All Fall Down (Embassy Row, #1) in The Not-So Austen Bookclub

Jan 12, 2015 Booknut 101 rated it really liked it

That...that twist!

...more

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Nov 22, 2014 Dayla rated it liked it

Shelves: series, suspense, contemporary, young-adult, mystery, sassy, murder, arc

Review also appeared on my blog: Book Addict 24-7

I received a copy via my work in exchange for an honest review

I don't know what is going on with me lately. Every book I pick up, I grow tired of by the last couple dozen pages or so. I was hoping that All Fall Down by Ally Carter would be that one book that got me off my lazy reading butt, but alas, I still found myself dragging my feet near the end. Perhaps it's my inability to focus on something for longer than ten minutes, or maybe it's the fa ...more

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Jun 24, 2013 Miss Clark rated it really liked it

Shelves: modern-presentday, adventure, brambleberry-library

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 02, 2014 diana rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-reads, beautiful-books, netgalley

Rating: 3.8 of 5 stars

I have just finished reading the book and I have this overwhelming feeling of wanting to read the next one immediately.
I am a huge fan of Ally Carter and I always find it difficult to write a review of her books because I never know how to put into words exactly how I feel. I LOVE the GG and Heist Society books and I have to say All Fall Down is no exception.

I love how different this book is from Ally Carter's other books. The main protagonist, Grace, is going through a ve Rating: 3.8 of 5 stars

I have just finished reading the book and I have this overwhelming feeling of wanting to read the next one immediately.
I am a huge fan of Ally Carter and I always find it difficult to write a review of her books because I never know how to put into words exactly how I feel. I LOVE the GG and Heist Society books and I have to say All Fall Down is no exception.

I love how different this book is from Ally Carter's other books. The main protagonist, Grace, is going through a very traumatic experience of having to witness her mother die. No one believes her though when she says she knows that it was no accident. This is where Grace's main struggle comes in. No one believes her. Everyone acts as if she's lost her mind. But Grace, being her stubborn and reckless self, makes it her life's mission to find out who the "scarred man" is and prove to everyone that she's far from the crazy girl they believe her to be. Unfortunately she herself doesn't truly believe that she's not crazy. She doubts herself most of the time and questions her own sanity. No one trusts her and she's not sure she can trust herself either.
I wasn't a big fan of Grace for the first half of the book. She seemed too bitchy, whiny and childish and lashes out at everyone who questions her. She's frustrating and very one dimensional. She was too reckless and doesn't think about how the consequences of her actions may affect other people. I understand it would feel horrible and unbearable to lose your mother the way she did but did she ever think that she wasn't the only one who lost someone she loves?

Fortunately I got to the second half of the book and from there the book just got better. It took a long time for the story to really unravel. Half of the book consisted of Grace being a brat, telling people she's not crazy, trying to prove that she's not crazy, having a breakdown and then having a yelling match with whoever dares help make her feel better. It made me want to put the book down so many times. But then the story picks up, you'd get hooked, forget why you thought you'd end up not liking it and end up thinking "oh heck I LOVE it". That's exactly what happened to me.

I've always admired Ally Carter's writing. It's to the point, simple, and fast paced but very addictive. She writes secondary characters that are unique, hilarious and endearing. Noah, Rosie and Megan are an odd team but they do make a perfect one. I hope we get more of their backstory in the succeeding books because I just didn't get enough. Also is it just me or does Ms. Chancellor remind anyone else of Aunt Abby? But the one I love the most? That slow, exciting build up to the romance. The one that makes readers long for a word, a glance, a touch... something. Anything really. Ally Carter is never one to focus on the romance but when she writes a scene, no matter how short it is, she writes it. And makes it so swoon worthy you'd read it again just to make sure you didn't imagine the underlying chemistry. Alexei is a huge enigma. He's a lot like Zachary Goode and I kinda love him for it.

There's so much intrigue, glamour and mystery that surround Embassy Row. I love this world that Ally Carter created. It's new, different and nothing short of amazing. I just wish we were given more, you know? It ended way too soon. And that ending? That was a very torturous way to end the book. I definitely want more!

I received an e-arc from the publisher via NetGalley to read and review. ...more

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Apr 05, 2015 Rachel rated it really liked it

This unique writing style of memories messed with the present time confused me many times. The terror Grace felt became overwhelming at times. Yet, this book was beautiful in the way it showed a realistic reaction to witnessing a death. I liked the pace of revealing the mystery and the answer for the mystery of the day of Grace's mother death. ...more

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Jan 19, 2015 Aimee rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: owned

*3.5* Not sure how I feel about that ending revelation, I don't know how I would have coped with that. However the cliffhanger at the end intrigues me. ...more

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