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After the Fall

Kate Hart (Goodreads Author)

3.54 · Rating details · 1,275 ratings · 235 reviews

Seventeen-year-old Raychel is sleeping with two boys: her overachieving best friend Matt…and his slacker brother, Andrew. Raychel sneaks into Matt’s bed after nightmares, but nothing ever happens. He doesn’t even seem to realize she’s a girl, except when he decides she needs rescuing. But Raychel doesn't want to be his girl anyway. She just needs his support as she deals w ...more

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Kindle Edition, 336 pages

Published January 24th 2017 by Farrar, Straus & Giroux

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· 1,275 ratings · 235 reviews

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Feb 04, 2017 Emily May rated it it was ok

Shelves: young-adult, 2017, contemporary

After the Fall was a book I added immediately after reading the synopsis. How could I not? A contemporary YA about relationships and high school rumours and slut-shaming that has received comparisons to Courtney Summers? Sounds like it's made for me.

But the truth is that this book took on more than it could handle. Hart brings in many heavy topics- sexual consent, slut-shaming, gender double standards, race relations, to name but a few - and doesn't really do much with any of them. After the Fal ...more

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Jan 25, 2017 L A i N E Y rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: did-not-finish, reviewed, cover-love, contemporary, ya

Have you ever encountered a 'twist' that was so mess up that you cease to continue the book?

That's how I feel about this book.
I'm basically too devastated.

I just don't see how the story could go on convincingly after that event. And I fear whatever solutions the author managed to offer would just not do it for me.

I was actually really enjoying it. The writing was good and everyone was a dick but I liked it.

I also believe it must be a pretty great book to make me feel so strongly that I can't g ...more

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Jul 31, 2014 Kate added it · (Review from the author)

Shelves: shine-along, young-adult, wrote-or-contributed-to, arkansas, contemporary

Well hello. Fancy meeting you here.

9/23/15 Just a heads up that this book is now a 2017 release.
1/22/16 Got a pub date: January 24, 2017!
3/21/16 Updated the book's description. :)
5/17/16 Cover!
8/2/16 Up for grabs on NetGalley (& Edelweiss, I think)
1/22/17 Two days until release! Goodreads giveaway happening here in the meantime: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...

1/24/17: It's HERE! To celebrate, a group of writers will be matching your donations to RAINN today, up to $4000! Go to fundrais ...more

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Nov 28, 2016 Rachel (APCB Reviews) added it

Shelves: 2017-releases, 2017-debuts, 2016-standout

It's been about 20 hours since I finished this book. I've spent the past 20 hours contemplating, thinking about, and replaying this book in my head since then. Eyes, puffy; mood, despondent; fragility, very high right now.

After the Fall is an indescribably and immensely powerful book. If there is one book you read in 2017 it should be this one. This book doesn't just touch upon tough subjects, it surrounds us with these issues and makes us face them even when we wish to stay ignorant and enterta It's been about 20 hours since I finished this book. I've spent the past 20 hours contemplating, thinking about, and replaying this book in my head since then. Eyes, puffy; mood, despondent; fragility, very high right now.

After the Fall is an indescribably and immensely powerful book. If there is one book you read in 2017 it should be this one. This book doesn't just touch upon tough subjects, it surrounds us with these issues and makes us face them even when we wish to stay ignorant and entertained by what we read. But Kate Hart knows better, she confronts us with the problems in such a way that it really settles within us, it makes us squirm and think about our own actions and choices and the people in our lives.

In After the Fall, Raychel has a lot on her plate. An assault from a classmate, the threat of eviction, and her dwindling changes of escaping her hometown for college. Not to mention her two very different relationships with brothers. Perfect Matthew Richardson, her best friend since youth, and his slacker brother Andrew, her secret love interest.

Raychel's life is messy and difficult and her assault weighs on her mind and health. When people in school spread rumors very loosely based on what they thought was true, Kate Hart does a great job speaking to the ideas of reputation and rumors. The inequality and double-standard between men and women. The definition of assault and how the victim blames herself and tries to rationalize while the perpetrator thinks he did nothing wrong. Everything was tastefully done, and Kate captures Raychel's emotions and thoughts perfectly.

