I promise... with this story, there is an upside to falling down.
I want to thank NetGalley, Skyscape and Two Lions, and Rebekah Crane for allowing me the chance to read this novel in exchange for my review. It was truly a pleasure!
I loved Rebekah Crane's The Odds of Loving Grover Cleveland, so it's no surprise that I enjoyed this one just as much. Rebekah has such a knack for making you fall in love with even the most unconventional of characters. Her ability to mix witty banter with sensitive topics gives you that heartwarming feeling in the end.
In the Upside of Falling Down we are introduced to Clementine Haas, an 18 year old from Cleveland, Ohio who has miraculously survived a plane crash, being the only survivor, waking up in a hospital in Ireland. Only Clementine has no memory of the accident, she has no memory of her past, she doesn't know why she's in Ireland either. As Clementine awaits the arrival of her father, a father she can't remember, she is feeling an overwhelming sense of panic. She feels trapped, trapped in a world that isn't hers... of this Clementine Haas... someone's life that she can't recall. Her nurse, Stephen, agrees to take Clementine out to the courtyard of the hospital for some fresh air. This is where Clementine meets Kieran. A peculiar young man who has a strange affinity for orange Jell-O. This is where Clementine's life is left behind and Jane's life begins. For fear of Kieran finding out who she really is and that she is the survivor of the plane crash, she lies, she tells Kieran her name is Jane. As a friendly game of "truth or dare" unfolds, Jane dares Kieran to take her away from the hospital. She creates a phony story as to why she's there in the first place and asks for his help. Kieran agrees to help. From this point on Clementine is forced to keep up the lie and the life of Jane. She's introduced to Kieran's twin sister, Siobhan, who is pregnant, and has a strong dislike for Jane. She meets Siobhan's boss, Clive, an eccentric shop owner who has a hidden love for Jane Austen novels. Soon, Jane has found her place... she falls in love with Waterville, Ireland, with Clive and his mohawk, and Siobhan and their love/hate relationship... but most of all, she's fallen in love with Kieran. So, how can she leave this behind? She knows that she has to return to her father, to her life as Clementine, even though she still doesn't know who he is and ultimately who she is.
Could you imagine? Waking up with amnesia, not remembering anything from your past? Being reborn again? What a flood of emotions that would bring? Fear, panic, sadness, confusion, frustration, but mostly the feeling of isolation. Even though you really wouldn't be alone, I can't help but think it would be a very lonely thing to go through. You have to reestablish yourself all over again. You can't just simply reenter your life like re-spawning in some video game. Rebekah Crane presents Clementine as a strong young woman... I would say mature well beyond her years, and it's not until later in the novel when Clementine finally finds herself that you truly understand where this strength comes from. All things considered, I will admit, this was the only part of the novel that I had a hard time with. I felt that the character that was being portrayed should have truly been older than that of someone who was 18/19 years of age.
The way the story unfolds in the end at first seems to almost have this poetic justice about it, and although I saw it coming, my heart ached for Clementine. I didn't want her story to end there, carrying more guilt than she already felt. Everything unravels and it all begins to fall down around her. But I promise... with this story, there is an upside to falling down.
I want to thank NetGalley, Skyscape and Two Lions, and Rebekah Crane for allowing me the chance to read this novel in exchange for my review. It was truly a pleasure!
September 7, 2018
Full review to follow!
Quick thoughts:
- Well, this was dreadfully boring and underwhelming.
- Hard-to-follow, hard-to-believe character motivations.
- Weakly written, cartoonish characters with angst-y backstories that made me roll my eyes.
- Lackluster writing style interspersed with generic, feel-good motivational crap (e.g. letting go, finding who you are, making changes).
- Annoying, hypocritical protagonist who hardly thought or acted logically? Jesus.
- Token diversity (i.e. a side character that likes to announce he’s Jewish and gay to literally everyone he meets).
- What’s the exact opposite of sizzling chemistry? That’s what Clementine and Kieran had.
- Poorly executed attempt at an interesting mystery. The reveals were also terribly done.
- Circular dialogues about who saved whom. Eww.
- SO. MANY. PLOT. HOLES. This wasn’t cohesive in any way.
- The resolution was really rushed, and I cringed the whole time.
-
- No emotions outside of cringing were felt as I read this.
Actual rating: 1 star
* Read more of my bookish shenanigans in my natural habitat!
Quick thoughts:
- Well, this was dreadfully boring and underwhelming.
- Hard-to-follow, hard-to-believe character motivations.
- Weakly written, cartoonish characters with angst-y backstories that made me roll my eyes.
- Lackluster writing style interspersed with generic, feel-good motivational crap (e.g. letting go, finding who you are, making changes).
- Annoying, hypocritical protagonist who hardly thought or acted logically? Jesus.
- Token diversity (i.e. a side character that likes to announce he’s Jewish and gay to literally everyone he meets).
- What’s the exact opposite of sizzling chemistry? That’s what Clementine and Kieran had.
- Poorly executed attempt at an interesting mystery. The reveals were also terribly done.
- Circular dialogues about who saved whom. Eww.
- SO. MANY. PLOT. HOLES. This wasn’t cohesive in any way.
- The resolution was really rushed, and I cringed the whole time.
-
- No emotions outside of cringing were felt as I read this.
Actual rating: 1 star
* Read more of my bookish shenanigans in my natural habitat!
September 19, 2018
Contemporary teen books and I are not usually friends. I still read them because when I like one it is often amazing. The Upside of Falling Down is an unusual situation as I didn't love it or hate it. It was okay. I find I don't have any strong feelings one way or the other.
Plot
Easily the best part of this book is the plot. Rebekah Crane takes us on a journey with our lead gal who has temporary amnesia. And while she has all the correct supports in place; she still runs away because in her mind she isn't the girl everyone at the hospital thinks she is. I can absolutely see myself as a teen doing exactly what our lead gal does. The twisting road the anmesia leads us on as readers is interesting. We only know what our lead girl knows; which means we have an unreliable narrator that may not be giving us all the details in the right order or even accurately. As the reader we also don't know what our lead gal is leaving out. What details is she not seeing or choosing to ignore. If you're a smart reader you'll actually focus on what she isn't telling us more than what she is.
Love Interest
Here's where The Upside of Falling Down looses me a bit. Yes there is an obvious, in your face love interest; and of course he's attractive, rich and without the 'constraints' of parents being present in his life. The perfect scenario for our lead girl to fall into. *rolls eyes*
The thing is that the actual lust/love aspects of the story are quite genuine. The first time is a bit glossed over but overall the interactions between the two feel genuine and reminded me of my own stumbling teenage years and relations with boys. So while the scenario may be convenient I'll give Crane props for making our teens act like teens.
Overall
There is a fun twist to this book that all goes back to our unreliable lead gal whose telling us the story. I liked how by the end I was ready for what happened and felt it made good sense. For some it may seem far-fetched but I didn't feel that way. With the exception of some convenient moments in the plot and characters I overall felt this was a well put together contemporary teen novel. And from this pessimistic teen literature reviewer that is actually a pretty good compliment.
