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megajojo's review
4.0
beautifully written and i understand grief doesn’t wrap up neatly (or at all), but boy, i would’ve given this 5 stars for like a slightly less open ending.
stuckinafictionaluniverse's review
2.0
I have no idea how to rate this.
This is my third book by Summers, and my least favorite so far.
No matter which rating they receive from me, her books always affect me in one way or another. They're moving, shocking and eyeopening with their raw and unflinching tone. It's powerful. The writing is on point, the characters are very flawed and often unlikable. Summers makes these people human and real, and no one is one-dimensional.
With that said, this wasn't a book for me.
Eddie's voice was nowhere near as strong or unique as Parker's or Regina's, and it was difficult to relate to her. Unlike her other work, Fall for anything isn't intense or loud. It's quiet and thoughtful. None of the characters stuck with me, and they felt rather plain.
The subject and reveal at the end didn't give me that gut-wrenching feeling and I was quickly bored by the plot.
The ending is very open, and I wonder if that's the point; maybe the message of this story is that you can't always have the answers? Either way, it was both unsatisfying and thought-provoking at the same time.
Fall for anything is a truly bittersweet journey, and I had a really hard time figuring out what I thought of it.
As always, Courtney Summers handles tough topics - suicide and grief, in this case - exceptionally. This is a very sad and quiet book, but it is far from impersonal or cliché.
I guess I prefer her confident, wildly sarcastic characters more, with a high-school setting and a good mix of teen politics and controversial issues.
Ratings of Summers' work so far:
[b:Cracked Up to Be|3521484|Cracked Up to Be|Courtney Summers|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400197223s/3521484.jpg|3563198]: /★★★★★/☆☆☆☆☆
[b:Some Girls Are|6624871|Some Girls Are|Courtney Summers|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1317791700s/6624871.jpg|6819111]: ★★★/☆☆☆☆☆
[b:Fall for Anything|8470445|Fall for Anything|Courtney Summers|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1423706577s/8470445.jpg|13335096]: ★★/☆☆☆☆☆
This is my third book by Summers, and my least favorite so far.
No matter which rating they receive from me, her books always affect me in one way or another. They're moving, shocking and eyeopening with their raw and unflinching tone. It's powerful. The writing is on point, the characters are very flawed and often unlikable. Summers makes these people human and real, and no one is one-dimensional.
With that said, this wasn't a book for me.
Eddie's voice was nowhere near as strong or unique as Parker's or Regina's, and it was difficult to relate to her. Unlike her other work, Fall for anything isn't intense or loud. It's quiet and thoughtful. None of the characters stuck with me, and they felt rather plain.
The subject and reveal at the end didn't give me that gut-wrenching feeling and I was quickly bored by the plot.
The ending is very open, and I wonder if that's the point; maybe the message of this story is that you can't always have the answers? Either way, it was both unsatisfying and thought-provoking at the same time.
Fall for anything is a truly bittersweet journey, and I had a really hard time figuring out what I thought of it.
As always, Courtney Summers handles tough topics - suicide and grief, in this case - exceptionally. This is a very sad and quiet book, but it is far from impersonal or cliché.
I guess I prefer her confident, wildly sarcastic characters more, with a high-school setting and a good mix of teen politics and controversial issues.
Ratings of Summers' work so far:
[b:Cracked Up to Be|3521484|Cracked Up to Be|Courtney Summers|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400197223s/3521484.jpg|3563198]: /★★★★★/☆☆☆☆☆
[b:Some Girls Are|6624871|Some Girls Are|Courtney Summers|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1317791700s/6624871.jpg|6819111]: ★★★/☆☆☆☆☆
[b:Fall for Anything|8470445|Fall for Anything|Courtney Summers|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1423706577s/8470445.jpg|13335096]: ★★/☆☆☆☆☆
freadomlibrary's review against another edition
3.0
I just didn't understand it. I didn't understand the main character, or the people around her.
But I was definitely affected by the rawness of the writing and the subject. I wish I would've felt more connected because the writing was so intense, but it just wasn't for me.
I'm still going to check out more of Courtney Summers' books because her writing is so beautiful.
But I was definitely affected by the rawness of the writing and the subject. I wish I would've felt more connected because the writing was so intense, but it just wasn't for me.
I'm still going to check out more of Courtney Summers' books because her writing is so beautiful.
stephxsu's review
4.0
You want to know why Courtney Summers is a must-buy? Because she can take any topic—even a riskily overexposed one such as the death of a loved one—and write about it in such a way that sucks you in and makes you feel like this is the first time you’ve ever read about that topic before. So yes, that’s what FALL FOR ANYTHING does with grief, wrapped up in beautiful descriptions of art photography and and nail-biting mystery.
