Scan barcode
anniereads221's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Murder, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic friendship, and Violence
bitesizedbeet's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, and Violence
Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, and Murder
brynn_books's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Overall, this book was really good! It's basically Crazy Rich Asians meets Pretty Little Liars meets Gossip Girl meets One Of Us Is Lying. It's a murder mystery with an all asian cast which is great. I loved all of the characters relationships and their interactions with each other. It was interesting to see the differences between class that were so prominent in this book.
I liked how the flashbacks were woven throughout the story revealing bits and pieces of the story. It was really interesting to finally get the last flashback and understand exactly what happened 2 years ago. I will say that the ending was slightly disappointing.
This book has the perfect dark academia fall vibes. It was the perfect book to read for the time of year I read it (around October). Also, I went into this book expecting a standalone, but now I need the sequel. I need to know what that last secret is.
I liked how the flashbacks were woven throughout the story revealing bits and pieces of the story. It was really interesting to finally get the last flashback and understand exactly what happened 2 years ago. I will say that the ending was slightly disappointing.
This book has the perfect dark academia fall vibes. It was the perfect book to read for the time of year I read it (around October). Also, I went into this book expecting a standalone, but now I need the sequel. I need to know what that last secret is.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Self harm, Mental illness, Violence, and Drug use
plumpaperbacks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I’ve really been enjoying dark academia books these last few weeks, and definitely wanted to read this book after seeing so much hype surrounding its release.
Overall, I liked it. The characters were complex and well-written, and honestly, I felt bad for most of them. Sinclair Prep’s cutthroat nature kind of terrified me, as a white person that attended a public school and never truly tried to be top of my class. That and the anonymous person leaking secrets gave me Ace of Spades vibes, and it worked well.
Zhao did a decent job crafting the mystery, and an excellent job balancing the dual timelines. The main reason for my rating is that I found so much of this book’s plot predictable. Although I never imagined the culprit’s identity, didn’t even come close and was quite surprised by the reveal, I guessed almost everything else. I’m not sure if this is on the book for being predictable or on me because I’ve read a fair amount of thrillers, but nonetheless, I figured most things out early, and that took away from a lot of the story’s suspense and intrigue.
Despite that, I do still recommend the book, and I can see myself picking up more of Zhao’s YA in the future.
Representation
Overall, I liked it. The characters were complex and well-written, and honestly, I felt bad for most of them. Sinclair Prep’s cutthroat nature kind of terrified me, as a white person that attended a public school and never truly tried to be top of my class. That and the anonymous person leaking secrets gave me Ace of Spades vibes, and it worked well.
Zhao did a decent job crafting the mystery, and an excellent job balancing the dual timelines. The main reason for my rating is that I found so much of this book’s plot predictable. Although I never imagined the culprit’s identity, didn’t even come close and was quite surprised by the reveal, I guessed almost everything else. I’m not sure if this is on the book for being predictable or on me because I’ve read a fair amount of thrillers, but nonetheless, I figured most things out early, and that took away from a lot of the story’s suspense and intrigue.
Despite that, I do still recommend the book, and I can see myself picking up more of Zhao’s YA in the future.
Representation
- Chinese protagonist and side characters
- Chinese bisexual side character
- Korean sapphic side character
- Indian side character
- side characters of color
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Violence, Self harm, Racism, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Drug use
Minor: Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Fire/Fire injury, and Suicidal thoughts
Adult/minor relationship: between a major character and a student teacher at the academy Mental illness: most major characters have depression and/or anxiety Drug use: one character uses Adderall to keep up with school and extracurricular performance, among other reasons Physical abuse: mentioned, but not actually on-page; refers to parents beating their children for not getting perfect gradesaargot1's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Adult/minor relationship, Stalking, and Murder
Moderate: Abandonment, Xenophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Addiction
Minor: Body shaming
rcreeley's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I'd seen the author on Instagram a couple months back, so immediately I ordered this the day it came out. To me, the main place this book shined was the characters and their depth. Even the "villains" were double-sided and had their own stories, which made this a super enjoyable read. I did manage to guess some of the ending and who was the Proctor, but the symbolism in the ending really stood out for me. It was genius of Zhao to craft a story all about students who had 'a mask' to get through high school and then have the big reveal be a girl who hid behind a mask to get what she wanted The writing style was good, but nothing special. One thing I did notice that dragged down my rating was a simple thing: there were so many cliches. Around one each page, it was exhaustive and made the writing seem more juvenile. Other than that, this book was extremely fast paced and enjoyable. I finished it in one day and I look forward to Zhao's next book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Violence, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Racism
sarahmreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I received this novel as an e-book advanced readers copy by NetGalley. Any and all thoughts are my own.