For this and more of my reviews please visit my blog at: Epic Reading
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
Plot
Easily the best part of this book is the plot. Rebekah Crane takes us on a journey with our lead gal who has temporary amnesia. And while she has all the correct supports in place; she still runs away because in her mind she isn't the girl everyone at the hospital thinks she is. I can absolutely see myself as a teen doing exactly what our lead gal does. The twisting road the anmesia leads us on as readers is interesting. We only know what our lead girl knows; which means we have an unreliable narrator that may not be giving us all the details in the right order or even accurately. As the reader we also don't know what our lead gal is leaving out. What details is she not seeing or choosing to ignore. If you're a smart reader you'll actually focus on what she isn't telling us more than what she is.
Love Interest
Here's where The Upside of Falling Down looses me a bit. Yes there is an obvious, in your face love interest; and of course he's attractive, rich and without the 'constraints' of parents being present in his life. The perfect scenario for our lead girl to fall into. *rolls eyes*
The thing is that the actual lust/love aspects of the story are quite genuine. The first time is a bit glossed over but overall the interactions between the two feel genuine and reminded me of my own stumbling teenage years and relations with boys. So while the scenario may be convenient I'll give Crane props for making our teens act like teens.
Overall
There is a fun twist to this book that all goes back to our unreliable lead gal whose telling us the story. I liked how by the end I was ready for what happened and felt it made good sense. For some it may seem far-fetched but I didn't feel that way. With the exception of some convenient moments in the plot and characters I overall felt this was a well put together contemporary teen novel. And from this pessimistic teen literature reviewer that is actually a pretty good compliment.
For this and more of my reviews please visit my blog at: Epic Reading
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
May 6, 2018
Predictable and tropey, but beyond that I spent the entire book just furious that she was so selfish and thoughtless to her dad. Am I just too old for YA? I don’t mind characters being unlikable as long as I feel that the author is aware of it, but this girl’s terrible behavior (leaving her father to be worried senseless in Ireland for three weeks, snooping through other people’s things) is all excused by the fact that the poor baby has amnesia. It wasn’t fantastic enough for me to set aside my expectation of reality so the “reality” annoyed me. It was all too perfect and adorable. This one was a GR giveaway.
March 26, 2020
Well that took me by surprise. Well done Mrs. Crane.
June 23, 2023
Absolutely brilliant! For a romance novel, this truly had me on the edge of my seat and turned suspenseful! The twists and turns near the end SHOCKED me! I love how the story played out and the 2 main characters are so beautifully matched. Wonderful read, I highly recommend! Light read but so so many good deep meaning of life quotes you'll want to write down from this book.
July 6, 2023
The Upside of Falling Down had a promising premise but didn’t deliver the expected story. I was here for fabulism and Ireland but the uncomfortable romance that replaced it was not my cup of tea. Maybe if miscommunication and lying were not one of my biggest turnoffs, it wouldn’t have been so bad. I just struggle to see how people can ship two characters whose entire relationship is based on false impressions and straight-up manipulation… which is why Clementine and Kieran’s relationship didn’t work for me. Kieran’s behaviour was simply unacceptable. The lengths he took to pull off that level of manipulation made me sick. I cannot believe that he genuinely believed he was doing the right thing. I wanted Clementine to have nothing to do with him. I was in complete agreement with Siobhan.
The plot was so goddamn unbelievable. I empathise with Clementine’s situation - meeting her father was a Big Step that she was not ready to take - but the plot preceding her escape from the hospital was ridiculous. I couldn’t suspend my belief that far. It is probably a preference thing but I wanted to focus on Clementine working through her trauma, discovering who she wanted to be as a person and all of that, not a convoluted romance.
Oh well.
➸ Trigger warnings for .
▷ Representation: Clementine (mc) has retrograde amnesia.
Blog • Trigger Warning Database • StoryGraph
The plot was so goddamn unbelievable. I empathise with Clementine’s situation - meeting her father was a Big Step that she was not ready to take - but the plot preceding her escape from the hospital was ridiculous. I couldn’t suspend my belief that far. It is probably a preference thing but I wanted to focus on Clementine working through her trauma, discovering who she wanted to be as a person and all of that, not a convoluted romance.
Oh well.
➸ Trigger warnings for .
▷ Representation: Clementine (mc) has retrograde amnesia.
Blog • Trigger Warning Database • StoryGraph
May 15, 2024
This is a story about new beginnings.
Clementine/Jane is a young girl trying to figure out who she is after going through a traumatic event.
Basically, we follow the story of Clementine an American girl in Ireland who just happens to be the only survivor of a terrible plane crash who has lost her memory as a result of this accident. She no longer knows who she is, she feels alone and without anyone who understands her, she decides to move on and start a whole new life with the help of a charming and kind Irish guy named Kieran.
Some reviewers felt the story was too contrite, but I enjoyed the charm of it.
Even the bit of mystery, and the twists and turns of the characters as they slowly unraveled and discovered the truth (memories), et al.
If you want a little escapism, Ireland, and such, go for it. I think you will be pleasantly charmed.
Clementine/Jane is a young girl trying to figure out who she is after going through a traumatic event.
Basically, we follow the story of Clementine an American girl in Ireland who just happens to be the only survivor of a terrible plane crash who has lost her memory as a result of this accident. She no longer knows who she is, she feels alone and without anyone who understands her, she decides to move on and start a whole new life with the help of a charming and kind Irish guy named Kieran.
Some reviewers felt the story was too contrite, but I enjoyed the charm of it.
Even the bit of mystery, and the twists and turns of the characters as they slowly unraveled and discovered the truth (memories), et al.
If you want a little escapism, Ireland, and such, go for it. I think you will be pleasantly charmed.
June 30, 2023
I received a free ARC by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ireland. I fell in love with Ireland as soon as they defeated Bulgaria in the Quidditch World Cup final of 1994. So I really, really want to visit Ireland. Right now. So when I read the synopsis I was like: yasss, girl. But oh boy was I wrong.
➵ PLOT
Clementine Haas wakes up with amnesia. She’s in a hospital and has no clue where she is, or who she is. All her memories are gone. It turns out she was in a plane crash and that she’s the only survivor. Clementine panics and only wants one thing: find both herself, and her memories.
In order to do this, she decides to ‘flee’ with a fake identity. Kieran, a charming Irish boy, helps her run away. She ends up in a small town where she meets Siobhan, Kieran his sister, and the ever so funny Clive. Clementine tries to find herself, but gets caught up in a web of lies instead.
➵ CHARACTERS
Clementine is one of the most annoying characters I’ve ever stumbled across. She’s both annoying and hypocritical. She pretends to be Jane, tells one lie after another, but gets upside when others don’t tell her the truth. In addition, she takes drastic ‘matters’ in order to get rid of her old self (because of all sudden she does not want to be Clementine anymore?? Like OK???), which I could not understand AT ALL.
