The Aussie Zombie

The reason I so desperately wanted Tumble & Fall is simple - the cover and, in part, the synopsis immediately made me think of Armageddon, and I freaking love that movie.  Yes it's cheesy and cliched, but every time it comes on TV I watch it and get all sniffy at the end.

 The book itself is not like Armageddon, apart from the fact an asteroid is heading towards earth, but I wasn't disappointed.   Told through the risky medium of multiple-POV's, Alexandra Coutts has struck the perfect balance of beautiful, emotional writing with characters that feel incredibly real.

All three main characters, Sienna, Caden and Zan, are completely different from each other, so I was never confused about who was telling a particular part of the story - their voices are strong and individual, and their stories are most definitely their own.  There is a little interaction between the three towards the end of the book, but for the most part these are three standalone stories.  Often in multiple POVs I find myself rushing through at least one particular perspective because I like it less than the others, but this wasn't the case with Tumble & Fall.

This book could have been riddled with cliches, and although there is a little bit of insta-love for one of the characters, it didn't have that horrible unrealistic feeling - it suited the story and the situation and felt real and possible.

However, if you pick up Tumble & Fall looking for a action-packed, disaster-riddled post-apocalyptic story, you will be a little disappointed.  Although there is talk of the asteroid and a few glimpses of what the world is doing to fight back or prepare, the main focus of this book is the characters, and the way that they interact with their friends and family as the end draws closer.  None of this however, took away my enjoyment of this book - I loved getting to know the characters and see them come to realisations about themselves, their families and their relationships.

In the middle of an avalanche of post-apocalyptic and dystopian books that seem to sacrifice characterisation for action and world-building, Tumble & Fall stands out as a book that has fabulous characters, realistic situations and a real emotional punch.