Raychel's relationships are another huge part of this book. Most of her friend group is a year older than she and Matthew are, so they are all off at college while she and Matthew finish their final year of high school. Kate explores the meaning of friendship and Raychel's complex relationships with her friends, Matthew, Andrew, Mr. and Mrs. Richardson, and Raychel's mother. The romance in this book was cute and sweet and really resonated within. Raychel found someone who wouldn't judge her and tried to understand and if all else failed he was just always there to comfort her. Raychel's friendship with Matthew really sucked me in and held my attention throughout.

This book has a huge twist, and I urge you not to spoil yourself. It's gut-wrenching and gives this book a poignant tone.

Kate Hart is an amazing writer. She manages to find the perfect words to describe literally everything that Raychel and Matthew feel. She makes us feel anguish and regret, sadness and longing, happiness and joy. She seamlessly weaves in such powerful elements and themes in a way that don't seem preachy but rather so natural and effortless. Nothing felt forced, but Kate Hart makes you understand and learn.

Although I really loved this book, the last third of the book lagged for me. An overwhelming sadness overtook me, so you've been warned. I might've sobbed for a good twenty minutes after finishing this book. If you guessed I'm crying as I write this review you'd be correct. Because this book is just so emotional and well done.

Kate Hart basically smashed my heart into a million pieces with the ending of the book. She slowly starts to mend it by the last page. The end is by no means perfect which I love.

I loved basically everything about After the Fall. I urge you to read this book. It might not be 100% entertaining and happy at times, but it just so powerful. I think you'll appreciate it. ...more

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May 19, 2016 Allison rated it it was amazing

You know those books where you read the first half and then you cry for ten minutes, and then you have to take a break until the next day? But then the next day you decide you can't keep reading first thing in the morning because you're still sad so you take yourself for a new haircut, new shoes, and a pedicure? THEN when your emotions are tricked back into submission, you feel like you're safe to read the second half of the book? THIS BOOK.

I'm just still...like....bone-deep sad. This is a real ...more

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Jan 28, 2017 Michelle (Pink Polka Dot Books) rated it liked it

Shelves: tbr-2017

This book made me so mad and I wish I could tell you all the reasons why. But I can't because SPOILERS. But I will tell you some of the reasons.

Reason A-- Raychel. As soon as I saw that this Rachel spelled her name with a "Y" I knew she was going to be annoying. And I was right. She was all up in her own head-- trying to make the reader think she "didn't want to stand out", but she was constantly playing the victim and waiting for Matt or Andrew to come save her.

There is a sexual assault part to ...more

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Jul 31, 2014 Kelly added it

Shelves: read-in-2014, ya-fiction

Take one part Sara Zarr, one part Laurie Halse Anderson, and one part Courtney Summers and you have this book.

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Jan 26, 2017 Mary rated it really liked it

BRB CRYING FOREVER K BYE

Full review posted here. Be sure to check out more of my reviews at Mary Had a Little Book Blog.

A copy of After the Fall was provided in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect the contents of my review in any way.

Wow. This book was very unexpected. A good unexpected, but unexpected all the same. Especially the part where I CRIED FOR 100 STRAIGHT PAGES. But we'll get there in a second. Also, this book deals with some hard topics, and I want to talk about them s BRB CRYING FOREVER K BYE

Full review posted here. Be sure to check out more of my reviews at Mary Had a Little Book Blog.

A copy of After the Fall was provided in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect the contents of my review in any way.

Wow. This book was very unexpected. A good unexpected, but unexpected all the same. Especially the part where I CRIED FOR 100 STRAIGHT PAGES. But we'll get there in a second. Also, this book deals with some hard topics, and I want to talk about them so trigger warning for rape/sexual assault.

First of all, the summary is pretty dang misleading. I don't like the "she's sleeping with two boys" because really, Raychel doesn't sleep with either Matt or Andrew in either sense on a regular basis. She is, however, a girl who is comfortable with her body and her sexuality and owns it, and I so appreciate that. Raychel is smart and works hard, both in school and at work (which she has to do first to save up for college and then to help her mom with the bills), but she also makes mistakes, and again: she owns them. To verge on cliche, she is refreshingly honest, and I love her voice. I love that she lets people know when they've done something disappointing--like Andrew snarking about the no-high-school-boys rule she broke before the book started or Matt being his asshole self. But whenever she does something disappointing to someone else--being snobby about her mom's boyfriend--she sucks it up and attempts to right the sotuation. Basically, I love Raychel. She's strong in sometimes quiet ways.