Kieran and Siobhan are the reason I could not give this book 1 star. They’re twins, but whereas Kieran is funny and sweet, Siobhan is distant and sulky. Precisely those differences made me love them, especially when you realize they’ll always be there for one another.
➵ PROS/CONS
Don’t get me wrong. The Upside of Falling Down is definitely not a “bad” book. It’s highly unrealistic, is all.
Pros
+ Stephen the Nurse, Clive the Jane Austen Guru and Kieran the Irish Gentleman saved this book. They’re funny, witty, sarcastic, but also really sweet.
+ The setting. I desperately want to visit Ireland. I already booked my ticket (jk).
Cons
- The story is incredibly unrealistic. As if it’s possible to just, randomly, escape from the hospital. As if it’s possible to ‘hide’ for a couple of weeks, in a small and desolated town.
- Clementine. Oh dear goodness. She’s so annoying. I can’t even. I had to put this book away a couple in times as I could not handle her behaviour anymore. Her hypocrisy was unforgivable. In my opinion.
- The end. It bothered me. A lot.
➵ CONCLUSION
Like I said: The Upside of Falling Down isn’t terrible. It has a nice writing style, the characters are believable (even though some of their actions are not) and while reading this book I felt like I was right there, right there in Ireland.
The reason I am not able to give this book more than two stars, is because it’s (like I already said… I’m repeating myself dang it) unrealistic. Some of the dialogues sounded fake, which made the overall a bit messy.
It’s a cute novel, though.
Rating: ★★
Ireland. I fell in love with Ireland as soon as they defeated Bulgaria in the Quidditch World Cup final of 1994. So I really, really want to visit Ireland. Right now. So when I read the synopsis I was like: yasss, girl. But oh boy was I wrong.
➵ PLOT
Clementine Haas wakes up with amnesia. She’s in a hospital and has no clue where she is, or who she is. All her memories are gone. It turns out she was in a plane crash and that she’s the only survivor. Clementine panics and only wants one thing: find both herself, and her memories.
In order to do this, she decides to ‘flee’ with a fake identity. Kieran, a charming Irish boy, helps her run away. She ends up in a small town where she meets Siobhan, Kieran his sister, and the ever so funny Clive. Clementine tries to find herself, but gets caught up in a web of lies instead.
➵ CHARACTERS
Clementine is one of the most annoying characters I’ve ever stumbled across. She’s both annoying and hypocritical. She pretends to be Jane, tells one lie after another, but gets upside when others don’t tell her the truth. In addition, she takes drastic ‘matters’ in order to get rid of her old self (because of all sudden she does not want to be Clementine anymore?? Like OK???), which I could not understand AT ALL.
Kieran and Siobhan are the reason I could not give this book 1 star. They’re twins, but whereas Kieran is funny and sweet, Siobhan is distant and sulky. Precisely those differences made me love them, especially when you realize they’ll always be there for one another.
➵ PROS/CONS
Don’t get me wrong. The Upside of Falling Down is definitely not a “bad” book. It’s highly unrealistic, is all.
Pros
+ Stephen the Nurse, Clive the Jane Austen Guru and Kieran the Irish Gentleman saved this book. They’re funny, witty, sarcastic, but also really sweet.
+ The setting. I desperately want to visit Ireland. I already booked my ticket (jk).
Cons
- The story is incredibly unrealistic. As if it’s possible to just, randomly, escape from the hospital. As if it’s possible to ‘hide’ for a couple of weeks, in a small and desolated town.
- Clementine. Oh dear goodness. She’s so annoying. I can’t even. I had to put this book away a couple in times as I could not handle her behaviour anymore. Her hypocrisy was unforgivable. In my opinion.
- The end. It bothered me. A lot.
➵ CONCLUSION
Like I said: The Upside of Falling Down isn’t terrible. It has a nice writing style, the characters are believable (even though some of their actions are not) and while reading this book I felt like I was right there, right there in Ireland.
The reason I am not able to give this book more than two stars, is because it’s (like I already said… I’m repeating myself dang it) unrealistic. Some of the dialogues sounded fake, which made the overall a bit messy.
It’s a cute novel, though.
Rating: ★★
May 27, 2019
Ohioan Clementine, the sole survivor of a plane crash in Ireland, suffers from retrograde amnesia and remembers nothing. Hoping to find herself, Clementine meets Kieran, who helps her flee from the hospital, thinking her name is Jane. Over the next weeks Jane won’t remember details, but she will discover who she wants to be. Can a possible romance be built on a lie? And what is Kieran hiding from Jane?
THE UPSIDE OF FALLING DOWN is a story about finding ourselves amongst the expectations of others, not just for Clementine, but for Kieran, his sister and a new friend.
I had a hard time empathizing with Clementine, fleeing the hospital to avoid seeing her father, a widower. She had no empathy for him, even knowing (from doctors) that she was all he had. Jane had many opportunities to come clean, and didn’t.
Clementine’s reactions to the aftermath of the crash didn’t seem true. She had a few flashbacks and nightmares at times convenient to the plot. She willingly went up in a small engine plane just weeks after the accident. I knew people who survived a plane accident where a few people died and they needed months of therapy, meds and a lot of alcohol to take that first plane ride. PTSD doesn’t need memories of the event to give sufferers reactions and Clementine/Jane didn’t act like someone suffering from Acute Stress Disorder (diagnosed before PTSD, which needs six months of symptoms to qualify).
A lot of THE UPSIDE OF FALLING was banter that had nothing to do with plot or character development. It was an okay, mostly forgettable read.
THE UPSIDE OF FALLING DOWN is a story about finding ourselves amongst the expectations of others, not just for Clementine, but for Kieran, his sister and a new friend.
I had a hard time empathizing with Clementine, fleeing the hospital to avoid seeing her father, a widower. She had no empathy for him, even knowing (from doctors) that she was all he had. Jane had many opportunities to come clean, and didn’t.
Clementine’s reactions to the aftermath of the crash didn’t seem true. She had a few flashbacks and nightmares at times convenient to the plot. She willingly went up in a small engine plane just weeks after the accident. I knew people who survived a plane accident where a few people died and they needed months of therapy, meds and a lot of alcohol to take that first plane ride. PTSD doesn’t need memories of the event to give sufferers reactions and Clementine/Jane didn’t act like someone suffering from Acute Stress Disorder (diagnosed before PTSD, which needs six months of symptoms to qualify).
A lot of THE UPSIDE OF FALLING was banter that had nothing to do with plot or character development. It was an okay, mostly forgettable read.
April 18, 2018
RATING: 3.5/5
*Thanks NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this*
This is a story about new beginnings. Clementine/Jane is a young girl trying to figure out who she is after going through a traumatic event. Deep down she remains the same girl but some things have changed. She has the opportunity to start over and be someone else.
I enjoyed this book, the plot is original and I appreciate that in YA. There is some character development by the time it wraps up, which is one of its best aspects.
However, I did have some issues with it: (1) the romance, which started out great but ended up feeling forced and (2) the ending seemed improvised and abrupt. Usually if the ending isn't good, I'll end up lowering my rating even if I enjoyed the rest of the book. This is an example of that.