I think I might have found one of my fave new mystery novels? How We Fall Apart follows Nancy Luo, a scholarship student at one of the most prestigious private institutions in the country, and her friends as they discover that their spoiled "friend" Jamie is now dead. While trying to discover who had done it, another threat of the anonymous Proctor looms over them, threatening to let loose their secrets to the school and ruin their reputations. Will Nancy and crew discover the truth, or will their truths destroy them?
This story left me gasping and close to throwing my Kindle across the room in the best ways. There were some good twists that left me shook, but others that I did end up predicting. I can say that I definitely did not guess the identity of the Proctor though. The other main mystery of Jamie I did end up guessing after halfway through the book or later. And I do think it was foreshadowed in the best ways, which I sadly can't get into because of spoilers, but it was a mystery I'm glad was done the way it was.
One of my favorite aspects of the story wasn't the mystery or the thriller, but about the important discussions that resulted from the narrative. There was a LOT of inner dialogue and description throughout the story about cultural expectations on kids that don't come from typical American families. There's a push for them to be great because of what the family went through to get to where they are at this point in the story and what downfalls may come from such a push. We see this primarily I believe in Jamie, who always thought she was better just because of her status. But there is always so much more happening under the surface and it was shown beautifully in the most painful ways.
I also really liked the relationship dynamics between characters. There was Peter and Nancy, which highlights the toxic dynamics that can result from teacher and student relationships. But my favorite had to be with Nancy and Jamie. Their "friendship" and the tension between them is exactly what I experienced from a toxic friend, now ex-friend. There will always be those moments that will try to convince you that this person is good deep down, but their actions and their way of "excusing it" reflected a lot in what I dealt with. You want to help them, but sometimes you can't, and they need to be the one to realize that they are in the wrong and they need to learn from that on their own. Nancy and Jamie's past showed the highs and lows, not just the bad, and really emphasized the brutality of a toxic friendship.
I will admit that a few of the flashbacks felt a little unnecessary as they rehashed some points already made, but most of them felt pretty helpful to understand characters more, especially when it came to Jamie. On another point, there was also a content warning as well as a huge dedication to book influencers at the end, which really made me feel valued at both the beginning and the end of this novel.
How We Fall Apart is the diverse, jaw-dropping, powerhouse mystery that we have needed for so long, and I cannot wait to dive into more of this world!
I think I might have found one of my fave new mystery novels? How We Fall Apart follows Nancy Luo, a scholarship student at one of the most prestigious private institutions in the country, and her friends as they discover that their spoiled "friend" Jamie is now dead. While trying to discover who had done it, another threat of the anonymous Proctor looms over them, threatening to let loose their secrets to the school and ruin their reputations. Will Nancy and crew discover the truth, or will their truths destroy them?
This story left me gasping and close to throwing my Kindle across the room in the best ways. There were some good twists that left me shook, but others that I did end up predicting. I can say that I definitely did not guess the identity of the Proctor though. The other main mystery of Jamie I did end up guessing after halfway through the book or later. And I do think it was foreshadowed in the best ways, which I sadly can't get into because of spoilers, but it was a mystery I'm glad was done the way it was.
One of my favorite aspects of the story wasn't the mystery or the thriller, but about the important discussions that resulted from the narrative. There was a LOT of inner dialogue and description throughout the story about cultural expectations on kids that don't come from typical American families. There's a push for them to be great because of what the family went through to get to where they are at this point in the story and what downfalls may come from such a push. We see this primarily I believe in Jamie, who always thought she was better just because of her status. But there is always so much more happening under the surface and it was shown beautifully in the most painful ways.
I also really liked the relationship dynamics between characters. There was Peter and Nancy, which highlights the toxic dynamics that can result from teacher and student relationships. But my favorite had to be with Nancy and Jamie. Their "friendship" and the tension between them is exactly what I experienced from a toxic friend, now ex-friend. There will always be those moments that will try to convince you that this person is good deep down, but their actions and their way of "excusing it" reflected a lot in what I dealt with. You want to help them, but sometimes you can't, and they need to be the one to realize that they are in the wrong and they need to learn from that on their own. Nancy and Jamie's past showed the highs and lows, not just the bad, and really emphasized the brutality of a toxic friendship.