Matt, on the other hand, is an asshole, and it took me a while to understand why he is a narrator (and when I realized why, I was devastated, but we'll get to that in a bit). Matt's a good guy. He's friendly. He does a lot of extra-curriculars. He works hard for the school. But... he's supposed to be Raychel's best friend, and I never truly felt their connection. He totally white knights her unnecessarily and has this crush that made me uncomfortable given some of their interactions (taking pictures of her while rock climbing, even when he can see her underwear, allowing her to sleep in his bed without telling her his feelings, etc). And Matt is completely oblivious to both his own privilege and Raychel's more serious hardships. He gets the obvious things: Raychel's ankle injury, Raychel being drunk, etc, but he doesn't truly understand why she needs a job so badly, why she wants to get away from Carson. Matt is completely blind to these things, and it's such a contrast to Andrew who is outwardly the screwed up black sheep with bad grades and an affinity for getting grounded and a liking for weed, but who is inwardly sensitive and perceptive.

After the Fall is undoubtedly feminist. It explores the good guy character and shows how even "good guys" can be assholes (see: Matt) and how "good guys" are sometimes not good at all because they don't understand that no means no and what consent mean and what constitutes as rape and/or sexual assault. After the Fall also exhibits a wide variety of relationships between female characters, which is freaking AWESOME. Like Raychel has good relationships with both her mom and Mrs. R (Matt and Andrew's mom), although they're not without complication or complexity. There are the good friends--Asha and Keri--and the bitchy not-really-friends-but-we're-part-of-the-same-group frenemy. These relations evolve throughout the book in real, believable ways, sometimes for good, sometimes for bad. I like that there was a contrast with two mother figures, and that, while Raychel's mom works a lot, she does care about and work hard to parent Raychel. She's present even though she's a working parent with her own life. I like that. And when Keri witnesses an attempted assault on an intoxicated Raychel, SHE SAYS SOMETHING. She gets help immediately, but then she also provides support after the fact. She shuts gossip down with the truth, and provides Raychel with a safe place after both the assault and the Big Tragedy. And there's a GLORIOUS scene between Raychel and Mrs. R that flat out discusses assault and rape, and how just because a girl doesn't say no doesn't meanshe said yes, and that rape doesn't always mean intercourse. It was so hard to read that scene, but DAMN it was also good to see it in black and white, and not only do I want to shove his book in the hands of every girl ever, this book NEEDS to be in boys' hands so that they can FUCKING LEARN THIS SHIT. Ahem.

I think this book did a great job of tackling so much other than just the assault. Raychel's absent dad who attempts to pay child support but can't afford it. Raychel's mom working overtime and not being able to cover bills. The stresses that poverty, working parents, and working teens put on those teens. Trying to plan for college but not knowing where the money will come from. Grief. Oh, so much grief. Seriously, the last hundred pages, I SOBBED. Therapy. Survivor's guilt. There's this one line that I loved, even though it broke my heart: "I used to be part of the family. Past tense. I've been disowned. There's some stupid saying like 'It's the family you choose that matters,' but what do you do when they un-choose you?" (ARC, page 256) BRILLIANT. Heartbreaking, but brilliant and also a REALLY good question.

One very small detail I love about After the Fall is that Kate crates a natural and realistic environment with every day details. Several mentions of tampons--Raychel keeping them in Matt's car, selling them to embarrassed preteens at the convenience store, using one after sex--and condoms--again, keeping one in the car and selling them to guys at the store, using one during sex. Mentioning how Asha is struggling in college (and that even a not-as-prestigious state college still being tougher than high school: TRUE TRUE TRUE) and has to cancel plans to study. Things like that are REAL but often aren't "glamorous" or even just important enough to include in fiction. I'm so grateful Kate did.

