The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe

Release Date: January 24, 2012
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Pages: 304
Series: The Way We Fall #1
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from author's website)
It starts with an itch you just can’t shake. Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throat. A few days later, you’ll be blabbing your secrets and chatting with strangers like they’re old friends. Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in.

And then you’re dead.

When sixteen-year-old Kaelyn lets her best friend leave for school without saying goodbye, she never dreams that she might not see him again. But then a strange virus begins to sweep through her small island community, infecting young and old alike. As the dead pile up, the government quarantines the island: no one can leave, and no one can come back.

Those still healthy must fight for the island’s dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival. As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest.

Because how will she go on if there isn’t?

Poignant and dizzying, The Way We Fall is the heart-wrenching story of one girl’s bravery and unbeatable spirit as she challenges not just her fears, but her sense of what makes life worth living.

My Thoughts:
In the end I was completely enthralled with this one. It had a bit of a slower start, but it becomes "unputdownable" toward the middle. In the beginning I was iffy about the way the story is told (Kaelyn is writing letters to a former best friend/crush), but in the end I really loved it. It just felt so honest and straightforward.

I’m pretty fascinated with disease and the way epidemics spread, so it was really awesome (in a sad, horrible way) to read a whole book that revolves around this topic. The whole isolated island setting made the story even more interesting and also believable. There was almost this horror movie vibe going on because all these terrible things were happening, and there was no way to stop it. At times the story is absolutely heartbreaking. You can’t see how there could be a happy ending for this story, but you keep hoping that Kaelyn and those around her will be safe.

I just felt a deep connection to these characters, and I still find myself wondering about them and how everything ended up (because yes, there’s an abrupt ending -- but thankfully it is book one in a trilogy, so we get to read more and find out what happens).

Bonus: this book has a Canadian setting! You have no idea how psyched I was to read in a book about Thanksgiving happening in October! Gosh that sounds sad, doesn’t it? But really, it was nice to read a book set in my home country instead of the States for once.

This book is about family, about friendship, and it has a sweet romance to it as well. There are some lovely moments that make the deeply emotional scenes of loss a bit easier to take. At the heart of this book is the disease and what it does to those who are affected, either directly or indirectly, and it makes for an absolutely gripping story. Highly recommended.

The Cover:
Gorgeous! Very interesting to look at, and it makes you curious about the book, I think.

Rating:
[4.5/5]

Find The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon

Edit: I've updated this post with the new official cover. You can find the original concept cover here.