Overall, ''The Upside of Falling Down'' gets a 3.5/5 rating from me and I do recommend it because it was enoyable.
*Thanks NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this*
This is a story about new beginnings. Clementine/Jane is a young girl trying to figure out who she is after going through a traumatic event. Deep down she remains the same girl but some things have changed. She has the opportunity to start over and be someone else.
I enjoyed this book, the plot is original and I appreciate that in YA. There is some character development by the time it wraps up, which is one of its best aspects.
However, I did have some issues with it: (1) the romance, which started out great but ended up feeling forced and (2) the ending seemed improvised and abrupt. Usually if the ending isn't good, I'll end up lowering my rating even if I enjoyed the rest of the book. This is an example of that.
Overall, ''The Upside of Falling Down'' gets a 3.5/5 rating from me and I do recommend it because it was enoyable.
May 21, 2018
The title is the best part of the book.
November 7, 2017
2.5 stars
I received a free eARC copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
I was raised in the Buckeye state, so whenever I hear about a book that takes place in Ohio, or where the main characters are from Ohio, I'm all over it. Cause let's be real here, hardly any books take place in Ohio. There's really nothing there, and it's pretty boring. I mean, Cedar Point is awesome, and there's the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and the Football Hall of Fame in Canton, but otherwise yeah...not much to see. The MC of this book is from Cleveland, but she travels to Ireland (which is basically my dream destination), so I was all over this book when I saw it on Netgalley.
I gotta say though, other than the setting of the book (and Kieran, obviously), I wasn't a huge fan. I understand the trials that Jane aka Clementine went though, and that it gives her a bit of leniency in her actions. But I just couldn't get past her personality. It got under my skin, and I wasn't able to connect with her at all.
The opening was a bit confusing as well. I'm not sure if this was on purpose to give us a sense of what Clementine was going through, or if it was just confusing. We are introduced to a Stephen, but there is no background. He just kind of pops up and hangs out for a while. We find out who he is later, but by then I had already written him off. There also wasn't a lot of clarity between how much time passed between the plane crash and the first chapter.
Overall, I thought there was a lot of potential. It just didn't hit the jackpot for me.
I received a free eARC copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
I was raised in the Buckeye state, so whenever I hear about a book that takes place in Ohio, or where the main characters are from Ohio, I'm all over it. Cause let's be real here, hardly any books take place in Ohio. There's really nothing there, and it's pretty boring. I mean, Cedar Point is awesome, and there's the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and the Football Hall of Fame in Canton, but otherwise yeah...not much to see. The MC of this book is from Cleveland, but she travels to Ireland (which is basically my dream destination), so I was all over this book when I saw it on Netgalley.
I gotta say though, other than the setting of the book (and Kieran, obviously), I wasn't a huge fan. I understand the trials that Jane aka Clementine went though, and that it gives her a bit of leniency in her actions. But I just couldn't get past her personality. It got under my skin, and I wasn't able to connect with her at all.
The opening was a bit confusing as well. I'm not sure if this was on purpose to give us a sense of what Clementine was going through, or if it was just confusing. We are introduced to a Stephen, but there is no background. He just kind of pops up and hangs out for a while. We find out who he is later, but by then I had already written him off. There also wasn't a lot of clarity between how much time passed between the plane crash and the first chapter.
Overall, I thought there was a lot of potential. It just didn't hit the jackpot for me.
December 28, 2017
I recieved this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exhange for an honest review. Thank you.
"She may not know it, but she is a walking story. And me... I´m full of scars with no stories." A great combination of a cute love story and a self discovery story.
We follow the story of Clementine an American girl in Ireland who just happens to be the only survivor of a terrible plane crash who has lost her memory as a result of this accident. She no longer knows who she is, she feels alone and without anyone who understands her, so she decides to move on and start a whole new life with the help of a charming and kind Irish guy named Kieran (who calls her bunny in a very cute way) that will help her to discover the upside of falling down.
"She may not know it, but she is a walking story. And me... I´m full of scars with no stories." A great combination of a cute love story and a self discovery story.
We follow the story of Clementine an American girl in Ireland who just happens to be the only survivor of a terrible plane crash who has lost her memory as a result of this accident. She no longer knows who she is, she feels alone and without anyone who understands her, so she decides to move on and start a whole new life with the help of a charming and kind Irish guy named Kieran (who calls her bunny in a very cute way) that will help her to discover the upside of falling down.
February 18, 2018
As it turns out, all one needs to do to get me interested in a book is mention Ireland somewhere in the summary.
Actual rating: 3.5
This is a solid book in my favorite genre, it's no surprise that I enjoyed it. It's well thought out and well executed. I liked the characters best of all, and the plot was very intriguing. The only thing that doesn't sit well with me is the ending, it felt rushed and it didn't seem believable.
*Copy received from NetGalley
January 7, 2018
A girl whose memories are lost after a plane crash and the boy trying to find his own purpose fall in love amidst the charming Irish setting in Rebekah Crane’s THE UPSIDE OF FALLING DOWN.
Clementine Haas wakes in an Irish hospital to find that she’s the only survivor in a plane crash with no recollection of who she is. On impulse she convinces a sweet Irish guy, who she told her name was Jane, she met in the courtyard at the hospital to help her escape, by telling him that she was mugged and wants to leave and start a new life. He takes her back to the small cottage he shares with his prickly and pregnant twin sister, Siobhan. Clementine’s guilt over lying to Kieran begins to weigh on her as she starts to fall for him. But something keeps Kieran from reciprocating romantic feelings.
This book has a lot of cute in it but deals with some tough issues. How terrifying would it be to wake up in another country with no idea how you got where you are or who you you? Finding your identity and who you are is hard enough as a teenager without adding in the complexities of amnesia. That’s the unique part about this book. She has to find out who she is all over again while trying to gasp bits of her past and combine it with all the new things she experiences.
Meanwhile, Kieran has his own identity crisis. His father has controlled him and Siobhan with threats and a lot of money. Until now, Kieran has always caved until the stern finger of his father but personal tragedy has left him shaken and on the cusp of something new, scary, and maybe even good.
Throughout the story, Clementine remembers bits and pieces of the girl she used to be, putting together a puzzle of her past. All of this was a good mystery that kept me reading, wondering how Ireland ties into all of this. There is an Irish boy from her past. Could it be Kieran? Is it someone else?
This novel is very high in concept. A plot such as this is something that sounds really intriguing in a synopsis. While I did like the book, I would have liked it so much more if there was a little more believability to it. The fact that a hospital patient with amnesia was able to escape from a hospital and remain lost despite being all over the national news was a little far-fetched. The love story was cute but it felt like it needed more foundation. The multiple coincidences revealed towards the end just added to the unbelievability and I felt disconnected from the story because of this.