I can't quite give After the Fall five stars because it's still devastating, and I really wanted it to have more of a traditional happy ending (although A++ for Raychel living her life and doing it well for herself as well as the people she loves/loved). There are some really great sweetly swoony parts, and it hurt so bad when The Thing I Don't Want To Talk About Because Spoilers And Also It Will Make Me Cry Again happens, but I will say it occurs organically, is handled appropriately, and leads to significant character development for both Matt and Raychel that may not have happened otherwise. It's just not what I would prefer because I like my HEAs to be a tidbit more happy.

After the Fall is hugely important, and I do highly recommend readers of all genders give it a try. I think Kate is an enormously talented writer who can balance complex character development on both individual and relationship levels with a full, realistic setting and big plot points that help shape the characters in a believable if dramatic manner. Definitely get this one on your TBR! ...more

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Dec 08, 2016 Kelli Spear rated it it was amazing

It's very rare for me to be blindsided by the emotional range and depth of a book. But After the Fall did just that. After reading the synopsis, I expected a love triangle and I got that. I also got so much more.

Raychel is poor. She wants to get out of the town she's grown up in, but everything that could go wrong seems to do so. Matt is the opposite. He leads a charmed life and is almost guaranteed to be heading to Duke next year. They've been best friends forever. Matt, however, wants more. H It's very rare for me to be blindsided by the emotional range and depth of a book. But After the Fall did just that. After reading the synopsis, I expected a love triangle and I got that. I also got so much more.

Raychel is poor. She wants to get out of the town she's grown up in, but everything that could go wrong seems to do so. Matt is the opposite. He leads a charmed life and is almost guaranteed to be heading to Duke next year. They've been best friends forever. Matt, however, wants more. He just doesn't know how to say it. Then there's his younger brother, Andrew. He's the opposite of Matt in almost every way. Not so serious, a bit of a slacker. Together, the three of them comprise a sort of Musketeers gang.

Initially, we see Raychel dealing with the after effects of a hookup gone wrong. She's questioning herself and what had happened. No one else knows and her struggle carries over into her friendships. Matt knows something is wrong, but doesn't know how to get it out of her. As things begin to fall apart further, Raychel finds solace in an unlikely source—Andrew.

After the Fall is told from two points of view: Raychel and Matt. I felt this was absolutely crucial to the story considering each character's differing feelings. What one thinks the other doesn't realize. I completely understood her frustration with Matt, but once his perspective came into play, it helped paint him into a better light. Somewhat. I did have issues with Matt as a character. He was very opinionated and judgmental. Times when he thought he was being helpful tended to make situations worse. And I'm not saying Raychel was perfect. Not even close. But her station in life was the polar opposite of his, and he had a hard time seeing that. Andrew was absolutely my favorite character. He had a goofy charm and charisma. Where Matt tried to be serious and pressure Raychel into making choices that wouldn't work for her, Andrew just listened and offered comfort. He let her be her.

This story is invaluable. It broaches many subjects, and consent is probably the most important. I felt feminist vibes nearly every time Raychel spoke. It's important for young women to read so they don't take the blame for something that was someone else's fault. But beware. This is by no means an easy read. The last half is emotionally gripping. My heart was in a vise. But it's REAL. That's what I appreciated most. Because life isn't always like the movies. ...more

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Jan 09, 2019 Daniela Soria rated it liked it

The plot twist in the middle threw me off so much I didn’t have any desire to finish the book. I ended up finishing it, but the book was so different the. What I was hoping for

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Dec 12, 2016 Mariah Smith (Vibin With Books) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

This was... wow. This was poignant. Raw. Shocking. Incredible. Profound. The characters were wonderfully flawed, making me angry and confused, but also bursting at the seams with happiness and sorrow. Rachel and Matt have to deal with a heart-shattering loss (which I never in a MILLION years saw coming and basically blacked out from because it was so painful), and what struck me the most about this story was how realistic the aftermath was. It was slow and painful, with our main characters both ...more

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Jan 12, 2017 Monica (Tomes Project) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017, for-review

I received an ARC of this book from a Goodreads giveaway.

