Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publish Date: January 24th, 2012
Source: Freebie from a book event
Goodreads

Rating: 4/5 Coyotes

Synopsis: When sixteen-year-old Kaelyn lets her best friend leave for school without saying goodbye, she never dreams that she might not see him again. But then a strange virus begins to sweep through her small island community, infecting young and old alike. As the dead pile up, the government quarantines the island: no one can leave, and no one can come back.

Those still healthy must fight for the island’s dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival. As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest. Because how will she go on if there isn’t? -Goodreads

Review: The Way We Fall covers the slow spread of a contagious disease through a small island here in Canada. Unlike a lot of the plagues we see in apocalyptic fiction, and the slower pace actually managed to increase the tension tenfold. Kaelyn’s story was scary, sad and endearing all at once. Plus, Canadian! I picked up a copy in my book bag at World Fantasy Convention (and also got my hands on an ARC of the sequel).

With the exception of a few high tension moments, this is not an action-packed book of any sort. The tension builds slowly as the disease spreads and the situation looks increasingly worse. I can see while this might turn a lot of readers away from The Way We Fall, but I thought it was a great change of pace from the brimstone and epic battles stories that this genre tends to lean towards. The stakes are still high in Megan Crewe’s version, and millions possibly billions of lives could be at risk. The story never felt unimportant, and I’m curious to see if the scale will increase at all with the next book in the series.

The story is told through Kaelyn’s journal of sorts, although she’s addressing them to a friend she lost touch with a couple  of years ago. Kaelyn is a great narrator to introduce us to life on her island, and you will really come to care for the people in her life. Her relationships with her family are especialy touching and a few scenes had me misting up just from the way Kaelyn retold them. Also, diversity points as Kaelyn comes from a mixed race family, and there is a lot of emphasis into how looking different cant effect your life in an isolated community.

Overall, great reading and big points for the constant Canadian references. I got through The Way We Fall in a couple of days, and have already started book two of the series. If you’re a fan of apocalypse stories, this is a must read. The style reminded me quite a bit of Life As We Knew It and I really enjoyed both books.

Buy The Way We Fall
@Amazon (US) @Amazon (CAN) @The Book Depository

Second Opinions:
@My Cute Bookshelf
@The Book Smugglers
@Supernatural Snark