Set in an era before iPhones and basically very little of the technology that we are familiar with, Fall in One Day is the story of Joe who uses a cassette recorder to capture events and his own reactions to them. In a noir setting, the plot unravels as Joe meticulously works out multiple ideas and strategies to solve the mystery and conspiracy, overcoming apparently insurmountable obstacles, a cast of believable and likeable characters, and a good dash of humor – all in a Canadian setting. It was a quick read but not necessarily a satisfying one.

A terrific read. Glad I read across it! YA at it's best.

In the summer of 1973, fifteen-year-old Joe Beck lives in a small Canadian city near the U.S. border where he watches dark-suited politicians lie on TV during something called Watergate. So when his best friend Brian goes missing, Joe has a hard time believing that adults ever tell the truth.

Fall in One Day is a very fascinating story and unique concept. I enjoy how Craig Terlson writes in detail. However, it is kinda slow in the first part but later is in good pace. The twists are okay and character development is good.

This book wasn't for me - I started it and couldn't get very far into it because the writing style isn't what I'm used to. This doesn't mean it's not a good book by any means; I've decided to refrain from writing a review as I don't feel it would do the book justice. Apologies for any convenience.

I got hooked as soon as i read the book. It is beautifully written. The author done a really good job. I also enjoyed the suspense when i read it! Will recommend to friends!

Rating: 3.75/5 Penguins

Quick Reasons: I seriously thought Joe was younger than he is for, like...this whole read, which was problematic; interesting, suspenseful read; there are some intriguing, if not a little bit confusing, tangents woven throughout; Joe's brain is a mess of confusion and teenager angst and humor

Huge thanks to Craig Terlson, Blue Moon Publishers, and Netgalley for sending me a free digital galley of this read in exchange for a voluntary honest review! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on this title.


---I took a deep breath. It still smelled of a cabin fireplace. The blowing snow outside made it seem even more so, like being stuck inside during a blizzard, reading books by the fire. March came in like a lion was what people said.---


I have to start with admitting I went into this read putting emphasis on the wrong words for this title. It wasn't until I stumbled across the title in the text (thankfully not long after starting this read) that I realized the error of my ways...and then totally understood how brilliant this title actually is. Seriously, once the whole emphasis thing was figured out...everything with the title fell into place, and made such better sense for me.

I also have to admit I thought, through the entirety of this read, that Joe was a WHOLE LOT younger than it turns out he is. See, I have this habit of not actually reading a book's blurb--I'll skim over it to see if it sounds like something I'd be interested in, but I pretty much forget everything about the blurb after deciding to pick a book up. Which means that Joe, in this book, came off a whole lot more like 12 or 13...and not the apparent 15 he actually is. Which, in my opinion, is problematic. I'm not sure if it's the way he was written, or if I just stumbled upon this assumption by mistake, but Joe came off a lot more immature than I think a 15 year old actually would--there were moments I found myself wondering if he was actually 10, honestly, and I can't convince myself of the truth now, thinking back on the read.


---"You ever see those movies where they move the camera in close to someone's face and then back it up quickly?" I asked. "And it almost makes you dizzy watching it?"

"I am not sure I've seen those."

"That's how I see that night in my brain. I see myself up on the gym roof, and the camera zooms in on me, and then goes back. If music was playing, it would be screechy violins."---


Regardless of the weird age thing, this was an entertaining and intriguing read. We're given such a complex, confusing glimpse into Joe's head--I felt as if I was actually living in one of the darkest, deepest corners of his mind! To watch him react to and interact with his friend going missing, and the whole "crazy father" thing, was gut-wrenching and nail-bitingly realistic. I did feel he was a bit naive to the world yet...and the fact his friend seemed equally young didn't help. The parents seemed to be babying them, on top of it, which only helped to confuse me further. This is also a pretty "subversive" read--there are a lot of twisty, curvy trails of tangents and plot lines that don't seem to lead anywhere...and yet, somehow, add to the story nonetheless.

