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freadomlibrary's review against another edition
4.0
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
Critically
Plot – 3 out of 5 stars
This story was quite cute, and interesting as well. It was fast paced and easy to read. It dealt with themes of family, PTSD, adventure, violence and guilt. There was a mystery involved and unfortunately, the romance moved a bit too fast in my opinion. I like my contemporary to be light but real and this book didn’t have the depth I wanted. It took the time to mention real life heartache yet not follow it through.
Writing Style – 4 out of 5 stars
This was my favorite part about this book. The writing style is very atmospheric and detailed and the descriptions of the beautiful setting of New Orleans are breathtaking. It’s descriptive and simple and engaging. It had a very good balance between the past and the present of the main character’s life.
Characters – 3.5 out of 5 stars
I struggle a little bit with these characters. Julie is likeable, I guess. There wasn’t anything about her that bothered me but I didn’t love her either. She’s overwhelmed and stressed and has a lot of feelings and thoughts bottled up within her. However, she’s really sweet and has an adventurous spirit. She just wants to forget for awhile and let her hair down and let go of her worries. Then we obviously have the male love interest, name Miles, who was okay. I found him to be a little flat. It’s like on paper he’s a great guy, but there was nothing really special about him that made me want to relationship to work. He was sweet and charming. He wanted to share his life with her and talk to her and get to know her and that was all fine and great but there was no spark for me. Or even between them in my opinion. So that put a damper on the romance too. I found both of their backgrounds and back stories to be intriguing and interesting, but there wasn’t enough about them. I needed more to see them as well rounded, believable characters.
Emotionally
The plot is vivid. We follow Julie, who in a moment of being completely overwhelmed runs away from her Habitat for Humanities group and gets swept away by a boy and into a Mid-Summer celebration in the heart of New Orleans. My absolutely favorite thing about this book is the imagery and the way the writing style portrays New Orleans. The author paints the city so well, from the atmosphere, to the sights, to the people and even to the weather. Everything feels tangible. I could picture it perfectly and it was almost like I was there with them myself. Especially since it’s during a festival, there’s such a spirit to New Orleans and to the people that are celebrating and it leaps off the page (well off the Kindle but you know what I mean). On the other hand, the romance felt rushed to me. I believed the connection between the characters in the beginning. Their flirtation and banter were all on point and felt just as genuine as the city around them. But once we got deeper and deeper into the story, and their feelings were getting stronger, it didn’t feel as real to me and it got too serious and intimate too quickly and that’s when it turned me off. It started off so well but it could’ve been so much better towards the end. I really liked learning about the character’s life before their encounter, their “baggage” as the story refers to it, but it just felt like surface information. It was just something to share with each other and to make them more interesting characters but nothing came from it. Everything was left unresolved and the ending was very loose. Too loose in my opinion for such an intense story and that was disappointing.
Julie was okay. I connected with her feeling of stress and inner guilt, but she let it go on too long. She ran from her problems for too much of the book and since we don’t get everything from her past all at once, it just felt long and drawn out. I would’ve liked to see more character development from her but she held on to her pain too closely and for so long that once she got herself together it was the end of the book and not much changed with her. It was a little disappointing but not the worst of characters that I could see.
Miles was a sweet guy and an okay love interest, but he wasn’t developed enough as a character. Even his background didn’t feel as deep as it was meant to. He was nice and a good guy but that was it. Nothing about it him made me fall in love or swoon with his words. It was just nice. I actually felt like his friends had a lot more spark and personality than he did. They were funny and interesting and entertaining. They packed more diversity and ingenuity than he did. There was also another character named Tavis that I had to mention because he has a pretty important part in the story. He really creeped me out, and I didn’t understand what his purpose was besides just being a freaking weirdo. He pushed himself onto the main character with supposed noble intentions but things were never really settled with him. It’s still something that bothers me.
Overall, I liked the book. The story was interesting but the characters felt a little flat and needed more development. There could’ve been more resolution not only within the main story but with the character’s backgrounds as well as with their relationship. Yet I really loved the writing style and the way it painted the setting so I’m looking forward to see what she comes up with next.
Critically
Plot – 3 out of 5 stars
This story was quite cute, and interesting as well. It was fast paced and easy to read. It dealt with themes of family, PTSD, adventure, violence and guilt. There was a mystery involved and unfortunately, the romance moved a bit too fast in my opinion. I like my contemporary to be light but real and this book didn’t have the depth I wanted. It took the time to mention real life heartache yet not follow it through.
Writing Style – 4 out of 5 stars
This was my favorite part about this book. The writing style is very atmospheric and detailed and the descriptions of the beautiful setting of New Orleans are breathtaking. It’s descriptive and simple and engaging. It had a very good balance between the past and the present of the main character’s life.
