Sweet Fall
by Tillie Cole
This book not only made my heart shiver but my soul sing!
Some books touch a nerve and play with that nerve from start to finish in the hope that what it is trying to tell you will stay with you forever.
Sweet Fall did that for me – it found the nerve it wanted in me and wrapped itself around it like a duvet on a cold winter’s day.
I loved Rome and Molly from the previous books in the series and if you have not read Sweet Home or Sweet Rome then I would suggest that you give them a shot - not only because they are fabulous books but mainly because this book takes place at the same time and the plot/characters cross paths on more than one occasion.
Sweet Fall, is not a light-hearted read, it tackles difficult subjects but it does so, with a touch that is simply exquisite.
The writing is superb , the character composition is first class and the attention to detail nothing short of perfect!
As you may have guessed – I loved this book – it made me hold my breath, sob my heart out but most of all it made me hope that somewhere, no matter how broken and alone we may think we are – we all have a soul mate just waiting to take our hand and hold it forever.
Lexi and Austin were both fragments of what they should be, both hiding in plain sight the reality of their lives,
“All anyone ever saw was the white trash ex-gang member from the trailer park across town. But not her. Fuck knows why , but she only ever saw more…” Austin
“I don’t look up at the stars to feel inferior, Austin. All I have to do is open my eyes and look at myself in the mirror.” Lexi
Together they shouldn’t stand a chance but being together may just be the only thing that saves them both.
Lexi’s secret is devastating – it has the power to consume her every thought, pushing her back to the girl that she has fought so hard to try and break free from. Tormented by her “voice” – she battles daily just to try and live a normal life – college, cheerleading, boys – none of that is easy for her but hiding behind her Goth make up – she just about makes it through each day.
“Why the war paint, Pix?”
“Because I can’t stand the girl underneath,” she whispered
Austin, should be all kinds of fucked up but what he is, is a good kid, who unfortunately grew up on the wrong side of town. Victim of circumstances that moulded his every movement and shaped his life into something that he wanted no part of.
“Why the tattoos?” Lexi asked
“Because I can’t bear seeing the scars of my past.”
Desperate to stay clear of his past and to make it into the NFL – Austin Carillo is only ever one step away from it all crashing down around his ears. Keeping his family and college apart has never been easy but when the two worlds collide – sliding back into his old ways is not what he wants but it maybe what his family needs. Can this boy save not only his family but his Pix?
The story is gritty, much more than the first books but that is to its credit and the dark undertones give the whole scenario more credence.
Lexi and Austin’s story will move you to tears, two kids who are having a harder time that anyone should ever have in order to get a handle on life but it is by walking with them through their story that we as readers are given the opportunity to review the fact that often what we see on the surface masks the real pain that is bubbling underneath.
Once again I would like to offer my congratulations to Ms Cole on the production of what can only be described as an exemplary body of work!