*exhales deeply*

This was my first non-reread-read of 2017, and I went into it with a fairly blank head because, well, no one I follow has reviewed this yet. At least not that I've seen. This book is a debut, but I knew that a tagline surrounding this book was, essentially, that this book is about "rumors, reputations, and consent" so naturally I was very intrigued. I don't typically read contemporary unless it has a central theme. Contempo ...more

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Apr 18, 2017 Book Riot Community added it

I was surprised by how much this debut young adult novel affected me. I loved the complicated relationship between a young woman from a poor, single parent family and two brothers from a well-adjusted, more affluent family in a familiar Ozark setting. All the characters were complex and flawed, and the depiction of a hard-partying crowd of high school kids felt very true. It brought up important issues of consent in romantic relationships, and the ending felt like a sucker punch in the gut, whic ...more

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Dec 24, 2016 Kami rated it it was ok · review of another edition

After the Fall is just not for me. I read about 50 pages and then skipped through the rest. The characters, Raychel and Matt (and Andrew), are quite whiny and annoying. They always are getting into arguements and thinking they are always right. Raychel's secret isn't that much of a secret. It's the poor girl is best friends with a rich boy and she falls in love with rich boy's brother. They date in secret but then tragedy and everyone finds out! That plot twist was pretty good and unexpected. It ...more

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Oct 17, 2016 Jilly Gagnon rated it it was amazing

What an incredibly powerful book.

I don't want to spoil any of the story elements, but I will say that I love how raw and real these characters were--all of them. Hart doesn't coddle her readers or force neat bows on situations that are rarely, if ever, neat-bow-able. Because of that the story felt incredibly honest, and painful, and real.

It's one that will stay with you. Absolutely a must-read of 2017. ...more

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Jan 19, 2017 Kelly Gunderman rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc

Check out this and other reviews on my young adult book blog, Here's to Happy Endings!

After the Fall was one of my most anticipated reads for 2017. I love books that deal with real issues, even if they are difficult to get through, and this book definitely was difficult to get through at times, because it was written with such real emotions. It was raw and gripping, and made me cry on more than one occasion.

After the Fall is a great idea of how powerful a young adult contemporary can be, espec ...more

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Jul 23, 2021 Kara Babcock rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2021-read, young-adult, own

Major spoilers in this review, because it’s more of an autopsy. I think After the Fall was dead on arrival for me.

The cover copy promises a kind of love triangle in which Raychel is sleeping with 2 brothers, Matt and Andrew. Now, I know that authors usually don’t write the cover copy, so I won’t blame Kate Hart for this. But I feel misled. Raychel is sleeping with Matt in the sense that sometimes they share a bed. She does have sex with Andrew, like once. So the book positions itself to be this ...more

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Mar 01, 2017 Nadine rated it it was ok · review of another edition

After the Fall is an utter disappointment. It features bland characters, a truly ridiculous twist, and doesn't offer anything constructive or worthwhile with the highlighted topics.

After the Fall ultimately fails because of the sheer amount of work it takes on. Rape, consent, gender double standards, and slut shaming are featured heavily within the book on top of developing a romance and having the characters deal with loss. All of these topics are touched upon briefly or spoken about directly, ...more

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Jan 19, 2017 Brooke rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2017, not-my-cup-of-tea, arc, swoon-worthy-cover, ya

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. *Thanks to Fierce Reads for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

I was so excited to read this- the premise sounded AMAZING (books about consent? Yes, please!). However, this is less about consent than it is a highly uncomfortable romance. I personally find it extremely therapeutic to read about characters who parallel my real-life experiences. Unfortunately, yes, I was expecting it to be one of those books. I'll be honest- this was hard to get though. And not because of the su *Thanks to Fierce Reads for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

I was so excited to read this- the premise sounded AMAZING (books about consent? Yes, please!). However, this is less about consent than it is a highly uncomfortable romance. I personally find it extremely therapeutic to read about characters who parallel my real-life experiences. Unfortunately, yes, I was expecting it to be one of those books. I'll be honest- this was hard to get though. And not because of the subject matter; I am very familiar with gritty situations. I had started reading it a few weeks ago, had to put it down then trudged through the rest after a quick refresher.

