Tumble & Fall - Alexandra Coutts

Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts
Publisher: Farrar, Strous & Giroux (BYR)
Publication Date: September 17, 2013
Source/Format: Publisher (Thanks Ksenia!) || ARC

[I received this book from the publisher. This in no way affects the thoughts expressed in my review.]

The world is living in the shadow of oncoming disaster. An asteroid is set to strike the earth in just one week’s time; catastrophe is unavoidable. The question isn’t how to save the world—the question is, what to do with the time that's left? Against this stark backdrop, three island teens wrestle with intertwining stories of love, friendship and family—all with the ultimate stakes at hand. (from Goodreads)

I really liked Tumble & Fall, which is possible because I went into it knowing nothing much about it and having no expectations. Honestly, I thought it was sci-fi/post-apocalyptic and so, it was quite the revelation to discover is was purely contemporary. This, however, is one of its strong points, so I can't really complain about it. Weaving together three very different but slightly intersecting stories, Coutts has managed to craft a novel that's lovely, thoughtful and simply told.

The novel really explores the concept of what people would do if the end of the world was definitely coming. How would one act? Or think about things? What would one say and who would one say it to? Who would they want to spend their last few, precious moments on earth with? These are questions that have vaguely crossed my mind every now and then, but it lingered as I finished Tumble & Fall.

Coutts answered this question in three different ways, by using three characters - Sienna, Caden & Zan - as her vehicles. Each characters has their own set of experiences, their own feelings and values and personalities, and this affected their choices as they discovered the end was near. It was really very good of the author to tackle different dynamics - friendships, families, romance. Sienna's story was heavily focused on family and romance, and how she had to choose between what she wanted and what she felt was right. Caden's story, on the other hand, heavily focused on family, particularly the family you grow up with and the family that you're related to by blood but do not know. Zan, on the other hand, had to deal with her epic romance and the aftereffects of losing her boyfriend. Each teen also has a personal issue - Sienna's "condition", Zan's grief, and Caden's father issues.

While each story is certainly different from the others, they're sort of connected as well, in the way that people are connected in their day to day lives as passers by. I liked the subtlety of the connections, as it really felt realistic to me. My life is touched by bunches of people each day and this story showcases that beautifully.

I'm also a fan of the ambivalence of the ending. The author could have gone a different way entirely with a cheesy sort of ending or a harsh one, but the ambivalence felt perfect. I adored the fact that I could guess at what happened to the characters (or at least what I wanted). It was a smart decision to do this.

Tumble & Fall was very different from anything I've read lately, but in a good way. I enjoyed seeing how Coutts told this story, how she handled her multiple perspectives and how it all came to a head. While this book might not work for everyone, it certainly worked for me.