I will admit that a few of the flashbacks felt a little unnecessary as they rehashed some points already made, but most of them felt pretty helpful to understand characters more, especially when it came to Jamie. On another point, there was also a content warning as well as a huge dedication to book influencers at the end, which really made me feel valued at both the beginning and the end of this novel.
How We Fall Apart is the diverse, jaw-dropping, powerhouse mystery that we have needed for so long, and I cannot wait to dive into more of this world!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Outing, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Violence, Suicide, Sexual content, Racism, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, and Addiction
perpetualpages's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
CWs: depictions of abuse, self-harm, violence, parental neglect, panic attacks, drug use, mental illness, inappropriate student/teacher relationship, racism, as well as suicide and suicidal thoughts
How We Fall Apart is fascinating and much-needed twist on the subgenre of dark academia. Because the institution of academia itself is inherently steeped in whiteness, dark academia books tend to be heavily whitewashed and dominated by privileged white characters who are (literally, in most cases) getting away with murder. How We Fall Apart challenges that positioning of the genre by drawing attention to how the key components of dark academia—exceptionalism, ego, bottomless competitive drive, etc.—are all values that are messaged to Asian-American youth by way of the Model Minority myth.
The Model Minority myth, in a nut shell, is the pervasive expectation that minorities (Asian-descended communities, especially) are well-behaved, law-abiding citizens who achieve extraordinary amounts of success due to an amorphous combination of "natural talent" and bootstrap immigrant survival tactics. (Definition paraphrased from the article "What Is the Model Minority Myth?" by Sarah-Soonling Blackburn.)
Thematically, every single element of this story is written as a direct challenge to that belief or expectation.
It's a commentary on how academia is a deeply corrupt institution, and like all power-wielding institutions in America, those who want to navigate it successfully either have to be white or approximate themselves to whiteness. These students have been conditioned to believe that wealth is equal to superiority and morality, and that wealth—especially generational wealth—is what guarantees people opportunities. This elite school is a place where the privileged are untouchable, and the lesser are expendable. The more power you have, the more privilege you have, the more chances you get, even if you don't deserve them. And even though this story is told through the lens of an all-Asian cast, these characters have internalized those power dynamics of white supremacy, and are effectively turning them back against their own community.
The story also questions how we understand "success," who gets to decide what success means, and what we expect BIPOC communities to sacrifice in order to achieve greatness or to reach an untenable standard of "success." Even the idea that "successful" and "professional" people are "well-educated" is rooted in racism itself. It's a lingering belief that gives credence to the idea that minority communities need to prove that they are "worthy" of accessing certain privileges, and that they demonstrate that they are not inherently "uncivilized" and "unintelligent."
We can see this playing out in the way these characters are clambering to claim the now-vacant top spot at Sinclair Prep. Even though Jamie's path ultimately ended in literal death, they are still more than willing to take her place and to continue in the never-ending cycle of complying in a corrupt system that demands their perfection at all costs. This is another danger of the Model Minority myth, which actively erases differences between Asian communities and individuals. The implication is that they are easily replaceable because they are "all the same." Furthermore, in elitist systems such as academia, competition is encouraged over community, as a form of gatekeeping, which further contributes to the mythological concept of exceptionalism.
For these characters, "elitism" is a shortcut for feeling "chosen" or "accepted," especially in a system that will always see them as second-class citizens who are unworthy of notice unless they prove themselves to be exceptional. Their desperation, their motivation, is deeply rooted in wanting to achieve that acceptance and prove their worth, even if the metric will never add up in their favor. And that nicely ties back into the story's distinct perspective by also commenting on how the disregard for mental health that is often prevalent in Asian-American communities has detrimental consequences, which only further uphold the prevailing influence of white institutions by inadvertently thinning out that competition.
As you can guess from the darker, more intense themes, the story also doesn't shy away from spotlighting messy characters who make bad decisions. For these students, their agency is their only form of power, their only way of regaining some control and fighting back. Not only do those poor decisions put a decisive nail in the model minority myth, but they reflect a sense of desperation caused by the fact that these characters don't feel like their lives or their futures are their choice. Their futures are not only controlled by their parents and their teachers, but they're also ruled by the impossible expectations projected onto them in every aspect of their lives. Therefore, any action rebelling against that is a forceful reclamation of their own narrative, even if they're not making a "good" choice.