* I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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****************
★★UPCOMING BOOK RELEASES★★
****************
Clementine Haas wakes in an Irish hospital to find that she’s the only survivor in a plane crash with no recollection of who she is. On impulse she convinces a sweet Irish guy, who she told her name was Jane, she met in the courtyard at the hospital to help her escape, by telling him that she was mugged and wants to leave and start a new life. He takes her back to the small cottage he shares with his prickly and pregnant twin sister, Siobhan. Clementine’s guilt over lying to Kieran begins to weigh on her as she starts to fall for him. But something keeps Kieran from reciprocating romantic feelings.
This book has a lot of cute in it but deals with some tough issues. How terrifying would it be to wake up in another country with no idea how you got where you are or who you you? Finding your identity and who you are is hard enough as a teenager without adding in the complexities of amnesia. That’s the unique part about this book. She has to find out who she is all over again while trying to gasp bits of her past and combine it with all the new things she experiences.
Meanwhile, Kieran has his own identity crisis. His father has controlled him and Siobhan with threats and a lot of money. Until now, Kieran has always caved until the stern finger of his father but personal tragedy has left him shaken and on the cusp of something new, scary, and maybe even good.
Throughout the story, Clementine remembers bits and pieces of the girl she used to be, putting together a puzzle of her past. All of this was a good mystery that kept me reading, wondering how Ireland ties into all of this. There is an Irish boy from her past. Could it be Kieran? Is it someone else?
This novel is very high in concept. A plot such as this is something that sounds really intriguing in a synopsis. While I did like the book, I would have liked it so much more if there was a little more believability to it. The fact that a hospital patient with amnesia was able to escape from a hospital and remain lost despite being all over the national news was a little far-fetched. The love story was cute but it felt like it needed more foundation. The multiple coincidences revealed towards the end just added to the unbelievability and I felt disconnected from the story because of this.
* I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Read this Review • My Website • Facebook • Twitter • Pinterest • Instagram • Subscribe by Email
****************
★★UPCOMING BOOK RELEASES★★
****************
May 23, 2019
4.5 Stars!
After having loved the book Aspen by this author, I've been meaning to read more of her stories. The Upside of Falling Down was the perfect book to follow with. I would like to note that although this is classified as Young Adult, due to the some of the content and age of the characters, I feel the story leans more towards New Adult.
The story opens with Clementine in the hospital. She's suffering from injuries due to a plane crash; retrograde amnesia being the most prominent. That opening was an excellent precursor to the mystery of Clementine and discovering why she was on a plane to Ireland. As the reader, we follow her journey of discovery and learn the truth right along with her. The mystery and the slow burn romance between Clementine and Kieran kept me glued to the pages. I really only have one critique. While I found the character development wonderful, I thought that the author could have delved deeper into family dynamics and back stories. Regardless, it was a witty and moving story with some fun Ireland adventures.
After having loved the book Aspen by this author, I've been meaning to read more of her stories. The Upside of Falling Down was the perfect book to follow with. I would like to note that although this is classified as Young Adult, due to the some of the content and age of the characters, I feel the story leans more towards New Adult.
The story opens with Clementine in the hospital. She's suffering from injuries due to a plane crash; retrograde amnesia being the most prominent. That opening was an excellent precursor to the mystery of Clementine and discovering why she was on a plane to Ireland. As the reader, we follow her journey of discovery and learn the truth right along with her. The mystery and the slow burn romance between Clementine and Kieran kept me glued to the pages. I really only have one critique. While I found the character development wonderful, I thought that the author could have delved deeper into family dynamics and back stories. Regardless, it was a witty and moving story with some fun Ireland adventures.
January 15, 2018
Rating: 4.5 Stars
I was lucky to stumble upon Crane's last book, The Odds of Loving Grover Cleveland, last year, and enjoyed it immensely. Therefore, when I saw The Upside of Falling Down, I knew right away, that I had to read it, and you know what? It was utterly delightful!
•Pro: The whole theme of the book is fabulous! It's about new beginnings and possibilities. Clementine's amnesia freed her from her past, and it was so wonderful being there with her as she tried to figure out who she was and who she wanted to be.
•Pro: I really enjoyed getting to know the people who became Clementine's inner circle. They were a very colorful group of characters, who were quite layered, and I really appreciated what they brought to the story. Clive and Stephen both won me over with their big, beautiful hearts!
•Pro: Kieran was a complicated guy. He was dealing with his own crisis, as he struggled with who he wanted to be and who his father wanted him to be. The Kieran I loved, was the one we saw when he temporarily left those worries for another day. He was very sweet, doting, generous, and very dedicated to those he loved. I was really pleased when we got to the bottom of his issues.
That's the dare I'm most afraid of - to live the life I choose.
•Pro: I loved being in Clementine's head. There was so much going on in there, and some of her reflections were quite amusing.
•Pro: Though this book explores some weighty topics, it stays on the lighter side.
•Pro: I thought it was great the way Crane slowly revealed Clementine's memories, because it lead to a rather BIG twist, which I didn't see coming until it was more or less upon us.
•Pro: I adored the setting! I visited Ireland back in 2007, and Crane brought me back to all those lovely places I had visited.
•Pro: The ending left me with a perma-smile, so I would say it was pretty solid.
Overall: I utterly adored this book! The fabulous characters plus the delightful setting, the sweet romance, and endless possibilities left me with a big stupid grin on my face. File it under "makes-me-happy".
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
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I was lucky to stumble upon Crane's last book, The Odds of Loving Grover Cleveland, last year, and enjoyed it immensely. Therefore, when I saw The Upside of Falling Down, I knew right away, that I had to read it, and you know what? It was utterly delightful!
"It's the upside of falling down," Kieran says. "It's why you jump in the first place...for that moment."
•Pro: The whole theme of the book is fabulous! It's about new beginnings and possibilities. Clementine's amnesia freed her from her past, and it was so wonderful being there with her as she tried to figure out who she was and who she wanted to be.
"I died and was reborn on June 18 in a plane crash in Ballycalla"
•Pro: I really enjoyed getting to know the people who became Clementine's inner circle. They were a very colorful group of characters, who were quite layered, and I really appreciated what they brought to the story. Clive and Stephen both won me over with their big, beautiful hearts!
•Pro: Kieran was a complicated guy. He was dealing with his own crisis, as he struggled with who he wanted to be and who his father wanted him to be. The Kieran I loved, was the one we saw when he temporarily left those worries for another day. He was very sweet, doting, generous, and very dedicated to those he loved. I was really pleased when we got to the bottom of his issues.
That's the dare I'm most afraid of - to live the life I choose.
•Pro: I loved being in Clementine's head. There was so much going on in there, and some of her reflections were quite amusing.
•Pro: Though this book explores some weighty topics, it stays on the lighter side.
•Pro: I thought it was great the way Crane slowly revealed Clementine's memories, because it lead to a rather BIG twist, which I didn't see coming until it was more or less upon us.
•Pro: I adored the setting! I visited Ireland back in 2007, and Crane brought me back to all those lovely places I had visited.
•Pro: The ending left me with a perma-smile, so I would say it was pretty solid.
Overall: I utterly adored this book! The fabulous characters plus the delightful setting, the sweet romance, and endless possibilities left me with a big stupid grin on my face. File it under "makes-me-happy".