Overall, this was an interesting--if not a little confusing--read. While Joe and the rest of the characters his age felt more like 10 year olds than 15, their reactions to the world were entertaining and, at times, humorous. I'd recommend this to lovers of historical fiction, mystery/thrillers, and complexly written characters. Grab your jackets, Penguins; fall is coming.

(NOTE: The same day I published the below review, Craig Terlson contacted me to confirm that, indeed, my e-galley lacked the formatting that is in the published, hard copy version of his book. The font changes! This makes it way less confusing for me. While I still don't like Joe recording parts of his story, being able to tell when he's thinking and talking makes me way more open to the reading further. And maybe I should get over it? Because using tapes is a pretty clever way of replacing the token friend most heroes talk to. If I can get my hands on a physical copy, I would finish it. Also (probably everybody knew this already) the book is based on "actual historical events"!!)
---
Honestly, I didn’t finish Fall in One Day. I read the first 69 pages and then I gave myself permission to stop. The content – the story itself – is good. I would LOVE to read more about how LSD messes up Brian’s dad’s brain, how he was given the drug to treat his alcoholism, and what else may or may not have happened to this man while he was being treated. If the author did his research and we can trust there is fact within in this fiction, it would be a fascinating discussion point about our history and a great novel study for schools (Naomi Klein talks about experiments done in Canada with LSD in The Shock Doctrine. I believe they were related to mind control though, not alcohol). I’d love to hear how Joe finds Brian, what happens to Brian’s dad, and what Joe’s mum is up to.

My problem was not the story. My problem was the writing style chosen. It’s told in the first person by a 15-year-old boy. No problem. Until said boy also tells us he’s going to record parts of his story on a tape. So we get to hear Joe Beck narrate the story, then then hear his recordings about his experiences in the story, and then, when he doesn’t have his recorder with him, we get to read about the story he is narrating. Granted, Joe is explaining things that happened before the opening lines of the book but. Confusing. While first-person is great for conveying some things (like Mrs. Beck’s sneaking around), the author is doubling and tripling up on Joe’s story. Just start earlier in the timeline. Or maybe have a third best friend who’s telling Joe this stuff after Brian disappears.

And I don’t always know when Joe is recording and when he’s telling me what he’s recording. An especially frustrating moment is when he decides that he is going to record everything he knows about Brian and his dad’s disappearance. Chapter 7 begins, “This recording tells what happened on Sunday, September 9…” You assume the whole chapter will be us listening in but, with no break and no change in formatting to tell us Joe has stopped talking and started narrating again, he’s swearing because he really didn’t mean to start talking about his testicles on tape. From then on I have no idea when Joe is talking versus narrating. Maybe this is just a formatting error in the galley I was given (formatting and grammar are everything. EVERYTHING!), in which case, stop reading this now! Because a mistake like that would ruin the whole understanding of the text.

I think I would have enjoyed this a lot more if the whole book had been in the recording format (and also make a great audiobook in future) or if the story had been written in 3rd person with Joe’s recordings the only time we hear his perspective. This combination left me frustrated and confused.

A copy of this book was provided by Netgalley for an honest review.

Joe, is fifteen years old watching tv and discovering that politicians do lie, at least this time in 1973. It's Watergate. He wonders if any adults can be trusted to tell the truth. His best friend Brian has disappeared. Brian is on the road with his father. Brian occasionally calls Joe telling him where he think he is. Joe with his brother Karl and stoner friend Dennis help him look for Brian. Will they find him?

This is a coming-of-age novel. It discusses who can and can't be trusted. It is also about who does or doesn't tell the truth. Mystery and conspiracy kept me engaged in the novel. I enjoyed reading it.

A fantastic blend of elements--Watergate, LSD Experiments, mystery, friendship and coming of age. Terlson reads like a play as he has an exceptional capacity for dialogue! He also has a wonderful dry sense of humor. His research on LSD the experience and impact are well told in the bubble of Canada during 1973.

This is a hard one for me. If you know who I usually read books you’ll know this took me a lot longer than usual to read, and it wasn’t because I was too busy. In fact, I had every intention of finishing the book before the publication day but I just was not holding my interest. Yet it was good enough that I didn’t want to give up on it totally and slide it over to the DNF category.

