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#BookReview – After you fell
Allys_reading_corner Book Review December 9, 2019 1 Minute

Author – J.S Lark
Publisher – Harper Collins UK
Pages – 400
Subjects – #mystery #Thriller

Thank you to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources and Harper Collins Uk for my copy of the ebook.

As one life ends…. Louise Lovett’s death was a tragedy. But questions still swirl about exactly what happened to Louise that day. Did she fall or was she pushed?

A new life starts… Helen Matthews’ donor heart saves her life. But as her new life beats inside her, Helen feels the pull of its previous owner – despite what everyone is telling her, Helen is certain she has one final message to pass on.

And a dark obsession begins… as the lives of Helen and Louise become ever more entangled, Helen obsession gets increasingly out of control. And the fragile new life she has built begins to fall apart.


Well … what a surprising band enthralling story this was… I didn’t really take to Louise at the beginning of the book, I didn’t really like how she acted and felt .. I guess I just couldn’t connect with her at all ..

Helen however I connected to straight away, she did come across as an older lady to me until she stated her age and then I felt a little silly and embarrassed… kind of like how a shopkeeper may feel when they ask someone for ID that is more than old enough but looks younger.. I loved how connected Helen felt to the owner of her new heart and I loved the sixth sense she had … I do have a little myself but nothing like her.

This book most certainly lives up to its tag and is most certainly a thrilling and mysterious read.


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Hi, I’m Ally I am a dog groomer and run an animal rescue and I love all things books and reading View all posts by Allys_reading_corner

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2 thoughts on “#BookReview – After you fell”
janelark
December 11, 2019 at 10:08 am Edit
Hi Ally,

Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts, it makes such a difference for authors to have people take the time to read and talk about their work. I thought i would share a little something that I always think back to when I judge the age of characters. When my Grandma was ill and really not feeling well when I was in my 30s she spoke to me as though she was the younger person. That was the first time I really realised that people reach a mental age and never grow beyond that. Memories and experiences of the world you live in differ for generations, but emotional thoughts don’t tend to which is a princple I’ve applied in historical books. That’s why, I think, unless someone tells you an age you often don’t know the age if there is nothing generational to define it. So that’s something for me to think about, do I say earlier. But with Helen I did deliverately leave it open to let people read her as themselves 🙂

Thank you again,

x

Jane

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Allys_reading_corner
December 11, 2019 at 10:37 am Edit
No I definitely liked the way it was written and how you didn’t tell us until later how old she was, it was placed perfectly

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This has been an interesting read away from my usual genre. This was definitely a book that kept me thinking about it after I was finished.
I’m not going to give any spoilers but the way the lives of Helen and Louise become tangled, really engaged me and kept me gripped.
This is definitely well written and kept me hooked from the beginning. I found I was sucked in and couldn’t put it down.
This is my first read by this author, but I’m certain it won’t be the last. I really enjoyed this chilling story.

I don’t know why I felt I had read this before. Or is it that all books you read fall into one. It was a good read but I k pick points off because I felt it was samey and not original .

Really clever and interesting read. Helen needs a new heart and her donor died in a tragic way. So why does Helen feel the need to follow her new heart and investigate the death of Louise? A thrilling suspenseful story that I really enjoyed.

After You Fell has a very intriguing premise and is a slow-burning and claustrophobic tale of obsessions.

Helen is our – for various reasons – somewhat unreliable narrator and the inside of Helen’s head is often an uncomfortable and unusual place to be. The book is full of descriptive prose and I very much felt I was there with Helen and the other characters throughout their collective journey. There is a lot of emotion in the book and I sympathised with many of the feelings and thoughts, which were well described.

I wasn’t too keen on the references to Helen’s ‘sixth sense’, although this lessened as the book progressed, or on the minutiae of everyone’s actions and mannerisms and daily routines because this made it, for me, a little slow going during the middle. I was champing at the bit to find out more about Helen and Louise.

By the end though, the pace increases and the final few chapters were a rollercoaster of action and emotions.

After You Fell is a dark and hypnotic ride. It is not a break-neck speed thriller, but if you are looking for an eloquent and creepy mystery, this is the book for you.

After You Fell is a tricky book for me to review – it took me a while to get into, and in all honesty, I had just as many questions at the end as I had at the beginning, although to be fair I think this was sort of the point, and it is just my personal preference to have everything in a neat box at the end. If you are a fan of a book that leaves you pondering the facts of the tale after you have finished reading, then this is the book for you.