Characters – 3.5 out of 5 stars
I struggle a little bit with these characters. Julie is likeable, I guess. There wasn’t anything about her that bothered me but I didn’t love her either. She’s overwhelmed and stressed and has a lot of feelings and thoughts bottled up within her. However, she’s really sweet and has an adventurous spirit. She just wants to forget for awhile and let her hair down and let go of her worries. Then we obviously have the male love interest, name Miles, who was okay. I found him to be a little flat. It’s like on paper he’s a great guy, but there was nothing really special about him that made me want to relationship to work. He was sweet and charming. He wanted to share his life with her and talk to her and get to know her and that was all fine and great but there was no spark for me. Or even between them in my opinion. So that put a damper on the romance too. I found both of their backgrounds and back stories to be intriguing and interesting, but there wasn’t enough about them. I needed more to see them as well rounded, believable characters.
Emotionally
Spoiler
I didn’t know what to expect from this book going in, but overall I really enjoyed reading it.The plot is vivid. We follow Julie, who in a moment of being completely overwhelmed runs away from her Habitat for Humanities group and gets swept away by a boy and into a Mid-Summer celebration in the heart of New Orleans. My absolutely favorite thing about this book is the imagery and the way the writing style portrays New Orleans. The author paints the city so well, from the atmosphere, to the sights, to the people and even to the weather. Everything feels tangible. I could picture it perfectly and it was almost like I was there with them myself. Especially since it’s during a festival, there’s such a spirit to New Orleans and to the people that are celebrating and it leaps off the page (well off the Kindle but you know what I mean). On the other hand, the romance felt rushed to me. I believed the connection between the characters in the beginning. Their flirtation and banter were all on point and felt just as genuine as the city around them. But once we got deeper and deeper into the story, and their feelings were getting stronger, it didn’t feel as real to me and it got too serious and intimate too quickly and that’s when it turned me off. It started off so well but it could’ve been so much better towards the end. I really liked learning about the character’s life before their encounter, their “baggage” as the story refers to it, but it just felt like surface information. It was just something to share with each other and to make them more interesting characters but nothing came from it. Everything was left unresolved and the ending was very loose. Too loose in my opinion for such an intense story and that was disappointing.
Julie was okay. I connected with her feeling of stress and inner guilt, but she let it go on too long. She ran from her problems for too much of the book and since we don’t get everything from her past all at once, it just felt long and drawn out. I would’ve liked to see more character development from her but she held on to her pain too closely and for so long that once she got herself together it was the end of the book and not much changed with her. It was a little disappointing but not the worst of characters that I could see.
Miles was a sweet guy and an okay love interest, but he wasn’t developed enough as a character. Even his background didn’t feel as deep as it was meant to. He was nice and a good guy but that was it. Nothing about it him made me fall in love or swoon with his words. It was just nice. I actually felt like his friends had a lot more spark and personality than he did. They were funny and interesting and entertaining. They packed more diversity and ingenuity than he did. There was also another character named Tavis that I had to mention because he has a pretty important part in the story. He really creeped me out, and I didn’t understand what his purpose was besides just being a freaking weirdo. He pushed himself onto the main character with supposed noble intentions but things were never really settled with him. It’s still something that bothers me.
Overall, I liked the book. The story was interesting but the characters felt a little flat and needed more development. There could’ve been more resolution not only within the main story but with the character’s backgrounds as well as with their relationship. Yet I really loved the writing style and the way it painted the setting so I’m looking forward to see what she comes up with next.
ambeesbookishpages's review
4.0
The full review + more can be found at The Book Bratz
This book goes against my insta-love issue. Everything happens in one night, and it is so so so great. So for this book I put that little quirk aside because I can't help but say I love the story and the romance its self. But it was an amazing debut novel and I am already excited to see what Garcia is going to publish next.
After an accident at home Julie wants to get away. With her church's youth group she heads down the New Orleans to help build houses. But even with that she still feels trapped. At the spur of the moment Julie darts and hops onto a bus that takes her into the heart of Mardi Gras. With her red hand made fairy wings she off into the world of New Orleans alone and finally free. That is until she meets Miles. One night. No Baggage. No Names. Just living in the moment.
I think I would have appreciated Julie's character more if the incident that caused her to leave home was revealed earlier and not at the climax of the book when five million others things going on. In my head she was running away from her brother (which in a sense is true.) But you don't find out the real cause until the end. Despite that I enjoyed Julie's character. She made a rash decision, and decided to let free for one night. In a sense I saw myself in her character. I loved Miles and his blue spiky hair. Even though we don't know his real name to the end of the book.
