The Falling Between Us by Ash Parsons - OPTIONAL

The Falling Between Us by Ash Parsons, 283 pages. Philomel Books (Penguin), 2018. $18. 

Language: PG-13 (15 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG-13; Violence: PG

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Roxanne and Joshua have been friends forever, long before Joshua became famous.  Now everything has changed and his manager, Artie, controls everything. She’s decided it’s time for him to have a new girlfriend, she’s decided who he can talk to and what questions the media can ask, and now she’s telling Roxanne what to do.  Roxanne and Joshua just want things like they used to be but everything is complicated now and Roxanne doesn’t know how much more she can take. She has also noticed Joshua isn’t looking so great. Is it just the fame taking its toll? Or is there something else wrong?

This took longer to read than I thought it would.  Roxanne’s actions and thoughts began to bug me as the story unfolded, the writing seemed off, at times, and I lost interest about halfway through.  The ending, however, was a pleasant surprise, and I finished thinking it wasn’t so bad, afterall. While the book deals with serious topics; the realities of fame, prescription drug use, mental issues, and suicide, it is not done with great detail, and I think it will appeal to those that want realistic fiction but aren’t quite ready for a deeper, harsher look at the heavy topics involved.       

Reviewer: RB