I didn't care for any of the three MCs: Raychel, Andrew and Matt (who are brothers), all of whom are friends. But (surprise, surprise!) the romance factor swoops in early and we find both brothers have eyes for Raychel. And Raychel feels the same way, about one... Which brother will she choose?

At the same time, Raychel gets assaulted at a party by a guy who had done it to her before. There could have been a wonderful plot-line where Raychel fights back; this would have been the "consent" book I was hoping for. This is not the case. Andrew and Matt's mother (a lawyer) finds out about this and instead of ENCOURAGING her to tell her story, perhaps press charges, she just rubs it off as this:
'I was worried that Mrs. R. would be legally obligated to report what happened, but she promised not to. "To be honest, you'd never get a conviction."'

What the actual hell?!?! Yes that may be the case but to just shut down an assault like that, to pretend that it was nothing- ESPECIALLY from someone who was supposed to be in Raychel's corner? UGH!!!
Later on, Raychel discusses this and says that since it wasn't rape, there isn't anything they can do about it (especially since "everyone thinks I'm a slut anyways"- this would have been the perfect time to shut down slut-shaming!). Okay, maybe so, but still. There could have been so many ways the plot could have gone after this. Instead, we get the shitty love triangle because there's nothing more fascinating than picking the better brother.

The "consent" aspect of this book is lessened by a death, which just ruined the last bit for me. There's tons of grief, pain of "not being able to have the one you love", but the whole assault thing got ended by having the guy get "No means no!" posters on his car and having to take a women's studies class in college. Wow, really? That's just a wonderful thing to put in a book that will surely land in many teen's hands: "boys will be boys"- there will be no consequences, there will be no apologies.

But I think what angered me the most about this book is that it wasn't like the author is completely blind to social issues- in fact, Raychel makes several comments about gender inequality, a woman's right to her body and abortions, etc. And yet- one of the most important parts of the book- she just let it fall off the radar, like it was just something that happened. No big deal. Because it's not a big deal unless it's rape right? It doesn't matter unless someone is physically inside of you? No, Hart intended to make it this way which is completely irresponsible and pisses me off. Is this one of those times where I can just wish ignorance is bliss?

Do I recommend this? No. The only reason why I'm giving this two stars instead of one is because there are some points of trying to figure out what you're doing after high school that's worthy of mentioning. Also the feeling of not being good enough- vying for a better job, a better school, a better life. I didn't think the brother thing would be so bad- until the abrupt turn in the middle. Another minor thing to gripe about: there are no chapters, only the different POVs. But there aren't any page separations, many times having two characters on the same page. I'm not sure if it's just the ARC version or if it will really be published this way. Either way it just makes for uneven pacing. The ending is predictable and disappointing. I really wish I had enjoyed this; I so wanted to. There were too many things going on here and sadly, none of them panned out. ...more

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Apr 09, 2017 Cale Dietrich rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2017

AFTER THE FALL is one of the most powerful and beautiful books that I have ever read. I am well and truly blown away right now, and I can’t believe this is Kate Hart’s debut - I will be reading every book she writes from now on, I loved this book THAT much.

This is a book mainly about three characters and their complicated relationships. Raychel, who is torn between two brothers – her best friend Matt, and Andrew, who is a sort of charming slacker type. Everyone around her always expected Rayche ...more

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Aug 19, 2017 Dahlia added it

Shelves: 2017-releases, wishlist, fsg-macmillan

This was really absorbing, and I really liked how thoughtfully the book steeped its events in context that didn't just address sexism but socioeconomic disparity as well. Probably the biggest thing I took away, though, was the spark of conversation starter about straight* guys and girls being friends. (*or bi, which I think based on one line she's intended to be? Point being, guys and girls attracted to each other's genders.) I know it wasn't expressed in the book as universal commentary, rather ...more

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Dec 13, 2018 Christy rated it it was amazing

On a scale of one to broken, I’m beyond broken. 😭

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Dec 16, 2016 Roxanne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: owned

I won an ARC in a goodreads giveaway.

Okay, so when I saw the synopsis I honestly thought this would be a triangle between Raychel, Matt, and Andrew... I fully went into it expecting that. Initially, I was a little disappointed when it didn't seem to be that way. However, what I got I didn't expect and I loved every heartbreaking minute of it.

