Fall to Pieces

When your best friend dies, you’re supposed to know what happened. You’re supposed to know why. But Ella has no idea what happened the night Amy jumped to her death or why Amy would want to die. Ella’s other friends, Mark and Petal, are hiding something. Ella thinks they know exactly what happened that terrible night. But they’re not talking. Instead, Ella, Mark, and Petal play Pick Me Ups—a game in which they jump from dangerous heights. And every time Ella falls, she begins to remember pieces of that night. . . . It’s still not enough. So Ella brings a mysterious new guy into the group, hoping he will help shake things up and unearth the truth. But Ella’s “Explosive Boy” has secrets of his own. In the end, there may be some secrets that Ella doesn’t want to face. The truth—the real truth—about Amy’s death might just be more than she can handle. Debut author Vahini Naidoo has created a raw, edgy, and powerful portrait of grief and redemption that will haunt readers long after the last page.From BooklistThis debut novel, written when the author was 18 years old, takes readers on an uncompromising journey through one girl’s grief over the suicide of her best friend. Seventeen-year-old Ella was with Amy the night she jumped to her death. But Ella cannot remember the events, and she feels her friends Mark and Petal are hiding something. The teens have started skipping classes to play Pick-Me-Ups, a game which involves jumping from dangerous heights and relishing the rush of the fall. Each time Ella jumps she is able to remember a little bit more. As seen through Ella’s eyes, Amy was a troubled girl who died inside long before her suicide made it official. Ella has her own issues and her development as a character—from rudderless and self-destructive to a more introspective, honest version of herself—is the greatest strength of this book. There are some devastating reveals throughout which keeps the story compelling without feeling overdone. Some may be turned off by the expletive-filled text, but anyone who sticks with Ella till the end will come away satisfied. — Kara Dean, Booklist Oct. 2012 About the AuthorVahini Naidoo was eighteen years old when Marshall Cavendish acquired this novel, her debut. She is currently a student at the Australian National University. In her spare time she holds down such glamorous jobs as checkout chick and English tutor. Someday Vahini would like to own a castle in Europe. For now she lives in Canberra, Australia. To learn more about the author, read her blog: www.ramblingsofawriter-inkspatters.blogspot.com