{Review} No Place to Fall by Jaye Robin Brown

Posted by Donna
Release Date: December 9th, 2014
Finished Date: August 30th, 2014

Publishers: HarperTeen
Genre: YA Contemporary, Romance
Source: For Review
Format: eARC

Pages: 368

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Amber Vaughn is a good girl. She sings solos at church, babysits her nephew after school, and spends every Friday night hanging out at her best friend Devon’s house. It’s only when Amber goes exploring in the woods near her home, singing camp songs with the hikers she meets on the Appalachian Trail, that she feels free—and when the bigger world feels just a little bit more in reach.

When Amber learns about an audition at the North Carolina School of the Arts, she decides that her dream—to sing on bigger stages—could also be her ticket to a new life. Devon’s older (and unavailable) brother, Will, helps Amber prepare for her one chance to try out for the hypercompetitive arts school. But the more time Will and Amber spend together, the more complicated their relationship becomes . . . and Amber starts to wonder if she’s such a good girl, after all.

Then, in an afternoon, the bottom drops out of her family’s world—and Amber is faced with an impossible choice between her promise as an artist and the people she loves. Amber always thought she knew what a good girl would do. But between “right” and “wrong,” there’s a whole world of possibilities.

The Review: No Place to Fall follows sixteen year old Amber Vaughan – a good girl who sings solos at her local church, always does her homework, and helps out her family with babysitting her baby nephew and also trying to keep her family together. But Amber’s one release is visiting the hikers that travel through the Appalachian Trails near her home and releasing all her pent up frustration by being a bit wild, making out with strange guys and getting drunk. She’d be mortified if anyone other than her best friend Devon ever found out. But when Amber learns of an audition for the chance to go to a School of the Arts in North Carolina to sing, Amber realises her dream of singing is something she want to peruse but as she tries, her family life keeps dragging her down. Even with the help of Will, Devon’s older brother Amber isn’t sure she can do it and ultimately leaving her final choice to decide between right and wrong because of the mistakes that Amber has made along the way. 

I’m not sure where to start with this review because No Place to Fall sounds like the perfect summer read. It started out well but as I read more and more, I really started to not enjoy it. At first it enjoyed getting to know the characters but it became quickly obvious that there weren’t many likable characters throughout the story. Amber was I guess, okay. I didn’t feel the connection with her and I keep rolling my eyes at some of the things she said and especially some of her actions. I think the main issue I had with the story was Amber’s family. They were all completely unlikable and dysfunctional and they didn’t do anything to redeem themselves by the end of the story. Amber’s sister, brother-in-law and father being the main culprits. And then there was Will. Will is the love interest for Amber. I liked him but at times he treated Amber poorly. I didn’t think he could redeem himself and he did slightly but still, I’m not sure I could completely forgive him for the way he behaved at the start.

The plot of the story was okay. I couldn’t connect to the way all of the characters seems to have a deep connection with music that they would just start jamming or singing in the middle of the street. 

In all, No Place to Fall simply wasn’t for me. I wish it was something I enjoyed more but there were too many facts that made me dislike the story. 

Thank you to HarperTeen for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.