Raychel has a thing about not being with high school boys, but according to her best friend Matt she does hook up with college boys, so when rumors start ...more

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Nov 10, 2016 Megan Lyons rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

I liked how complex all the characters were in this. They felt like real teenagers, multi layered and flawed. The parents in the book were also portrayed very well. So often in books parents are so unrealistic or one dimensional. They are often hardly there, or exist just to be a foil to their children. In this case, they felt like real people who had realistic and complex reactions to the situations around them.

I did enjoy this book and thought it was well done. I thought the sexual assault wa ...more

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Jan 28, 2017 Sarah rated it did not like it

Shelves: not-for-me, young-adult, fiction

There was so much wrong with this book, I don't know why I didn't give up on it to be honest. None of the characters are likeable, which isn't always a problem but I just didn't care what happened to any of them. It felt like the author was trying to cram too many different things into one book, yet at the same time nothing really happened. The teens don't seem realistic (who does that many extra curricular activities at school?! And then has the time to get drunk as much as these kids do!), and ...more

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Nov 03, 2016 Alexandra Ott rated it it was amazing

Wow. What an incredibly powerful book. This story is so raw, so heartbreaking, and so honest. I don't even know how to talk about it without spoilers, but I will say that it's complex and nuanced and messy in all the best ways. A necessary and stunning read that will stay with you long after you finish. ...more

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Aug 04, 2014 Steph Sinclair marked it as to-read

Shelves: tough-issues, really-looking-forward-to-this-book, macmillan, young-adult, contemporary, cool-author, to-request-from-pub, 2016-release

BIG YES.

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Jan 05, 2018 Estee rated it liked it

I started reading this book after I finished The Handmaid's Tale. And I experienced total book deja vu. Has that ever happened to you? The two books are totally unrelated - I picked this one by chance because it was on my to-read list and it happened to be available through the library - but it has references and quotes from The Handmaid's Tale throughout the book! Fascinating!

Deja vu aside, I give this book 3 stars.

There were some really important and timely topics being addressed in this boo I started reading this book after I finished The Handmaid's Tale. And I experienced total book deja vu. Has that ever happened to you? The two books are totally unrelated - I picked this one by chance because it was on my to-read list and it happened to be available through the library - but it has references and quotes from The Handmaid's Tale throughout the book! Fascinating!

Deja vu aside, I give this book 3 stars.

There were some really important and timely topics being addressed in this book. Most importantly, the simple fact that a respected adult figure in the book takes aside Raychel, the female high school aged character, and talks to her about sexual assault. Sexual assault during your high school years can be especially confusing because there are so many different factors and influences. I think it is important that girls (and guys) understand this.

"She puts her hand on my arm. “I want you to listen, and really hear what I say,” she says, pulling back to hold my hand. “You made some bad decisions. Everyone does. But that doesn’t give him the right.” Her face is just like Andrew and Matt’s when she’s angry—all twitchy and full of fire. “No one has the right to touch you without your consent. I don’t care if you parade down the street naked and stand three inches from his face—no one touches you unless you say so. And even if they’ve had your permission, they stop when you say stop. That’s your right. Not his. Yours.”

Having said that, I do have some problems with Raychel.

*** Spoiler alert! The next part discusses some specifics from the book! ***

1. Raychel said that Matt is her best friend. But she doesn't really treat him like one. I can understand being best friends with a boy, but I think that it gives any straight boy mixed messages when a girl sneaks into his bed at night to cuddle up and sleep next to him. Share his bed if you are scared, maybe, but you can stay on your own side. It's not like they were trying to survive hypothermia.

2. I was going to ignore it when it first came up, but it the second time it came up, it struck me as a little strange. Matt and Raychel go hiking and he takes pictures of her rock climbing. Raychel explains to the reader that she has no clean underwear except for her black lacy pair so she wears those. But while she is climbing and Matt is taking photos, she keeps hoping that her lacy underwear isn't showing too much (they were.) Uh hello. Maybe I can understand her having to wear her good undies as a last resort, but what was she wearing over them? Were all of her normal hiking clothes in the laundry as well? Does this girl not have sweat pants? or leggings? or work out pants? Come on.