Some of the things I really liked had to do with regional things. I grew up essentially across the river from Canada (the Detroit area) and, although in this story they’re further west in Canada. I enjoyed a character saying pop instead of soda and the actual description of how the season Fall can happen in one day in the northern regions of the world. But those tidbits (among others) couldn’t keep me engaged in the story. It wasn’t until more than halfway through that I felt the book was becoming hard to put down. Even then, there would be a few chapters I would zoom through and then things would slow waaaaay down. I have to say I did appreciate the shorter chapters in the last half of the book. I felt the first half had super long chapters that dragged.

There are many things in Joe’s life that, as an adult, I could see coming from a mile away. Sometimes that’s okay but sometimes it’s just an annoyance. Unfortunately, it was an annoyance here. The Nixon stuff only made sense (to me at least) for giving Joe the idea to record things. And Karl, Joe’s older brother, was such an awesome character I would have liked the story to have been more about Karl helping Joe than all of the other things thrown in. Somehow, it ended up very disjointed and choppy.

As for the LSD/government experimentation/mental hospital angle…it could have been interesting. I think the author tried to throw too much in that was factual and real while still trying to make it all a mystery for Joe. Which in turn had it come across as dry and boring instead of intriguing.

I seem to be in the minority in my views on this book. If you’re interested in the LSD era and reading about a kid who is basically neglected by his parents (even though he’s 15, it’s pretty ridiculous how seldom he actually sees his parents) and has a great best friend he feels compelled to help, you may enjoy this one. Really, the loyalty Joe has for his friend Brian is one of the greatest things about this story.

This is a really good snapshot of the early 1970s through the eyes of a young boy, Joe. The narrative manages to take in Watergate, kidnapping, alcoholism, divorce, Vietnam and LSD while still feeling like a story about a small town in Canada. The writing is really accessible - we are told the events through Joe's voice and so the tone is conversational. The story is really compelling and the characters are very well drawn. I think that the author has managed to capture the feelings of disassociation caused by mental illness with great skill and nuance, which is to his credit. My one criticism is that I felt Joe, who is 15, seemed to be acting like a much younger boy. To my memory, most 15 year old boys are far more concerned with girls than completing tricks, like tearing a phone book in half. That being said, I found this a really engaging read and felt it dealt with the 70s with the right blend of nostalgia and honesty.

Great Adventure! I was Leary about this book at first but then after reading it, I loved it.

Joe Beck’s best friend, Brian, has disappeared with his father in a mysterious incident. Strangely, in Joe’s small town on the Canadian prairies in 1973 the only thing on the news is the Watergate trials in the states. The news says nothing about fifteen-year-old Brian’s disappearance and there’s little evidence that the adults are actually working to find him. Amid this background of untrustworthy adults, Joe’s uncertain what to do. But when he gets a call from his missing friend, Joe becomes determined to uncover the truth and save him.

Before I began reading Fall in One Day I wondered whether teen readers today would be interested in a book set in the 1970s, but I was quickly drawn into the story and I think many teens would be, too. Terlson weaves historical events: Watergate, LSD use, old movies, into themes that will always strike a chord with teenagers as Joe questions the trustworthiness of adults, one’s responsibility toward one’s friends, and the complications of becoming an individual within a larger society. Joe is a sympathetic character whose loyalty and intelligence lead him to investigate and solve the mystery of his friend’s disappearance.

I received an electronic advance reader copy of Fall in One Day from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is probably the most non-conforming coming of age book I have ever read. Sure Joe had to deal with drugs and alcohol, but it was the adults around him that were having the problems, not him. Instead of being the one keeping secrets and lying, Joe had to deal with secrets and lies from the politicians (Nixon / Watergate) down to his own parents. Additionally, he had to survive the kidnapping and drugging of his best friend. How Joe handles this all is through a series of recordings made on his tape deck. He spells it out for himself and the reader as we follow him trying to discover why his friend was taken and then to rescue him. Mixing in with this is some of the history of LSD and its use as a legal drug. The story is written in a very simplistic manner, mirroring how an unworldly 15 year-old boy would probably write and speak in the early 1970s.