As you can tell, I definitely think the story more than succeeds in reframing a predominantly white literary tradition within a very distinct Asian-American perspective and context, and I think it does amazing work in challenging and dismantling the Model Minority myth and the whiteness of academia.
With all of that said, what kept me from loving this story was a lack of character depth.
I think all of these characters are fascinating, messy, and complex, but we don't really get a chance to get to know them or to understand why they make the choices they make. Part of the premise of the story is that this group of four friends are being named as suspects by an anonymous source, and this person is threatening to release their deepest, darkest secrets if they don't confess their alleged compliance in Jamie's death. While that's an interesting plot device that definitely ups the tension in the story significantly, we never get to know most of the characters (besides Nancy) *outside* of those secrets.
I want to be very clear and say that there's nothing wrong with having chaotic characters who make awful choices, because not all choices are rooted in logic or make sense. I didn't need those choices to be "justified" in any way; I just wish I had a better sense of the people who *made* those choices.
My other main issue is that a lot of the drama and the tension feels very surface-level, because while the stakes are high, there are no lasting consequences—emotional, personal, or otherwise—for these characters' actions. (And by "consequences," I don't mean "punishment." I mean some form of natural impact stemming from their choices.) The secrets this anonymous source is revealing are some pretty serious allegations. We're talking drug use, illicit relationships, crimes, manslaughter, the whole nine yards. These are secrets with serious implications that these friends have not only kept from their family and their peers, but also from each other. And yet, when those secrets are revealed, their friendship and the dynamics between them remain virtually unchanged. We're told they're friends, even *best* friends, but we're not shown much to back that up.
Because of that, it was hard for me to feel invested in the emotional component of the story. I wasn't able to feel very strongly about the characters or their relationships, because those connections remained largely untested for the most part, even though these secrets are supposed to be horrible enough to tear them apart. It was difficult for me to take those reveals seriously and not feel like they were there purely for shock value and nothing else. Ultimately I think the problem is that while intense things are happening on the surface, the drama doesn't feel like it's actually rooted in real-world stakes, and I think that's what made me feel disconnected from it.
Even with all of that, I still have a tremendous amount of respect for what this story is trying to do. I think it's merely a classic case of thematic overtones outweighing character depth, and regardless, I still fully think that this story holds a great deal of merit and has so much to offer. I'm grateful for how much this story made me think about the institution of academia and how racism is deeply tied into it, and I believe that alone makes it worth the read. It was super fast-paced, intense, suspenseful, twisty, and surprising. While the characters didn't leave a lasting impression on me, the concepts and the perspective definitely did.
How We Fall Apart is fascinating and much-needed twist on the subgenre of dark academia. Because the institution of academia itself is inherently steeped in whiteness, dark academia books tend to be heavily whitewashed and dominated by privileged white characters who are (literally, in most cases) getting away with murder. How We Fall Apart challenges that positioning of the genre by drawing attention to how the key components of dark academia—exceptionalism, ego, bottomless competitive drive, etc.—are all values that are messaged to Asian-American youth by way of the Model Minority myth.
The Model Minority myth, in a nut shell, is the pervasive expectation that minorities (Asian-descended communities, especially) are well-behaved, law-abiding citizens who achieve extraordinary amounts of success due to an amorphous combination of "natural talent" and bootstrap immigrant survival tactics. (Definition paraphrased from the article "What Is the Model Minority Myth?" by Sarah-Soonling Blackburn.)
Thematically, every single element of this story is written as a direct challenge to that belief or expectation.
It's a commentary on how academia is a deeply corrupt institution, and like all power-wielding institutions in America, those who want to navigate it successfully either have to be white or approximate themselves to whiteness. These students have been conditioned to believe that wealth is equal to superiority and morality, and that wealth—especially generational wealth—is what guarantees people opportunities. This elite school is a place where the privileged are untouchable, and the lesser are expendable. The more power you have, the more privilege you have, the more chances you get, even if you don't deserve them. And even though this story is told through the lens of an all-Asian cast, these characters have internalized those power dynamics of white supremacy, and are effectively turning them back against their own community.
The story also questions how we understand "success," who gets to decide what success means, and what we expect BIPOC communities to sacrifice in order to achieve greatness or to reach an untenable standard of "success." Even the idea that "successful" and "professional" people are "well-educated" is rooted in racism itself. It's a lingering belief that gives credence to the idea that minority communities need to prove that they are "worthy" of accessing certain privileges, and that they demonstrate that they are not inherently "uncivilized" and "unintelligent."