And I am not alone, everyone in the book thought that Raychel was romantically involved with Matt! Including his parents! I can understand having a boy as your bestie, but can't Raychel see how she may have mislead him a bit?

I didn't dislike this book. But there was a lot of things going on in this book. Sexual assault, the best friend issue, death, college, absent parental figures, money issues, etc. Maybe if it had focused more on one thing rather than trying to tackle so many issues - I would have been able to understand the characters a little bit more. ...more

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Aug 21, 2018 Nia •ShadesOfPaper• rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, romance, young-adult, contemporary, 2017-book-releases, books-read-in-2018

For more review follow my blog shades of paper

I was so disappointed with this book. I had such high hopes and was expecting so much from it, but it ended up being not the greatest book I’ve ever read. The premise sounded so interesting and I was hoping to see some of the things that happened addressed, but they really weren’t. I don’t know, it was quite a mess.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the writing style, to be honest. It wasn’t a badly written book, but I just didn’t click with it that much. A For more review follow my blog shades of paper

I was so disappointed with this book. I had such high hopes and was expecting so much from it, but it ended up being not the greatest book I’ve ever read. The premise sounded so interesting and I was hoping to see some of the things that happened addressed, but they really weren’t. I don’t know, it was quite a mess.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the writing style, to be honest. It wasn’t a badly written book, but I just didn’t click with it that much. Also I feel that during the first half of the book (the one that was called “before the fall”) nothing really was happening besides relationship drama. There was hardly a plot to follow, and I don’t mind character driven stories, but I didn’t like the cast of characters in this particular book, so I wasn’t enjoying the story.

The characters were so plain, unremarkable and boring that it was so hard to connect with them throughout the story. They didn’t have much of a personality and I completely hated Matt. He was such an asshole, and I found his points of view not only boring but unnecessary. He didn’t add anything to the story besides juvenile and childish comments about why he deserved to date his best friend.

The second part was a bit better than the first one, since it had a bit of a plot to follow, but still I wasn’t into the story at all. The characters hardly had an evolution until the last 30 pages, and I feel some of the bigger events that happened that made those characters evolved were to cause a reaction to the reader, and were just odd to me. There were some important things that needed to be addressed in the story, and though they kind of were, I feel they didn’t give it much importance, and they should have.

So overall, I was pretty disappointed with this book. I was expecting so much more from it, and not only I was bored during most of the book, but also I didn’t really connect with the characters that much.

Actual rating: 1.5⭐️ ...more

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Nov 30, 2017 Hollie Ruthless rated it it was ok

I definitely appreciate this books focus on sexism (subtle and obvious), consent, harassment, etc. But the story was just... not.. entertaining. I couldn’t discern the differences between the characters voices, despite them having very different viewpoints. I couldn’t believe the emotions of the characters, nor their actions. Characters were introduced at what I felt were odd times. The major twist is pretty predictable just based on the synopsis, so if you haven’t read the synopsis yet, skip it ...more

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About Kate Hart

Kate Hart

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Kate Hart's debut novel, AFTER THE FALL, was published in 2017 by Farrar, Straus & Giroux. She's also a contributor to the 2018 anthologies TOIL AND TROUBLE (Harlequin Teen) and HOPE NATION (Philomel), and 2020's OUT NOW (Inkyard) and BODY TALK (Algonquin). Co-owner of Natural State Treehouses and artist at The Badasserie, Kate is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation with Choctaw heritage and lives w ...more

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Quotes from After the Fall

“I guess it's not the place I want to escape. It's my place in this place.” — 2 likes

“I feel . . . low," I say, looking away. "Like, literally low. Flat. It's not . . . sad, exactly. I mean, sad too, obviously. But that's a different feeling, I guess."

She nods. "There's a reason it's called 'depression' and not 'chronic sadness' or 'manic sorrow.'" She picks up a foam stress ball and squeezes it, leaving imprints of her fingers. "Depressions like these are holes left behind by a physical force. With mental depression, the force can be chemical or situational or both, but it doesn't just make a hole--it presses you into one that feels impossible to escape.” — 1 likes

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