I am rolling my eyes at myself as I type this paragraph because it was one night, but the romance. Despite the fact that it takes place over the course of one night it is slow. A touch here. A thought there. Until you are reading faster so you can get to the point where they finally kiss. Insta-love can go wrong in so many ways, but I loved how Garcia managed it in this book. It wasn't too over done.
Overall I really enjoyed Even if the Sky Falls and I am excited to see Garcia's future works. Because her writing is beautiful.
This book goes against my insta-love issue. Everything happens in one night, and it is so so so great. So for this book I put that little quirk aside because I can't help but say I love the story and the romance its self. But it was an amazing debut novel and I am already excited to see what Garcia is going to publish next.
After an accident at home Julie wants to get away. With her church's youth group she heads down the New Orleans to help build houses. But even with that she still feels trapped. At the spur of the moment Julie darts and hops onto a bus that takes her into the heart of Mardi Gras. With her red hand made fairy wings she off into the world of New Orleans alone and finally free. That is until she meets Miles. One night. No Baggage. No Names. Just living in the moment.
I think I would have appreciated Julie's character more if the incident that caused her to leave home was revealed earlier and not at the climax of the book when five million others things going on. In my head she was running away from her brother (which in a sense is true.) But you don't find out the real cause until the end. Despite that I enjoyed Julie's character. She made a rash decision, and decided to let free for one night. In a sense I saw myself in her character. I loved Miles and his blue spiky hair. Even though we don't know his real name to the end of the book.
I am rolling my eyes at myself as I type this paragraph because it was one night, but the romance. Despite the fact that it takes place over the course of one night it is slow. A touch here. A thought there. Until you are reading faster so you can get to the point where they finally kiss. Insta-love can go wrong in so many ways, but I loved how Garcia managed it in this book. It wasn't too over done.
Overall I really enjoyed Even if the Sky Falls and I am excited to see Garcia's future works. Because her writing is beautiful.
vll295's review
4.0
This is the story of Julie and Miles and an adventure that takes place in New Orleans. An exploration of the city, some romance, and self-discovery while coping with what has been going on in their own lives makes the plot for this one that keeps you wanting to know what will happen. I loved that it was set in New Orleans because I was just there in February and some of the sites were very vivid in my mind. I appreciated the authors attention to detail and would recommend this one. Disclaimer: I was provided a free review copy on Edelweiss, but all opinions are my own.
authorjasminecartwright's review against another edition
4.0
Such a beautiful story
Even if the Sky Falls is such a beautiful read. Lovers of the "Everything happens in a single night" type of story will definitely love this one. The characters are beautifully written and I love that they are both ethnic! It only lost one star for me due to parts that delve too deep into NOLA history for my liking but still relevant to the story and the flashback and back story in general could have been a little less. The ending was perfect!!!! Miles is perfection and Julie is great too!
Even if the Sky Falls is such a beautiful read. Lovers of the "Everything happens in a single night" type of story will definitely love this one. The characters are beautifully written and I love that they are both ethnic! It only lost one star for me due to parts that delve too deep into NOLA history for my liking but still relevant to the story and the flashback and back story in general could have been a little less. The ending was perfect!!!! Miles is perfection and Julie is great too!
marisacarroll's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
kimching232's review
1.0
When I first read about Even If the Sky Falls, I wanted to read it immediately. It also helps that the cover looks amazing, so of course I really wanted to read it. However, I must say that I am disappointed by the book. The first few pages were very promising, but as I read on, I hated it more and more.
At almost 10% of the book, I felt like there was something about the way it was written that didn’t fly well with me. Although it was very interesting, I just didn’t feel connected to the story nor the main character. I didn't feel any feels from the romance, and the way it went just felt weird and unnatural to me. I thought that there was no chemistry at all between the two characters.
I also hated the fact that there were quite a lot of things written in Spanish, when I don’t know a single word of Spanish. I always hate that because how the heck would I understand it? Another thing that I hated is the fact that it seemed to jump between past and present per chapter without any warning, so you’d read the first sentence in a chapter and think it’s a continuation, only to learn later on that the chapter is actually about something from the past. It was very confusing, and I just got annoyed when I learned about it.
I actually had luck in the past with books that happen in a span of 24 hours like Where She Went and The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, but this one just didn’t go well for me. For contemporary novels, especially those that happen in just a day, I usually fly through them quickly. However, I read this one in a number of days. I just wasn’t grasped by the story, and I just really didn’t like it.
I also hated how the ending felt lacking somehow. I felt like it just ended abruptly, and there were still so many questions left unanswered. I mean, they didn't even talk, they just kissed and it ended right there! I feel cheated somehow.
I tried so badly to like this because the premise is very interesting and it seemed like my type of read, but I just really didn't enjoy this one. I also think that it put me in a mini reading slump, which just sucks for me. However, I also think that Mia Garcia is a promising author, but just not with this particular novel. After all, the story in itself is well written for the most part.
