Hey, guys! I just finished reading If I Fall, If I Die by Michael Christie (I apologize for accidentally calling it "If I Fall, I Die" earlier) and I really enjoyed it. It was just a really interesting idea for a book that was well told.
(Note: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review)
The Cover:
The Cover:
The cover shows our protagonist, Will, stepping outside for the first time. It's a decent cover, though not stellar. It also has the horrid "A Novel" subtitle, my pet peeve.
Official Description:
My Review:
I enjoyed this book. And was surprised by how different and interesting it was to have the main character's mother have agoraphobia (the fear of the outside). It complicated his Will's life so much and allowed everything in the world that we take for granted to be seen in a completely different light.
The beginning of this book, when Will was just aquatinting himself with the Outside contained some of the best, funniest, most awkward scenes that I had ever read in a book. It was absolute gold. Yet, later in the book, there was drama and action. It contained a little piece of everything.
The characters were complex. Really complex. Like wow. Will was complex, obviously as the main character, but his mom was also incredibly complicated. I could understand her madness, which I consider to be a great literary achievement.
My complaint about this book though was the fact that it got confusing at times. I am 99% sure that this was purposeful confusion, but spending twenty pages trying to find out who a man was and having no idea can be pretty frustrating. Also, in the beginning, the terms that Will and his mom used were really confusing. For example, they would talk about the "Black Lagoon" and I couldn't tell what it meant. I am kind of glad that it took effort to understand these things though because (1) It was very satisfying when you found out and (2) It added to the mystery/suspense element.
Overall, this was a unique book that I found worth reading. If you want to read a book that has a different perspective on the world, give it a read!
Quote:
"'I got my brother Enoch to call the school this morning so that I could sleep in. Last time it was the house fire, this time I have scoliosis.'
'You never had a fire?'
'No. I just wanted to stay home for a while to study and draw. I learn twice as fast when I'm not in that classroom. But I was, like, 'Enoch, you could've just said I had mono, dumbass.''"
Phrase:
Helmets and garden hoses
Happy Reading!
(Note: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review)
The Cover:
The cover shows our protagonist, Will, stepping outside for the first time. It's a decent cover, though not stellar. It also has the horrid "A Novel" subtitle, my pet peeve.
Official Description:
A heartfelt and wondrous debut, by a supremely gifted and exciting new voice in fiction.
Will has never been to the outside, at least not since he can remember. And he has certainly never gotten to know anyone other than his mother, a fiercely loving yet wildly eccentric agoraphobe who drowns in panic at the thought of opening the front door. Their little world comprises only the rooms in their home, each named for various exotic locales and filled with Will's art projects. Soon the confines of his world close in on Will. Despite his mother's protestations, Will ventures outside clad in a protective helmet and braces himself for danger. He eventually meets and befriends Jonah, a quiet boy who introduces Will to skateboarding. Will welcomes his new world with enthusiasm, his fears fading and his body hardening with each new bump, scrape, and fall. But life quickly gets complicated. When a local boy goes missing, Will and Jonah want to uncover what happened. They embark on an extraordinary adventure that pulls Will far from the confines of his closed-off world and into the throes of early adulthood and the dangers that everyday life offers. If I Fall, if I Die is a remarkable debut full of dazzling prose, unforgettable characters, and a poignant and heartfelt depiction of coming of age.My Review:
I enjoyed this book. And was surprised by how different and interesting it was to have the main character's mother have agoraphobia (the fear of the outside). It complicated his Will's life so much and allowed everything in the world that we take for granted to be seen in a completely different light.
The beginning of this book, when Will was just aquatinting himself with the Outside contained some of the best, funniest, most awkward scenes that I had ever read in a book. It was absolute gold. Yet, later in the book, there was drama and action. It contained a little piece of everything.
The characters were complex. Really complex. Like wow. Will was complex, obviously as the main character, but his mom was also incredibly complicated. I could understand her madness, which I consider to be a great literary achievement.
My complaint about this book though was the fact that it got confusing at times. I am 99% sure that this was purposeful confusion, but spending twenty pages trying to find out who a man was and having no idea can be pretty frustrating. Also, in the beginning, the terms that Will and his mom used were really confusing. For example, they would talk about the "Black Lagoon" and I couldn't tell what it meant. I am kind of glad that it took effort to understand these things though because (1) It was very satisfying when you found out and (2) It added to the mystery/suspense element.
Overall, this was a unique book that I found worth reading. If you want to read a book that has a different perspective on the world, give it a read!
Quote:
"'I got my brother Enoch to call the school this morning so that I could sleep in. Last time it was the house fire, this time I have scoliosis.'
'You never had a fire?'
'No. I just wanted to stay home for a while to study and draw. I learn twice as fast when I'm not in that classroom. But I was, like, 'Enoch, you could've just said I had mono, dumbass.''"
Phrase:
Helmets and garden hoses
Happy Reading!
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