Fall

By Colin McAdam

From the back of the book:

“Noel thinks he’s been allowed into the inner circle of his elite boarding school when he discovers his senior-year roommate is the handsome and popular Julius, a boy who cares only for the fleeting joys of teenage life: sneaking out to parties, playing pranks with friends, and most of all, spending the night with his girlfriend, Fall. Always an outsider, Noel develops an unhealthy fascination with Julius, but his crush on Fall borders on dangerous obsession as he convinces himself of a profound connection that might not exist.”

This is truly an interesting book. Written basically as a running dialogue, the book explores the coming of age for teenagers and how it can easily turn down the wrong path.

Here we have a group of teens who live at a boarding school for one reason or another. Mostly, it’s because their parents are rich and it’s much easier to send the kids away than to deal with a disruption in their own busy lives. These are children who were never taught how to properly love another person or even how to interact in a way that doesn’t fit in with general society.

So, it’s no wonder they play on each other’s emotions. They also try to outdo each other in some very unhealthy, and often cruel, ways.

However, they do have rules to abide by at the school, including curfews. So, when Julius is punished and has to remain in the building, he sends his already obsessive roommate Noel to deliver messages to his girlfriend Fall. In turn, she sends notes back to him the same way.

Suddenly, Noel finds himself in love with Fall and works to find a way to convince her to reciprocate those feelings. But Noel has some serious obsessive-compulsive issues and his best intentions turn ugly.

I enjoyed the dialogue, even though there were a few times when I wasn’t completely sure who was talking. Also, I questioned whether or not the author made the teens sound a little more mature than they actually were, especially given their age and their circumstances.

But the story line is excellent and I really got involved in the book. I think most people would enjoy it. Be aware, though, there is some sex scenes that seem somewhat out of character (too mature) for teenagers.

If you’re OK with that, you should give the book a try.