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
April 18, 2018
This was very underwhelming. Skimmed a lot. Disliked the main character. It was not for me. Full review to follow
January 7, 2018
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, ok ahora continuemos.
Este libro estaba teniendo un menor rating hasta el último 10%, en el que mejoró bastante. Así que empecemos con las cosas buenas:
- La historia comienza de una forma muy interesante, se estrella un avión y Clementine es la única sobreviviente. Plot twist: ella pierde la memoria. De esta manera sabemos que no es una historia aburrida, descubrimos la vida anterior de Clementine de poco a poco, como ella. Me gustó mucho como pedazos de su memoria y su pasado comienzan a llegar de poco a poco y podemos saber qué realmente pasó
- El final fue super satisfactorio, mientras leía no sabía porqué las personas se comportaban como lo hacían, pero el final estuvo perfecto. Todo se conecta, todo se sabe, todo se aclarece.
AHORA VAMOS CON LAS COSAS MALAS:
- Oh boy, la única cosa que me molestó de sobremanera fue la INCREÍBLE cantidad de veces que Kieran le dice Bunny a Jane... habían veces que lo decía 5 veces en una sola página. NO NO NO, empecé a molestarme y dejar de leer ese apodo porque era demasiado cursi y no tenía idea por qué no podían decir una sola oración sin decirse BUNNY STOPPPP. Además de las referencias a la Jell-o ok, enough is enough.
- También me molestó la manera en que Jane se refería a Kieran, 'lo necesito, solo el me puede salvar, necesito que él me ayude', ok, ya sé que ella había pasado por mucho pero suficiente amiga, man up. Tal vez no estoy acostumbrada a que las mujeres protagonistas sean tan frágiles e inútiles.
- Por último siento que la historia no tiene una continuidad, Jane está lista para huir, rota y sintiéndose terrible y luego dice.. 'te reto a que me lleves a surfear' WTF.
Este libro estaba teniendo un menor rating hasta el último 10%, en el que mejoró bastante. Así que empecemos con las cosas buenas:
- La historia comienza de una forma muy interesante, se estrella un avión y Clementine es la única sobreviviente. Plot twist: ella pierde la memoria. De esta manera sabemos que no es una historia aburrida, descubrimos la vida anterior de Clementine de poco a poco, como ella. Me gustó mucho como pedazos de su memoria y su pasado comienzan a llegar de poco a poco y podemos saber qué realmente pasó
- El final fue super satisfactorio, mientras leía no sabía porqué las personas se comportaban como lo hacían, pero el final estuvo perfecto. Todo se conecta, todo se sabe, todo se aclarece.
AHORA VAMOS CON LAS COSAS MALAS:
- Oh boy, la única cosa que me molestó de sobremanera fue la INCREÍBLE cantidad de veces que Kieran le dice Bunny a Jane... habían veces que lo decía 5 veces en una sola página. NO NO NO, empecé a molestarme y dejar de leer ese apodo porque era demasiado cursi y no tenía idea por qué no podían decir una sola oración sin decirse BUNNY STOPPPP. Además de las referencias a la Jell-o ok, enough is enough.
- También me molestó la manera en que Jane se refería a Kieran, 'lo necesito, solo el me puede salvar, necesito que él me ayude', ok, ya sé que ella había pasado por mucho pero suficiente amiga, man up. Tal vez no estoy acostumbrada a que las mujeres protagonistas sean tan frágiles e inútiles.
- Por último siento que la historia no tiene una continuidad, Jane está lista para huir, rota y sintiéndose terrible y luego dice.. 'te reto a que me lleves a surfear' WTF.
"I will not be reduced to feeling less than feeble and powerless, I've come too far, survived too much. If Kieran won't help me, it's time I help myself. Time I trusted myself".
January 23, 2018
I had no idea what to expect going into this one (I didn't even read the synopsis) and boy was I pleasantly surprised. If you're looking for a fantastic contemporary to get you out of a reading rut, this book is just the thing you need!
"The memories mean nothing to me if I can't recall them. Except for the small fact that... they mean everything. No matter what people want to believe, life is locked in the past. It's all we are -- a timeline of events that make up a person."
Clementine Haas wakes up in a hospital in Ireland the sole survivor of a plane crash. Her only memories are vague remebrances of the actual crash. She doesn't remember anything from her life before. And because that's a terrifying thing that she has to learn to live with she gets freaked out and runs away from the hospital to try to sort out who she is on her own and wait for her memories to hopefully return.
This is a great example of how contemporary, when done well, doesn't have to have the most pressing plot in order to be immensely enjoyable. For most of the book Clementine is just wandering around a small town in Ireland thinking and pining after a super cute boy. It's not like there's a ton of action going on. But that's where The Upside of Falling Down will get you, because dang it this book is just so charming and wonderful and I just wanted to live in its pages the entire time I was reading.
Kieren is the dashing and quippy love interest (with a dash of moodiness and secrecy thrown in for good measure), while his twin sister Siobhan is the angst-riddled anger machine who detests Clementine's presence and hides behind hostility. And then there's Clive, the comic relief who ties them all together. They make one heck of motley crew and dang it if I didn't just love them to pieces.
"Clive doesn't back down. 'Austen knew that surprises make stories more interesting. You can't be afraid of them, or you might miss out.'"
There are a few curveballs here that I can't talk about without spoiling things, but I want to at least touch on them. I didn't see many of them until they were right under my nose, and I liked the build-up throughout the story. There were some cleverly placed clues hidden along the path, and whlie I caught some of them I know that I missed others.
This is a total romance book, with just enough mystery weaving through it to keep things interesting for a reader who isn't that into romance (like myself).
Overall, I would highly recommend this contemporary to anyone looking for something light-hearted and tender.
Rating: 5/5 stars
"The memories mean nothing to me if I can't recall them. Except for the small fact that... they mean everything. No matter what people want to believe, life is locked in the past. It's all we are -- a timeline of events that make up a person."
Clementine Haas wakes up in a hospital in Ireland the sole survivor of a plane crash. Her only memories are vague remebrances of the actual crash. She doesn't remember anything from her life before. And because that's a terrifying thing that she has to learn to live with she gets freaked out and runs away from the hospital to try to sort out who she is on her own and wait for her memories to hopefully return.
This is a great example of how contemporary, when done well, doesn't have to have the most pressing plot in order to be immensely enjoyable. For most of the book Clementine is just wandering around a small town in Ireland thinking and pining after a super cute boy. It's not like there's a ton of action going on. But that's where The Upside of Falling Down will get you, because dang it this book is just so charming and wonderful and I just wanted to live in its pages the entire time I was reading.
Kieren is the dashing and quippy love interest (with a dash of moodiness and secrecy thrown in for good measure), while his twin sister Siobhan is the angst-riddled anger machine who detests Clementine's presence and hides behind hostility. And then there's Clive, the comic relief who ties them all together. They make one heck of motley crew and dang it if I didn't just love them to pieces.
"Clive doesn't back down. 'Austen knew that surprises make stories more interesting. You can't be afraid of them, or you might miss out.'"
