Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts Review

Title: Tumble & Fall
Author: Alexandra Coutts (Twitter)
Publisher: FSG BYR
Publish Date: September 17, 2013
Genre: YA, Dystopian
Pages: 384
Source: Publisher:

The world is living in the shadow of oncoming disaster. An asteroid is set to strike the earth in just one week’s time; catastrophe is unavoidable. The question isn’t how to save the world—the question is, what to do with the time that's left? Against this stark backdrop, three island teens wrestle with intertwining stories of love, friendship and family—all with the ultimate stakes at hand.

Alexandra Coutts's Tumble & Fall is a powerful story of courage, love and hope at the end of the world.

The world is on the brink of disaster. There is nothing that can be done, nothing that can be changed and three teens are forced to find a way to live their entire lives in their final days. Sienna's life has been non-stop drama, and for once in her life, she might just not want to die. Zan is still coming to terms with the fact that her boyfriend, Leo, is dead. But she's finally found a reason to live...at the end of days. Caden's about to be reintroduced to the father he's never really known. How do you live out your life when there's only 7 days left?

In a world where people are utterly fascinated by the possibility or probability of the end of days, Tumble & Fall leaps into a coveted place on the market. Offering readers a solid premise, a cover that should be envied by many a cover (and author) out there and talented writer at the helm, this book has all the makings of excellence. Alexandra Coutts has set the stage for a fantastic drama full of life, love and the desire to survive.

Now, before I go any further, I have to be honest and say that I actually debated even writing this review. However, as it was provided as a review copy, I feel the need to offer up to my readers some unblemished honesty. Tumble & Fall, despite having all the facets of an incredible story setup, simply did not work for me. We're given three distinct points of view - that of Sienna, Zan and Caden - and for the first time ever, I can honestly say that not one of them worked for me. Sienna was probably the most plausible of the three, as she's recovering from severe depression, but the utter flakiness and impulsiveness of her character was jarring. Plus, let's add in the fact that she's known her new love interest, Owen, for a very short period of time before she decides she's in love with him. Oh, and for the record, Owen is building an ark...which will totally not save them from an asteroid. I struggled with Zan's character because, while I can understand the depth of her loss and loneliness, her epic scavenger hunt to find some hidden message from her dead boyfriend as the world's ending just didn't seem remotely plausible to me. Caden's story, if possible, was by far the least plausible (or enjoyable) for me. His absent father returns at the end of time to abduct him and treat him to all the things they've missed out on? I can see that being accomplished without forcible abduction. Here's the thing, guys. The writing in Tumble & Fall is not bad. In fact, it's fluid and engaging. The story, however, lacks the same charm and quality as the writing, itself. I would expect far more urgency and drama in an end of the world scenario. Instead, we have this overwhelming sense of denial, and a lackluster sense of doom & gloom where everyone seems more keen to enjoy the beach then spend true, quality time together.

All in all, Tumble & Fall just didn't speak to me. I wish so badly that it did because it really did have all the makings of a good book, but it really fell flat. I hesitated reviewing it because I can't offer a good review, but I do encourage readers to make their own decisions regardless of my opinion. I give it a 2 out of 5, and this is appropriate for the YA crowd.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.