Courtney Summers has nearly unmatched talent with developing three-dimensional characters using her trademark sparse prose. Even with this tight prose, there is never a moment when she just comes right out and tells us something about the characters and their relationships with one another. Instead, the characters’ issues, histories, and desires are allowed to unfold on their own. It is in this way that we see the growing tension between Eddie and Milo—not melodramatic tension, but the achingly relatable confusion that arises when old, cherished friendships seem to be on the cusp of becoming something more.
Some characters ring truer than others: Beth, Eddie’s mother’s old friend, is callous perhaps to the point of incredulity, and there is something unsettling about Culler, the way he insinuates himself into Eddie’s life. But instead of detracting from the story, they simply add to the novel’s insistent pace, that there’s always something, something just beyond the next page that will give some relief to poor Eddie’s desperation to find meaning in her father’s death. The dramatic climax, followed by the quiet resolution, makes it all the more clearer to us the complexities of grief, and the lengths that we might need to go to in order to find peace.
In that sense, then, FALL FOR ANYTHING itself reads like a story of our own grief, from the anxiety we feel for Eddie, to its breathless yet not quite restful ending. Regardless of whether or not you’ll enjoy that, there is no doubting the fact that FALL FOR ANYTHING is an incredible read. Courtney Summers is three books into her writing career and showing no signs of faltering. I will read anything she reads, and no matter which Summers book you start with first, you will most likely come to the same conclusion, too.
Courtney Summers has nearly unmatched talent with developing three-dimensional characters using her trademark sparse prose. Even with this tight prose, there is never a moment when she just comes right out and tells us something about the characters and their relationships with one another. Instead, the characters’ issues, histories, and desires are allowed to unfold on their own. It is in this way that we see the growing tension between Eddie and Milo—not melodramatic tension, but the achingly relatable confusion that arises when old, cherished friendships seem to be on the cusp of becoming something more.
Some characters ring truer than others: Beth, Eddie’s mother’s old friend, is callous perhaps to the point of incredulity, and there is something unsettling about Culler, the way he insinuates himself into Eddie’s life. But instead of detracting from the story, they simply add to the novel’s insistent pace, that there’s always something, something just beyond the next page that will give some relief to poor Eddie’s desperation to find meaning in her father’s death. The dramatic climax, followed by the quiet resolution, makes it all the more clearer to us the complexities of grief, and the lengths that we might need to go to in order to find peace.
In that sense, then, FALL FOR ANYTHING itself reads like a story of our own grief, from the anxiety we feel for Eddie, to its breathless yet not quite restful ending. Regardless of whether or not you’ll enjoy that, there is no doubting the fact that FALL FOR ANYTHING is an incredible read. Courtney Summers is three books into her writing career and showing no signs of faltering. I will read anything she reads, and no matter which Summers book you start with first, you will most likely come to the same conclusion, too.
cadyly's review
4.0
This is a book that is really easy to get into. You are feeling it, right there with Eddie. But, thankfully, the author doesn't turn a difficult situation into a roses-and-rainbows ending. Because life is messy, and rarely are all loose ends tied up and perfect.
janina_reads's review
3.0
Fall for Anything was my second [a:Courtney Summers|1487748|Courtney Summers|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1266992933p2/1487748.jpg] novel, and while I did enjoy like (I think enjoy is probably the wrong word for a Summers book. I find it hard to enjoy them, because they are so raw and full of hurt. But I did like reading it, if that makes sense.) it a bit more than [b:Some Girls Are|6624871|Some Girls Are|Courtney Summers|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1283380988s/6624871.jpg|6819111], I still can’t rate it higher than three and a half stars. Summers’ books are very powerful and engaging, but also very depressing and dark. If you are looking for happy endings – in the classical happy ending sense – you probably shouldn’t look here.
Also, I’m finding it pretty hard to write a review of this book without giving away any spoilers. They are marked with this great little new spoiler tag, but if you haven’t read the book yet (and plan to read it), my review probably isn’t going to offer you much insight without clicking on them.
Courtney Summers writing and her characters are definitely very strong. I liked both Eddie and Milo, but I just couldn’t understand Eddie’s infatuation with Culler. I mean, I could understand what drew her to him in the first place. And I did understand that she needed someone to be close to her in her grief, somebody who was grieving as well and somebody who was looking for answers as desperately as she was. But I hated his character. I wanted Eddie to stay away from him and I, myself, would never have gone anywhere with him after dark. He gave off a seriously creepy vibe.
Also, the hunt for the snippets Eddie’s dad supposedly left before his death got repetitive and I was immensely bored after the first two buildings Eddie and Culler visited. I started hoping they would get this over with already. I wanted to know the outcome, but I didn't really like reading through breakdowns and searching dusty and abandoned houses six times.