There are a few curveballs here that I can't talk about without spoiling things, but I want to at least touch on them. I didn't see many of them until they were right under my nose, and I liked the build-up throughout the story. There were some cleverly placed clues hidden along the path, and whlie I caught some of them I know that I missed others.
This is a total romance book, with just enough mystery weaving through it to keep things interesting for a reader who isn't that into romance (like myself).
Overall, I would highly recommend this contemporary to anyone looking for something light-hearted and tender.
Rating: 5/5 stars
December 16, 2017
I received a free eARC copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
When I saw this book on Netgalley I thought the cover was really cute. This book turned out to be such a cute fun read. I flew through it in just two sittings, I couldn't put it down. The book is set in ireland which gave this story bonus points from me. I love reading about foreign countries, there not a setting used as often as it should be.
The main character Clementine, it was interesting to be inside her head, as she has no memories of who she is. She essentially gets to start over and find out who she is. I love how brave she is, trying new things that scares her. Kieran was a sweetheart, and is really swoon worthy. He is caring and loves to help people, helps that he's also irish :')
The last 50 pages or so were very intense and a lot of tings were wrapped up nicely, but maybe a second book could happen fingers crossed.
This book will be released January 30 2018, if you like cute fluffy contemporaries I highly recommend you pick this one up.
When I saw this book on Netgalley I thought the cover was really cute. This book turned out to be such a cute fun read. I flew through it in just two sittings, I couldn't put it down. The book is set in ireland which gave this story bonus points from me. I love reading about foreign countries, there not a setting used as often as it should be.
The main character Clementine, it was interesting to be inside her head, as she has no memories of who she is. She essentially gets to start over and find out who she is. I love how brave she is, trying new things that scares her. Kieran was a sweetheart, and is really swoon worthy. He is caring and loves to help people, helps that he's also irish :')
The last 50 pages or so were very intense and a lot of tings were wrapped up nicely, but maybe a second book could happen fingers crossed.
This book will be released January 30 2018, if you like cute fluffy contemporaries I highly recommend you pick this one up.
January 29, 2018
"Just when you think your life is over, a new story line falls from the sky and lands right in your lap."
When Clementine wakes up in an Irish hospital without her memories she decides she needs to rediscover herself in order for them to return. The only thing she knows is she is a lone survivor of a plane crash, her name is Clementine, she’s from Cleveland, Ohio and she’s not ready to face the father that came all the way to get her because she can’t let the man down knowing that she doesn’t remember him at all.
A chance meeting with a guy named Kieran gives Clementine the opportunity she needs to try to get away from everything as she tries to figure out her past life and where she wants to go from there. The more she continues to lie to Kieran the more she starts to fall for the guy, and she’s not even sure if she would be willing to give up her new identity for the life she’s been trying to recover.
The Story- For me, this book was a solid middle grounder . The beginning was interesting enough, hooking me into who this girl could be, and I felt lost right with her. I was eager to see her set off onto her adventure with Kieran as she tries to figure out who she was. Unfortunately the middle sort of lagged. I started to lose interest as the book went into a mundane routine for her while she was staying with Kieran. Despite being with him for three weeks, their interactions were minimal, and when they did start spending time together we basically got a summary of what they did. This made the romance seem superficial especially considering the decisions made towards the end of the book. This also made the ending feel a bit rushed since a lot of time was spent doing, essentially nothing.
The book also had the opportunity to really spend a lot more time involving the fact that she was in Ireland. Despite dropping certain city names, Guinness, and maybe some cozy sweaters, there really wasn't an extra Irish vibe. I think if some time was spent diving into the area little bit more would have provided for a little extra flavor in the story.
The Characters-Despite the lack of substantial romance, I did really like the characters. Clementine and Kieran both were very strong with facing their fears and tackling what is set in front of them. Clementine made for a very likeable person that you wanted to root on because she seemed so genuinely nice, and granted she was lying, her motives were still, for the most part, pure. Sometimes I did feel like she put herself into a situation where she was desperately forcing herself into the lives to those who had taken her in, and I honestly felt that she was crossing some boundaries with them given the situation. Somehow her escape equated to them having to spend time and be friends with her.
The Soundtrack- Switchfoot – Dare you to Move
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley for a fair review.
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When Clementine wakes up in an Irish hospital without her memories she decides she needs to rediscover herself in order for them to return. The only thing she knows is she is a lone survivor of a plane crash, her name is Clementine, she’s from Cleveland, Ohio and she’s not ready to face the father that came all the way to get her because she can’t let the man down knowing that she doesn’t remember him at all.
A chance meeting with a guy named Kieran gives Clementine the opportunity she needs to try to get away from everything as she tries to figure out her past life and where she wants to go from there. The more she continues to lie to Kieran the more she starts to fall for the guy, and she’s not even sure if she would be willing to give up her new identity for the life she’s been trying to recover.
The Story- For me, this book was a solid middle grounder . The beginning was interesting enough, hooking me into who this girl could be, and I felt lost right with her. I was eager to see her set off onto her adventure with Kieran as she tries to figure out who she was. Unfortunately the middle sort of lagged. I started to lose interest as the book went into a mundane routine for her while she was staying with Kieran. Despite being with him for three weeks, their interactions were minimal, and when they did start spending time together we basically got a summary of what they did. This made the romance seem superficial especially considering the decisions made towards the end of the book. This also made the ending feel a bit rushed since a lot of time was spent doing, essentially nothing.
The book also had the opportunity to really spend a lot more time involving the fact that she was in Ireland. Despite dropping certain city names, Guinness, and maybe some cozy sweaters, there really wasn't an extra Irish vibe. I think if some time was spent diving into the area little bit more would have provided for a little extra flavor in the story.
The Characters-Despite the lack of substantial romance, I did really like the characters. Clementine and Kieran both were very strong with facing their fears and tackling what is set in front of them. Clementine made for a very likeable person that you wanted to root on because she seemed so genuinely nice, and granted she was lying, her motives were still, for the most part, pure. Sometimes I did feel like she put herself into a situation where she was desperately forcing herself into the lives to those who had taken her in, and I honestly felt that she was crossing some boundaries with them given the situation. Somehow her escape equated to them having to spend time and be friends with her.
The Soundtrack- Switchfoot – Dare you to Move
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley for a fair review.
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February 5, 2019
Персонажи меня, мягко говоря, здесь не порадовали. Поступков главной героини я понять не могла вообще, а уж как жестоко она поступила с любящим отцом, который и так чуть с ума ни сошел, когда его дочь попала в авиакатастрофу, в которой погибли все, кроме нее… Так она еще заставила его несколько месяцев волноваться, пока бегала где-то без следа воспоминаний о своей жизни в незнакомой стране. Как так можно вообще? Вот ей в голову взбрело, что она совсем не тот человек, которым была (в итоге, оказалось, что очень даже тот, нормальная жизнь у нее была, я-то думала, она правда была вынуждена быть не той, кем хотела, кто-то ее к чему-то принуждал).
