Review for We All Fall Down by Eric Walters

We All Fall Down

Author: Eric Walters

Publisher: Doubleday Canada

Source: Public Library

Challenges: For the Love of YA, Library

192 pages

"Today is September 10, 2001, and Will, a grade nine student, is spending the day at his father’s workplace tomorrow. As part of a school assignment, all the students in his class will be going to their parents tomorrow, but Will isn’t excited about it–he’d rather sleep in and do nothing with his friends. His father doesn’t even have an exciting job like his best friend James’s father who is a fireman. Will’s dad works for an international trading company and has to wake up early every morning to commute to his office on the eighty-fifth floor in the south building of the World Trade Center in Manhattan. Will doesn’t see his father very often because of the hours he puts in at the office. He doubts that his dad will bother making time for him tomorrow even when they are supposed to be spending the day together.

In this fast-paced and dramatic new novel by bestselling author Eric Walters, Will discovers a new side of his father during an event that continues to affect the world. As Will’s new teacher says, tomorrow “might be an experience that changes your entire life.” "-Goodreads

     What a tragically amazing book. We all know or have seen in clips and such how viewers felt about 9/11 but what were the people inside thinking or feeling? Especially the ones above the crashes, the ones with no escape? Eric Walters lets us get a glimpse of what they thought and how they felt. It may be fiction but I believe that that is as close to factual as one can get. I was this close *hold up fingers indicating a mm* to rating this book five stars.

    One thing I really liked about this book is that it is told through Will's eyes. I just don't read enough of male characters POV. It's quite refreshing. (They tend to be less whinny). Will is a strong main character through out this book. Well, of course he has to be to deal with the 9/11 attack. Best part? He is my age, the same grade! Isn't that cool? I thought it was. I found him very relatable for the fact alone. The only other main character was Will father. At first I didn't like him because he seemed like one of those father's that could care less about his kid. But we soon see that it's not his fault that's he's not home half the time and that he actually wants to spend time with Will. He was truly very caring. The characters were well written and structured, great characters for this story.

  The plot was amazingly heart wrenching. I had such strong emotions throughout this book that I felt as though I wanted to burst. I was only five when 9/11 occured so I didn't really know anything about it till now (hard to believe); I mean I didn't know many details. So I went on Youtube to get a sense of what Eric Walters was trying to convey and let me tell you he nailed the details! The story's problem I guess was the relationship between Will and his father and through 9/11 they're bond becomes stronger. It was a truly tragic day and I cannot imagine anyone justifying that action. I love this book for how it gives the readers the experience in a fast paced book that will leave your breath hitched.

  I highly recommend this to people who don't mind a tear jerker and want to be emotionally touched because I know I was. The writing may be a little simplistic but the story is not. It is an amazing tribute to the event that changed the world! My hat is off to Eric Walters!

Excerpt:

  "I'm going to recite a line of poetry and I want you all to say the next line."

There was an audible grumbling and I turned to James to ask if I'd missed a poem in the assigned reading. Suddenly my attention was caught as that girl slowly reached underneath the desk for her history textbook. My mouth dropped open and I tried not to stare . . . I wondered if she was doing that by accident or if it was a very deliberate thing meant to drive boys - to drive me - crazy.

"Ring around the rosie!" Mrs. Phelps sang out.

"A pocket full of posies," most of us chanted back after a slight hesitation.

"Ashes, ashes," she continued.

"We all fall down," we all said, finishing the rhyme.