Title: The Night Olivia Fell
Author: Christina McDonald
Publisher: Gallery Books
Year: 2019
Genre(s): contemporary, suspense
Part of a Series: No
Rating: 
Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club pick
Summary: Abi’s life is turned upside down when her teenage daughter ends up in a coma. Declared braindead, Olivia is kept alive due to the baby growing inside her. As the weeks fly by, Abi struggles to find out the truth about what happened to her daughter before she has to say goodbye for good.
Review: This was a very interesting book that left me guessing almost until the end.
The story is told from two perspectives. We have Abi’s after Olivia has fallen and is declared braindead. She works to figure out what happens to her daughter when it becomes clear the police aren’t going to investigate. Abi finds support in a police liaison named Anthony and has to confront her past – namely, Olivia’s father.
We also have Olivia’s perspective in the lead up to her fall. After finding a girl who could be her twin, she starts to search for her biological father. She also forms a relationship with her best friend’s brother despite still being in another relationship. Olivia starts sneaking around and lying as danger lurks around the corner – but who will end up hurting her in the end?
We got clues from both sides and it allowed readers to put it all together.
It also allowed us to get to know Olivia as a character rather than have her just be someone in a bed throughout the book. She felt like a real teenager trapped in some complicated situations and trying to be adult while confused about who she could trust. Her story got frustrating but it rang true.
And I liked how Olivia seemed to have an unfinished character arc. She was starting to grow and mature but it was cut short. That was well done.
Abi, though, is the star of the book. She really goes on a journey where she finds the strength to continue living – and really living for the first time in years. I really enjoyed following her story.
So bravo to McDonald for doing that.
Bottom line: An intriguing mystery with solid characters.
Sex: Some, nothing too graphic.
Moonlight Musing
Would you be able to investigate your loved one’s accident when no one else will?
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