I love the premise of an organ transplant recipient forming an obsession with their donor, and I suspect if I ever found myself in Helen’s situation, I would want to know who my donor had been and what their life had been like. Hopefully though, I wouldn’t go quite as far as Helen does!

It’s hard to say too much without giving away key plot points, and I really do want you to discover them for yourselves. I must say though that neither Helen or Louise turned out to be who I had initially expected them to be, and actually my feelings about most of the characters changed on numerous occasions throughout the book.

After You Fell is a book that really gets you thinking about a variety of mental and physical health issues, and the evolving plot certainly kept me on my toes right up to the very last page.

#poorpoorHelen. What a bar steward of an ex she’s got. Thank goodness she has brother Simon and bestie Chloe to help her recover from her life changing heart transplant. I can’t imagine how it must be knowing you’ve got part of another human inside of you. Can it affect you?
As the story developed, Helen’s narrative became more unreliable. I’ve been cooped up and housebound following a major surgery and during maternity leave so I sympathised with her overactive imagination. But then she starts to show her obsessive nature with her donor and her donor’s story.
Lark pulls in a supernatural feel to Helens story, which could put some readers off however for me it added to the intrigue. This story is packed with tension which kept me clicking through my kindle pages. I wholeheartedly recommend After You Fell to anyone who loves a psychological thriller with a twist.

After You Fell took me on a great, atmospheric and unpredictable rollercoaster ride,

Helen Matthews believes she's psychic, but her family and friends think it's because she’s bipolar. When Helen receives a new heart from Louise’s Lovett, she makes a connection with the donor, who died in a fall. Helen becomes obsessed with discovering whether Louise's fall was accidental, suicide or murder. Helen has to deceive her own family and friends as she becomes more and more involved with Louise's family. I can't say much else about the story without giving away to much, suffice to say Helen's life becomes extremely complicated.

After You Fell was a well-written mix of mystery, romance and paranormal, with multi-dimensional characters who I got to know pretty well as the story unfolded.

J.S. Lark held my attention with this absorbing read that lives up to its billing... creepy, disturbing and genuinely thrilling page-turner.

Life hasn’t been easy for Helen Matthews, to say the least. She’s always been sickly, has been diagnosed as bipolar, her boyfriend left her and now she needs a heart transplant. After her surgery, she feels as if someone else is inside her body with her. She’s sure it’s the heart donor. Helen is obsessed on finding out about this person’s life.

She reads through obituaries for people who passed away before her surgery and discovers the heart belonged to Louise Lovett. Louise had a tragic death under suspicious circumstances. Helen feels a connection to Louise and becomes entangled with the family Louise left behind. She’s convinced that Louise left some unfinished business and wants Helen’s help to finish it.

This spellbinding book had me hooked from the first page. The author takes you through Helen’s journey - the ups and the downs of her emotional life. The characters are realistic and I cared about what happened to Helen.

I was captivated by the story. There were some slow-moving spots in the middle, but overall I was engrossed in the book. I couldn’t stop reading until I knew how it would all end up.

There were many twists and turns along the way. The author gave us an ending I was totally unprepared for. An intriguing psychological thriller by a new-to-me author. I’ll be looking for more work by her.

What a book, completely original and the ending had me wondering what the heck is real or not real! 5 plus stars! Definitely looking for more by this author, chilling so real you’ll have goosebumps on closing! A must read for those who love thrillers, but also some paranormal aspects and unreliable ending that really makes you wonder what happened!
Grab your copy today!!!

Helen Matthews is given a new lease of life. This sickly woman who has been ill as long as she can remember receives a donor heart, allowing her to finally make plans and have hope for the future. She believes she can communicate with the dead, so it's important to her to find out about the person who's heart beats inside her…

The death of a woman, falling from a car park. How did it happen? Is it a suicide, an accident or was the poor victim pushed?

The author keeps the pace as we count the days since the tragic death of Louise Lovett followed by the inquest and the conclusion. Each day adds another layer of fixation, lies and deceit as Helen makes plans based on her belief. She's surrounded by sound, caring people but she manages to pull the wool over their eyes to make her dreams become a reality. Only, is it possible to have an ability to have contact with the dead, psychic ability or is it simply her bipolar disorder?

