Even If I Fall by Abigail Johnson | ARC Book Review

Hello friends! Today’s post is my book review of Even If I Fall, by Abigail Johnson.

Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I received an Advanced Reader Copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way impacted my review.**

Trigger Warnings: Murder, Murder Mention

A year ago, Brooke Covington lost everything when her beloved older brother, Jason, confessed to the murder of his best friend, Calvin. Brooke and her family became social pariahs, broken and unable to console one another. Brooke’s only solace remains the ice-skating rink, where she works but no longer lets herself dream about a future skating professionally.

When Brooke encounters Calvin’s younger brother, Heath, on the side of the road and offers him a ride, everything changes. She needs someone to talk to…and so does Heath. No one else understands what it’s like. Her brother, alive but gone; his brother, dead but everywhere. Soon, they’re meeting in secret, despite knowing that both families would be horrified if they found out. In the place of his anger and her guilt, something frighteningly tender begins to develop, drawing them ever closer together.

But when a new secret comes out about the murder, Brooke has to choose whose pain she’s willing to live with—her family’s or Heath’s. Because she can’t heal one without hurting the other.

Publication Date: January 8, 2019.

I knew even before sitting down to read this book, that Even If I Fall would be a book that would have trials and tribulations for our main character, Brooke, and the rest of the people in her life.

What I didn’t anticipate was how heavy Brooke’s story turned out to be.

The beginning to Even If I Fall was hard to read because Brooke is such a staunch believer in her brother’s innocence. And when Brooke’s brother ends up going to prison, Brooke feels so guilty.

There were even points here and there in Even If I Fall that made me tear up! Brooke’s story managed to break my heart over and over again, but sprinkled along Brooke’s story there is hope. Actually, once the truth about That Night is revealed there was a huge release of tension within the story that had been building up. So once everything was revealed, it was like everyone could breath again. They wouldn’t have to walk on proverbial egg shells anymore. Learning the truth about That Night still hurt everyone it concerned, but afterwards everyone could start to heal again.

I had thought prior to reading Even If I Fall, that maybe there would be a moment in Brooke’s story where I would read something and immediately DNF this story. I’m quite happy to say that from the first page, Even If I Fall captured me and did not let go. I ended up reading Even If I Fall in one sitting.

Even though we only read from Brooke’s view point within this novel, I like how noticeable everyone’s character growth is. Something else that I liked aboutEven If I Fall was the progress of the story. When I was reading Even If I Fall I could tell I was halfway through the book because the story was getting lighter, and Brooke was becoming more hopeful.

I genuinely enjoyed reading Even If I Fall. There were many things that I didn’t expect: truths that were revealed, healing that had to be done, and acceptance for their situations. I also loved how by the end of Even If I Fall there was a semblance of family again within Brooke’s household.

I give Even If I Fall, 3.5 stars.