Title: The Year They Fell
Author: David Kreizman
Publication: July 30, 2019
Publisher: Macmillian; Imprint
Genre: Teens, YA Fiction
Pages: 377
SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)
When a horrible tragedy unites five very different high school seniors, they discover the worst moment of your life can help determine who you really are in the powerful YA novel, The Year They Fell.
Josie, Jack, Archie, Harrison, and Dayana were inseparable as preschoolers. But that was before high school, before parties and football and getting into the right college. Now, as senior year approaches, they’re basically strangers to each other.
Until they’re pulled back together when their parents die in a plane crash. These former friends are suddenly on their own. And they’re the only people who can really understand how that feels.
To survive, the group must face the issues that drove them apart, reveal secrets they’ve kept since childhood, and discover who they’re meant to be. And in the face of public scrutiny, they’ll confront mysteries their parents left behind–betrayals that threaten to break the friendships apart again.
A new family is forged in this heartbreaking, funny, and surprising book from award-winning storyteller David Kreizman. It’s a deeply felt, complex journey into adulthood, exploring issues of grief, sexual assault, racism, and trauma.
REVIEW:
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
The Year They Fell by David Kreizman caught my attention from the start. I enjoy reading young adult fiction and usually I lean more towards feel good novels when I do, but The Year They Fell sounded like it was going to be dramatic and intense and I couldn’t wait to read it. Lucky for me Kreizman delivered.
This story is not a feel good story. It’s the polar opposite in a way. Not to say it’s going to make you feel terrible, but Kreizman touches on subjects that I feel a lot of other authors don’t or avoid. This novel talked about the death of a parent, kids becoming orphans in the prime of their teen years when they are trying to figure out who they are and what they want to be. He touches on sexual assualt, drugs, sports and their pressure to be great and the injuries that can ruin lives. It talks about anger issues and depression and anxiety. All these subjects that are taboo in books because they don’t typically attract readers made this book so incredible. I feel like there are teens everywhere that could relate to at least one of these characters that Kreizman created.
My only problem with the book is at times the situation seemed slightly unbelievable. Even though some were 18, I feel like it was too easy for the to push the adults out of the way. Once their parents died, they basically had no rules and no supervision. And someone all the bills continued to get paid even though we never hear about how they suddenly learned about mortgages and such. I know they are wealthy, at least some, but it just seemed odd that the adults would leave so easily after being told by teenagers to go. Otherwise, as a whole, the book was great.
I’m not sure I have a favorite character because each one brought so much to the table. They created this perfect little dysfunctional family that in an odd way helped them all become stronger and more function in their own lives. The story flows smoothly even though it jumps between characters.
I think anyone can enjoy this book that loves hard hitting stories about loss and trauma, but also about fighting your way back to the surface (direct reference to the story). Pick it up and hopefully you love it as much as I did.
STAR RATING: 4/5
The Year They Fell is Available for purchase today, July 30th, from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and check your local bookstore. Also make sure to add it to your To Reads list on Goodreads and leave feedback for the author when you are finished. Follow author David Kreizman on Twitter HERE!