Fall in one day by Craig Terison.
In the summer of 1973, fifteen-year-old Joe Beck lives in a small Canadian city near the U.S. border where he watches dark-suited politicians lie on TV during something called Watergate. So when his best friend Brian goes missing, Joe has a hard time believing that adults ever tell the truth.

Joe learns that Brian left town with his father after Brian's mother ended up in the hospital. He listens to the news reports for information, but nothing is being said. Eventually, Joe launches his own investigation, using a tape recorder—just like the American president—to help sift through the clues. Feeling that everything is up to him, Joe embarks on a perilous and enlightening journey to decipher a mental institution diary full of secrets about a drug called LSD, and uncover the truth about Brian's father and save his best friend.

A very good read with good characters. A little slow to start with. But then I couldn't put it down. 5*. Netgalley and Digi writing.

The time is 1973 and Nixon is in the middle of the scandal of his life, Watergate, just south of the border in the good old USA. A drug called LDS has become big with the younger segment of the population. 15 years old, Joe Beck has just lost his best friend, Brian, who was taken out of class and never seen from. He learns Brian is now on the run with his dad after his mom ended up in the hospital. Using a tape recorder and struggling with the lies adults tell he goes on the hunt to figure out what is going on with his friend and his dad.

This wasn't quite the investigation that I thought it would be from the original blurb but I didn't mind that. Joe impressed me right off. I enjoyed his narrative and was drawn into his experiences even though I didn't really know what was going on at first. I liked how his narrative was far from simple yet was easy to read and follow. Plus is was cast through the view of a boy who doesn't know the adult words for everything. That made his narrative feel totally real to me. Remember this was 1973, not a kid who grew up in the information age that is the twenty first century.

"The Newtons told the weirdest story, how Brian’s dad was possessed and the devil told him to take Brian. They had heard about that happening, where the priest had to go and exercise them. According to them, this involved a lot of shouting, even swearing, and jumping around, which was why they called it exercise. I didn’t bother telling them how dumb that sounded."

The author used the events, like Watergate and people, such as his brother Karl that surrounded the boy in such a way that it felt like Joe was trying to figure things out while not grasping with an adult insight what is most important. Many times when I read a teenager they make me roll my eyes they are so adult and they make such bungles that its hard to enjoy them as a protagonist who I am supposed to sympathize with... such was not the case with Joe! He focused like a 15 year old experiencing the things that were happening to him (for example he had a problem with trust and his priority lay in keeping the trust of Brian his friend.)

There were such layers to the narrative. For example, a 15 year old has some instincts they sense when things are happening but hate to bring it up with adults who will just poo poo them. We see that Joe is aware of some things like in the very beginning he could tell the adults were lying on tv but his dad brushed him off. The same is true about Brian and so we have confidence to move forward with Joe as our leader in this story even though he is just a kid. In reality most characters portrayed in YA fiction are a tad unrealistic being really what is essentially an early 20 year old even when they say they are 14, 15, or 16.

So the narrative is really strong and to me is the driving force in this story. The book starts slow. There is some essential setup and the way it is done wasn't bad just that it was all just getting to know Joe with nothing that felt like story. Character building is good but not in a vacuum, I like Joe a lot and him recording what happened to his brother, Karl, was fascinating but now let's get on with the story...! And what a story it was! I took a leap of faith on this book as I would normally read LSD or anything about drugs and say pass. I don't like reading about it and am totally turned off in fact. So what made it good you say:
-So much happened that I thought would happen by the end of the book and yet we were at 63%! i.e. it was unexpected the turn of events with Joe an Brian and how he kept trying to help his friend...
-Karl, his older brother was instrumental in supporting Joe... what a good guy! What a brother!! Many times this kind of loving family member feels fake but not Karl and that was shown so well by the story Joe recorded that we could see was why he trusted his brother.
-Really the world building was so,so good even if only 50ish years ago... there is this one scene where this guy fixing his car kept calls them hippies... it was so funny!
-Mental health issues are so important to understand and need to be taught - this delves into the history of mental health and how they used to treat certain struggles (scary but important!)
-The inclusion of the diary was fascinating and actually pretty important to the narrative in that Joe didn't totally understand what it all meant but the reader can certainly figure it out from the clues it created. It makes a good discussion for children readers with teachers and parents about drugs. Plus Joe understood enough of it. So smartly done...
-The moments of religious questioning due to the Newton boys were a fascinating inclusion. While I'm not sure that I would have chosen then they were all part of creating the youth that was Joe. And at one point in the plot a visit to the Newton's church helped Joe to reexamine what he knew.
-The idea of what it means to be family is also explored in both Brian and Joe's life. I liked the added tension and stress to the story from Joe's parents.

