To learn more about why I started doing this Save The Date feature and how it differs from my reviews — go here!
* Release date according to Goodreads
Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang
Pre-Order It | Add It To Goodreads
What Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang is about:
Liz Emerson, a popular junior, decides to drive herself off the road and into the tree. Nobody knows, except the mysterious narrator who pieces Liz’s story together for us, that she did it on purpose — everyone assumes it was an accident because of an icy road. The story unfolds as Liz’s family, friends, and classmates find out and cope with the news and flips back and forth to the past and the present to tell the story.
Why You Should Be Saving The Date for Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang:
1. I could not put Falling Into Place down. It just sort of crept up on me, dug its claws into me and I just had this pit in my stomach until I could finish it. The plot mixed with the way it made me feel propelled me forward.
2. It was tragically beautiful and heartwrenching and really, really stripped down the characters: At a glance, these characters could have been one dimensional but as the story is told it really strips down the characters, (and the relationships I would say) in all their complexities and they just became so vulnerable to me. Even the “dislikeable” ones. Which you could say there are a few. The relationships and friendships are rather unhealthy and, as a reader, you just feel like “OMG WHY STOP.” As you read you see why it all lead up to this destructive event.
3. The narrator is fascinating: It’s told by a mysterious narrator who sees and knows all and is told in a non-linear way (meaning flashbacks and jumping around to different places in the story). It’s easy, after a little while, to guess at who the narrator is but it was a really, really effective way to tell the story.
4. It made me weep at 1am. It’s a quiet novel but it creeps up on you and just lays you out like a wrecking ball does and caused all my insides to crumble.
Who Should Save The Date: people who like quiet novels that really dissect the characters, people who want lovely prose, people who like unique narrators, lovers of the complexities of human interaction and motives
A Sneak Peek: “Force. Liz. She looked around and saw all the broken things in her wake, and then she looked inside herself and saw the spidering cracks from the weight of all the things she had done. She hated what she was and didn’t know how to change, and half an hour before she drove her car off the road, she saw that despite all of that, she didn’t have enough force to stop the world from turning. But she had enough to stop her own.” (this is taken from the advanced copy and could be subject to change)
Be on the lookout for my FULL review closer to the release date where I will flesh out my thoughts a little more!
Have you read this one? Are you excited for it?? Putting it on your TBR list?
Blythe Harris says
yup, this has officially convinced me to request this. I loooooove quiet novels that dissect the characters (like 17 First Kisses did, and I loved that so much), so I’m so anxious to read more. Unlikable characters can really work for me, so that shouldn’t be a problem. Only thing I was worried about was the math I had assumed was prevalent in the novel based on the cover. Math and I are not friends.
Jamie says
DO IT. If not I will send you my copy! I really feel like this might be a win for you too! It really crept on me. Like at first I was just reading and like “okay this good and interesting but I don’t FEEL things” and then it just HIT ME.
And hahah I thought that too from the cover and I HATE MATH. But it’s not really a lot. Like there are random paragraphs that talk about the Newton’s laws or physics or whatever (hated that shit too in HS) but it’s not too much and most of it she makes poetic and relevant and whatever she didn’t I just kind of skimmed. But that was like 1 or 2 times MAYBE. Not really involved as much as the cover lends you to think!
Emma says
I’ve been anticipating this book since before it had a title. official release date, and cover (and I’ve known who the narrator is for quite some time). I’m so excited to read it (whether as an ARC or finished copy). I’m definitely glad you liked it! 🙂
Jamie says
Wow!! You have def been anticipating it!! The summary doesn’t give away who the narrator is so I didn’t want to ruin it for others but it definitely is easy to put together after a bit though in the very beginning I tossed a few ideas around in my head (the right one included) but soon it clicks. It was brilliant! (Did you see a review or something else that gave it away?)
Emma says
I think it was mentioned on Amy’s blog at some point? Or her agent mentioned it? Not sure. I just know it’s a really cool idea.
Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit says
Grabbing this at BEA – it was already on my list, but that quote totally got me!
Jamie says
RIGHT? I loved the writing! I hope you are able to snag it!!
Erica says
oh good! I grabbed this at children’s bookseller institute but wasn’t 100% sure about it. Now I will move it up in my pile!
Jamie says
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! It’s quiet and just kind of holds your attention enough and intrigues you at first until you reach a point where you are like OMG THIS BRILLIANT. At least, that’s how it was for me.
You will have to let me know when you read it! Even if you didn’t feel the same bc I’m dying to talk about it!!
naimi says
release date??
Jamie says
I put the release date on the graphic I made up there 🙂 It’s September 9, 2014!
Kate says
Pre-ordering today. The premise sounds fantastic. 🙂
Sarah says
I am so excited for this book! It sounds wonderful. And I just found out that the author from where I live so I’m even more excited for this.
Alexia @ Adventures in Reading says
I’m so excited about this BOOK Jamie. Actually, total coincidence this past Wednesday it was featured on my blog as my pick for Waiting on Wednesday. It looks like something I’d love so I definitely need to get myself a copy.
Must have!
alice-jane says
Falling into Place sounds like a really wonderful and powerful book! I love how the basic ideas of physics are interwoven into the story. I remember when Amy sold it and I’m so happy for her! So very happy that you like it, too!
Sandra @ Sandra's World of Books says
The cover is sooooo pretty!
Lisa is Busy Nerding says
Something I’ve learned about myself as a reader is that I love quite books. SO MUCH.
Love this feature!
Alexa S. says
I’m really, really looking forward to reading Falling Into Place! I fell in love with that cover, and the story just sounded pretty darn amazing. I cannot wait to read this story for myself and, hopefully, fall in love!
brittany @ The Book Addict's Guide says
I cannot WAIT for this one. So glad to read your wonderful thoughts on it! I’m prepared for it to break my heart but it sounds so amazing.
Jasper says
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golf swing: timing, tempo and swinging in the correct swing plane.
There is a special golf club that will help you swing easy and not too fast.
You want to have a gradually increasing speed on the downswing and make sure
that you have good balance and swing well within yourself.
Rebecca @ The Library Canary says
This one sounds so amazing! I’m hoping to be able to get a copy at BEA. I feel like it’s totally going to make me cry, but I love books that make me cry so yeah.. That one quote you put in… stunning. If the prose is all like that, I’m already in love with it.