We can see this playing out in the way these characters are clambering to claim the now-vacant top spot at Sinclair Prep. Even though Jamie's path ultimately ended in literal death, they are still more than willing to take her place and to continue in the never-ending cycle of complying in a corrupt system that demands their perfection at all costs. This is another danger of the Model Minority myth, which actively erases differences between Asian communities and individuals. The implication is that they are easily replaceable because they are "all the same." Furthermore, in elitist systems such as academia, competition is encouraged over community, as a form of gatekeeping, which further contributes to the mythological concept of exceptionalism.
For these characters, "elitism" is a shortcut for feeling "chosen" or "accepted," especially in a system that will always see them as second-class citizens who are unworthy of notice unless they prove themselves to be exceptional. Their desperation, their motivation, is deeply rooted in wanting to achieve that acceptance and prove their worth, even if the metric will never add up in their favor. And that nicely ties back into the story's distinct perspective by also commenting on how the disregard for mental health that is often prevalent in Asian-American communities has detrimental consequences, which only further uphold the prevailing influence of white institutions by inadvertently thinning out that competition.
As you can guess from the darker, more intense themes, the story also doesn't shy away from spotlighting messy characters who make bad decisions. For these students, their agency is their only form of power, their only way of regaining some control and fighting back. Not only do those poor decisions put a decisive nail in the model minority myth, but they reflect a sense of desperation caused by the fact that these characters don't feel like their lives or their futures are their choice. Their futures are not only controlled by their parents and their teachers, but they're also ruled by the impossible expectations projected onto them in every aspect of their lives. Therefore, any action rebelling against that is a forceful reclamation of their own narrative, even if they're not making a "good" choice.
As you can tell, I definitely think the story more than succeeds in reframing a predominantly white literary tradition within a very distinct Asian-American perspective and context, and I think it does amazing work in challenging and dismantling the Model Minority myth and the whiteness of academia.
With all of that said, what kept me from loving this story was a lack of character depth.
I think all of these characters are fascinating, messy, and complex, but we don't really get a chance to get to know them or to understand why they make the choices they make. Part of the premise of the story is that this group of four friends are being named as suspects by an anonymous source, and this person is threatening to release their deepest, darkest secrets if they don't confess their alleged compliance in Jamie's death. While that's an interesting plot device that definitely ups the tension in the story significantly, we never get to know most of the characters (besides Nancy) *outside* of those secrets.
I want to be very clear and say that there's nothing wrong with having chaotic characters who make awful choices, because not all choices are rooted in logic or make sense. I didn't need those choices to be "justified" in any way; I just wish I had a better sense of the people who *made* those choices.
My other main issue is that a lot of the drama and the tension feels very surface-level, because while the stakes are high, there are no lasting consequences—emotional, personal, or otherwise—for these characters' actions. (And by "consequences," I don't mean "punishment." I mean some form of natural impact stemming from their choices.) The secrets this anonymous source is revealing are some pretty serious allegations. We're talking drug use, illicit relationships, crimes, manslaughter, the whole nine yards. These are secrets with serious implications that these friends have not only kept from their family and their peers, but also from each other. And yet, when those secrets are revealed, their friendship and the dynamics between them remain virtually unchanged. We're told they're friends, even *best* friends, but we're not shown much to back that up.
Because of that, it was hard for me to feel invested in the emotional component of the story. I wasn't able to feel very strongly about the characters or their relationships, because those connections remained largely untested for the most part, even though these secrets are supposed to be horrible enough to tear them apart. It was difficult for me to take those reveals seriously and not feel like they were there purely for shock value and nothing else. Ultimately I think the problem is that while intense things are happening on the surface, the drama doesn't feel like it's actually rooted in real-world stakes, and I think that's what made me feel disconnected from it.
Even with all of that, I still have a tremendous amount of respect for what this story is trying to do. I think it's merely a classic case of thematic overtones outweighing character depth, and regardless, I still fully think that this story holds a great deal of merit and has so much to offer. I'm grateful for how much this story made me think about the institution of academia and how racism is deeply tied into it, and I believe that alone makes it worth the read. It was super fast-paced, intense, suspenseful, twisty, and surprising. While the characters didn't leave a lasting impression on me, the concepts and the perspective definitely did.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Violence
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Drug use
More...