"The wind that pushed me home had the smallest bit of cold, barely there. Maybe I imagined the chill because the calendar told me it was coming. Fall. It was still a while away, but when it came, man, if we were lucky, it lasted a few weeks, but some years it was a day. No kidding, fall in one day. Last year was like that, an amazing windy day where every leaf was torn off every tree and launched into the air like someone shot it from a cannon. The fall in one day was not always a bad thing. ... I didn’t really know why, but my brain filled up with dark thoughts when winter got closer. Stuff died in winter; a lot of old people died in winter. ... A long fall meant that those dark thoughts stayed in my head even longer. I wanted winter to begin, just so it could end as soon as possible."

I loved the end. I loved Joe. I loved his relationships. I loved all the layers.

BOTTOM LINE: A fascinating look at recent history through the eyes of a 15 year old boy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fall in One Day gives an insight on the side effects of the treatment of alcoholism. The Watergate scandal takes centre stage on the news and little else is reported. The story highlights true friendship between two teenage boys at a time of crisis and the complexity of mental health.

Joe is fifteen years old and lives with his parents and his older brother, Karl. Brian is his best friend. Joe suspects that something is not quite right in Brian's household and this is confirmed when Brian is suddenly pulled out of the classroom.

Brian and his father have disappeared and his mother has ended up in hospital. The adults and the police are being very secretive about the whole affair. Having watched enough television, Joe decides on his own investigation by using a tape recorder in the form of a diary. Whilst recording, snippets of his past encounters with Brian's dad trigger his memory and he is convinced that something has gone drastically wrong.

When he receives a cryptic telephone call, he enrols the help of his brother to investigate further. What they find, brings out the severity of the situation. They follow the clues but find that they are always a step behind. They are also convinced that the police isn't putting enough effort in their investigations. Joe is persistent and resourceful. He puts a lot of effort into deciphering the clues that could lead him to Brian. There is a lot of focus on LSD and its psychotic effects. The attitude towards those suffering with mental health problems is very off putting.

I like the relationship between Joe and his brother. His friendship with Brian is quite admirable. He puts himself in danger on more than one occasion to help Brian. The lessons behind the story are to stand by what you believe in. Always tell the truth as lies can be destructive. Be more sympathetic towards those with mental health issues and be aware of the implications of taking drugs.

It's a good story but I found it to be long winded in places. The suspense and drama are good incentives to keep turning the pages. Although, a little unusual, the conclusion appears to have a symbolic meaning.

I received a complimentary eARC from the publisher via NetGalley. The views expressed are my personal opinion.

Great book, full review is on my blog!

A sharp narrative with a hooking and well realised plot and a knack that keeps the reader wanting to read more and more. The book masterfully links the events of 20th century with the life of a small town boy and his friend. The book is targeted for a younger audience. This was a 3.7 stars read with vivid description and well crafted characters
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I thought Fall In One Day was great. Joe’s got a great voice and he narrated the story really well. I really enjoyed the elements of mystery that are woven through the storyline. Why did Brian’s dad take him? Where to? Why did he hurt Brian’s mother? Does Brian really want to be found? Will Joe be able to make something of the meagre clues left behind? I thought Joe’s search for Brian, aided by his brother was really well written. The characters are all well written and really come to life on the page. Brian’s father is a very sympathetic character once it’s clear what’s happened to him to cause his behaviour. Fall In One Day is well written. I loved the descriptions and detail that brought everything so vividly to life. This is an engaging, enjoyable mystery novel and well worth a read.