Jaime Reviews ~ Take the Fall by Emily Hainsworth
By Emily Hainsworth
Published on February 16, 2016
Published by: Balzer + Bray
Source: Around the World ARC Tours
Published by: Balzer + Bray
Source: Around the World ARC Tours
WHO KILLED GRETCHEN MEYER?
Fear grips the residents of Hidden Falls the night Sonia Feldman and her best friend, Gretchen Meyer, are attacked in the woods. Sonia was lucky to escape with her life, but Gretchen’s body is discovered at the bottom of a waterfall. Beautiful, popular, and seemingly untouchable, Gretchen can’t be gone. Even as Sonia struggles with guilt and confusion over having survived, the whole town is looking to her for information…could she have seen something that will lead the police to the killer?
At the top of the list of suspects is Gretchen’s ex-boyfriend—and Sonia’s longtime enemy—Marcus Perez. So when Marcus comes to Sonia for help clearing his name, she agrees, hoping to find evidence the police need to prove he’s the killer. But as Gretchen’s many secrets emerge and the suspects add up, Sonia feels less sure of Marcus’s involvement, and more afraid for herself. Could Marcus, the artist, the screwup, the boy she might be falling for have attacked her? Killed her best friend? And if it wasn’t him in the woods that night…who could it have been?
Take the Fall...
I honestly don't have a lot that I can say about this book without ruining the mystery of it. What I can say is that the story is fast-paced, and it definitely keeps you guessing. The characters are really well done, and they each have quirks, and reasons to suspect them. I was definitely on the edge of my seat during Take the Fall, ready to get to the end and find out the truth.
Sonia and Gretchen have been best friends for a long time. Sonia is the shy and quiet, friendly one. Gretchen is loud and outspoken, used to getting her way. But there is a darker side of Gretchen that we slowly see come to light during the story, You can't help feeling sorry for Sonia, but there are times when you want to shake her; make her stand up and do the right thing.
There is a slight romantic relationship that begins between Gretchen's ex Marcus and Sonia, but it is strained because of things from the past, and because Sonia wonders if Marcus is really the murderer. The romance doesn't take center stage, which is awesome, but it created some nice moments, lighter moments, that broke up the darkness of the story.
The mystery itself was a good one. I would think I had it figured out, but then something would happen and I would question myself. The first guess wasn't right, but I should have stuck with my second one! The mystery definitely made this story! I liked the darker undertones, and learning the darker side of Gretchen, and all of the other characters. There are definitely no innocents in Take the Fall.
So, for the most part, I really enjoyed this story. I did. I was fully invested, and ready to reach the conclusion. Unfortunately, the conclusion left me wanting. In a HUGE way. The story just ended. Abruptly. We weren't left with even a clue as to what was going to happen to the guilty person. It just ended with a big fat question mark. Now, I don't mind an open-ended story. But I want to be left with at least some information so that I can speculate about what might happen. That just isn't the case with Take the Fall. And it sucks. Ye Be Warned!