It took a few chapters to get into the narrative but once hooked, I couldn't let go before until the final words are read. The pace is slow as the narrative builds and definitely adds to the suspense. It's captivating in a creepy way. It's a chilling tale of how someone can manipulate situations for their own gains. The obsessive actions of a woman had me guessing as to how this all would end...I was confident I had sussed it all out until the end when I'm proved wrong...bravo Ms Lark. 

As a début psychological thriller, it's one to make you sit up and take notice. It's twisty, disturbing and will leave you floored. 

***arc generously received courtesy of One More Chapter via NetGalley***

Looking for a unique thriller with a compelling and mind blowing plot?  Then I highly recommend After you Fell!

I've found the concept of organ donation fascinating and a little scary.  it's something I would like to do - no argument there - but there's a nagging thought in my mind about the wonder yet concept of having another person's organ inside you.  

For me, After You fell really attaches itself to theses thoughts and basically messes with your head.  This atmospheric and supernatural thriller is edge of the seat, nail biting fiction and is one of those books where one more chapter easily turns into reading in one sitting.  The tension builds at a steady pace, keeping the reader turning pages until the very last words. 

As the main character Helen sets out to discover the truth about her donor (Louise), fueled by a spiritual urge she descends into the darker side of obsession as her lives become more entangled as the plot moves forward.        

This is such a fabulous book and is full of intense and twisted surprises.  I cannot wait to read more by this author.

Helen Matthews has been sick most of her life. It's the reason her and her brother Simon ended up in foster care. When Helen is finally lucky enough to get a heart transplant what should be the start of a new life turns into the start of an obsession. You see, Helen believes she is psychic and can talk to the dead. Her family and friends think this is all a manifestation of her bipolar disorder.
Louise Lovett falls from the top of a car-park and ends up being the donor heart that Helen needs to survive.
As Helen become more obsessed with first finding her donor, and finding out what happened to Louise, her obsession turns to her donors husband and children.
You may not always like Helen, in fact you may not like many of the characters, her need to find out what happened to Louise becomes somewhat disturbing but the twist at the end.. didn't see that one coming. I give this 4 stars and look forward to seeing what else Ms. Lark may have in store for us with future books.
Thank you to NetGalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the digital review copy of this book.

Helen has been ill most of her life. But, when she becomes the recipient of a new heart she finally begins to look forward to the future. Even though her boyfriend dumped her and she doesn’t have a job, she is determined to rebuild her life. But, first, she wants to find out who her heart donor is. After a little online research she knows who’s heart she has and she wants to help the family of Louise, who committed suicide.

Helen also believes she has a special gift. She is able to communicate with the dead. She is also bipolar. Or are they one and the same? Helen manages to become the nanny to the three children of her donor. As her obsession with the family grows, so does her believe that there is more to the story of Louise’s death than is apparent.

After You Fell is filled with tension and unanswered questions. It is a story of a woman who is obsessive by nature, who has begun to think of the children she takes care of as her own. And, it is a story of a woman who is trying to determine how to manage her life and enjoy all it has to offer.

The author’s use of tension throughout the book is outstanding and the characterizations are well-done. However, the story does seem to drag in some places and it seemed as though the narrative could have moved a little faster, while still maintaining the tension and atmosphere. But because, overall, it is so well-crafted, I would give After You Fell 4 *s.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

After you fell was an outstandingly chilling thriller and I didn't want to even blink. I read as fast as I could and absorbed each word with excitement and suspense. I had to know what happened next.

The pace of this tale kept my interest piqued throughout and excited to get to the end. Of course, then I wished that I had read slower and savoured the story. You can only experience a book for the first time once!

I read a lot of paranormal stories but not many thrillers that have a paranormal aspect. 

With enough twists and turns to surprise me, After You Fell was a great read and one of my favourite thrillers of 2019.

Helen Matthews has a newly transplanted heart and the conviction that the donor- Louise Lovett- is trying to tell her something. Told in Helen's voice this is the story of a woman with mental health as well as physical health issues who sets off to find out whether her donor fell or was pushed to her death. Is Helen a reliable narrator? Well, she sees auras, she's sure she's got psychic capabilities, and she's becoming obsessed with Alex Lovett, Louise's husband, and their children. She's also not always as likable as you might want a heroine to be but hey- that's not a bad thing. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is a creepy page turner that will keep you guessing.