Then, the ending. Don’t get me wrong, the ending was a very realistic one. One that doesn’t answer all your questions but makes you think for yourself.
Also, I’m finding it pretty hard to write a review of this book without giving away any spoilers. They are marked with this great little new spoiler tag, but if you haven’t read the book yet (and plan to read it), my review probably isn’t going to offer you much insight without clicking on them.
Courtney Summers writing and her characters are definitely very strong. I liked both Eddie and Milo, but I just couldn’t understand Eddie’s infatuation with Culler. I mean, I could understand what drew her to him in the first place. And I did understand that she needed someone to be close to her in her grief, somebody who was grieving as well and somebody who was looking for answers as desperately as she was. But I hated his character. I wanted Eddie to stay away from him and I, myself, would never have gone anywhere with him after dark. He gave off a seriously creepy vibe.
Spoiler
Actually, I can’t say that I saw it coming that Culler only lied to Eddie about her father’s messages, but I did know that there was something wrong with him. I sometimes wanted to yell at Eddie for trusting him so easily and for preferring to spend time with him instead of with her best friend Milo, whom a liked so much more.Also, the hunt for the snippets Eddie’s dad supposedly left before his death got repetitive and I was immensely bored after the first two buildings Eddie and Culler visited. I started hoping they would get this over with already. I wanted to know the outcome, but I didn't really like reading through breakdowns and searching dusty and abandoned houses six times.
Then, the ending. Don’t get me wrong, the ending was a very realistic one. One that doesn’t answer all your questions but makes you think for yourself.
Spoiler
I missed getting at least a bit of closure on Eddie’s issues and her relationship with Milo, though. I really wished for the two of them to be together, but we don’t really know in the end. Yes, this is me the romantic sap and happy-ending-lover speaking, because in some way, Fall for Anything showed excellently that there sometimes isn’t any closure. Eddie’s questions concerning her dad’s suicide will never be answered, because there is nobody there who can answer them. Eddie will have to learn to accept that and live with it, and I understand that this is going to be a long process – and that a relationship isn’t going to be the thing that makes it easier for her. She needs to heal for herself, and no boy can help her with that.smolbean_reads's review
4.0
Unique, a gem of a book!
Okay this has to be real right? I mean, if I google Culler Evans I'll find his photography website? And Milo is actually out there somewhere being the most compassionate, wholesome, grounded human being ever? I need this to be real this is too good to not be real. Not that I want it to be real because everyone is so sad and broken but these characters are too real to not be real and everything is too interesting to not exist. Am I making any sense? I need to meet Milo. I need to see Cullers photography. I need to see Eddies dads photography.
This book is amazing. I love the plot. I love the locations. I love how deeply connected I felt with Eddies emotions even though I've never known what grief feels like, the way she put it into words is crushing and incredible all at the same time. The realism of Eddie and her mum trying to cope and people trying to help but the honest hopelessness of it all. Twists, so many twists. I think my heart actually sped up in some parts. I think I probably held my breath too. I couldn't put this book down, it was such a page-turner.
My only criticisms:
The cover art/font is meh. I think it may put people off.
The last page was a little meh. Like everything just kept boiling and boiling and someone just turned the heat down on the very last bit. Although I can't decide if it was kind of nice to simmer off. It was a bit.
I have to read more of this authors books. I love her writing. Her characters are so real. I kinda just departed from my world whilst reading this.
Okay this has to be real right? I mean, if I google Culler Evans I'll find his photography website? And Milo is actually out there somewhere being the most compassionate, wholesome, grounded human being ever? I need this to be real this is too good to not be real. Not that I want it to be real because everyone is so sad and broken but these characters are too real to not be real and everything is too interesting to not exist. Am I making any sense? I need to meet Milo. I need to see Cullers photography. I need to see Eddies dads photography.
This book is amazing. I love the plot. I love the locations. I love how deeply connected I felt with Eddies emotions even though I've never known what grief feels like, the way she put it into words is crushing and incredible all at the same time. The realism of Eddie and her mum trying to cope and people trying to help but the honest hopelessness of it all. Twists, so many twists. I think my heart actually sped up in some parts. I think I probably held my breath too. I couldn't put this book down, it was such a page-turner.
My only criticisms:
The cover art/font is meh. I think it may put people off.
The last page was a little meh. Like everything just kept boiling and boiling and someone just turned the heat down on the very last bit. Although I can't decide if it was kind of nice to simmer off. It was a bit.
I have to read more of this authors books. I love her writing. Her characters are so real. I kinda just departed from my world whilst reading this.