True readers know that sometimes you pick a book up at exactly the right moment for your reading life. This is how I felt when I started The Upside of Falling by Alex Light. I had recently read a few rather strange novels, and I have been far too caught up in global current events. I needed a distraction. Something to warm my heart, occupy my head, and whisk me away.
Enter The Upside of Falling.
The Upside of Falling is told in dual perspectives between Becca and Brett. An awkward moment in English class leads to an agreement between Becca and Brett to create a fake relationship between them. They weren't friends beforehand, but they realize that a fake relationship is mutually beneficial. Brett gets his Dad off his back for not having a girlfriend and Becca saves face in front of classmates who are convinced she doesn't understand true love.
Becca and Brett realize they have more in common than they might have initially thought, and that, while their relationship as school may be fake, their growing connection is 100% real.
I thought The Upside of Falling was completely adorable. The high school fake romance trope was exactly what I needed to read this weekend. Brett and Becca are endlessly likeable, and their chemistry is so super sweet. I especially loved that this book showed a popular teen boy having real emotions and real tears as he worked through challenges in his life. Becca is a bookworm which makes her easy to connect with, and underneath the story of Becca and Brett is a love letter to escapist literature and the power of stories to help us when we need them.
The Upside of Falling is out now and available from your favourite bookseller.
xo
Jenn
Disclaimer - I received a complementary copy of this novel from Harper Collins Canada for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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