Book Review | No Place to Fall by Jaye Robin Brown

I've been reading quite a lot lately, as you've probably seen from my previous reviews. Three books in three days, huh? I'm pretty proud of myself. One of the books I acquired from my recent library visit was another contemporary book: No Place to Fall by Jaye Robin Brown.

Summary:
Amber Vaughn is a good girl. She goes to church every Sunday, babysits her nephew, and hangs out

with her best friend Devon every Friday night. During the summer, Amber meets some hikers on the Appalachian trail, and she finally feels apart of a world that's bigger than her own. However, living in a small town like Sevenmile, it's hard to escape.

Then, Amber learns about an audition at North Carolina School of Arts. She knows that this school is the only ticket out of her small town. With the help of Devon's older brother Will, Amber might just get a shot at her dream.

But things aren't as clear cut as they seem. Amber's family has fallen on tough times, and Amber realizes that the decisions she makes affect everyone.

I hadn't heard much about this book. I saw it recommended on Pintrest since I'm constantly on Pintrest, looking for book recommendations. However, I was somewhat surprised by this book. It went further it to depth than I expected. This book focused a lot more on family aspects than I thought it would. I enjoyed the family aspect of this book since it was so unexpected. I liked the family dynamics, despite the fact that it was a little messed up. I liked Amber's family's imperfection, and I thought that their family's flaws made the book more realistic since no family is perfect by any means.

At first, No Place to Fall was hard for me to get into because of the southern "twang," and I found it hard to picture the setting because well, it's not what I'm used to. However, I ended up liking the southern-feel of the book. I thought it added to the book's dimension.

For me, Amber's character was a bit "eh," but I got used to her. She tried to do what was best, even though she made some dumb decisions. I really liked Devon's character because I though he was a good friend to Amber. I also really liked Cheerleader Amber. She was great, and I was glad that Amber didn't only have one best friend because I feel like that's a thing in young adult contemporaries where the protagonist only has, like, one friend.

The love dynamics in this book were a tad cliché, but I suppose that's what you would expect from a contemporary novel. Nonetheless, it was enjoyable. I liked Will and his easy-going character. It was sweet and cute, perfect for a contemporary novel.

I really enjoyed the ending. I thought that it wrapped up the story nicely. The ending gave me a satisfying feel, and I'm glad. I ended up giving this book a 3.25/5 stars. Originally, I awarded No Place to Fall a flat 3/5 stars, but the ending made me happy so I bumped up the rating a bit. I think this book is perfect for anyone who's up for a sweet, family-oriented contemporary novel.