At almost 10% of the book, I felt like there was something about the way it was written that didn’t fly well with me. Although it was very interesting, I just didn’t feel connected to the story nor the main character. I didn't feel any feels from the romance, and the way it went just felt weird and unnatural to me. I thought that there was no chemistry at all between the two characters.
I also hated the fact that there were quite a lot of things written in Spanish, when I don’t know a single word of Spanish. I always hate that because how the heck would I understand it? Another thing that I hated is the fact that it seemed to jump between past and present per chapter without any warning, so you’d read the first sentence in a chapter and think it’s a continuation, only to learn later on that the chapter is actually about something from the past. It was very confusing, and I just got annoyed when I learned about it.
I actually had luck in the past with books that happen in a span of 24 hours like Where She Went and The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, but this one just didn’t go well for me. For contemporary novels, especially those that happen in just a day, I usually fly through them quickly. However, I read this one in a number of days. I just wasn’t grasped by the story, and I just really didn’t like it.
I also hated how the ending felt lacking somehow. I felt like it just ended abruptly, and there were still so many questions left unanswered. I mean, they didn't even talk, they just kissed and it ended right there! I feel cheated somehow.
I tried so badly to like this because the premise is very interesting and it seemed like my type of read, but I just really didn't enjoy this one. I also think that it put me in a mini reading slump, which just sucks for me. However, I also think that Mia Garcia is a promising author, but just not with this particular novel. After all, the story in itself is well written for the most part.
milkshakevoid's review
5.0
Glorious. This book is everything I want from writers and more. I don't have a single complaint, and I can safely say that it's one of the best books I've read this year.
I'll be buying my own copy, and recommending it to everyone I know, because regardless of your favorite genre, you should read this book.
No other book does for a city why Mia Garcia just did for New Orleans. Having been there myself, (and not liked it), her words make me want to revisit the city and try again, because she conjured up some serious magic.
Contemporary anything is never high on my list, but the words in this book flowed so beautifully, with such grace that it pulled me right along at break-neck speed and then some.
All writing and story telling super powers aside, my favorite thing about this novel is Lila and Miles and the fact that they are a mixed race couple, and fucking perfect. Also, the blue hair doesn't hurt. But I loved the culture that's woven into Lila's thoughts about her Abuela so much.
And I think we can all agree that the only thing Tavis needed more was a swift kick to the groin, but no matter, this book and it's ending were beautiful.
A++++
HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
I'll be buying my own copy, and recommending it to everyone I know, because regardless of your favorite genre, you should read this book.
No other book does for a city why Mia Garcia just did for New Orleans. Having been there myself, (and not liked it), her words make me want to revisit the city and try again, because she conjured up some serious magic.
Contemporary anything is never high on my list, but the words in this book flowed so beautifully, with such grace that it pulled me right along at break-neck speed and then some.
All writing and story telling super powers aside, my favorite thing about this novel is Lila and Miles and the fact that they are a mixed race couple, and fucking perfect. Also, the blue hair doesn't hurt. But I loved the culture that's woven into Lila's thoughts about her Abuela so much.
And I think we can all agree that the only thing Tavis needed more was a swift kick to the groin, but no matter, this book and it's ending were beautiful.
A++++
HIGHLY RECOMMEND.
gladysreads's review against another edition
5.0
This book was super good and I was kinda crying when Julie was looking for Miles/Jeremiah. If I were her I would've cried every second until I knew he was safe. Oh my gosh, I love how the main characters are people of color and I love Miles hair because black people with colored hair is seen much. Tavis was so rude annoying I really hoped that Julie would've kicked him in the groin after he kissed her. I mean consent is VERY important but does Tavis have problems listening because...? I only wished this book was longer or had a sequel because their story cannot just end with "He kissed me and it tasted like sunshine". I am bruised, I am dead and I should've cried more when I finished the book.
girlreading's review
4.0
I absolutely loved this. It was utterly adorable, incredibly easy to read and although the romance was definitely instalove (which I usually don’t warm to) it didn’t bother me at all. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed the romance. Both of the main characters were wonderfully cute and both dealing with their own issues and wanted to escape them for one night and I loved it. I absolutely adored the descriptions of Mardi Gras and New Orleans. It was fun, immersive, captivating and made me want to go there even more than I already do. It also had a really diverse cast of characters, with Julie being Puerto Rican and other than maybe two or three characters, the rest of the cast were POC. with two characters in or having been in M/M relationships. Even If The Sky Falls was an utterly cute, quick and easy read, with adorably witty characters, an equally adorable romance and an added depth bought to it through discussion of money and mental illness. This is a thoroughly enjoyable, adorable contemporary and one I’d definitely recommend.