Tuesday, January 13, 2015

ARC Review: All Fall Down by Ally Carter


Title: All Fall Down
Series: Embassy Row
Author: Ally Carter
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: January 27, 2014
Source: ARC from Scholastic Press
Grace Blakely is absolutely certain of three things:
1. She is not crazy
2. Her mother was murdered
3. Someday she is going to find the killer and make him pay

As certain as Grace is about these facts, nobody else believes her - so there's no one she can completely trust. Not her grandfather, a powerful ambassador. Not her new friends, who all live on Embassy Row. Not Alexei, the Russian boy next door, who is keeping an eye on Grace for reasons she neither likes nor understands.
Everybody wants Grace to put on a pretty dress and a pretty smile, blocking out all her unpretty thoughts. But they can't control Grace - no more than Grace can control what she knows or what she needs to do. Her past has come back to haunt her . . . and if she doesn't stop it, Grace isn't the only one who will get hurt. Because on Embassy Row, the countries of the world stand like dominoes, and one wrong move can make them all fall down.

My Review

All Fall Down, the first book in the Embassy Row series by Ally Carter, is an excellent series starter. The novel reads rather quickly, but it has a very intriguing plot that I left me impressed and ready for more! This will be one of those books that you'll want to stay up until four in the morning just to read it.

What I really love about this book is how flawlessly Ms. Carter ties together so many different elements. Ally Carter creates a world of grace, beauty, and elegance in Adria but it's also a world full of diplomacy, tension, and power. While I was reading, I was able to tell that there is some unrest in Adria between many of the many countries on Embassy Row, but I was also glad that it did not have a political feel to it.

The characters in All Fall Down are ones that teens will enjoy reading about.

Grace is sixteen, but because of something in her past, she is a bit immature. There were certain points where I could really tell that she had a hard time growing up because it seems like she is thirteen which is the age she was when her mother was murdered. She's a bit of a tomboy, and I love that Carter included some of her not so graceful moments.

Grace has a new group of friends waiting for her when she gets to Embassy Row, and they include Noah, Megan, and Rosie. I was able to tell that they all really cared for Grace, but I was hoping to learn a little more about them, especially Megan and Rosie. I'll be looking forward to seeing how they develop in book two. Then there's Alexei, the Russian who lives next door to Grace. He was also Grace's brother's best friend when they were younger. He's a bit mysterious, and I enjoyed the moments that he shared with Grace.

I really like Carter's writing style. It's easy to follow and entertaining. There were many humorous moments in this book, but there were also some serious ones, and her words reflect those types of moments. The book has a very nice flow, and readers will definitely be able to see a mental image of Adria in their minds.

I already know fans of Ally Carter cannot wait to get their hands on this book, but I also think this would be a great book for readers who are graduating from middle grade novels and moving on to young adult literature.



 

About the Author

Ally Carter is a writer living and working in the Midwest. She loved school so much she kept going...and going...and going...until finally she had to graduate. Now she has degrees from Oklahoma State University and Cornell University and a house and a job and other very grown-up things.

Her life is either very ordinary or the best deep-cover legend ever. She'd tell you more, but...well...you know...

18 comments :

  1. Great review Erin! I went into this one expecting to love it and was crushed when I just didn't. I still haven't figured out if it was the wrong book at the wrong time or if it's that I had very different expectations from what I saw. I might have to go back to it one day.

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    1. I went in expecting to hate it, but I was pleasantly surprised. I think it was a bit immature for me, but I really enjoyed Grace's story. And I think I was at a point when I read way too many gushy books at once, so this one was a nice change of pace.

      I hope it works out better for you if you give it another chance. Have you read anything else by her?

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    2. I read Gallagher Girls and was okay with it. I LOVE the Heist Society books.

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    3. I know I'm definitely not interested in the Gallagher Girls series, but I have thought about reading the Heist Society books.

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  2. This is one of my most anticipated of 2015. I've heard such good things about Ally's writing, a new series seem as good a place as any to begin. :)

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    1. I probably wouldn't have given it a shot, but her #AllyAmbasador program got me interested, and I liked the idea of it. I'm so glad Scholastic took a chance on me by sending it because I am now an Ally Carter fan. :)

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  3. I didn't even know this was a new release but read the synopsis somewhere and fell in love with the book. You're lucky to have gotten an early copy! I can't wait to get this book in it's hardcover beauty! Looks amazing and your review just got me even more excited for the book!

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    1. Yes! It comes out next week! I think I'm going to order a signed copy from Target as soon as I'm done with all the replying and commenting. lol

      Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy the book! :)

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  4. Hey, just letting you know, I've tagged you!! Enjoy!!

    http://books4ev.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-reader-problems-tag.html

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    1. Thanks, Erica! I've got a few tags that I still have to do, but I'll add it to my list! :)

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  5. I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS ONE ERIN!

    I love a bit of Ally Carter and this one just hits the right spot for me. Plus, I want to see Carter's take on the whole embassy issue, very original. Fantastic review, Erin! x

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    1. OMG. I am so glad that you're excited because it is such an awesome read! I really think you'll enjoy it, Jess! What other books of Ally's have you read?

      Thank you! :)

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  6. OMG you get to read the ARC! Lucky you! I've been excited for this book since I first heard about it! It sounds so amazing! I've always love Ally Carter. I've been keeping up to date on every of her new books. I can't wait to get my hands on this one!

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    1. I do feel kind of lucky. :)

      I hope you get a copy soon! I know certain retailers are selling signed copies! That would be fun to own.

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  7. I haven't read a book by Ally Carter before, but this one has been popping up everywhere lately! I have the first book in her Gallagher girl series, and I cannot wait to try that one. Meanwhile, this has been added to the TBR.

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    1. It has been. There is the Ally Ambassador program, and the first 100 members to sign up were given ARCs they were mailed out to them last week. You'll probably be seeing a few more ARC reviews before Tuesday. lol

      Let me know what you think when you read it! :)

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  8. Ooooo politics. I was not expecting that! I haven't read any books by this author, which is kind of why I decided not to request it, but I'm glad you enjoyed it! I'm not a political person, so I might have to pass on this one!

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    1. Yeah... like foreign politics and diplomacy. It was very unique! I'm glad I gave her a chance. I really enjoyed it.

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