What a twisty chilling disturbing read. This is a psychological thriller which is about loneliness, obsession and dark thoughts.
The pace of this book is slow but it still manages to keep you attention and make you want to keep reading.
The twist at the end took me completely by surprise. It was so unexpected.

Oh my goodness!! I LOVED THIS READ!! It is definitely a spine tingling thriller, that gave me goosebumps and that I highly enjoyed very much.

Jane Lark is a new author to me and I am so thrilled to have read this book in this book tour. Her writing style grabs and captivates the reader right from the start. There are so many great things about this book - from the pacing, the writing of the vantage point, the great cast of characters and the amazing plot - that is indeed Lark's absolute genius and brilliance written in these pages. It is simply amazing.

Louise Lovett falls from a car park - was she pushed? Was it an accident? Was it suicide?

Helen Matthews has a heart condition and finally receives a heart transplant after many years of waiting. She wants to thank the family and finds a tortured husband and their children who have lost a parent. She wants to deliver a message as she is connected with Louise and she is obsessing with her donor's family.

Does she have psychic abilities, or is it the connection she has with Louise that is allowing her to see auras and spirits? Or is it her bipolar disorder?

Told in Helen's point of view, Lark dove deep into Helen's character and fully immersed with complete understanding of the human experience. Her ability to get to the dark places and feelings of loneliness is told in such a beautiful way.

This is such an amazing book that caught me by surprise with the unexpected ending.

I highly recommend this for an amazing thriller that is not be missed!!

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy. Helen receives Louise Lovetts heart after she falls from a car park. She feels like she is communicating with Louise since she knows she possesses the psychic ability to sense spirits. Helen starts getting infatuated with Louise and her family. Suspenseful twisty read. Not too fast paced.

I absolutely love to discover new authors and I especially love discovering books that give me the heebie jeebies. I know that sounds bad but I don’t mean it that way. If I enjoy a story so much that it sends a shiver or ten down my spine, then I know that’s a sign of a good book. I read the synopsis for ‘After Your Fell’ and it certainly sounded like a different sort of read and I mean that in the nicest possible way. For me, the synopsis made the book stand out from others in the same genre. I couldn’t wait to start reading so as soon as I grabbed a cup of tea, I settled down and began to read. It certainly was one hell of a read and then some, which I thoroughly enjoyed but more about that in a bit.
It didn’t take me long to get into this book at all. In fact by the time I got to the end of the first dozen or so pages, I knew that my first instinct had been right about this book had been right and that I was going to enjoy it. I couldn’t get enough of the story and I found it extremely difficult to put this one book to one side for any length of time. The more of the story I read, the more intrigued I became and then of course the more I had to read. I think for me, part of the reason whey I loved the book was the fact that the author touched on elements of the ‘other side’ or the psychic side of life. Personally I like to think that after death you continue to live on but in a different form as it were ie: as a spirit. I am into all things psychic as it’s a world that fascinates me. I even have psychic powers myself although mine are more likely to predict a disaster or a death in the family so I cover them well up. Anyway that’s enough about me and my beliefs so back to the review I do go. I became so absorbed by the story that I lost all track of time and I was staggered to realise that I had been reading for over two hours. Usually I have the attention span of a gnat and I am easily distracted but not in this case. In this case, reading the story became an addiction and it was an addiction that I wasn’t going to break. I soon got to the end of the story, which I was disappointed about. No, I don’t mean that in a negative sense but I was enjoying the author’s writing style, the characters and the storylines so much that I just didn’t want the book to end, even if it did send a shiver or two down my spine.
‘After You Fell’ is really well written. The author certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start and once she has it, she will not let it go until the moment you get to the end of the last word on the last page. The author incorporates elements of the psychic side of life into the story without making it sound unbelievable. I hope that makes sense. I felt so convinced by the story that I felt as though I was an extra character in the book and I found myself going through the same emotions that the main characters were going through. I know that this is a work of fiction but I find that if I enjoy a book to the extent that I enjoyed this one then I tend to ‘live’ the story as if it were real.
Reading ‘After You Fell’ was like being on an at times scary, creepy and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several unexpected twists and turns along the way. At times I almost had to read through my fingers as I feared what was going to happen next. I even found that I tried to interact with the book as if the characters could hear me and I was shouting out random warnings about what was going to happen to them.
In short, ‘After You Fell’ is one fantastic read and I would definitely recommend it to other readers. People who believe in the psychic or spiritual world will particularly enjoy this book. I will be reading more books by J. S. Lark in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.