Сиобан и Клайв - персонажи поинтереснее. Они необычные, так что про них читать было любопытно.
Киран - ни рыба ни мясо. Большую часть книги читатель его просто не понимает.
Стефан вообще абсолютно непонятный персонаж, он стал лучшим другом Клементины за 10 минут после того, как она очнулась, и до того, как она сбежала. Все медбратья так ведут себя обычно с пациентами?
Читаемо, но, мягко говоря, не фонтан. Сюжет и развязка меня абсолютно не впечатлили. Они весьма банальны, предсказуемы и нелепы. Персонажи тоже не ахти.
Не то чтобы мне прямо жаль потраченного времени. В целом, читалось легко, на один раз – вполне. Но правдоподобностью в этой книге не то что не пахнет… вообще даже говорить о ней смысла нет.
Сиобан и Клайв - персонажи поинтереснее. Они необычные, так что про них читать было любопытно.
Киран - ни рыба ни мясо. Большую часть книги читатель его просто не понимает.
Стефан вообще абсолютно непонятный персонаж, он стал лучшим другом Клементины за 10 минут после того, как она очнулась, и до того, как она сбежала. Все медбратья так ведут себя обычно с пациентами?
Читаемо, но, мягко говоря, не фонтан. Сюжет и развязка меня абсолютно не впечатлили. Они весьма банальны, предсказуемы и нелепы. Персонажи тоже не ахти.
Не то чтобы мне прямо жаль потраченного времени. В целом, читалось легко, на один раз – вполне. Но правдоподобностью в этой книге не то что не пахнет… вообще даже говорить о ней смысла нет.
May 19, 2020
actual rating: 4.5
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I’ll never be able to fathom the feeling of waking up without memory of your past. Not a single bit of my childhood, no memories of my life, no memories of my family. That’s horrifying and extremely unnerving. It's precisely what had happened to Clementine.
I really liked Clementine. After surviving a horrible plane crash, she wakes up not remembering anything from the past. She has no recollection of her family, friends and life in Cleveland. It was like she was reborn. Her good and bad memories were wiped out with this plane crash. Not only does she have to come to terms that she might never get her memories back, she have to relearn everything about herself.
Kieran is another of my favourite. He’s so sweet and understanding. While we learn about Clementine’s dislikes and likes, we’re also diving into Kieran’s story. He has secrets and serious baggages of his own despite his happy-go-lucky and joking personality.
There’s so many wonderful characters in The Upside of Falling Down. I loved every single one of them - except Andy - once you read the book, you’ll know why. Each of them are unique in their own way. Stephen, Clive and Siobhan are amazingly well-developed characters.
I rarely pick up stories that focuses specifically on self-discovery but this book has opened my mind to reach out for more books similar to this. After putting the book down, I have a massive urge to visit Ireland but at the same time, I don’t want to take that 1 in 1.2 million chances of a plane crashing.
This book is about self-discovery, acceptance, inclusiveness, relearning, stepping out of comfort zones, and defying the odds. I just love it so much. Highly recommend you The Upside of Falling Down.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I’ll never be able to fathom the feeling of waking up without memory of your past. Not a single bit of my childhood, no memories of my life, no memories of my family. That’s horrifying and extremely unnerving. It's precisely what had happened to Clementine.
I really liked Clementine. After surviving a horrible plane crash, she wakes up not remembering anything from the past. She has no recollection of her family, friends and life in Cleveland. It was like she was reborn. Her good and bad memories were wiped out with this plane crash. Not only does she have to come to terms that she might never get her memories back, she have to relearn everything about herself.
Kieran is another of my favourite. He’s so sweet and understanding. While we learn about Clementine’s dislikes and likes, we’re also diving into Kieran’s story. He has secrets and serious baggages of his own despite his happy-go-lucky and joking personality.
There’s so many wonderful characters in The Upside of Falling Down. I loved every single one of them - except Andy - once you read the book, you’ll know why. Each of them are unique in their own way. Stephen, Clive and Siobhan are amazingly well-developed characters.
I rarely pick up stories that focuses specifically on self-discovery but this book has opened my mind to reach out for more books similar to this. After putting the book down, I have a massive urge to visit Ireland but at the same time, I don’t want to take that 1 in 1.2 million chances of a plane crashing.
This book is about self-discovery, acceptance, inclusiveness, relearning, stepping out of comfort zones, and defying the odds. I just love it so much. Highly recommend you The Upside of Falling Down.
March 25, 2019
***ARC provided by Skyscape and Two Lions publishers in exchange for an honest review.***
Clementine Hass is the sole survivor of a plane crash which has left her with amnesia. Waking up in a hospital she has no idea who she is, or where she is from. This is the perfect depiction of finding out who you are without the distracting influences of your past. Clementine isn't entirely sure her lost memories are relevant or useful and embarks on a reinvention of sorts to discover who this striped down and vulnerable Clementine truly is. Perhaps she will find her memories in the process, and like who she is.
Along the way she collects a handful of friends who she warms to instantly. There are many special moments with her new acquaintances. Unfortunately the diversity of a couple of these characters seemed a bit disingenuous, forced even. Their interactions however, are well written.
I immediately doubted the believability factor of Clementine breaking out of a hospital after such a tragic event. Her recovery seemed too easy, her amnesia too romanticized.
In the end I loved the direction the story took with an unexpected sliver of mystery. I was curious the entire read on how everything would connect. Whilst throughout the read I felt what the author wanted us to accept was a bit of a stretch, the ending redeemed my lingering skepticism, slightly.
This is a cute YA read, that takes the reader to delightful Ireland where it cast the background on a tragic event and turns it into a tale of self discovery, and love.
Clementine Hass is the sole survivor of a plane crash which has left her with amnesia. Waking up in a hospital she has no idea who she is, or where she is from. This is the perfect depiction of finding out who you are without the distracting influences of your past. Clementine isn't entirely sure her lost memories are relevant or useful and embarks on a reinvention of sorts to discover who this striped down and vulnerable Clementine truly is. Perhaps she will find her memories in the process, and like who she is.
Along the way she collects a handful of friends who she warms to instantly. There are many special moments with her new acquaintances. Unfortunately the diversity of a couple of these characters seemed a bit disingenuous, forced even. Their interactions however, are well written.
I immediately doubted the believability factor of Clementine breaking out of a hospital after such a tragic event. Her recovery seemed too easy, her amnesia too romanticized.
In the end I loved the direction the story took with an unexpected sliver of mystery. I was curious the entire read on how everything would connect. Whilst throughout the read I felt what the author wanted us to accept was a bit of a stretch, the ending redeemed my lingering skepticism, slightly.
This is a cute YA read, that takes the reader to delightful Ireland where it cast the background on a tragic event and turns it into a tale of self discovery, and love.
March 4, 2018
I don't know, this book just fell flat for me. When I saw this at Netgalley, I thought it will be a quick and fun (maybe cute?) read but I really struggled continuing with this. I just can't connect with Clementine and Kieran, or any character for that matter. The story started out great but ended absurdly.
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